10 Best Free Bandcamp Downloads #11: Dave Grohl Side Project’s Full LP, lowsunday, TINO, Post Pulse, Zabus

Posted in MP3s with tags , , , , , , , , , on 05/06/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

The 11th and latest installment of The Bad Penny‘s Bandcamp Freebie series features our strongest offering of free music to date. In addition to pay-what-you-want releases by a handful of artists that the site has featured (and thus recommended) in various posts, there’s only two singles among the bunch. The rest are full-lengths and short-players that the bands we’re featuring deserve hi-fives for posting for no cost on Bandcamp. So, without further ado, let’s dig in.

(Note: If you’re financially capable of supporting any of these artists and/or labels, please consider doing so.)

1. Probot – s/t

In the early ’00s, Dave Grohl started showing more affection toward heavy metal, even though his three most prominent projects – grunge gods Nirvana, hardcore heroes Scream and mainstream-rock darlings Foo Fighters – were never categorized at that sort. In particular, Grohl had developed a close friendship with Lemmy Kilmister, later appearing in a 2010 documentary paying tribute to the Motörhead majordomo.

Grohl confirmed his appreciation for metal with this one-off 2003 release by a project he called Probot. The songs featured Grohl playing along with some of metal’s greatest legends ever: Max Cavalera, Wino, Eric Wagner, King Diamond – and, of course, Lemmy. Our eyes grew wide when we noticed on Bandcamp that this special release is available for release.

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A Very Deep Dive Into Josh Homme’s Collaborations in and Out of Queens of the Stone Age

Posted in Features with tags , , , , , , , , , on 05/06/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

In my first feature for Collider, I dig deep into Josh Homme’s miles-long list of collaborations with other prominent musicians from a range of genres as part of Queens of the Stone Age and other projects. The 1,200-word article analyzes his work with PJ Harvey, Mark Lanegan, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Iggy Pop, Norah Jones, Rob Halford, Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl – just to name a few.

On Tyranny: Zach Galifianakis Nails Joe Rogan, Theo Von, Other Podcast Bros for Failing With ‘Political Comedy’

Posted in Comedy, Features, On Tyranny, On Tyranny with tags , , , , , on 05/06/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Perfectly stated:

Listen to My Discussion About Psychedelic Music on WCRS LP-FM’s ‘Ear Opener’ Radio Show

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , , , on 05/06/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Check out my lengthy (and hopefully informative) appearance on WCRS LP-FM’s radio program The Ear Opener about modern psychedelic music with host, Programming Director and great guy Pat Leonard. (WCRS is a non-commercial, listener-supported community radio station.)

In addition to our conversation, I provide commentary on Turtle Skull’s “Into the Sun,” The Birch’s “Free your Head,” BLKE’s “Money Says,” Vitskär Süden’s “R’lyeh,” Gift’s “Going in Circles” and Tumbleweed Dealer’s “Dark Green.” (I’ve also written about those songs in my Treble column on psychedelic music, called The 13th Floor.)

The show aired last night in Columbus, Ohio; and plays in Western Pennsylvania this morning. You can listen to it right here anytime:

Pet Sounds #84: Still Bones Frontman Can’t Live Without Music – and Coda, His Gorgeous Pooch

Posted in Features, Interviews, Pet Sounds with tags , on 05/05/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Roughly a month ago, emo-ish punks Still Bones unveiled a new EP. (Listen to it here.) Start/Stop is something of a blink-and-you-will-miss-it release, as the band barrels through its three songs at breakneck speed, with the entire release totaling only about eight minutes.

That said, Start/Stop captures the essence of the Baltimore band, which consists of John Gamble (vocals, guitar), Vinnie Burke (drums), Jake Butler (bass) and Ethan Salem (guitar). Gamble actually originated Still Bones as a solo project during COVID. He called it “a way to finally organize all the bits and pieces of songs I had written over the years. But the vision was always to be a full band, because being part of a scene and building community is what it’s all about.”

The band has stated that the light speed at which the release proceeds mirrors the urgency of modern times, with the world undeniably changing at an ever-increasingly rapid – and frightening – pace.

“There’s a lot of fucked up shit happening, and it’s hard to see any meaningful way to create change, so instead we just feel angry,” Gamble said. “This I want to rebel but don’t know how energy mixed with a one step forward two steps back sense of malaise is at the heart of Start/Stop.”

Helping keep Gamble stable and calm during these perilous times is his trusty dog Coda. Judging by what Gamble told us in his Pet Sounds submission, he’d be faced with a Sophie’s Choice were he forced to pick between Still Bones and Coda. Look at the below photos, and you’ll see why: Gamble has raised one very happy dog with a huge smile to prove it.

We recently caught up with Gamble to learn more about Coda and the crucial role she plays in his life.

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Dumbo Gets Mad Ready to Barrel Through Boise Again After Treefort Breakthrough

Posted in Concert Previews, Interviews with tags , on 05/05/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Three years ago, psychedelic-pop band Dumbo Gets Mad gave a rousing performance at Treefort Music Fest that left a massive foot-size imprint on Boise. Tonight they return to the city in the hopes of matching or even besting their previous show. The band is opening for Levitation Room – read The Bad Penny‘s 2019 interview for The Big Takeover and 2024 interview for New Noise – at Shrine Social Club.

Doors open at 7 p.m., with the show beginning an hour later with a set by Floating Witch’s Head (featuring Treefort co-founder Eric Gilbert). Buy tickets here for approximately $40 apiece.

In anticipation of Dumbo Gets Mad’s return to Boise, we caught up with frontman Luca Bergomi – who founded the band 15 years ago – via phone on Saturday. The Bad Penny picked his brain about how their tour is going, various records they’ve put out over the years and why asking the right question is often more important than arriving at the right answer.

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On Tyranny: Ecce Shnak Leader Says ‘White European Plutocrat Supremacist Psychosis’ Has Gripped US

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , , , on 05/04/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

As marginalized Americans continue to get hammered by a new upper-class uppercut every day, at least so it seems, visionary composer/bassist/singer David Roush is turning his idealistic vision into a reality by directly helping those most in need. Roush is the frontman of Ecce Shnak (pronounced Eh-kay sh-knock), a five-piece art-rock band now in its 15th year. They describe their sound as “one part pop music, another part classical music, and a third part punk music.”

Rousch is one of the 100-plus musicians profiled in The Bad Penny‘s On Tyranny series who are taking action during the most perilous time for U.S. democracy in recent decades, if not centuries. Specifically, Roush is tirelessly trying to help get poet/philosopher Keith LaMar off death row, where he was relegated to an Ohio prison 30 years ago for crimes he allegedly didn’t commit.

Roush discusses LaMar’s case and shares his analysis about the abysmal state of America, Ecce Shnak and much more in the latest installment of On Tyranny.

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Failure’s ‘Location Lost’: Two Cent Review

Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags , on 05/04/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Failure’s fourth post-reunion LP avoids trends in favor of songs that penetrate the heart—it’s as if the spacey grunge trio have finally found the magic they’ve had in themselves from the start. Read my FLOOD review.

On Tyranny: Nequient Vocalist Links America’s Current Catastrophes to Obama Haters’ ‘Deep-Seated Racial Animosity’ After He Was Elected President

Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny, Videos with tags , , , , , , on 05/03/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

Fans of grindcore no doubt are aware that Nequient – arguably Chicago’s greatest contribution to the subgenre – just spat out their third LP two Fridays ago on Nefarious Industries. One of the main themes on the nine-track Avarice fits in comfortably with The Bad Penny‘s ongoing On Tyranny series.

Vocalist Jason Kolkey shows no restraint in lambasting the greedy oligarchs who are stridently, shamelessly and soullessly puppet-mastering the U.S. economy into incalculable and perhaps unsalvageable economic ruin, particularly during Donald Trump’s fascist reign. It’s difficult which is more terrifying, Nequient’s unforgivable brutality or the nauseating avarice of the top 1 percent richest individuals in America.

Kolkey generously carved out some time late last week to elaborate on his highly charged and completely coherent positions with The Bad Penny. Dude knows what he’s talking about … Kolkey earned a PhD in English from Loyola University Chicago, and works as an independent scholar and writer when not declaring war on his vocal cords (and the ultra-wealthy) as the frontman of Nequient.

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Jesus Lizard Screamer David Yow’s Acting Demo Reel Is Pure Gold

Posted in Favorite Films, Features, Videos with tags , , , , , , on 05/03/2026 by Kurt Orzeck

David Yow’s penchant for physical prowess is not only evident in his four decades as noise-rock’s ultimate madman; the Jesus Lizard frontman also taps into his mesmerizing contortions and transformations as an actor. Fans of Yow and his bands – which have also included Scratch Acid, Qui and Flipper – may be aware of his various forays in film, but only a select few have seen this wacky demo reel he used to clinch acting roles.

A short list of movies on Yow’s resumé include 2017’s I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore with Elijah Wood; 2023’s The Toxic Avenger with Peter Dinklage; 2018’s Under the Silver Lake with Andrew Garfield; and the 2015 cult-favorite horror anthology Southbound.

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