Portland’s Blackwater Holylight stay true to their gloomy outlook on this EP, but the listening experience is far more pleasant thanks to a crisper, cleaner sound. Read my short review on Treble.
Blackwater Holylight’s ‘If You Only Knew’ EP: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Blackwater Holylight on 04/18/2025 by Kurt OrzeckTribunal’s ‘In Penitence and Ruin’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Tribunal on 04/18/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
Impressively, it took just two records for what began as a two-person project to achieve its potential as a towering ensemble. Read my brief review of Tribunal’s In Penitence and Ruin on Treble.
Superheaven’s ‘Superheaven’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Superheaven on 04/18/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
After a 10-year gap between full-lengths, Pennsylvania rock band Superheaven improved their talents so greatly that their new self-titled record stands as a masterstroke. Read my short review on Treble.
Built to Spill Bassist Says Bernie/AOC Rally Provided ‘Ray of Hope’
Posted in Concert Reviews, Interviews, Reviews with tags Built to Spill, Melanie Radford on 04/18/2025 by Kurt Orzeck“As a woman who was raised in Nampa, Idaho, I know what the politics there can look like, and it’s usually pretty bleak,” Built to Spill’s Melanie Radford told New Noise. “But (Monday’s event) was a ray of hope.”
Buzz Osborne of Melvins Shows Soft, Fuzzy Side with His Dogs
Posted in Interviews with tags Buzz Osborne, Melvins on 04/17/2025 by Kurt Orzeck“I have very precious feelings about dogs. I don’t want them to get hurt.” So says the gruff frontman of Melvins. Read my interview with Buzz Osborne for the 40th installment of New Noise‘s Pet Sounds series.
Iron Lung’s ‘Adapting // Crawling’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Iron Lung on 04/16/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
The deceptively named Adapting // Crawling harnesses and re-presents the blistering, bombastic, no-holds-barred essence of Iron Lung that established the band—and gave their self-operated record label legitimacy—in the first place. Go to Treble to read my short review of Iron Lung’s killer new record.
Extreme Punks Mercy Ties Ready to Make Boise Say ‘Uncle’
Posted in Interviews with tags Mercy Ties on 04/16/2025 by Kurt OrzeckSeattle eardrum terrorists Mercy Ties are ready to blow away Boise and a handful of other cities in the West with selections from their catalog, which now includes their recently released first studio album in almost 10 years. Read my interview with the band’s two captains on New Noise.
Inside the Label: The Mysterious Sentient Ruin Laboratories
Posted in Features, Inside The Label, Interviews on 04/15/2025 by Kurt OrzeckSentient Ruin Laboratories, an Oakland-based endeavor founded 11 years ago by an individual who goes by the name “M,” gives superb yet overlooked music—almost always of the heavy, experimental, and obscure variety—the exceptionally high quality that it deserves.
Soft Palms’ New Cut ‘Radio’ Dials Up Excitement for LP, Tour
Posted in Interviews, News with tags Julia Kugel, Scott Montoya, Soft Palms on 04/14/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
It seems like only a month ago when Julia Kugel of the garage-punk band Julia, Julia talked with yours truly about her three cats for an installment of Pet Sounds for New Noise. And it seems like only two months ago when this writer interviewed Kugel for a FLOOD feature about another one of her projects, the punk supergroup Julia & the Squeezettes. Well, that’s because it was.
So, it came as a surprise when Kugel dropped The Bad Penny a line over the weekend to say that she not only has a new single and upcoming album by another one of her projects, Soft Palms—but that she’s about to tour behind it too.
Soft Palms is an indie-pop band of the dreamy variety and also features Scott Montoya, formerly of the Growlers. On Friday, they released the succulent new single “Radio,” a jangly jingle that raises high hopes for Kugel and Montoya’s upcoming full-length, In Echo (Everloving). Check it our fer yerself right here:
Kugel—who is still perhaps best known for yet another one of her bands, the Coathangers—explained why the time was right for Soft Palms to roll out the catchy tune when they did.
“We just had to put out a song since it has been five years since the (self-titled) debut LP,” Kugel told The Bad Penny. “It was driving us crazy not to have new music out there. … ‘Radio’ was recorded and mixed here at our studio, and we also shot and edited the video here. We have no concrete release date (for the album) yet, but are working on it. And our goal is to win a Grammy, (so it will be well worth the wait).”
Montoya elaborated on their joint aspiration in a press statement.
“Julia and I have over 40 years combined experience in music. ‘Radio’ will be our combined 352nd track on our combined 46th release, but it’s the first time we’ve ever thought to submit our work to the Recording Academy for Grammy consideration,” said Montoya, who clearly has a knack for accounting. Our best bets are the categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Alternative Music Performance, Best Alternative Music Album, Best Music Video and (since nothing released in 2020 counts) Best New Artist.”
In Echo is still awaiting a release date, but Soft Palms are so enthusiastic about their latest endeavor, they’re not wasting any time bringing at least some music from it to the people.
Here are Soft Palms’ upcoming performances:
4.18: Slo, CA – Libertine Brew
4.19: Visalia, CA – The Cellar Door
4.20: Reno, NV – Lo-Bar Social
4.22: Bend, OR – Silver Moon Brewing
4.24: Seattle, WA – Chop Suey
4.25: Eugene, OR – Sam Bond’s Garage
4.26: Portland, OR – Swan Dive
4.27: Sacramento, CA – Old Ironsides
5.1: Hermosa Beach, CA – Saint Rocke
For more on Soft Palms, their music and upcoming tour, head to their website and Bandcamp page.
Photo courtesy of JJ.
Valerie June’ ‘Owls, Omens, and Oracles’: Two Cent Review
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags M. Ward, Valerie June on 04/13/2025 by Kurt Orzeck
If you’re not at least tempted to dance along to every song on this record, produced by M. Ward masquerading as a pre-notorious Phil Spector, you’d best get your feet, ears and head checked. Read my short review Valerie June’s Owls, Omens, and Oracles (Concord) for Treble here.
The Bad Penny (beta) 