Solution here.
Continue readingRock and Roll Rebus #13
Posted in Fun And Games on 01/13/2026 by Kurt OrzeckFrom the Vault: Are My Morning Jacket Clones of The Big Lebowski?
Posted in Essays with tags Jim James, My Morning Jacket on 01/13/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Bad Penny’s Top 10 Most Popular Stories of 2025
Posted in Album Reviews, Lists, Reviews with tags At the Gates, Brokedowns, Dark Tranquillity, Death Pose, In Flames, Indecline, Nightrage, Psychic Pigs, Softcult, the Jesus Lizard on 01/13/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
The title of this post tells it all. But some of the bands on “The Bad Penny’s Top 10 Most Popular Stories of 2025” might surprise you.
1. The 20 Best Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal Bands of All Time
3. Friends of The Bad Penny Share Their Top 10 Lists of 2025 Best Albums
5. Pet Sounds #76: Cat Lovers Psychic Pigs Named Their Band as a Derogatory Slur Jabbing the Police
Continue readingGift’s ‘Illuminator (Deluxe)’: Two Cent Review for Treble’s 10 Best Psychedelic LPs of 2025
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Gift on 01/12/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Giving Illuminator a very deep listen reveals that Gift wants to share their dream of a beautiful, cosmic world with you, the listener. Read my review of the record as part of my “10 Best Psychedelic Albums of 2025” installment of my 13th Floor column for Treble.
Continue readingTwo Cent Review: Jesus and Mary Chain’s ‘Psychocandy’ Reissue
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags The Jesus and Mary Chain on 01/12/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
With the shoegaze revival presumably hitting its zenith, the time couldn’t be more ripe for the release of the 40th anniversary commemorative edition of The Jesus and Mary Chain’s debut album, Psychocandy. Read my reviews of the reissue on Post-Trash.
On Tyranny: An Epic Conversation With Anarchist Art Collective and Cursive Collaborators INDECLINE About Fascism And How You Can Fight It
Posted in Features, Interviews, On Tyranny, On Tyranny with tags authoritarianism, Cursive, fascism, Indecline, MAGA, On Tyranny, tyranny on 01/12/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
The Bad Penny is embarrassed to admit that we only discovered INDECLINE, an American Anarchist art collective whose work has had tremendous impact on the underground and even the mainstream, for more than 20 years. We caught wind of the group, whose members wish to remain anonymous, after they collaborated with Cursive for their video “The Avalanche of Our Demise,” which the Tim Kasher-led indie-rock band released last month. Upon further investigation into INDECLINE, it became obvious that they would be a boon to On Tyranny, for they would certainly introduce new ideas and perspectives in the series we launched roughly a year ago.
And boy did they ever. Formed in 2001, the decentralized group of musicians, graffiti artists and others have fearlessly devoted themselves to bringing attention to the evils of capitalism, the death of democracy in America – and, on a more positive note, how we can build a better society. INDECLINE’s most prominent works of public art include statues of Donald Trump in the buff, glued to sidewalks; and their “Ku Klux Klowns” installation that served as a response to the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.
We could expound a great deal further on INDECLINE’s history and accomplishments, but much of that information is covered in the longest, boldest and most informative installment in our On Tyranny series. So, without further ado, here is the epic conversation
Continue readingCoilguns’ ‘Lost Love’ EP: Two Cent Review for Treble’s 10 Best Psychedelic LPs of 2025
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Coilguns on 01/11/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Coilguns’ Lost Love EP served as the soundtrack to 2025: a hellishly bad acid trip. If love is the most precious thing life has to offer, what could be more terrifying than the prospect that we have abandoned it for good — or even worse, that it has abandoned us? Read my review of the short-player as part of my “10 Best Psychedelic Albums of 2025” installment of my 13th Floor column for Treble.
Continue readingVile Apparition’s ‘Malignity’: Two Cent Review for Post-Trash’s Best 50 LPs of 2025
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews with tags Vile Apparition on 01/11/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Vile Apparition’s Malignity is so terrifying that you’ll immediately run through your home to make sure your kids are safe before you realize you don’t actually have any. This is only the second record by Vile Apparition, but it’s unimpeachable proof that these guys already know damn well what they’re doing. Go to Post-Trash to read my full review of Vile Apparition’s Malignity as part of the outlet’s “Year in Review: The Best of 2025” roundup.
Continue readingPet Sounds #76: Cat Lovers Psychic Pigs Named Their Band as a Derogatory Slur Jabbing the Police
Posted in Features, Interviews, Pet Sounds with tags cats, Crocodiles, Pet Sounds, police, Psychic Pigs on 01/10/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
What do punk-rockers Psychic Pigs have in common with The Simpsons? The band’s name is a derogatory slur toward cops and their streak of brutality, and the long-running animated TV show features a piggish cop, Chief Wiggum, as one of its central characters. But don’t make the mistake of thinking Psychic Pigs are haters; Brandon Welchez adores cats, as he revealed to The Bad Penny this week as part of our Pet Sounds series.
Based in L.A., Psychic Pigs put out a new album in May 2025 through Slovenly Recordings (quite a coincidence considering that “slovenly” is a commonly used descriptor of pigs). Welchez, formerly of psych posse Crocodiles, crafted the self-titled effort – one of last year’s best psychedelic records – in a mere four days. While we could’ve picked Welchez’s brain about pigs and crocodiles, we focused on his cat, Henry, as Pet Sounds revolves around musicians and their pets.
Here’s how our conversation played out:
Continue reading10 Best Free Bandcamp Downloads #7: Floating, Coilguns, Skyjoggers, In Lieu, Gift, Porch Coffin
Posted in Lists with tags Coilguns, Floating, Gift, In Lieu, Jute Gyte, Skyjoggers, Transcending Obscurity, Tumbleweed Dealer on 01/09/2026 by Kurt Orzeck
Strapped for cash but hungry for great music? Don’t worry, The Bad Penny has your back. Here’s a rundown of 10 rad releases, most of them recently issued, that we came across on Bandcamp this week.
(Note: If you do have some green to spare, please show your thanks to these deserving artists and labels.)
1. Various Artists’ Transcending Obscurity 2026 Label Sampler
Mumbai, India-based Transcending Obscurity, which The Bad Penny profiled extensively last year, has outdone itself with this year’s edition of its annual label sampler. The freebie corrals 26 blistering songs by extreme-metal bands from across the world, not the least of whom are Veilburner, Haxprocess, Endspace, Verdun and Death Obvious.
2. In Lieu’s Failing in the Right Direction
Our ears are still ringing from listening many times to Hooligan, the solid record that Minneapolis noise-rock band In Lieu unleashed upon the masses in October. In delving deeper into the group’s catalog, we discovered their debut record, Failing in the Right Direction, which the band made when it was only a two-piece. Sure, it’s not as well-crafted as Hooligan, but given that vocalist/guitarist Nicole Post and drummer/bassist Lucas Margulies were basically kids when they made the record, it tickles and titillates.
Continue reading
The Bad Penny (beta) 