Pick up the latest issue of Music Connection — or check out the magazine’s website — for my feature article on country-music newcomer Chase Matthew.
Chase Matthew: Nashville’s Top ‘Unicorn’
Posted in Interviews with tags Chase Matthew on 01/29/2023 by Kurt OrzeckBest Movies of 2022: ‘Stranger,’ ‘Tár,’ ‘Emily the Criminal,’ ‘Hellbender’
Posted in Lists with tags Barbarian, Emily the Criminal, Happening, Hellbender, Moonage Spacedream, Tar, The Outfit, The Stranger, X on 01/28/2023 by Kurt Orzeck
The Moss ‘Stoked’ to Sprout Tour Tonight in Boise
Posted in Interviews with tags The Moss on 01/25/2023 by Kurt Orzeck
At a time when so many bands are wrangling to gain a foothold after a brutal few years for artists, young rock band the Moss are staying humble and letting their music do the talking. Well, almost.
“We’re stoked to start our tour tonight in Boise,” Moss leader Tyke James recently told the Bad Penny. “There seems to be a lot more support for younger bands than most cities. We’re building support in new places this year.”
The singer/guitarist and his friend Addison Sharp, also on guitar, started playing together in Oahu, Hawaii, as teens. About four years ago, James and Sharp landed in the Salt Lake City area, where they formally started the Moss with drummer Willie Fowler and bassist Caiden Jackson.
Together, they channel a sound resembling West Coast faves like Waaves, Ty Segall, Cayucas and Best Coast. It’s a hearty blend of distorion-laden surf-rock, alt-rock and grunge.
Continue readingBest Albums of 2022: Amorphis, All the Fury, Halo Effect, Cave In, Khold
Posted in Lists with tags All the Fury, Amorphis, Cave In, Celeste, Dark Funeral, Deathspell Omega, Early Moods, Halo Effect, Khold, Sigh on 01/16/2023 by Kurt Orzeck
- Amorphis – Halo (Atomic Fire)
- All the Fury – Layers (self-released)
- Halo Effect – Days of the Lost (Nuclear Blast)
- Cave In – Heavy Pendulum (Relapse)
- Khold – Svartsyn (Soul Seller)
- Celeste – Assassine(s) (Nuclear Blast)
- Dark Funeral – We Are the Apocalypse (Century Media)
- Deathspell Omega – Long Defeat (Season of Mist)
- Early Moods – s/t (RidingEasy)
- Sigh – Shiki (Peaceville)
Guilty Pleasures: Dez Dare Digs Grand Funk Railroad, More
Posted in Features, Guilty Pleasures, Lists with tags Dez Dare on 01/12/2023 by Kurt Orzeck
Dez Dare is up to something. Scratch that: psych/punk/garage vet Dez Dare is always up to something.
Starting on the first day of this year, the indefatigable U.K.-based punk-rock vet posted five cryptic Instagram posts piquing fans’ interest. Each post alluded to a big announcement that Dez — a.k.a. Darren Smallman — plans to make imminently.
Dez promises “records a plenty + weird videos + odd touring + a slick new website” in the posts.
Continue readingHear Covert Stations’ Latest Reworking: Roxette’s ‘It Must Have Been Love’
Posted in Interviews, MP3s with tags Covert Stations, Roxette on 12/19/2022 by Kurt Orzeck
Covert Stations, Craig Cirinelli’s ambitious project that reimagines classic pop songs, is getting visible enough that the word “covert” is now something of a misnomer.
On Friday, Cirinelli and his latest crew of cohorts unveiled the fifth “borrowed” tune in the ongoing endeavor. (He prefers “borrowed” to “cover,” as Covert Stations drastically rework the original versions of the songs they select.)
Continue readingBad Penny of the Year: Nicolas Cage
Posted in Essays, Features with tags Nicolas Cage on 12/17/2022 by Kurt Orzeck
If you check out this website, you probably know it’s almost exclusively focused on music. But we’re making an exception here, because Nicolas Cage is about as rock and roll as they come. (And, for the record, his characters actually do sing sometimes, too.)
When Cage legendarily shelled out millions, as if he were allergic to money, he bought dinosaur skulls, a two-headed snake, a haunted house and shrunken pygmy heads.
That’s pretty metal, in our book. Plus, if Cage can be a presenter at Revolver‘s Golden God Awards, he’s allowed to be part of the Bad Penny family.
Continue readingExclusive: False Gods — Meet Metal’s Newest True Believers
Posted in Interviews on 12/05/2022 by Kurt Orzeck
Try this homework assignment:
1. Form a new band with six musicians from China and Canada.
2. Make sure they’re all well-versed in a wide array of heavy-metal genres.
3. Assemble the project during the pandemic.
4. Release an album before the lockdowns end.
5. Play a few shows around the time of the album release.
Somehow, music phenom Yuqiao Man managed to pull off that impossible-sounding feat over the past two years.
Continue readingJoshua Lewis, Multi-Instrumentalist Extraordinaire, Conveys a Sense of ‘Friction’
Posted in Interviews with tags Built to Spill, Joshua Lewis on 11/11/2022 by Kurt Orzeck
Most mystics and some musicians, when asked for advice, inevitably stress the importance of silence. One of the most healing aspects of retreats, hikes and the like is embracing the lack of noise and letting one’s mind go undisturbed. Miles Davis famously said, “It’s not the notes you play, it’s the notes you don’t play.”
Through no fault of their own, musicians — who want to be at least heard, if not worshipped — have a tough time staying humble.
Cerebral multi-instrumentalist, producer and engineer Joshua Lewis doesn’t have that problem.
For the first 10 years of his career, the Boise-based artist played nary a note on a stage or in a studio. Instead, his primary trade was (and still is) engineering and producing music for other artists. Most recently, he helped record and mix the new album When the Wind Forgets Your Name by Boise’s best band of all time, Built to Spill.
Continue readingOutrage Over Bill Burr’s Abortion Bit Is a Joke
Posted in Comedy, Essays with tags Bill Burr, Louis CK, Seinfeld on 11/10/2022 by Kurt Orzeck
Bill Burr is splitting the Internet again. A bit about abortion on his latest comedy special, Live at Red Rocks, is tearing up social media. But, as usual, anyone shocked over the always-hilarious, always-controversial comedian is clearly not a fan.
In his latest special, Bill Burr closes by saying, “I know I said I lot of divisive sh– here tonight. So, before I get out of here, let’s bring the room together. It’s a very divisive time. Everyone wants to feel safe. Let’s do a nice, normal, mainstream topic so everybody can drive home happy, no fights. All right? Sound good? All right, great. Let’s talk abortion.”
Continue reading
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