~ajroach42.com

I'm Andrew. I write about the past and future of tech, music, media, culture, art, and activism. This is my blog.

Bandcamp Friday

Posted: April 1, 2022

It’s Bandcamp Friday! That means bandcamp is giving 100% of revenue to bands! I’m a big fan of DIY media, so I wanted to take a moment to recommend some of my favorite albums on bandcamp. This list is not comprehensive, these are just some things I’ve been jamming to latetly.

Andy’s Song - Single from Pharmacy

Some of the most knowledgeable and genre savvy musicians working in Atlanta today, incredible pop/rock that you won’t be able to get out of your head.

Halfway Down - Album from Dinner Time

Is “Art Pop” still a thing? Jazz infused indie rock, with hazy vocals and slow tempos.

Woo - Album by Floral Print

Vaguely mathy psychedelic stuff.

Sunset Honor Unit

In their own words “The turbopop bop operatives have arrived! SHU in your stereo, SHU in your system! Feel the vibrations and wade in the waters of total harmony!”

Seasons Change - Single from Brett Schieber and Temi

My buddy Brett is a great musician, and this new project sees him pairing with lots of different vocalists to do some soul tinged poppy stuff.

It’s All Around - Eli Pop

Bedroom psych. Originally released by Burger Records on a limited cassette, now released by Analog Revolution (New album out this year, on vinyl if we can get our shit together and do it.)

“The Loose Ends of Act 1” (2015​-​2020 Remastered) - Michael Cera Palin

Michael Cera Palin is one of my favorite bands, full stop. They do emo flavored pop punk, I guess? A lot of people compare them to American Football.

If you know any of these recs outside of me, it’s probably them.

All of these songs are Astounding, and I’m so proud of these kids, even if they aren’t kids anymore.

Voted Most Chill in high school - The New Clear Lawn Chairs

It’s the poppiest slop punk you’ll listen to this month (with the bassist from MCP on lead guitar.) Available soon as a 7” from Analog Revolution.

Cut it Out - The Scraps

Livvie and co haven’t recorded a song in 5 years or more? But this stuff was absolutely the soundtrack of my life in 2016. Dark, moody, grungy music made by teenagers. Highlights include After Party and Chicago.

The boygirlfriends

Indie pop from a bunch of classically trained musicians and also Jon from The New Clear Lawn Chairs.

Oat Milk

Jazz-y pop from some classically trained musicians. Go listen to Bubble Tea for Breakfast.

Think About It - Rod Hamdallah

Blues heavy garage rock. It sounds effortless and absolutely filfthy. You’d be hard pressed to find a better example of the genre anywhere.

Local Honey - The Big Heed

I can’t really describe The Big Heed in words that make sense. I’ve known one of their guitarists/vocalists for a long time, and she’s one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever met.

She does very garage-y things.

The rest of the band is doing less garage-y, more psych-funk things.

The combination is a garage/psych/funk party that I am happy to attend.

Try the tracks Fire and Local Honey.

Letters From Nowhere - Doctor Deathray

Doctor Deathray is Violet, The Goop, Sundog, and Taxdan. Violet has the most imposing precense of any musician I’ve ever known. She Commands every room she enters. Her guitar SCREAMS, and she terrifies me.

Our Retirement Plan is Revolution - Color Dylan

Connor wrote and recorded this song at The Ellijay Makerspace in about two hours. Somehow, it manages to be good in spite of that.

Dust to Digital

Dust to Digital does historical archiving work, and it’s Wonderful. Here’s a write up bandcamp did about them

Here’s my favorite release of theirs.

Pen Ran - There’s Nothing To Be Ashamed Of from Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll

That whole album is full of absolutely Smoking guitar work.

There’s also this collection of 45 RPM records from Morocco which both whips and slaps.

And then there’s Just Before Music.

This is a 2012 release of all new material, which is out of character for Dust to Digital.

The washington post called it: “a free jazz fever dream from the deep South, a babbling Baptist sermon from deep space, a lullaby for the end of the world, a songbook that’s frequently beautiful and occasionally frightening.

it’s by Lonnie Holley, a black sculptor, painter, and musician born in Alabama in 1950.

It’s required listening.

Songs of the Workers (to Fan The Flames of Discontent)

You can also pre-order Analog Revolution’s upcoming comp Songs of the Workers (to fan the flames of discontent)

The final release should be out this summer, and will be 12 tracks, most of which will be radical (and a few of which will also be tubular.)


If you enjoyed this post, please consider signing up for my newsletter. or following me on Mastodon.