Viking's Choice Guide To Bandcamp Day
Y’all, two weeks in and we already have a special edition. I mentioned in the previous newsletter that today, May 1, Bandcamp is waiving all of its revenue fees for 24 hours. That means artists and labels pocket all the cash, an extremely charitable act during a rough time.
So it’s already a great way to directly support your favorite artists, and in turn, many of them release new music to sweeten the pot. I’ve put together a non-exhaustive, but still stupidly long guide to albums coming out today that I’ve either already heard, previewed or are just excited to spin for the first time. For ease of use, they are divided into action categories because mood playlists are for chumps.
Side note: Lots of artists are also announcing albums today for later release in order to take advantage of Bandcamp’s generosity. This list is not that! I look forward to featuring them in future columns, in addition to plenty of albums I missed.
I want the most choice Viking picks.
Elysia Crampton, ORCORARA 2010: Pulsing drone, minimalist piano, guitar clatter and folk music that speaks to generations of trauma through cosmic means. Truly taken aback by this sublime album, but “Crucifixion” left me in tears.
Sunwatchers, Brave Rats: Ecstatic, raucous and joyous psych-punk-jazz party music for the disenfranchised.
Sarah Hennies, Foragers: Headphone drone of the deepest shades, recorded in the silos of Buffalo.
Aisha Orazbayeva, Music for Violin Alone: Stirring solo meditations on Nicola Matteis Jr., Bach and Tenney.
Andrew Weathers, Two Loud Rooms: An Auto-Tuned ambient bummer jam on one side, a study in resonance and patience on the other.
Wendy Eisenberg, Dehiscence: Intimate and upside-down bedroom-pop songs made while in quarantine from the idiosyncratic guitarist.
v/a, Don’t Stop Now III: A Collection of Covers: Queen of Jeans covers Sheryl Crow, Bob Nanna covers The Promise Ring, Thin Lips on Kate Bush, Erica Freas on Smashing Pumpkins and just a stupid amount of your faves playin’ your faves.
CDR, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA: As if Boredoms mangled J-pop and breakcore.
Marissa Nadler, Covers 3: Queen of dusky and dark folk covers returns to mystify Metallica, Townes Van Zandt and Alex Chilton.
Axebreaker, A.F.P.E I: Oddz-n-sodz comp from Terence Hannum’s (Locrian) anti-fascist power electronics project. Most assuredly, it is blisteringly loud.
Sial, Tari Pemusnah Kuasa: Chainsaw hardcore from Singapore with real swagger and snarl.
Resent, Crosshairs: Despair, all ye who sludge here! Eternal pain this metal band endures.
Johanna Warren, Chaotic Good: Fleetwood Mac and Joni Mitchell (both folkie and jazz-noodlin’ eras) vibes abound on this adventurous record. “Part of It” on repeat, always.
The Soft Pink Truth, Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase?: Deep, hypnagogic dance music as self-care.
Psychic Graveyard, MOUTHS: Pitch-black, no-wave rave-punk featuring members of Arab on Radar, All Leather and Some Girls.
Chris Forsyth, Techno Top: Solar Live Vol 4, 9.27.19: Chris always puts together a killer live band to achieve maximum choogle. Free-jazz sax man Daniel Carter (!) jumps on this 25-minute boogie.
v/a, Embraced and Reassured (A Compilation of Field Recordings): Children and bird song, church bells and peaceful water currents from sound artists like Olli Aarni, Kate Carr, Jake Muir and Kajsa Lindgren.
ONO, Red Summer: Industrial dance-punk jubilation and protest.
Mike Shiflet, Every Possible Outcome: Modular synth noise for 3 a.m. stares into the void. Or as Mike says, “No cheap new age or feel-good ambient, no featherweight beats or GRM tributes, just minimalist noise worship.”
Oxsun Ox, I Don’t Care I Already Told You: Lo-fi psych-boogie made with janky keyboards and a supremely hazy guitar fuzz.
Jeremiah Cymerman, Systema Munditotius, vol. 1: One hour of drone-doomy drum-and-clarinet destruction. As ever, the sound on this thing is meticulous and eerily intimate.
I like to rock and/or roll.
I like to boogie.
v/a, Sahel Sounds Label Sampler 2 (Mdou Moctar, Hama, Les Filles de Illighadad, Tallawit Timbouctou)
v/a, ‘Alone Together’ Good Room Relief Compilation (Black Deer, Kim Ann Foxman, Zombies in Miami)
I like to zone out.
v/a, Remote Rhythms (Amy Reid, Ki Oni, Cofaxx, Janel Leppin)
v/a, CosmoPraesidium compilation (Prana Crafter, Ulaan Markhor, Jon Collin)
I like to be extremely loud, weird or dangerous.
Audrey Chen / Carlos Quebrada, Audrey Chen / Carlos Quebrada
The MacroQuarktet, The Complete Night: Live at the Stone NYC