We’re inching ever closer to completing this hellish trip around the sun otherwise known as 2020. Amid election anxiety and all the other garbage 2020 has thrown at us, music has been one of my few sources of solace over the past days, months and year. In that spirit, we’re back again for Bandcamp Day with some recommendations. We hope you find something here to comfort you as we head down the home stretch.
As always, huge thanks to all our contributors for taking the time to participate. For more recommendations, you can find the archives of this series here.
Josh Gordon Josh runs Ever/Never Records, a New York City based record label whose motto is “specializing in music for adults.” In practice, the label’s output is wide ranging; pick up one of their records and you might get damaged art rock, avant-noise experimentations, bombastic pop or something entirely different. The only thing you can be sure of is that it’s going to rule. Be sure to check out the label’s full catalog, and check out Josh’s picks below.
TOMORROW CLEANERS | THE LAVENDER FLU upcoming LP from Lavender Flu , back on MEDS, so ya know it’s ain’t gonna be nothing but burnin’ rockers like the In The Red LPs, however, based on the few tracks up, seems like it fits nicely somewhere between the earlier paranoid freak outs and the more focused recent LPs. no matter which you prefer, Chris Gunn and his guitar are involved so obviously this needs to be in yr & my life.
LIVE AT BROWNS | VERTICAL SLIT holy grail archival recording from Jim Shepard’s Pre-V-3 vehicle , Vertical Slit . legend has it, sent to Tom Lax before meeting his demise and sitting in a box waiting for the right moment since 1998. Siltbreeze finally had a shred of decency & shares with us one of Jim’s Apex Moments. absolutely fried , furious & heartfelt rock n roll for true believers & lifers. not yr daddy’s Prog.
ONE YEAR | MODEL HOME Model Home’s new LP on Disciples is a great way to floss one’s brain. which if yr anything like me these days, is needed quite frequently. fritzing machines and robotussin meet somewhere in the middle. one of the few artists outside of Mattin using auto-tune to good effect.
STOLEN CAR | CARL STONE samples clash and (dis)connect, nightmarish, cartoonish, yet always vibrant & keeps my butt shakin’ or at least sputtering at all times, all i know is that it very closely resembles my current perception of reality. no clue really what Carl is up to on this new LP, or ever really. but i keep comin’ back fr more.
HUNGER FOR A WAY OUT | SWEEPING PROMISES virgin voyage for Sweeping Promises on Feel It throbs it’s way into yr heart. buncha New Wave bangers to dance in yr apartment alone to. a little spilled wine never hurt anyone.
TREASURY OF PUPPIES | TREASURY OF PUPPIES lo-fi lullabies from from the fruitful swedish hamlet, gothenburg. no matter where you are in the world, it ain’t easy to conjure up such gentle yet compelling soundscapes. reminds me a bit of Natural Snow Buildings. not understanding a thing they are saying only adds to the mystery of these sweet songs.
Keith Rankin Keith is a co-founder of Orange Milk Records (along with Seth Graham) and performs music as Giant Claw. The label is one of the strongest experimental electronic imprints of the past decade. We wrote about their recent release from Eyeliner last month, but they’ve had an extremely strong slate of releases in 2020 across the board. We recommend heading over to their Bandcamp page to learn more as well as checking out Keith’s picks below.
KURO (OST) | TUJIKO NORIKO I was in love with Tujiko Noriko’s album ‘From Tokyo to Naiagara’ as a teen, but after some time I kind of lost track of her output. I just saw she has still been making music and had a beautiful project last year, it’s like recognizing someone you used to love but haven’t seen in years.
L’EAU PAR LA SOIF | FEU ST-ANTOINE There’s moments on this album where I think “I wish I had made that” which is an amazing feeling for inspiration. I’ve been loving a lot of digital instruments that either sample or emulate natural sounds (called physical modeling synthesis) and this album has a lot of that feel. It’s so well done.
BEING HERE | JENYS This is only a one minute song, but I can’t say I’ve heard many songs this short that feel so good and wrapped up, and I can’t wait to hear more from this artist.
MÁQUINA DE VÉNUS | DJ KOLT I get every release on the label Príncipe, it’s great club related music. This most recent from Blacksea Não Maya stood out to me because it feels darker and adventurous, playing with an unusual sound palette. A lot of parts like the insistent dripping percussion in the second track almost remind me of Foodman. The percussion in track 3 feels so good too, that’s one of my favorite tracks from this year.
MIDAS | KARNEEF This is on Pascale Mercier’s (aka Pascale Project) new label, I’ve been enjoying all the releases so far. It’s minimal but very crisp and interesting synth music, some reminds me of all the sparse synth music that tape labels were putting out around 2012 or so, even though this feels more digital in a way, maybe because I’m listening in the browser.
証明 | GEZAN Last month I was searching for rock music I might like, this one sparked my interest, especially when the track starts to build around 3 minutes it has a great rock catharsis feeling and then goes into a kind of unexpected chugging metal ending. Also the beginning reminds me a little of the group Zazen Boys who I wish had their albums on Bandcamp.
ORCORARA 2010 | ELYSIA CRAMPTON CHUQUIMIA As I go through stuff I’ve bought on Bandcamp this is turning into my favorite pieces from 2020, but I can’t leave out this beautiful album. I love the patience, every section takes its time developing, which is a quality I personally need to practice more when I make music. I’ve followed Elysia Crampton’s music since their E+E days and am so glad to have this new one. Also PAN put this out, they’ve had a lot of great releases this year including the Eartheater album which I also recommend.
THE COVERS CARTRIDGE | BRIBED FUZZ This artist is one of my closest and earliest IRL friends, but also I think he’s made some really cool and energetic chiptune inspired music. We used to be massively into 90s JRPGs and I think the music from that era has become like a great comfort spot.
LEGACY | RP BOO I’ll pick an older one now, I want to point out this album partially because the song ’Speakers R-4 (Sounds)’ is without hyperbole one of my favorite pieces of music ever. Just don’t listen to it on your phone, it’s gotta be really loud. But the mix of sparse drums and the way the vocal samples half sync with the perceived rhythm is so great. It’s very lean and confident music.
INVISIBLE SURFER ON AN INVISIBLE WAVE | KEN SEENO This album came out right around when Orange Milk started, I remember listening to this tape and an album from the group Caboladies a lot. Me and my label partner Seth were living insular in Dayton Ohio and not part of any wider electronic scene, but this sort of thing made me aware that there were people interested in the music I liked all over, like a broader community that was appealing.
Lolly Fan Lolly is in charge of daily management at Maybe Mars, one of the largest indie music record labels in China. Originally founded in 2007 by Michael Pettis and Yang Haisong, the label has been focused on supporting the Chinese indie music scene and bringing its talent to a wider audience. Their recent release by Hiperson is easily one of the best rock albums of the year, but they are yet another label with a deep back catalog worth exploring. Head over to their Bandcamp to check it out, and see Lolly’s picks below
PÍNG ZÈ | ZHANG SHOUWANG & YAN YULONG An absolutely gorgeous contemporary composition. Maybe Noise is a Chinese experimental/contemporary music label. This piece is so spacey; less is more. It always soothes me and gives me infinite imagination. Zhang Shouwang may be best known for his rock n’ roll band Carsick Cars, but he is also a great experimental artist. Along with Yan Yulong, a member of the psychedelic band Chui Wan, he explores very deep into composition.
ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL | SONIC BOOM Long-awaited new release from Sonic Boom. The space rock legend presents a more modern and electronic aesthetic to the audience. It’s great to see how he’s moved forward. It’s still Sonic Boom, but with such a refreshing change.
INCREDIBLE MACHINE | HURRICANE HEART ATTACKS I’m so impressed by the psychedelic music scene in South America. In recent years, I’ve found many great bands from Argentina, Chile, Peru, etc. Hurricane Heart Attacks is one of them. I guess the mysterious and wild land made the music so vivid and special.
NEON-COLOURED MILKY WAY | DTSQ DTSQ is a band from Incheon, Korea. I discovered them when I went to Incheon with FAZI for a music festival. Another good local band, Dead Buttons, recommended them to me. Their music is a fusion of indie rock, synth, and psychedelia. You can tell from their album covers that their music is delightful. Very easy listening; I can’t help moving with their music.
RECORDINGS I | MOTE Mote supported our bands Birdstriking and Dream Can when we were touring in Melbourne. I was so attracted to their music. This song unfolds like a narrative. Starting slow and lazy, like a story being told by a bonfire, it gradually builds up to a howling climax, definitely the cream of the song, as well as my favorite part. Mote’s music sounds rich but not crowded. It’s hard to do. They play with skill and ease.
Nate Cross Nate runs Astral Spirits and Astral Editions, two record labels whose curatorial focus is on free jazz, improvisation and experimental music. Together, the labels have been some of the most reliable purveyors of these genres since Astral Spirits was founded in 2014, releasing more than 100 albums over the past six years. Their releases have been featured multiple times in our Bandcamp roundups, and that doesn’t even scratch the surface of their catalog. Head over to their Bandcamp to see more, and check out Nate’s picks below.
RECKONING | MOURNING [A] BLKSTAR Mourning [A} BLKstar is one of the most underrated groups around. First found out about them from Bim/Obnox back in 2016 and have been obsessed with them since. Everything they do is gold, this record is just the one I personally go to the most.
VOL 1 | SOL TORS TAVERNA I still know very little about this group or players, the only reason I found this album was because a Bandcamp friend had downloaded/purchased the album. I liked the look of the album cover and thought the preview track was interesting so I went for it. It’s basically a tavern in Stockholm where these folks get together and play, it’s very charming, in a European way, and just really captivating “free jazz” I’d say. This album deserves a wider audience.
WORLD RECORD | FOCUS GROUP LLC More people should know Ethan T. Parcell’s work. He’s a brilliant composer, musician, educator and more. His Bandcamp is worth exploring (I’d also highly recommend Duck Brain Ragtime Band, Frank’s Easy Chair & SIx Pieces w/Elgin Youth Symphony). World Record is the 1st part of a 3 part opera with his group Focus Group LLC.
ISAIAH COLLIER & THE CHOSEN FEW If you don’t know Isaih Collier yet, chances are good you will in the not too distant future. I have listened to “The Unapologetic Negro” on at least a weekly basis for the past year and change. Already an accomplished multi-instrumentalist at 22 years old. Incredible stuff.
ANGEL BAT DAWID Daoui is the new duo of Angel Bat Dawid & Oui Ennui, although it was released for the last Bandcamp Day, it’s too good not to recommend again. Some incredible sounds here. And, as a nice bonus, International Anthem just announced a new Live album from Angel Bat Dawid and Tha Brothahood coming in early 2021, that is pure fire!!
MUSIC FOR AN AVANT-GARDE MASSAGE PARLOUR | KENNY WOLLESEN + BEN GOLDBERG A simply beautiful duo album from two of my favorites Ben Goldberg & Kenny Wollesen. And Music for An Avant-Garde Massage Parlour is an incredibly apt title for this record. I’ve been listening to this a lot lately.
LONGFORM EDITIONS Longform Editions has been an amazing label that I pretty much try to get everything from (also is amazing music to listen to while running IMHO). claire rousay’s latest is phenomenal (per usual) and the Bitchin Bajas is one I keep coming back to over and over.
Guy Blackman & Ben O’Connor Guy and Ben run Chapter Music, one of Australia’s longest running independent record labels. Beginning in 1992 with the release of the Bright Lights, Small City compilation, the label continues to go strong almost thirty years later. Over that time they’ve focused on building community and championing local artists wherever they lived; their approach to curation has led to countless classic albums. Head over to their Bandcamp page to learn more, and check out picks from both Guy and Ben below
SECOND HAND SMOKE | CHRIS SMITH This is a beautiful, evocative, personal album. Second Hand Smoke meanders between monumental sheets of noise, ragged country blues and intimately cryptic laments. These songs collapse in on themselves or fragment outwards. Never still but never hurried, it’s the sound of rock music disintegrating and brings to mind Alex Chilton, Royal Trux, Xpressway and the Velvet Underground (there’s even a cover of Oh, Sweet Nothin’.) Probably my most listened to album this year and it only came out a few weeks ago. – Ben
LIVE | ANGEL BAT DAWID & THA BROTHAHOOD This is unspeakably great. – Ben
AURA / PAINTING A BIRD | MOON RITUALS A perfect pop song from Melbourne legend Sarah Hardiman collaborating with another Melbourne legend Mikey Young. – Ben
ME & ENNUI ARE FRIENDS, BABY | SARAH MARY CHADWICK Sarah is a once in a generation songwriter. She writes gut wrenchingly honest and intensely personal songs that have a wide resonance. There is deep truth and dark pain in her music but there’s also bracing humour and a relentless lust for life and experience. Her songs pulse with a need for connection and understanding and give so generously to the listener. I feel so lucky to live in the same time and city as her. All of her albums are essential but I think the forthcoming Me and Ennui Are Friends, Baby might be her masterwork. – Ben
L’APPEL DE LA FORÊT | JULIEN Julien is a member of French band Aquaserge and was a bassist for Stereolab for a while. His latest solo album is all the best things about smart, swinging French pop that you could hope for. He’s a master of melody and making complexity sound simple. I’m sure the lyrics are sly and funny and a bit twisted, but my French isn’t good enough to grasp most of it. – Guy
SUMMER OF LUST | THE GREEN PAJAMAS Have had this record since I was a teenager but have never stopped finding it fascinating and beautiful. A bunch of young Seattle friends recorded this in their garage in the mid 80s, but it’s a timeless psych-pop classic. They went on to make a bunch more records but never quite captured the innocent magic of these hissy lo-fi gems. – Guy
IN THE PASSIVE VOICE | SANDRA BOGERD I found a cassette by composer Sandra Bogerd (from our hometown Melbourne) a month or two back and got a bit obsessed. That was mid 80s to mid 90s stuff, a mixture of vocal pieces and synth/drum machine experiments, really spooky and odd. That tape isn’t on Bandcamp, but this album from the early-mid 00s is almost as cool. Lots of medieval sounding solo vocal moments, then some pretty banging electronic workouts! – Guy
David Wilikofsky Finally, a few recommendations from yours truly. As always, head over to my Bandcamp profile for more recommendations.
HOLOGRAPHIC UNIVERSE(S?)! | NONLOCAL FORECAST Angel Marcloid, perhaps best known for her work as Fire-Toolz, returns for a sophomore outing under the name Nonlocal Forecast. Where Fire-Toolz projects tends to have a more frenetic and aggressive edge, this moniker pulls from smooth jazz, new age and arena rock bombast to create shimmering soundscapes. As with all Marcloid projects, it builds a sonic universe worth exploring.
LIVE FOREVER | BARTEES STRANGE Tons of praise has already been heaped on this album, but I’m happy to add to the pile. Live Forever is a “rock” album in the loosest sense, always happy to stretch the bounds of what that term means. Bartees Strange plays fast and loose with genre, freely pulling sounds from rap, folk, R&B and elsewhere. In lesser hands this could easily become a mess, but the end result is something both thrilling and unique that holds together as the vision of an auteur. Highlights include the arena-rock hooks of “Boomer” and the subtle slink of “Kelly Rowland”, but the album is all killer and no filler.
BIOME | PHAETON I recently played through Ori and the Will of the Wisps, a game filled with immense beauty and mystery. Biome, an album being released on Bandcamp Friday by sibling duo Phaeton, could have easily soundtracked it. The five oboe and synthesizer compositions that make up the album evoke the beauty of nature, whether it’s the wind rustling trees in the forest or fog rolling through at daybreak. There is something at once earthbound and alien about the music; I’ve found immense comfort the past few weeks getting lost inside this album.
RECORDINGS | ABLE NOISE An experimental baritone guitar and drum duo, Recordings marks Able Noise’s first full length release. Musically it treads similar territory to one of our favorite albums of the year from Still House Plants. However, where that group’s music is incredibly tight, Able Noise take a more freewheeling, ramshackle approach. The album is two long tracks, each one a collage of skewed pop songs and experimental instrumental passages. It’s a strong first statement from the group that will whet your appetite for more.
SYMPATHY NERVOUS | SYMPATHY NERVOUS Mutant minimal synth from Japan. Originally released in 1980 on the great Vanity Records (which also released classics by Aunt Sally, Tolerance and Normal Brain), unbeknownst to me it was reissued last year. Project mastermind Yosihumi Niinuma built his own synths and speakers from scratch, and used them to create these cuts. It’s music brimming with possibility, sounding like proto-techno one minute, industrial rhythms the next and a sound experiment gone wrong moments later. Dissonant yet danceable, it’s essential listening that sounds like it could have been made yesterday.