10 great albums we recommend buying on Bandcamp today
After waiving their cut of all sales and giving 100% of revenue directly to artists and labels for one day in March, Bandcamp will now be doing that again on the first Friday of May, June, and July from midnight to midnight Pacific time (3 AM to 3 AM Eastern). Bandcamp not only has digital downloads, but also vinyl, CDs, cassettes and even merch. So if you have been wanting to buy some new music, today would be a good day to show your support of artists and indie labels — some of whom have pledged to also donate all of their revenue to artists, and/or made their catalogs available for “pay what you want” — via Bandcamp. There’s a ton of great stuff on Bandcamp, and if you’re looking for a place to start, we picked 10 releases on the platform that we love, including classics you may not own yet and some newer stuff we recommend too.
Fugazi – Repeater + 3 Songs (1990, Dischord)
We were really hoping that Fugazi members Ian MacKaye and Joe Lally’s new band Coriky would have released their debut album by now, but then coronavirus hit, and as Ian recently told Nardwuar, the release is now delayed indefinitely. It’s gonna come out, but it doesn’t sound like it’ll be any time soon. Meanwhile, if you’re itching to listen to some Ian MacKaye and you’ve gone this long without picking up a copy of Fugazi’s classic 1990 debut album Repeater, today is a very good day to head over to the Fugazi Bandcamp and pick it up. It’s available on vinyl, CD, and digital (and the digital and CD versions also include the 3 Songs EP). Just in case it still needs to be said in 2020, as far as classic post-hardcore albums go, there’s not much out there as influential and as near-perfect as Repeater. [Andrew Sacher]
Buy it on Bandcamp.
Cap’n Jazz – Analphabetapolothology (1998, Jade Tree)
Before Cap’n Jazz broke up and members formed American Football, Joan of Arc, Owls, The Promise Ring, and a handful of other bands, they basically wrote the blueprint for scrappy, mathy Midwest emo and all of their work was compiled onto Analphabetapolothology in 1998. It’s a record that seems to get more and more influential with each passing year, so if you’re thinking that everyone has this already, just think about the next generation of emo bands whose members haven’t even heard of it yet. If your collection is lacking this one, today’s the day. [A.S.]
Buy it on Bandcamp.
Higher Power – Soul Structure (2017, Flatspot)
Before UK hardcore/alt-rock fusers Higher Power released their Roadrunner debut, 27 Miles Underwater (which is one of our favorite albums of 2020 so far), they put out their still-great 2017 debut Soul Structure on the trusty hardcore label Flatspot Records (who continues to kill it with new releases from Typecaste, Rule Them All, Hangman, and more). If 27 Miles Underwater got you into Higher Power and you haven’t checked out Soul Structure yet, we recommend changing that. The especially great opening track “Can’t Relate” is as good as anything on 27 Miles Underwater (and kinda predicts that album’s sound), and the rest of this LP rips too. It’s more hardcore and less alt-rock than its predecessor, and it’s great to hear Higher Power’s grittier side like this. [A.S.]
Buy it on Bandcamp.
Hollie Cook – Twice (Mr. Bongo, 2014)
Sometimes you want music to match your mood and sometimes you want something to put you in a better one. It’s hard to be miserable while listening to Hollie Cook’s delightful, transportive second album, which swirls around you like a warm, tropical breeze. The arrangements are stellar, getting classic reggae sounds just right — from the crack of the toms to the tone of the guitars — while still sounding modern. The gorgeous string arrangements and Hollie’s honeyed vocals do a lot of the heavy lifting, but the songs — like the tribute to late Slits singer Ari Up that opens the album — are fantastic. [Bill Pearis]
Buy it on Bandcamp.
The Radio Department – Clinging to a Scheme (2010, Labrador)
The Radio Dept have always felt a little like a secret club but Clinging to Scheme, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary last week, finds the enigmatic Swedish group at their most inviting. The album’s a showcase for everything they do so well — hushed dreampop, baggy Madchester-style dance numbers, echoey dub, synthpop — in 10 perfect songs. “Heaven’s on Fire,” “Never Follow Suit,” “This Time Around” and “Domestic Scene” are all instantly catchy, but behind the half-whispered vocals and warm melodies is a fiery protest record that sets its sights on capitalism, organized religion and fascism. There are tales of romance too, but The Radio Department bring their “speak softly and carry a big stick” approach to everything, adding layers of depth to this wonderful album. [B.P.]
Buy it on Bandcamp.
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The World is a Beautiful Place & I am No Longer Afraid to Die – Formlessness (2010, Topshelf)
TWIABP have come a long way since forming over a decade ago, but before they went on to release two of the best emo albums of the 2010s, they put out the extremely promising Formlessness EP on Topshelf. Considering all the ambitious music they’ve made since, it’s a trip to listen to this rawer, more modest EP, and it’s also impressive how well it still holds up. TWIABP were supposed to play shows this year (and they also just released a Sunny Day Real Estate cover), but since you can’t see them, do yourself a favor and pick up this great EP instead. [A.S.]
Buy it on Bandcamp.
Ty Segall – First Taste (2019, Drag City)
Ty Segall has released so many records over his 10-year career, it’s hard to pick just one or, for the uninitiated, where to start. But last year’s First Taste might just be his best. Armed with his killer Freedom band, Ty eschewed guitars here in favor of more varied instrumentation, like mandolin and bouzouki, while still managing to pack the album with rippers. The key, however, may be its two drummer sound — Ty in your left ear and Charles Moothart in your right — and that twin-engine percussion really kicks First Taste into overdrive, whether it’s in loping Can mode, mathy jazz, or one of the many massive-riff, King Crimson-style jams laid out here. [B.P.]
Buy it on Bandcamp.
Protomartyr – Under Color of Official Right (Hardly Art)
Protomartyr’s new album, Ultimate Success Today, was supposed to be out at the end of the month but it got pushed back till July and their 2020 tour has been canceled. You can preorder that album via Bandcamp now, but if you’re wanting something where today means today, might we suggest their 2014 album Under Color of Official Right? The bile flows just as vivid as it did six years ago, and some songs — like “Scum, Rise!” and “Tarpeian Rock” — might resonate even more in 2020. [B.P.]
Buy it from Bandcamp.
The Good Life – Album of the Year (2004, Saddle Creek)
The Good Life originally started as a solo vehicle for Cursive’s Tim Kasher and became a full fledged band of its own. Their 2004 concept album Album of the Year, released during Saddle Creek’s incredibly fertile early to mid 2000s period, is their most beloved, and they’re scheduled to take it on a “sweet sixteen” tour starting in June. Those dates are still on for now, but they’re looking less likely as the pandemic continues; hopefully they’ll be rescheduled, and in the mean time, it’s a great time to pick up a copy of Album of the Year. It still holds up as a vivid portrait of the end of a relationship, hinging upon “Inmates,” an emotional excavation with vocals from keyboardist Jiha Lee. [Amanda Hatfield]
Buy it from Bandcamp.
Laura Stevenson – Sit Resist (2011, Don Giovanni)
Laura Stevenson’s second album with The Cans as her backing band is both a product of its time — clean, tuneful indie rock well seasoned with accordion and glockenspiel — and a modern classic. Centered around Laura’s strong voice and vivid songwriting, the songs on Sit Resist still sound great and urgent nearly ten years after their release. Laura says it’s a record about “running in place,” which is a pretty appropriate theme for our quarantined times, stuck in places we might not necessarily want to be. [A.H.]
Buy it from Bandcamp.
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For more suggestions, check out 30 albums from 2020 we recommend buying on Bandcamp, 15 metal albums from 2020 we recommend buying on Bandcamp, and 10 (more) metal albums from 2020 we recommend buying on Bandcamp today.
