Since the pandemic uprooted . . . well, everything, almost every month Bandcamp has passed along its usual share of sales to artists and labels for one full day. By mid-2020, the first Friday of the month had more or less become “Bandcamp Friday,” and it was one of the few routines that gave me something to look forward to when nothing else felt dependable—not least because musicians started playing to the occasion with special releases. As of this writing, Bandcamp hasn’t announced any Bandcamp Fridays beyond May 7, so if there’s a record on the site that you’ve had your eye on, this Friday may be the best day to pick it up.
If you don’t already have your own list of Bandcamp releases to buy—heck, even if you do!—I’d invite you to find your next favorite album or artist in this roundup of Reader coverage that features music available on the platform. I’ve been making these for a while, so if you want to keep digging once you’re done here, start with the three lists from 2021 (for February, March, and April), then move on to the nine from 2020 (March, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December). I hope you hear something irresistible.
Årabrot, Norwegian Gothic
Bad Noids, Live WFMU Jersey City
Big|Brave, Vital
Bil Vermette, Hunting for Planet 9
Bongzilla, Weedsconsin
George Arthur Calendar, Paradox
Composuresquad, Auto D.
Gustavo Cortiñas, Desafío Candente
Andrew CS, *
D2X, The Color Blue
Defcee & Nick Arcade, Ceenick (Deluxe Edition)
Eleventh Dream Day, Since Grazed
F.A.B.L.E., Duckweed (A Hermit’s Odyssey)
Fancy Macho, Fancy Macho
Fauvely, Beautiful Places
Helena Ford, Wir Brauchen Angst. Und Schade.
Lauren Sarah Hayes, Manipulation
Mohawk Johnson, 4Closure, Fire-Type, Mojo, The Relapse EP
Jupiter & Okwess, Na Kozonga
Damon Locks & Black Monument Ensemble, Now, Where Future Unfolds
Me & E, Rap
Mia Joy, Spirit Tamer, Gemini Moon
Moontype, Bodies of Water
Mosaic Soul, Blessed
Mother Nature, Sznz
Mythic Sunship, Wildfire
Natural Information Society with Evan Parker, Descension (Out of Our Constrictions)
Pansy, Pansy
Pseudo Slang & Pawcut, Live From the Qtine
Ratboys, Happy Birthday, Ratboy
Serpentwithfeet, Deacon
Silent, Modern Hate
El Sombrero del Abuelo, Las Flores del Ahora
Wadada Leo Smith, Douglas R. Ewart, and Mike Reed, Sun Beans of Shimmering Light
Sunny War, Simple Syrup
Tomahawk, Tonic Immobility
Nicolas Tourney, Drop Shadow on Airport Runway
Ryley Walker, Course in Fable
Writhing Squares, Chart for the Solution v