Bandcamp helped artists who are affected by COVID-19 by waiving their service fees so that the artists receive 100% of sales. Many record labels agreed to do the same (labels such as Kill Rock Stars, Captured Tracks, Windspear, Polyvinyl…). Bandcamp will repeat this again on June 5, and July 3.
By the time I’m writing this at 9pm, fans have paid artists $17.6 million in the past 30 days through Bandcamp alone. That’s amazing!
A number of artists released singles, EPs, and albums today, some as a surprise release. I will likely follow up with a better writeup on each of these, but here are a few releases from artists I love.
(I only wish I had been able to post this at 9am! I’ll be better prepared on June 5th.)
Hoops – Routines Demos
Hoops released demos of eight of the eleven tracks on their 2017 LP, Routines. These demos give a peek into their songwriting process for an incredible album. They wrote on Instagram that they, “like some of these versions better than the ones on the record.”
Kevin Krauter – Demos
Kevin Krauter, bassist and vocalist for Hoops, also released an album of demos of Full Hand songs. He wrote Instagram, “A lot of these were on my soundcloud back then and some never saw the light of day!”
We’ll keep you updated on Kevin Krauter and Hoops. They’re local artists and we love their music.
Damien Jurado – What’s New Tomboy? (Mama Bird Recording Co.)
What’s New Tomyboy? is a ten-track LP that shows Jurado continuing to grow in his 23-year career. His music has meant a lot to me since his debut Waters Ave. S. album in 1997. Josh Gordon (he played bass, electric guitar, drums, percussion, Hammond C3, Rhodes, mellotron, drum machines) described it on Instagram as “very raw, direct, dry, and intimate sounds, oddly close & vulnerable sounding. Unlike the sound of any record I’ve been a part of, and definitely an interesting listen on headphones and speakers alike.”
Spissy – In The Evening (Paul McCartney cover)
Spissy is a local Bloomington band, comprised of Aaron Denton and Ben Lumsdaine. You’ve likely seen Denton’s artwork for concerts, festivals, and album covers (check out his Instagram). Lumsdaine has produced artists such as Hoops and Kevin Krauter. Today, Spissy released, In The Evening, providing both stereo and mono formats. The single was engineered by Lumsdaine at Russian Recording, a great local studio in Bloomington (the owner of the studio is Lil Bub’s Dude). Proceeds from the single go to Music Health Alliance.
HUSBANDS – Wayne John
HUSBANDS released seventeen demos and b-sides that were from, “four years of building and rebuilding, collecting and discarding, that goes into making an album like ‘After the Gold Rush Party’. We hope you enjoy it.”
They explain on their Bandcamp page, “In 2017, Danny and I signed a lease for a spot in the Plaza District. We were going to open a tiny music bar called Wayne John. For lots of good reasons, Wayne John didn’t happen at that time and in that place. ‘Wayne John’ remains a utopian dream.”
Caveman – New Sides EP
Caveman released a new four-track EP today! New Sides is their first release since 2016’s Otero War, and my goodness does it sound great. Is this a hint at more to come? (I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. Caveman is a favorite album of mine.)
There are so many other releases today, and I’m sure I’ll be catching up for several weeks. These are just a few I’m excited about, and I know I can’t list everything. Please, support the artists, be generous, and show them your love.
In the spirit of supporting music, Record Store Day never happened this year, which would have taken place on April 18th. But RSD will happen! It has been postponed to three dates: August 29, September 26 or October 24.
What did I miss? Sound off in the comments below.
