It’s Bandcamp Friday once again. So, in our grand tradition (albeit neglected as of late), we’re compiling some releases available on the platform for you to consider! For the uninitiated, “Bandcamp Friday” occurs when the Bandcamp music platform waives their fee and sends 100% of proceeds to artists. It started during the pandemic as a way to give back and has continued to evolve into a support system for musicians. While it may be uncommon for you to fire up your iTunes and download a bunch of MP3s for your personal library, supporting artists on platforms like Bandcamp is a way to help keep the creative ecosystem alive. Consider picking up some music, buy a tape or LP and enjoy the good vibes of helping keep human art thriving.
For what it’s worth, we keep an eye on the #Nashville tag over on Bandcamp to monitor all the latest releases. If you are an artist and aren’t posting your music to Bandcamp (or similar, like Ampwall), you are doing yourself a disservice. Embrace ubiquity! If you’re a fan of local music, bookmark that page – there’s always something new and fun to find.
Quit Music is the pseudonym of Bingham Barnes; a name that should ring a lot of bells if you’ve been observing the scene for any amount of time. Barnes is a founder of both Grand Palace and Glossary – two absolute institutions. He’s also a member of a myriad of other bands – Electric Python, Jasmin Kaset Band, Hamsterdam, and a load more. Fascinatingly enough, this is his first foray into “solo” music, put together with hand-me-down studio equipment and a lifetime of ideas. There’s a production style to the whole affair that harkens back to a mid-90s bedroom vibe that I haven’t heard captured this well in probably 20 years. It’s an instrumental affair that often unfurls into an absolute euphoria of fuzzy bass and guitar. Please let there be a Volume 2 some day.
Thanks to a number of pre-release singles, I’ve been enjoying bits and pieces of Set for awhile now. “Blue Apollo” is pure cut shoegaze; noisy guitars, big building walls of guitar and some warble that you can’t quite pin down. “Happy 88” hits like an early Modest Mouse track. “High” exudes a swagger and coolness while questioning both of those things with the introspective lyrics. The new (to me) tracks continue to expand the palette into new territory – “Pretty Things” is ominous and building, “Half Room” is withdrawn and droning and “Signals” is acoustic led and somehow manages to be heavenly and buoyant. By my measure, Set is an album folks will look back and realize the evolution happened here. For MYAH, attention must be paid!
Negro Justice – NJAM: Negro Justice Appreciation Month
Truthfully, we already had a lot to say about this one. Negro Justice is one of Nashville’s absolute finest emcees (and he may actually live in Bowling Green now! Someone please let us stake our claim on him!). Start with “Sharks in the Coliseum“.. no, wait, start with “NJ Day“.. no, wait!, start with “Can You Kick It?.” It’s a damn fine listen start to finish and an excellent reminder that you better be following along.
William Tyler – Time Indefinite
I’ve been listening to William Tyler in some form or another for a large chunk of my life. I grew up hearing him play in Lifeboy. I was aware and familiar with the fact that he was a member of Lambchop and Silver Jews. I’ve imbibed in his instrumental-country-influenced body of work and the soundtracks he’s composed. Even having all that background – and knowing full well how talented he is – I am absolutely gobsmacked by Time Indefinite. Reading along with the backstory that accompanies the release – Tyler found an old tape machine amongst his grandfather’s belongings – I’m absolutely transported to some cinematic otherworld. It’s immersive, expansive and completely captivating. It’s hard to believe that someone with such a rewarding catalog of music can continue to innovate but here’s the undeniable evidence.
Angela Autumn – soul noise / musical orbit
One of the most rewarding parts of Bandcamp Friday is stumbling upon completely new voices. Angela Autumn is an “Appalachian-born musician” blending country, folk and all the styles you’d expect from someone raised in the mountains! However, they’re also blending in plenty of pop sensibilities and a vocal delivery that balances between vulnerable and empowered. Hopefully they will post their full catalog of works on Bandcamp because there’s a lot to like here.
Jo Schornikow – Quiet Excerpts
I’ve no recollection when I first encountered Jo Schornikow. Maybe it was a Bandcamp Friday in 2022 when I stumbled across her previous release ALTAR. Maybe it was seeing her play keys with any number of artists around town. The specifics are irrelevant but I’m unbelievably thankful to be aware of Quiet Excerpts, an EP of pipe-organ fused with synth sounds and Schornikow’s ethereal (and captivating) vocals. I was fortunate enough to see the record release show and it was transformative. This record should be in everyone’s regular rotation.
Let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way; Malcolm Moutenot is the son of producer Roger Moutenot. You likely know his father’s work from any number of incredible artists. This sets the bar very high for listener’s of Malcolm’s own work, bringing their own expectations with them. Fortunately, this is nothing out of the ordinary for Nashville – there’s no shortage of talented offspring running around. “Things” is nine and a half minutes long, a bold length for a debut single but there isn’t a second of the performance that drags. Malcolm may have had a lifetime of fantastic influences from his Dad (some recalled in the lyrics) but he’s synthesized them into something altogether his own. The song is a pleasant ride – melancholy, contemplative and ultimately uplifting. I can’t wait to hear what’s next.
Slow Pass – 130R / Novus Initium
Back in 2021-2022, Slow Pass released a number of singles and an EP that blended together synth-y soundscapes, reverb-y guitars and a touch of ambient soundscapes. All that in a pop song format. Then they seem to fade away (or stop posting new work to Bandcamp). I’m happy to report, they’re back! Or, rather, Ben Sparaco is back – as Slow Pass is the pseudonym for his compositions. These two new tracks are short but delightfully satisfying. Even in their brevity, I am immersed into cinematic aural visions – like a hazy filter of the Hackers soundtrack driven by guitar. If that sounds absurd, listen to “Novus Initium” and get back to me.
Another one that we’ve mentioned previously but Wilby has evolved over the last few years from bedroom pop production to more full-blown searing indie rock anthems. Not “anthem” in the “Born in the U.S.A.” sort of way but in the memorably catchy kind of way. You’ll be singing along before the last chorus strikes, for sure.
Mono E Mono – Garageband Revisited, Vol 1
What better kind of project to support on a day like Bandcamp Friday than a few longtime friends recording covers of their favorite, and influential, rock tracks. Andy Snyder and Ryan Ervin are both members of The Criminal Kind but have spent a lifetime in the Nashville rock scene. Not until recently did they decide to start dabbling in the art of home recording, resulting in these ten enthusiastic covers including Superchunk, Dinosaur Jr, Dead Kennedys and.. The Carter Administration, one of Ervin’s previous mainstays. They make each of these tracks their own while taking care to retain the core goodness of the originals. It’s not only a capsule of friendship, it’s a damn fiery collection of some all-time classics.
Intracranial Static – Writer’s Block EP
Sometimes you run across things on Bandcamp and wonder if it’s an authentic expression of someone’s creative ideas or if it’s a goof done in a style that just needed to get out? Given the complete lack of context on this one – no credits, no links, not even a fake bio photo – I’m not sure what the backstory is. But what I do know is that these riffs are big (and sometimes quite fast), the vocals are deep and growling and the drums smash with exactly the right heaviness. All of that is undermined by the hilarious song titles and ridiculous cover art but this is exactly what makes a random Bandcamp discovery so great. It doesn’t matter what the context is, it’s just enjoyable.
The 0hio Casµalty Group –
The 0hio Casµalty Group
Prior to today, I had zero idea that this group from 1999-2001 existed. My interest bias is extremely high as two of the band members are Mike Shepherd and Jay Leo Phillips, who would go on to form Apollo Up! and, now, perform as Tower Defense and General Trust respectively (and whom I work with at yk records). Add to it that Nick Butcher, now of Sonnenzimmer, was involved and my intrigue could not be more piqued. It’s noisy. It’s a blast of energy, angst and angular guitars. It’s rough around the edges but I’m glad it’s preserved and even happier that we get to hear it again (for the first time).
DTL JAMS record Greatest Mrs is one of those sleeper hits that I hope folks have found time to catch up on. It’s a helluva breakup record, clever, poignant and engaging. With Kobe, the emotional tone has shifted but the skillset has only been further refined. “Lumpy Coal” is big and confident, filled with poignant couplets and just the right peppering of wry wit. “Im Sorry Anilyah” takes a moment to kick in but, once it does, it never stops serving up another aural treat – and it’s an instrumental track! It’s only eight songs but it’s further evidence that DTL JAMS should be on your list of ones to watch.
There’s no shortage of great things to hear on Bandcamp. Hopefully this list can serve as a jumping off point to find even more artists worth supporting.