Bandcamp Friday : Spring Shopping List
Bandcamp is doing it again! This Friday, May 1st, and every first Friday through July, the streaming and purchasing platform is once again waiving their revenue share. Many artists are releasing special live albums, compilations, EPs, singles, etc. to further tempt you to buy. Several record labels are also waiving their share, so 100% of sales will go directly to the artist. You can view a comprehensive list from Bandcamp here of who’s who.
Lots of second waves of stimulus checks will be hitting on April 30th (allegedly, we’ll see!) and it’s time to stimulate each other, baby. More importantly, essential workers employed by Amazon, Whole Foods, Target, Instacart, WalMart, and more are planning a nation-wide walkout, protesting the corporations’ refusal to supply their frontline employees with personal protective equipment, hazard pay, sick leave, or even you know, offer them health insurance. So, if you’re a regular corporate shopper, maybe consider waiting a day to support these workers who are risking their lives daily so you don’t have to. Here’s your chance to vote with your dollar and do two good things at once – support essential workers and support artists!
Not sure what to purchase on May Day? Here’s a guide featuring some things I bought last time, things I bought in between, and things I’m looking forward to buying.
Mdou Moctar Mixtape Vol. 1
Nathan Salsburg – Landwerk Demos
Joan Shelley – Bed in the River
William Tyler – Aquarium Drunkard’s Lagniappe Session
Steve Gunn – Livin’ in Between
Mary Lattimore & Mac McCaughan – AVL
Modern Nature & Friends – Cycles (Centripetal Force Mix)
Rose City Band – Summerlong (Pre-order: releases May 15)
Mojohand – 2/29/20 (Oakland Tiny Desk, Pittsburgh, PA) (live album)
The Blank Tapes – Look Into the Light (one of my favorite EPs ever, get that smoky vinyl!)
Prana Crafter – 3rd Ear Incantations
Prana Crafter / ragenap – No Ear to Hear
Starbirthed – Verdant Pastures
Ash Brooks – Temple of the Roses (pre-order)
The Blue Hens – Heavenly Sunlight (Dori Freeman and her husband’s gospel record)
Psychic Ills – Never Learn Not to Love / Cease to Exist
Parting Lines – See You on the Other Side
Fruit Bats – Shane
Circles Around the Sun – Live Winter 2020
Israel Nash – Topaz
Leslie Mendelson – If You Can’t Say Anything Nice
Jim White and Marisa Anderson – The Quickening (pre-order)
Sam Burton – Nothing Touches Me
Brad Laner – Only Ghost in Town
Hand Habits – At Home
Steve Palmer – Useful Histories
Chris Forsyth and friends – Solar Top
The Hanging Stars – A New Kind of Sky
Kedra Amalie/Ryler Walker – Papaya in a Hound’s Tooth
Bill Mackay – Scarf
Goodnight, Texas – Live in Seattle, Just Before the Global Pandemic
Kenny Roby/6 String Drag discography $20 for all this! Just scroll down to “full digital discography.”
Tompkins Square Records compilation (15-track album featuring Gwenifer Raymond, Nathan Salsburg, Sam Burton, Max Ochs, Rick Deitrick, etc. All sales will benefit San Francisco’s Groceries for Seniors organization.)
Flower Room Records – subscription (if you enjoy some celestial soundscapes, tailored for the moon cycle or your particular grand trine, $5 a month gives you access to all the music Flower Room creates)
Sacred Bones Records I’m not entirely sure what they have planned but they’ve promised a lot of special rare releases to be announced, and I love 110% of whatever comes out of that label.
If you care to, you can follow me on Bandcamp here. And as always, if you aren’t able to pay for something, I’m happy to gift you a few songs. Just leave a comment or shoot me an email and tell me the email address linked to your Bandcamp account.
