It’s Bandcamp Friday! Bandcamp has been waiving revenue share on the 1st Friday of each month to help artists who’ve had their incomes seriously impacted by the pandemic.
Reminder from Bandcamp, “here’s something to keep in mind: on Bandcamp Fridays, an average of 93% of your money reaches the artist/label (after payment processor fees). When you make a purchase on any other day of the month (as 2.5 million of you have since March, buying an additional $145 million worth of music and merch) an average of 82% reaches the artist/label.” So if you happen to be reading this on any other day, don’t hesitate to support folks on Bandcamp then too.
Eliza Rickman covers “Be My Baby”
At the top of my list today, Eliza Rickman’s new single. This is a cover of “Be My Baby” originally by The Ronettes, and will be on her forthcoming covers album. It’s beautiful and respects the original material while she makes it her own.
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By the way, if you are unfamiliar with the original, listen to Eliza’s cover first and then be sure to check out the original. They’re both fantastic.
If you’re totally new to Eliza’s music, I recommend you start with her 2012 album O, You Sinners which is one of my all-time favorite albums. (Which isn’t to say that I don’t love all her albums, just that Sinners hits me juuuust right.)
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Stickster strikes again
I really love this track by Stickster, a.k.a Paul Frields. Full disclosure, Paul’s a friend and co-worker I’ve known well more than a decade now. But I’m giving this track a big thumbs up independent of that, it’s just a damn good instrumental track that reminds me a touch of Vangelis. (Maybe a little more than a touch.) Definitely put this one in your Bandcamp cart today.
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Emma Swift sings Bob Dylan
I have a dirty secret. I’m an avid music fan who really isn’t very into Bob Dylan. I recognize his talent and songwriting genius, but I haven’t really connected with Dylan. However, I’ve really enjoyed covers of his songs – especially Blonde on the Tracks by Emma Swift. Gina Frary Bacon, of WFMU, wrote “An Emma Swift performance can bring you to the edge of tears, because her voice is both heartbreaking and heartbroken all at once. It takes a lot of resilience to be so vulnerable. She brings this strength and beauty to… Blonde on the Tracks.”
Can’t really say it better than that, so I won’t try. Go listen, you’ll believe.
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Modern Americana
Here’s one from The Pomegranate Country Irregulars that has a lot of charm and optimism. It’s filed under “modern Americana” and that sounds like a pretty good description. Some of the music reminds me of mid-period Jayhawks.
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Bass and drums with Renssy Rios
Check out this instrumental album from Renssy Rios that features Rios playing 5-string bass and drums. Some really good stuff on this one and it’s a mixture of some fairly tranquil slow journeys and more fast-paced jams that get the blood pumping.
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Bill Laswell
Speaking of bass, there’s so much goodness from Bill Laswell on Bandcamp. If you’re unsure where to begin, I really love one of his latest releases, Against Empire that features Laswell, Pharoah Sanders, Herbie Hancock, Hideo Yamaki, Chad Smith, and several others. Four (long) tracks that defy easy categorization but travel through avant-jazz, rock, dub, ambient and other genres. Don’t miss it.
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Even more bass with Bill Laswell and Jah Wobble
Finally, get double the bass with this album featuring Jah Wobble & Bill Laswell with the Invaders of the Heart and Peter Applebaum and Hideo Yamaki. Amazing album that just keeps giving.
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But wait, there’s more!
I’d also give a hearty recommendation to any of the other albums I’ve written about that are on Bandcamp or any of the albums in my collection. It’s my number one source of new music these days, they have so many fantastic niche and indie artists cranking out amazing work. We truly live in a time of abundance when it comes to finding music.