On the first Friday of every month, Bandcamp waives their revenue share so all purchases go directly to supporting artists and labels who’ve been affected by the pandemic. Below, Ears to Feed staffers selected their recommendations for this month’s edition of Bandcamp Day.
Editorial Board
Maxwell Cann, Editor-In-Chief
Dry Cleaning – New Long Leg
London quartet Dry Cleaning deliver their ruminative debut album, New Long Leg for indie institution 4AD Records. Lead singer Florence Shaw’s cut-and-paste lyrical precision sits comfortably above the band’s spastic instrumentals. Their debut album is a construct of the digital age; where DM love declarations, comment section disses and car crash montages live in harmony. Shaw captures the dread of anxiety and the painful self-critique we all have to suffer through on our panic inducing doom scrolls.
Christopher Cann, Managing Editor
Purient – Memories
This tight, five song album (of which two are remixes) from Melbourne based electronic producer Kate Durman provided me with the coolest tracks I have heard all year. The jittering synths and deep bass hits combine into a cross between Genesis-era Grimes and Boy Harsher. Her reverb drenched vocal gives the songs an uncanny moodiness perfect for a night drive or subway ride.
Staff Writers
Andy Andrade
Farragol – 憂 慮 ANXIETY
Petals that miss out on the renewal and resurrection of spring spend their life out of focus. Without a chance to move in spring, people dwindle in shadow. Farragol, fka Luviia, is a Taiwan musician who harnesses the emotional memories hidden in record grooves of ‘80s and ‘90s R&B, smooth soul and disco. A testimony to his intuitive nature for digging out samples from around the world and developing them into a new rhythm for us to boogie, Farragol conveys a deeper consciousness found only in forgotten music. Open windows are mandatory to clear our dead winter air. In the coming light, dance away with thoughts of a warmer tomorrow. It’s closer than you think.
His newest album 憂 慮 ANXIETY doesn’t fully release until April 4, but four tracks are available to stream now.
Kelsey Wagner
Fake Fruit – S/T
You may be tired of the post-punk wave by now, but I genuinely feel like Fake Fruit’s self-titled debut was the refresher the genre needed. While embracing lots of early ‘80s post-punk influence, Fake Fruit manage to make it their own with a pop edge and scrappy guitar complemented by the absolute powerhouse vocals of frontwoman Hannah D’Amato. She’s like the loud friend you love to hate, strapped with this huge booming voice and a lot of brutally honest things to say. This album gives you the feeling of running into an ex-partner at a show and taking a shot about it.
Marcos Hassan
Amina Cyu – Pollination
Spring has arrived in 2021. As the days are getting longer and brighter, we might be feeling a bit disoriented since so much of our world outlook is not as sunny as the season might suggest. For those who need to reveal in the ongoing introspective darkness around us, Mexican drone artist Amina Cyu brings us the perfect soundtrack for it. Through partially-improvised electric guitar drones, Pollination reflects a face of Spring that’s not all blooming flowers and picnics, focusing instead on opening vortex after vortex to stare at. Having said that, the multitracked feedback and reverbed chord loops often hint at hope, making this a collection of multifaceted vivid soundscapes that at heart give us comfort.
Patrick King
Ryley Walker – Course in Fable
All I have heard from the new Ryley Walker album Course in Fable is the first minute or so of the first lead single, “Rang Dizzy”; however, like a tepid cat tiptoeing into the shadows of a vacant city block, I’ve been listening to the opening of that tune at least once a week and then retreating to save it for a full album listen. Ryley has been hitting an unbelievable creative stride over the last year with a series of fantastic live experimental releases on his new label, Husky Pants. Hearing his inspired playing and singing on this new track makes it hard to believe this new release will be anything different.
Phillipe Roberts
Pink Siifu & Fly Anakin – $mokebreak EP
Clerks 2 is an utter failure, and the jury is still out on whether the original will hold up alright over the next few years. But what if I told you that Pink Siifu and Fly Anakin made an album last year that approximated all the fun of two dudes goofing off at work, complete with voicemails, and that the sequel is actually damn impressive on its own? You’d come running; or at least you should.
Continuing the impossibly laid-back vibe of the full album, the $mokebreak EP condenses FlySiifus’ dreamy rebellion into a tight 31 minutes of relaxation that hits immediately. The real gems come in the last 15 minutes, where features from Mavi and Fousheé compete with production from Ahwlee to see who can keep you highest. I don’t even smoke anymore but the lift from this is undeniable. Never sleep on a Pink Siifu release. It’s the law.
Trish Connelly
MØAA – Euphoric Recall
Seeking serenity and isolation in polar corners of the world, artist Jancy Rae began writing and recording her debut album under the moniker MØAA in Seattle, Washington and Venice, Italy. Euphoric Recall generates a curious and introspective look at a past fraught with difficulty, peeling back layers of memory with melancholic soundscapes. Rae crafts not only a distinct sense of incorporating textures in her hauntingly beautiful tracks but also a brooding atmosphere that’s a welcome invitation for a wandering mind to immerse itself in.