On the first Friday of every month, Bandcamp waives its revenue share, so all purchases go directly to artists and labels who’ve been affected by the pandemic. Below, some Ears to Feed staffers selected their recommendations for this month’s edition of Bandcamp Day.
Editorial Board
Maxwell Cann, Editor-In-Chief
Iceage – ‘Seek Shelter’
The latest album from the Danish punks is the culmination of their decade long career, expanding upon their influences with the help of producer and Spacemen 3’s Sonic Boom. Lead single, “The Holding Hand” is arguably one of the best tracks Iceage has written featuring a unique collage of sounds with Singer Elias Ronnenfelt’s howling vocals signaling his finest performance. The group traverses genre – providing hints of their old urgent hardcore past, heartfelt ballads fit for stadiums and succinct pop instrumentals. It’s a bold step for a band who continuously strives to evolve with each new release, on Seek Shelter all the pieces have fallen together in beautiful fashion.
Staff Writers
Brooke Jensen
Origami Angel – ‘Gami Gang’
The opening to Origami Angel’s 20-song double album swells like the excitement of a packed room moments before a live show unfolds. The duo elevates their sprightly emo sound in Gami Gang, reminding us that confidence undoubtedly breeds enthusiasm. The album dares to propose a palate of joy and celebration. You feel inspired to embrace the heavenly chaos that breathes within you after one listen.
Jane Lai
In My Lungs, Kierst – ‘Poking Holes’
In My Lungs’s latest release is made up of eight lullabies sung closed-eyed in peace. Cradled in lo-fi and bare bones delight, each track emotes the peace of picking herbs on a farm over a warm spring day. Filled with throwaway details like sampled conversations, a phone line ringing or an occasional whistle, you can hear each tap in-between. It’s execution is as sincere and humble as an iPhone voice demo.
Patrick King
Outer Spaces – ‘Pink Telephone: B-Sides 2012-2014’
Cara Beth Satalino is one of the most consistently great and — in my humble opinion — criminally underrated songwriters of her generation. A Shedding Snake, the full-length debut album from her punk-leaning jangle pop band Outer Spaces, was one of my favorite albums of 2016. Their 2019 follow up Gazing Globe was as equally masterful and created a world that I found myself getting lost in with a sense of calm, blissed-out wonder. With this new collection of B-sides from their early days, I’m excited to see where her mind and creative process were during this time period.
Trish Connelly
Skullcrusher – ‘Storm in Summer’
Make no mistake about it, Helen Ballentine’s project aims to caress rather than pulverize the yearnings of the soul in her latest EP, Storm in Summer. Performing under the moniker Skullcrusher, the Los Angeles based artist gained swift traction with her 2020 self-titled EP off Secretly Canadian and has since forged ahead with her meditative and reflective lyrics. Ballentine threads a cohesive tapestry of self-discovery and shared secrets while scratching at the roots of imminent loneliness, that feeling of being misunderstood through the eyes of others. In her first and last tracks, “Windshield” and “Prefer” repeated lyrics stating “I forced my foot through / the windshield in front of you” and “I prefer the rain in summer” offer seemingly simplistic imagery, yet ones that are fraught with emotional lamentations succeed in penetrating the delicate chambers of our heart.