The Skinny's Bandcamp picks

Music streaming site Bandcamp are passing their share of today's sales back to musicians – here are some of our favourite bands and artists to look out for

Feature by The Skinny | 20 Mar 2020
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Things are tough for musicians at the best of times, and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has hit the music scene particularly hard. With live music on hiatus, bands have turned to new ways of getting their music out online, and now there's a bit of help from Bandcamp.

The site – which, for the uninitiated, allows musicians to sell digital and physical copies of their music as well as merch – are waiving their share of sales revenue for a 24-hour period that finishes on Saturday 21 March at 7am UK time.

There's so much fantastic music coming out of Scotland that we want to support, so throughout today we'll be updating this page with links to some of our favourite artists and the records you can buy to support them. Got some suggestions? Let us know via Twitter – we're @theskinnymag

Free Love

Glasgow's own utopian synth-pop duo who graced the cover of the magazine in November. Today they've released a new EP – Full Ashram Devotional Ceremony Volume One is a meditative, woozy collection of soothing synth noises and burbles. It's the ideal music for taking a bit of a break from... well... *points at outside world*. [Peter Simpson]

Pictish Trail

The Lost Map label head honcho, Johnny Lynch has been a huge part of the Scottish music scene for years. Fostering new bands, running incredible festivals in increasingly rural locations, and being an absolutely lovely bloke to boot; he's one of the good ones. With his upcoming tour postponed until next year by the COVID-19 pandemic, now is the time to support Johnny – you can do so by grabbing this live album from the Lost Map bandcamp page. There's also totes and stickers to pick up. [PS]

Bossy Love

Frosty R’n’B borrowed from noughties popstars, with an almost industrial dancefloor drive – Bossy Love are a fantastic live band, but they're pretty great on record too. Support them by picking up a copy of their debut LP Me + U, and you can also support Glasgow's Double A-Side Records by purchasing the vinyl edition, or one of the label's Isolation Bundles. [PS]

Riot Radio Records

Edinburgh-based electronic label RIOT have been releasing the highest quality techno since 2016. Their latest release, Tormenter, is by Sativa co-founder Dave Tarrida and tracks like Moral Panic are exactly the type of twisted take on modern times we need right now. [Tom McCarthy]

Young Fathers

With lyrics alternating between the fiercely political and the achingly romantic and a sound that’s impossible to pin down, Young Fathers are – in a word – irresistible. Their most recent album Cocoa Sugar rightly made enormous waves: Lord in particular is incandescent. [Anahit Behrooz]

Make-That-A-Take Records

Dundee's DIY punk collective are a bunch of absolute heroes. Putting on grassroots gigs, providing a community hub, supporting brand-new bands – support what they do via their Bandcamp. [PS]

Paradise Palms Records

One of our favourite venues in Edinburgh also puts out brilliant music from some of the city's best electronic artists. Download the latest in their Bonnie Tropical compilation series to keep the party going in your own home. [PS]

Nova

We recently premiered the music video for 30 Mins, the opening track from Edinburgh hip-hop talent Nova's debut album Re-up; featuring the talents of a number of local producers, today could be the ideal time to discover something new in Edinburgh's vibrant music scene. [Tallah Brash]

Echo Machine

Dundee's Echo Machine are pretty fresh from releasing their debut album Instant Transmissions via Assai Records – read our review here – and like many, sadly now find themselves unable to promote it with a tour. While the album's not available on their Bandcamp page, they've a couple of lovely merch items in the form of a tote bag and T-shirt that are, so why not treat yourself? [TB]

Savage Mansion

Savage Mansion are set to release their brand new LP Weird Country on 3 April via Lost Map Records. They were meant to be touring the album next month with Lost Map label boss Pictish Trail, which has sadly now been postponed until 2021, so if you're able to help support them during this tricky time, you can pre-order the album over on their Bandcamp page now. [TB]

Spinning Coin

Spinning Coin recently released their excellent second record Hyacinth on Domino's Geographic imprint, with the four-piece set to take it on tour across the UK and Europe this month. Sadly the majority of their dates were cancelled, so if you've not bought their new record yet and like what you hear, now could be the time to add it to your digital library. [TB]

Fistymuffs

Edinburgh riot grrrl punks and graduates of Girls Rock School Edinburgh, Fistymuffs are set to release their brand new EP We Fight on 11 April. The new EP is available to pre-order now via Bandcamp in both digital and physical formats, and they've some lovely merch available too in the form of a T-shirt and sticker pack. [TB]

Comfort

We recently spoke to Glasgow-based duo Comfort about their debut album Not Passing which tackles gender identity and class disaparity with an unbridled vim. The pair were meant to be playing a whole bunch of shows this month and next, including at Glasgow's Counterflows Festival so if you've yet to check them out we recommend you do so now. [TB]

MALKA

Tamara Schlesinger, aka MALKA, has been working on her latest album release I'm Not Your Soldier for some time. Released at the end of February, she was sadly forced to cancel a bunch of tour dates due to the coronavirus outbreak, so if you've been thinking about buying her record now could be the time to act. [TB]

Meursault

Edinburgh band Meursault played possibly one of the last big shows in the capital just last Friday 13 March before the Scottish Government’s imposed ban on mass gatherings came into effect. The band were due to play some dates abroad at the end of this month which have now been cancelled, so please consider buying their latest album Crow Hill today. [TB]

 

Rachel Sermanni

Rachel is one of many artists who has turned to online streaming in these increasingly trying times. We tuned into her Instagram live show earlier in the week and it was a real delight - we urge you to treat yourself to her most recent album, So It Turns available on Bandcamp now. [TB]

Tupper Werewolf

Glasgow’s answer to Dan Deacon, Gordon Barr, aka Tupper Werewolf released his amazing Flavour Country EP earlier this year. It’s a total riot, so treat your ears to it now. [TB]

Edwin Organ

Throughout the course of last year the amazingly talented Edwin Organ produced a trio of EPs entitled MEN, which explored modern masculinity. Perfect for dancing around your kitchen to, at £3 a pop it’s a no-brainer. [TB]

 

Bikini Body

One of our favourite Edinburgh bands we’ve come across in recent times, Bikini Body released their debut EP Pond Life earlier this year and it’s a beaut. Full of sing/shout-along-worthy anthems this is worth adding to your collection. [TB]

 

Kapil Seshasayee

Kapil’s music has been highly overlooked in the past few years with many critics and fans alike absolutely livid his 2018 album, A Sacred Bore, didn’t make the cut for the 2019 SAY Award. With new music on the way in 2020, why not treat yourself to A Sacred Bore now? [TB]

Moonsoup

Niamh Baker, aka Moonsoup, released her incredible debut EP via Glasgow label Olive Grove Record as part of their Archipelago series and it’s a real treat. Featuring cathartic songs about her disdain for rocket, it’s highly singalong-able! [TB]

 

Siobhan Wilson

Siobhan has been quite open on social media about how much of a blow this whole coronavirus situation has been for her on a personal and financial level. With a whole host of show cancellations, including SXSW, she’s being doing everything she can to get herself back on track, from launching a new Patreon and Fanspace. We reckon now would be an amazing time to buy her latest album, The Departure. Your support will mean the world. [TB]

Hailey Beavis and Faith Eliott

Together, Hailey Beavis and Faith Eliott run DIY indie label OK Pal Records, but individually they have excellent solo records which you should absolutely treat yourself to today if you don’t already have them. [TB]

http://bandcamp.com