It's Bandcamp Friday: Here are 37 Projects to Buy
Instead of writing about a song, we're recommending music that you can buy on Bandcamp today while the site waives all of their usual fees. Give artists money.
Welcome to Endless Scroll, the brainchild of Eli Enis (he/him) and Eric Bennett (they/them). Since Feb. 2019, we’ve been a weekly podcast about music, the internet, and where those two things intersect. Now we’re, also a M-F newsletter about songs. Our format is simple: a link to a song and a short take from each of us about what we think of it. Each day of the week has a corresponding genre: Monday is indie, Tuesday is punk, Wednesday is hip-hop, Thursday is pop, and Friday is misc. Three days of the week are free but you can get access to all five weekly posts by subscribing for $5/month via Substack or $2/month via our Patreon.
Instead of writing about a song, we're recommending music that you can buy on Bandcamp today while the site waives all of their usual fees. We’re joined by Endless Scroll contributors Miranda Reinert and Michael Brooks. Give artists money.
Eli recommends:
Norm Chambers—“Itinerant Pattern”
I came across this dazzling composition from the Seattle ambient artist Norm Chambers in an article about the label that released it, Longform Editions, and I was immediately floored. All of his recent releases conjure crisp, palpable analog synth noises that bleep and bloop in a way that’s both playful and soothing. Perfect for the background and the foreground.
Suffering Hour—The Cyclic Reckoning
The latest Profound Lore release is a doozy from this Minnesota blackened death outfit. I’m particular about black metal, but Suffering Hour make epic, just-technical-enough death metal with dastardly blackened atmospheres. Some riffs on this motherfucker.
Ora The Molecule—Sugar EP
Oslo, Norway’s Ora The Molecule is about to drop her debut album on Mute Records, but I recently checked out this 2019 EP of hers and it’s really addictive. New-wavey disco with an icy sheen. Kind of like Austra but not too self-serious.
Escuela Grind—Indoctrination LP
Just. Some. Good. Ass. Grind. Fucking. Core. No frills, just kills.
Prolaps—Ultra Cycle Pt. 1: Vernal Birth
I plugged a Prolaps song in the last Bandcamp Friday newsletter that has now been taken off the site (it was exclusive to that weekend), but no worries because this duo are back with more. It’s Matt from Machine Girl and Bonnie Baxter from Kill Alters doing noisy, higher-plane club music and it rules. Also, it’s out on Hausu Mountain. Can’t go wrong there.
Regional Justice Center—Crime and Punishment
The modern purveyors of powerviolence embrace heavier, more metallic hardcore on their new album and it’s waaaay more my speed than their older stuff. Plus, the production is handled by Taylor Young and he made everything sound buff as hell. One of the best hardcore records you’ll hear all year.
Gaadge—Yeah?
Gaadge attend the Spirit of the Beehive school of shoegaze and noise-pop. The record is kiiiinda all over the place but the two singles will give you a good idea. Rhythmic, just-hooky-enough comedown-core that’s lo-fi but really well-written. Slaps.
Tha God Fahim, Your Old Droog—Tha Wolf On Wall St
This came out in January but I was just turned onto it last month when these guys released another collab together. Dusty, crackly, shadowy hip-hop of the Billy Woods and Boldy James variety, and with some incredible production to boot.
Cloud Nothings—The Shadow I Remember
We have a podcast episode about this album coming out soon, but I’m buying this album on Bandcamp today. If you like an indie-rock band who’s been around for a while making their best record in years, you should check it out.
Karima Walker—Waking the Dreaming Body
Karima Walker just put this album out on Orindal Records and Keeled Scales. It’s the sort of peaceful, gradually unfolding ambient-folk album you might expect from Orindal. If you need a soundtrack for reading, this will do nicely.
Eric recommends:
Ian Sweet—Show Me How You Disappear
I’ll be honest: I have never really cared for Ian Sweet very much. Despite this, their new record Show Me How You Disappear has won me over. It’s an icy pop record, so hazy at times it dips closer to shoegaze. Songs like “Drink the Lake” show off how Jilian Medford has found a way to make her music not just catchy, but haunting.
Growing Stone—I Had Everybody Snowed
Growing Stone is the solo act of Taking Meds’ front-person Skyler Sarkis, and the first record from this project, I Had Everybody Snowed, which came out late last year. It’s subdued, introspective, and filled with stream-of-consciousness lyrics about the pains of addiction and the journey towards sobriety. It has quickly become a favorite of mine.
Pom Pom Squad—Ow, “LUX”
There’s a non-zero chance I have written a recommendation of Pom Pom Squad’s Ow in this very newsletter. I’m not going to check, though. Instead, I’m going to tell you that Ow is one of the strongest first offerings I’ve seen from a band in ages and that Mia Berrin’s vocal performance can shift from measured to piercing on a dime.
Also, you should buy their new single “LUX.” It’s a sub-two-minute jam about Lux Lisbon from The Virgin Suicides and sounds great at a detrimental-to-your-hearing volume.
Nervous Dater—Call in the Mess
We hyped up a single from Nervous Dater last month in this newsletter, and the full record is finally here. Call in the Mess is brimming with infectious melodies, and if you, like me, love a band with multiple vocalists, you won’t be disappointed. Nervous Dater’s two vocalists trade off, and manage to capture their unique spirit in each track they lead.
Mia Joy—Spirit Tamer
Mia Joy’s Spirit Tamer is an album you won’t stop hearing me shout about until May, when you too can finally hear it. Joy’s music is an interesting blend of dream-pop, shoegaze, and R&B. One of the record’s singles, “See Us” begins with gorgeous windchimes, immediately centering you. Take my word for it, this record is incredible and worth a preorder.
Deeper—Auto-Pain
I only recently came across Chicago band Deeper’s album Auto-Pain, but it clicked with me immediately. Auto-Pain sounds like DEVO or Parquet Courts, but in a way that’s much more sedated. It’s like you made A. Savage front DIIV. Listen to it, buy it, and maybe this description will make sense to you. It’s cool if not.
Miranda Reinert recommends:
Floating Room—Tired and True
Floating Room is the expansive, beautiful musical project of Portland based Maya Stoner. For my own newsletter I called this EP the kind of music I want to watch be performed on the KEXP set in that pretty room with all the lights on the walls, and I stand by it. Nothing I could say could do it justice, but the vinyl’s affordable so pick it up.
Remember Sports—Like a Stone
My love for Remember Sports has only grown since I first started listening to them a few years ago and I’m beyond excited they’ve got a new album coming! The first single, “Pinky Ring”, is a less upbeat iteration of their indie pop sound, but I’m a sucker for anything punctuated by Carmen Perry’s voice.
Bugsy—Teratoma
Of all the brilliant DIY bands coming out of Minnesota right now, Bugsy takes the cake for my favorite. They’ve got a few newer songs that are just as good and worth your time, but their EP Teratoma from last year is just perfect fuzzy, riffy, indie rockin.
Ganser—Look At The Sun
Chicago art punks Ganser put out their brilliant album Just Look At That Sky last year and now they’re 3/5 the way through releasing remixes of some of those songs, entitled Look At The Sun. So far, they’ve released a remix by Sad13, GLOK, and Algiers. Whether you check out the album, the remixes, or just one of their incredibly sick posters, you can’t go wrong.
Witching Waves—Persistence
Lately, I’ve been revisiting some of my favorite live acts I’ve seen and every time I do I think of Witching Waves’ set at Specialist Subject’s 2019 showcase. Persistence represents the very best of the London band’s relentlessly sharp post-punk. While it’s best served shouted in a sweaty venue, I’d recommend it almost as much for Sunday cleaning.
Lucie, Too—“Winter Song”
Lucie, Too is a Japanese indie-pop band I’ve loved since the release of their 2018 EPs Lucky and Exlover. This release is a two song EP released in December featuring a bouncy Christmas song about being lonely complete with a voicemail and everything. Everything from this band is a gift.
Poolblood—Yummy
Perfect fuzzy pop from Poolblood’s debut EP. Whole thing rips, but something about ‘Dreamer’ scratches a particular itch that I’ve been chasing since Katie Ellen’s Cowgirl Blues and that’s about the highest compliment you can get from me.
Go Buy Anything from Slow Mass Please
Slow Mass is the coolest band in the world and I won’t elaborate. Last Bandcamp Friday they tried to sell their van. Today I’m telling you to listen to my favorite album Treasure Pains, but I bet Dave would still sell you the van.
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone—Vs. Children
I’m a big proponent of using Bandcamp days as an excuse to buy an album you love that feels like you should have already paid for it (digitally or physically) but for some reason just haven’t. For me this time, it’s Vs. Children, Casiotone’s beautifully sparse 2009 album all about, well, kids. Could be something else for you, that’s fine.
MJ Lenderman—Ghost of Your Guitar Solo
I’m prepared to admit I only ever listened to MJ Lenderman’s 2019 self-titled album because it has a house on the cover that I found appealing, but when I saw he announced a new record I was psyched. The first single is out and hits similar notes of subtle alt-country embodied by Addy and Trace Mountains which makes it a winner for me.
Michael Brooks recommends:
Floatie—Voyage Out
FFO: The Chicago Cubs winning the 2016 World Series
Mo Troper—Revolver
FFO: The Beatles, obviously
Rx Papi—100 Miles & Walk’in
FFO: Rappers that are really good at Twitter
Colin Miller—Hook
FFO: Music to ride a bicycle to
Fitness—Full Well
FFO: Underrated guitar music that kicks ass
Nagasaki Swim—The Mirror
FFO: Peaceful Autumn mornings
Really From—Really From
FFO: Listening to beautiful music as loudly as possible
She & Him—Volume One
FFO: Simpler times
Ki Oni—Indoor Plant Life
FFO: Owning a houseplant
Wild Pink—A Billion Little Lights
FFO: Listening to the best album of 2021