The popular digital music store and streaming platform Bandcamp is waving any claim to revenue generated through its store to support artists during COVID-19.
The bright side of living in the age of coronavirus is that many people and companies are going out of their way to help those in need. For example, millions of dollars and non-perishable goods have been donated around the world to help anyone unable to buy feed and pay their bills. Acts of loving-kindness are what make the direst circumstances seem manageable, and luckily, Bandcamp is doing what it can to help musicians while touring is on hold.
Today, May 1, Bandcamp is waiving its claim to any revenue generated on its platform. Bandcamp ran the same promotion on March 20, which generated millions of dollars for labels and independent artists who are currently unable to tour.
To be clear: Every cent spent on Bandcamp today will go directly to musicians in need. Considering that no one knows when live music will return anywhere, let alone when touring can happen again, your support of independent music is desperately needed.
Bandcamp has incredible discovery tools that will help you find new music that matches your interest, but if you’re open to suggestions, we have a few recommendations:
Anthony Green – Live From The Social (Stream It/Buy It)
Circa Survive frontman Anthony Green has built a thriving solo project over the last twelve years that has produced numerous beloved albums. To celebrate Bandcamp’s COVID-19 fundraiser, Green is kicking off a new bootleg series of live recordings with audio from a 2016 concert at The Social in Orlando, FL. The sixteen-track digital release features songs from Green’s catalog and the joyous sounds of a packed room singing along as loud as possible.
Also Also Also – The Good Grief (Stream It/Buy It)
The second full-length album from Canada’s Also Also Also does not disappoint. The haunting vocals of Eden Rohatensky pair perfectly with their hypnotic synth production to create a deeply moving collection of songs that seek answers to existential questions about the nature of love and death. Answers are few and far between, but the journey is one you will want to take again and again.
Hot Mulligan – Opportunities (Stream It/Buy It)
Before they were internationally known as the #1 Hot New Band, Michigan’s Hot Mulligan were building their brand one fan at a time with unique songs that challenged pop-punk traditionalists and captivated young music fans. The group’s early releases speak to the members’ passion and devotion with big hooks that no listener can ever shake (“Dary” is a standout). Opportunities is just one of multiple early releases available on the Hot Mulligan page, but it happens to be our personal favorite. Buy as many as you can. The band deserves it, and so do you.
Killswitch Engage – Atonement II (Stream It/Buy It)
Bandcamp’s decision to help those in need is inspiring musicians to follow its lead. Killswitch Engage is sharing six (6) b-sides from their 2019 release Atonement for one week only to raise money for charity. The tracks deliver the same ferocious energy fans have come to expect, with frontman Jesse Leach delivering hopeful, yet grounded lyrics over thunderous production that will incite mosh pits around the world. It’s unclear if the band will perform these songs when live music returns, but the strength of the material gives us hope at least a few will appear in future setlists.
Straylight Run – Live At The Patchogue Theatre (Stream It/Buy It)
The vast majority of musicians record more often than fans realize. From demos and b-sides that never make it to the public, to live recordings from various tours that get lost in the gears of the industry, the annals of music history are filled with material the majority of listeners never get a chance to hear. Live At The Patchogue Theatre was almost a lost release. Recorded fifteen years ago when Straylight Run was at the height of their career, this incredible performance captures a moment in time when emotion and lyricism meant everything to alternative music fans. Over the course of eleven tracks, listeners can hear the group deliver one soul-stirring rendition after another of songs that deserve more love and attention than they may ever receive. It’s a testament to how great songwriting never ages and a reminder of why we need to preserve the live music experience for future generations
If that isn’t enough to move you, Straylight Run is donating 100% of the proceeds from the live LP to help feed the hungry. Help them help others and get a great release in return.
Witch Taint – Sons of Midwestern Darkness (Stream It/Buy It)
Inside every person is the knowledge they are unique. Many try to squash this notion in hopes of fitting in with the masses, but others choose to use what sets them apart to their advantage. Witch Taint is an example of how leveraging the things that make us different ultimately makes the world a better place. Sons Of Midwestern Darkness is an album that took sixteen years to exist, and it showcases the very best elements of black metal and heavy music in a manner few records can claim. It’s the kind of release that seems to know your life before you hear it, and it’s likely to be the soundtrack to existence for many moving forward. Witch Taint is the future, and the future is brutal as fuck.
