Bandcamp Counselor: April and May 2018
By Cameron Deuel
Bandcamp is the single greatest music discovery platform in existence because it grants you instant access to an ecosystem of music in virtually every genre from artists around the world. You could accidentally click on an album under the Recently Sold section and discover your new favorite band. You might also quickly recognize that lo-fi didgeridoo two-step isn’t your jam. (Or maybe it is, and you find acceptance among the didgeridudes and didgeridudettes!) As your Bandcamp Counselor, the goal of my column is to point you in the direction of great releases from the last month that flew under the radar. Here are a few outstanding releases from April and May.
Mostly Mallards by Hot Tang
Iowa City’s “only poolhaus band,” Hot Tang, specializes in honest lyrics with laidback delivery, perhaps best showcased in “Dinosaur,” where the song’s protagonist is wallowing in embarrassment after dressing as a dinosaur for a costume party where they encounter their crush. The premise is heartwarming and familiar, much like the rest of the album itself.
RIYL: Terrariums, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1993), pale yellows, animated cats
https://laurenrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mostly-mallards
You’re An Ugly Person by Karen Meat
Karen Meat’s latest album rules because she has the rare ability to write lyrics that are introspective and smart and really funny without sacrificing the straight-up zaniness of each song. It’s like watching two people break up via xylophone.
RIYL: Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Gina Linetti, gold foil letter-shaped balloons, Vanity Fair’s “Hijack a Stranger’s Tinder,” using underutilized emojis
https://emotional-response-recs.bandcamp.com/album/youre-an-ugly-person
Oh Well by Pre Nup
The debut album from husband-wife duo, Pre Nup (pictured above; photo Cory Oliver), is a rich collection of bite-sized fuzz rock masterpieces. You won’t be able to try just one song.
RIYL: Farmers Markets, tandem bicycles, DIY house projects, beer flights
https://jigsawrecords.bandcamp.com/album/pzl143-pre-nup-oh-well
Let’s Hang Out by Rotten Blossom
Let’s Hang Out is about seven minutes of pure, unadulterated youth rage. The Honolulu-based riotgrrl fourpiece, who recently had to cancel a show because one Rotten Blossom had to move to college, are simply masterful.
RIYL: Texting back, convenience store snack selections, Polaroid photos, glitter
https://rottenblossomhnl.bandcamp.com/album/lets-hang-out