
Bandcamp Counselor: August 2017
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!) The goal of this 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 August.
Hazy Year – No Direction
No Direction starts the only way the latest project by a Norwegian feel-good beatsmith named Hazy Year can – with a sample of Matthew McConaughey’s character from Dazed and Confused. This is honest, inhabitible hip hop soundscaping to get you through the dog days of summer.
RIYL: Lazy rivers, weeping willows, thrift store art, coasting
Kitty – Miami Garden Club
Kitty’s debut album has been a long time coming. After the joke-rap group Jokers in Trousers and the RiFF RAFF co-sign and the continuous buzz generated from small releases dating back to 2012, here it is – a distillation of the hypnotic, laidback singsong rap style that kept Kitty (pictured above) in the blogosphere but with a more complete execution.
RIYL: Candy jewelry, Overwatch, uplifting animal videos, Fenty
Penelope Antena – Down the habit hole
Penelope Antena’s Down the habit hole is a charming and varied call for future collaboration. Each track offers a different taste – from syrupy piano-driven slow-motion 2-step to a crystal clear acoustic ballad – suggesting Antena’s ability to be agile when it comes to genre and style.
RIYL: R&S, boxes of chocolates, Yahtzee, haikus
Rivergazer – Giver
Rivergazer’s sophomore album, Giver, is one of the best releases of 2017. The New York-based artist created a lovesick mini-album that serves as the sibling to Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories.
RIYL: Time travel, thrift store gems, Frank Ocean, unusual emoji combos