Since March, Bandcamp has waived the normal fee they collect from purchases on their platform on the first Friday of every month. Instead, they pass those proceeds directly along to artists. Since then, fans have purchased more than $75 million dollars worth of music and merch on Bandcamp Friday. In a world where live music events are on pause, Bandcamp Friday’s have quickly become one of the best ways you can support the artists you love.
The next Bandcamp Friday is tomorrow, November 6. Here at Sound of Boston, we’re always trying to promote the amazing musicians that hail from our city. Below, you’ll see some of our staff picks for artists you can support.
Anjimile
Anjimile is a Boston indie folk superstar whom we covered back when they released their first album in 2018. They’ve got this really wonderful feel for layering, an ability to meld, vocally, and build on instrumentals in a necessary, meaningful, Gestaltish way. Beautiful, flawless unions of amalgams of styles. Their latest LP, Giver Taker, is killer. (Check our recent review for it here.) But listen to all their stuff. One of Boston’s (and the Music World’s) rising stars.
– Nicole Collins | Staff Editor
Matt and the Skeleton Crew
This June, the single called “Hurricane #2” was released, and it’s packed with catchy lyrics, changing melodies, and head bobbing rhythms. Matt and the Skeleton Crew have stuck to their famous rock style in this single, but have managed to change up their sound by using storytelling vocals that are infused with an electronic feel. Their high energy performances keep audiences engaged and yearning for more, and the recently uploaded live session on their song “Carried Away” blew their fans away. During this pandemic, Matt and the Skeleton Crew have decided to start a new series on YouTube called the one-shot performance, where they release live performances of their new songs every week. The songs that they release every week will be included in their upcoming album as well. You can find their first installment of the series here. With their passion to create great music, and creativity to write amazing songs, I believe that Matt and the Skeleton Crew will be a MA artist to look out for.
– Arisa Kumar | A&R
Support Matt and the Skeleton Crew
Joseph Allred
Joseph Allred has released nine albums on bandcamp in 2020 alone. Each one is unique, but together they make up Allred’s thoughtful, wandering, and transcendent sound. Allred’s style is one of immersive soundscapes; meditative drones that are intricate and intense. However, he is also a skilled guitar and banjo player and his melodic, abstract folk tunes are equally interesting. Upon listening to Joseph Allred, you are bound to dive deep into his eclectic discography and enjoy navigating his expansive musical world.
– Tristan Geary | Staff Writer
Will Orchard
Will orchard creates indie folk and with a touch of ethereal textures. His music draws huge inspiration from Sparklehorse, Big Thief and Neil Young. With over 100 projects out, Will Orchard proves to be one of the most prolific artists in the DIY scene. Born in Boston, but a Rhode Island native, Will Orchard’s music brought him back to Boston to pursue an education while simultaneously embarking on 13 tours across the country. Will is currently working with members of the band Sam Fermin on his upcoming record that will be released sometime next year.
– Micah Rubin | A&R
Honey Cutt
Originally hailing from Central Florida, Kaley Honeycutt brings her hometown’s balmy sunshine to the Boston scene and offers up music that is sharply self-aware yet perfectly carefree. Alongside Ari Blut on bass and Chris Chew on drums, the trio crafts their guitar pop sound with the breeziness of surf rock in mind. Honey Cutt released their first album, Sunny F.L., in 2017 and recently followed up with Coasting, which came out in September. Basking in dreamy riffs and nostalgic melodies, Honey Cutt erupts out of the doldrums and constraint of suburbia with the gentle warmth of the Sunshine State.
– Julia Bernicker | Staff Writer
Lewis Morris
This August, Lewis Morris dropped Don’t Be Nice, a record packed with atmospheric sounds and nostalgic samples. Morris’ blend of instrumentals are strong enough to stand alone (and Morris knows it too—given he’s made instrumental versions of his records available). But the producer is also a poet and a rapper, so naturally he lays on some smart verses with the help of some impressive features including local favorites like Brandie Blaze. Take the dizzying swirl of a track like “Underwater” for instance: “What good is breathing underwater / If a n***** can’t swim? / Look around my people are sinking to the bottom / so what the f**k’s the point of jumping in?” Moments later on “Seasons,” Morris slows everything down and pairs the plucking of a soft guitar with spoken word by a local Black and queer poet, SublimeLuv.
– Knar Bedian | Editor in Chief
Oompa
With new music on the way, a weekly interview series to her name, and a recent live streamed show from the Oberon in the books, Oompa, has been putting in work for her fans during lockdown. The back-to-back Boston Music Award winner and lyrical flame thrower recently released “Bahamas to Atlanta” with fellow Boston hip-hop pacesetter, Red Shaydez; the two emcees battle rap with laser-like precision and lyrical swagger on the track. She also held weekly IG Live series during the spring and summer called “The New Sh*tshow” with guests like Boston writer and historian Dart Adams and fellow hip-hop artists like Brandie Blaze, Cliff Notez, Anjimile and Latrell James. Known for rapping about overcoming depression, Oompa’s been able to use this show on IG Live to provide a place for positivity and new ideas, telling Vanyaland, “[…] [m]ost of what we’ve seen is tragedy and devastation — a breeding ground for sadness. But also, the perfect landscape for the divine act of creating for reasons bigger than our individual selves.” Support Oompa on Bandcamp Friday, where you can get her upcoming single, “Closer”, set to drop on Nov. 6, as a highly anticipated follow-up to her 2019 concept album, Cleo, and the 2016 local classic November 3rd–both must haves for hip-hop heads.
– Jared Steinberg | Staff Writer
Lake Saint Daniel
Known for his work with Boston bummer-pop band Future Teens, Daniel Radin took the opportunity last month to step out on his own as Lake Saint Daniel. The result? A highly personal record about growing older, relationships, and grappling with (often self-imposed) expectations. The music here is less focused on pop-punk than Future Teens, but the lyrics are just as sharp. And never one to shy away from a good cover (Future Teens has covered “All Star” by Smash Mouth, “Begin Again” by Taylor Swift, and “Dreams” by The Cranberries to name a few) Radin throws in a cover of “Rainbow Connection” that Kermit himself would give his stamp of approval.
– Alex Girard | A&R