Bandcamp Friday Recommendations: December 2021

Design by Andres Duarte

It's Bandcamp Friday, which means it's time to open thy wallet! Need help figuring out what to purchase today? Below is a list of some recommended independent artists that deserve your ears and your support.

Parisa's Picks
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A Grindcore Tribute to Nirvana - V/A
Genre: Grindcore
A super ridiculous but great tribute album featuring local grindcore bands from around the world. While it is all one genre, there's still a lot of variation in this one release, with some bands leaning more goregrind, noisegrind, and even powerviolence. Also a ton of other great grind releases on this label worth checking out.
​https://suddenstrikerecords1.bandcamp.com/album/a-grindcore-tribute-to-nirvana

Promises - Floating Points, Pharaoh Sanders & The London Symphony Orchestra
Genre: Jazz
A new release, but it's an immediate spiritual jazz classic. A 46-minute piece broken up into nine movements, all revolving around a single repeating string of notes. Pharoah Sanders still sounds as masterful as he did in his "prime" years. A work of sheer beauty.
https://floatingpoints.bandcamp.com/album/promises

Before I Die - Park Hye Jin
Genre: Electronic dance music
The debut release from South Korean producer Park Hye Jin. Sensual and upbeat house hits with some great featured guests (Blood Orange, Clams Casino, and more). A few sleeper songs, but tracks like "Y DON'T U"  slap so hard that it easily makes up for them.
https://parkhyejin.bandcamp.com

Almas Conectadas - Quantic & Nidia Góngora
Genre: Cumbia
A new collaboration between British dancefloor producer Quantic and Colombian  singer-songwriter Nidia Góngora. Folkloric sounds are met with symphonic arrangements, funky basslines, and soulful grooves for a really lovely set of songs.
quanticmusic.bandcamp.com/album/almas-conectadas

Groovysmo - Anchorbaby
Genre: Tropicalia rock 
One of my favorite local Tucson releases from the last decade. Norteño music at its core, with heavy layers of tropicalia and psychdelia to put you in a daze. 
https://anchorbaby.bandcamp.com/album/groovysmo

A. Iwasa's Picks
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Mortal Throne of Nazarene - Incantation
Genre:  death metal
This band was pivotal for me in 1996, when I first saw them.  I was into other death metal bands including some that I had seen, but seeing Incantation was a game changer as far as winning me over to thinking of this as being maybe the best subgenre of metal.  In turn I’m also stuck in time in my relationship to their music.  I also liked their Onward to Golgotha when it released, but liking this album more sort of froze me there.
​https://incantation666.bandcamp.com/album/mortal-throne-of-nazarene
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Accusation Nation - Riot Cop
Genre:  punk
Surfy and anarchistic punk, great live.
https://pig-records.bandcamp.com/album/accusation-nation
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Busted Bearings/Bully split
Genre:  hardcore
​Top notch and now it’s finally actually old school from Tucson and Tacoma!  Hard to believe it’s been over a decade.
https://mdhm.bandcamp.com/album/busted-bearings-bully-split-1
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Bitter Flower - Droll
Genre:  folktales
It’s getting to the point with me that I almost consider rock ‘n’ roll to be folk music, in that it’s becoming embedded into the culture as a people’s music, and it’s here to stay.  Droll is the kind of band that makes me feel this way.  Long live rock ‘n’ roll!
https://drollmusic.bandcamp.com/album/bitter-flower
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Alex's Picks

Diorama - MØL
Genre: Blackgaze/Post-Metal
Raspy black metal vocals layered over dreamy guitar passages and post-hardcore inspired riffs. MØL utilizes more traditional song structures than some of their peers, and the genre-bending Danes’ push-pull dynamics make for a claustrophobic, yet uplifting and accessible sophomore album. 
https://moeldk.bandcamp.com/album/diorama ​

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