Bandcamp Picks of the Week 12/28/16
Bandcamp Picks of the Week bringing you some of the finest cut chops for your listening buds!
Homeshake / Alex Calder – NANKHATAI // STUCK INSIDE
Genre: Bedroom R&B, Lo-Fi Jangle
Favorite Tracks: “Nankhatai,” “Stuck Inside”
A couple days before Thanksgiving this year, Peter Sagar and Alex Calder put out two singles, with proceeds going to the IRAP (the cover art lays it all out folks). Sagar/Homeshake’s bit, “Nankhatai,” is a smooth tempo-jumper — something that could have come out of the MIDNIGHT SNACK sessions, though sounding nothing like his previous output; maybe a B-Side from the upcoming FRESH AIR? “Stuck Inside,” on the other hand, is a fantastic reminder of Calder’s knack for lush instrumentation and tangy melodies. Since this is our last set of Bandcamp picks for the year, and because we missed this single when it came out, and because buying these songs will go towards a very relevant, important, and ongoing cause, we’d like to ask you to take a few minutes to go through Homeshake/Alex Calder’s joint Bandcamp page. If their music jives with you, your purchase will benefit folks suffering in nations as a consequence of colonialist wars waged by hypocritcal western nations! Even if you don’t like the tunes, still consider donating to their cause — relieve some of the guilt that comes with privilege if it languishes in apathy! You can check out NANKHATAI // STUCK INSIDE here.
Palm – TRADING BASICS
Genre: Experimental Rock
Favorite Tracks: “Crank,” “Ankles,” “Egg In A Frame,” “Child Actor,” “Garden”
To reiterate a comment made on Palm’s Bandcamp page, TRADING BASICS truly is something special. Propelled by an extravagant percussion section, brightly-toned heavyweight guitars surround Palm’s hallucinogenic vocals in a delicious, harmonious cacophony. Tempo changes are commonplace — their capacity for deeply engaging composition should not go unnoticed. Palm leaves modern prog goliaths like Tool in the dust, capturing the perfect moments for rest and climax with far more artistry than the bulk of acts attempting to create a transcendental interpretation of rock music. If standout tracks like “Crank” and “Garden” don’t convince you, just check out any of their live videos — they don’t need Alex Grey’s help to give you an OBE. Certainly one of my favorite discoveries of the year, hopefully it can be one of yours as well. You can find TRADING BASICS here.
s a k i 夢 – タンクの装飾
Genre: Fishvapour, Slushwave
Favorite Tracks: “竹のラウンジ,” “日本史,” “ロストイントランスレーション,” “シルクロード,” “庵寺”
An album that comes with instructions to help your fish listen to it is an album for me! No — I am not a fish — but I can certainly appreciate Saki the Fish and the fishvapour sounds that come out of them! Samples of water in varying states of motion grace the majority of the record — a cool nostalgic backdrop for any proper fish — accentuating a calm ambiance of synth pads backed by punchy mid-tempo percussion. Much of タンクの装飾 brings to mind the soundscape of RPG underwater levels and ye-olde Maplestory; parallels can quickly be drawn to Equip’s I DREAMED OF A PALACE IN THE SKY in both content and its evocation. However, even if タンクの装飾 consists only of underwater-level music, in doing so, Saki’s salty brand of electronic music feels refined to a tee. You can check it out here.
Micha Knauer
Micha Knauer handles outreach for Crossfader. They grew up in four different states and once met a prancing chihuahua named Peetie.
