Bandcamp Picks of the Week 5/31/17
Bandcamp Picks of the Week. That’s all there is to it.
The Dreadnoughts – UNCLE TOUCHY GOES TO COLLEGE
Genre: Folk Punk
Favorite Tracks: “Grand Union Hotel,” “The Cruel Wars”
I first encountered The Dreadnoughts after being enamored with the name and cover of POLKA’S NOT DEAD on YouTube, and promptly rushed to Bandcamp to find more. UNCLE TOUCHY is an EP with seven songs, but each introduces a new dimension to their blend of European folk and street punk, both musically and emotionally. There’s still the furious roar of “Defiants” and “Knife to the Eye,” but there’s also the galloping “Avalon,” and the rowdy-yet-danceable “Grand Union Hotel.” Perhaps most surprising for the usually less-than-serious band is “The Cruel Wars,” a spoken-word ode to a dead soldier who leaves behind a pregnant wife, complete with beautiful vocal harmonies and an overwhelming sense of the pointlessness of war. An EP is a time for experimentation and branching out, and The Dreadnoughts certainly push themselves on UNCLE TOUCHY while still maintaining a distinct style that rises above a gimmick through lively performances and a clear love of all the musical genres they blend together. Give this a listen here and check out POLKA’s NOT DEAD as well if you’re into “clusterfolk” music. [Blake Michelle]
Paper Trail Records – CHOICE
Genre: Compilation, Lo-Fi Indie
Favorite Tracks: “Without Me (Live),” “Proven Water Rights (Remix),” “Battery (Demo)”
Look you ding-dang dinguses, it’s not just the United States that has to deal with shitty leaders who want to take away women’s rights to choose what to do with their uteruses; women from Ireland literally have to leave the country to have a safe abortion. As you can imagine, this is expensive as hell for a lot of desperate women, but luckily, the Abortion Support Network helps cover the travel expenses of women who apply for grants. You can help fund these trips by buying this absolutely excellent charity compilation put together by Paper Trail Records. It’s got tons of unreleased material from the bands you people like, from Mac DeMarco to Priests. It’s even got one of my favorite tracks by Crossfader darling Katie Dey! If there are artists you don’t recognize on this list, you probably should correct that before your cooler friends realize what a fraud you actually are. Somehow, less than two dozen people have bought this compilation so far, which is frankly baffling. Be on the cutting edge of hip, help some women just because it’s the nice thing to do, and buy this goddamn compilation already right freaking here. [Carter Moon]
