Bandcamp Picks of the Week 5/4/16

Overall, it’s a great time to be a music fan because you can support artists directly without having to go through record company intermediaries. But with the death of the record store becoming imminently more apparent, how do you sift through all the musical content in the world to find things worth listening to? Well, obviously you tune into our weekly segment, Bandcamp Picks of the Week, where we offer great music you can enjoy deep from the bowels of the internet.

Colin Stetson – SORROW – A REIMAGINING OF GORECKI’S 3RD SYMPHONY 

Genre: Neo-Classical

Favorite Tracks: “Sorrow: I Lento – Sustenuto Tranquillo Ma Cantabile”

Colin Stetson has gone from background saxophonist in Arcade Fire to an absolutely earth-shattering force to be reckoned with as an explosive sax aficionado on releases such as his NEW HISTORY WARFARE trilogy and his album with Sarah Neufeld NEVER WERE THE WAY SHE WAS. Stetson has translated his whole-bodied approach to the saxophone to Polish composer Henryk Górecki’s “Symphony No. 3” to tremendous effect. Although he has kept the original arrangements almost entirely in tact, Stetson has completely augmened the instrumentation by utilizing his own skills on the saxophone, integrating black metal-inspired tremolo guitars and dungeon synths, and his sister’s incredibly powerful mezzo-soprano voice. The overall experience is jaw-dropping and mesmerizing, Stetson takes the listener to the very limits of what seems possible in a musical soundscape. For the classically well versed, this may be a melodramatic piece of sacrilege. For anyone still suffering under the delusion that classical music is inaccessible, outdated, or boring, however, please take 52 minutes out of your day to allow this record to haunt you. You can stream the whole thing here.

Dilly Dally – SORE

Genre: Noise Pop

Favorite Tracks: “Desire,” “Ballin Chain,” “Green”

Katie Monks has a voice that bubbles up from deep in her gut and spews like acid in your ears. Her raunchy, slurred, and rough delivery is definitely not for everyone, but for people who love female rock singers who bring absolutely everything messily to the surface, she’s a captivating presence, especially when combined with her deft noodlings on her guitar. DILLY DALLY as a whole are a band who walk a very satisfying tightrope between lighthearted noise pop sensibilities and more aggressive punk-inspired detours. Moments of lush songwriting routinely give way to menacing, fast-paced walls of noise, giving the whole LP a satisfying teetering sensation. SORE is a record from last year that unfortunately seems to have gotten slept on, possibly due to its shocking album art, but it deserves way more attention. Check it out here.

Carter Moon

Carter Moon grew up in the desolate Evangelic capital of the world and responded by developing a taste in counter culture, which eventually bloomed into a love for filmmaking and screenwriting. Carter has average opinions on most things, but will defend them adamantly and loudly until no one else wants to bother speaking up. He runs Crossfader's podcast, IN THE CROSSHAIRS.