Crossfader

Bandcamp Picks of the Week 6/8/16

by · June 8, 2016

Here are two more stellar records you should check out, brought to you by Bandcamp Picks of the Week

bandcamp picks of the week cutting room floor

Cutting Room Floor – YOU SHOULDN’T BE HERE

Genre: Queercore

Favorite Tracks: “Damage Control,” “Pillow Woman on a Hook,” “How I Got Pregnant,” “Gaslighter,” “What’s Wrong With Us”

This record is three years old, but in the light of the Brock Turner rape case and his subsequent, sickening defenders, it unfortunately feels incredibly prescient this week. Unflinchingly deconstructing rape, abuse, and everyday sexist disrespect, this is an album that is unafraid to go on the attack way beyond polite conversation and in an incredibly satisfying way. This satisfaction stems from the Ohio trio’s remarkable songwriting abilities, which largely feel unparalleled in contemporary punk. All three members of the band sing and harmonize in a way that can be gorgeous in one moment, snarling and terrifying the next. They also use their voices to present contrasting narrative perspectives, giving their lyrics a nuance and variation often missing from punk music. Album highlight “Gaslighter” is the perfect example of their songwriting style, featuring gorgeous, eerie harmonizing in the beginning, and giving over to an absolute atom bomb of chaotic rage with all three voices screaming over each other. It’s hard to even comprehend how the group manages to go from singing as sweetly as they do, to screaming, and back again within a single song without totally blowing their voices out. The raw exuberance, calloused pain, and uncompromising ethos present on YOU SHOULDN’T BE HERE makes this one of the very best punk records I’ve heard in years, up there with Crass’s PENIS ENVY and Bikini Kill’s REVOLUTION GIRL STYLE NOW as one of the best feminist punk albums I’ve ever heard. You can check it out here.

bandcamp picks of the week qman1

Qman1 – TOGETHER

Genre: Ambient

Favorite Tracks: “By the Riverside (featuring Jamaal Simmons),” “Clips,” “Chi”

Cut through the new age-y nonsense of half the track titles on this LP and you’ll find some genuinely relaxing ambient music. Particularly noteworthy about this release is the sheer varieties of rhythms and tones used; rather than lulling the listener into a dreamlike stupor, Qman1 creates a constantly shifting atmosphere, like being submerged in a bath of quicksilver. The textures present here may be unpredictable and foreign, but they are nonetheless soothing in presentation. If you need some pleasant noises to fill your day while working, or just something light and breezy to get lost in, TOGETHER has you covered here.

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.

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