Black Artists to Support on Bandcamp Friday, 8/7
Some funk, some dance music, some hip-hop, and lo!, one freebie.
Another Bandcamp Friday, another day to support artists in a craft that some, even those in the industry’s highest echelons, fail to appreciate. With the economy in shambles and touring on indefinite hold, musicians are presented very few revenue options in 2020, and the most accessible option, streaming, happens to be one of the least lucrative.
Thankfully, Bandcamp Friday exists, where the music site waives their revenue and allow all proceeds to go directly to artists and labels. For consumers, this gives you a great chance to directly support Black musicians, who, past and present, have done more to shape contemporary sounds than any other group.
July’s list showcased a number of fantastic artists worth your time, and August’s selections are just as stellar. If the artists below don’t fit your fancy, Blackbandcamp.info is another great resource to check out. Seriously, this site is just fun to surf, especially for avid music geeks like myself – what other database lets you search by genres ranging from indie folk to skytop pop to funeral doom?
Really, there’s no excuse not to buy at least one song on Bandcamp today.
brz
All over the place in the best ways, brz’s Your Favorite Abstraction fits a ton of sounds into a 10-minute window. brz flits between understated autotuned and irreverent rapping as the track beneath him shifts from hip-hop percussion to smooth synthpop. There’s quite literally something for everyone to love.
Brett Eclectic
Funk fit for the 21st century. Brett Eclectic composes everything on his tracks, from the fluttering melodies to the deep bass that’s thick enough to drown in. Plus, his latest release Seen comes with some beautiful album artwork to stare at as you fall into Eclectic’s galaxy of sound.
Virginia
Disco, dance music, and vocals coalesce in Virginia, who does the city of Berlin proud on Fierce for the Night. Honestly very surprising I’ve not heard more about her. It’s been a while since her last release, but here’s hoping some Bandcamp attention might bring her back out from hiatus.
Kayy Drizz
Jersey club remixes of Beyonce, Ciara, and Rye Rye, aka, music made to set things off. With Kayy Drizz, I recommend starting off on one of their Precious Gems collections to get the energy up, particularly their rework of “Body Party”. From there, dive into “Dimples in Ha Back” and “Clubtronica”, the former a certified slapper and the latter a refreshing, understated take on this beloved club music.
Portable / Bodycode
Portable aka Bodycode aka Alan Abrahams boasts years of dance music experience under his belt, experience reflected in the thoughtfulness of his compositions. These are dance tracks constructed with care, from this year’s The transit of Mercury to 2005’s Version. On occasion Abrahams flourishes his own baritone singing voice, but his beats more often than not carry enough emotive power to speak for themselves.
Danielle Grubb
Dallas’s Danielle Grubb just released their latest EP, D, which places their languid vocals against propulsive beats and a warm piano. It’s been out less than a month and yet I’m confident D will remain one of my favorite releases of 2020.
Petra Pied de Biche (free download)
Petra Pied de Biche (or Petra’s Crowbar) came to me through the Black Bandcamp page, and dieu merci for the discovery. Songs like “Bébé” strut forward with purpose and swagger thanks to the lead MC’s clear, blunt delivery. Put this on, and you’ll feel like you can mow down anyone in your way. In 2020, it’s the energy we deserve.