by Sydney Salk (@sydney.salk)
Welcome to Various Artists! This is a quarterly column that highlights compilations, the people who make them, and the causes they champion. Each release is accompanied by a “Choice Cut” from an artist that stands out, although it’s always hard to pick a favorite. Some of these compilations’ proceeds go to charity, so if you find something you like, please send your support!
Just Cause Vol. 2
With more than twice as many songs as its first installment, industry experts Cody DeFalco & Evan Welsh deliver a wide range of new works in support of the Immigrant Defense Project. These sixty-three tracks are arranged in alphabetical order by artist, ranging from ambient to experimental, folk to rock, and back again.
Choice Cut: Brutus VIII - “D.A.R.V.O. Dub Mix”
Brutus VIII’s live show is on the brink of performance art, but in his recorded work, the intricacies become clear. Take “D.A.R.V.O. Dub Mix” for example, which stops and starts again just as the groove settles in, changing at the whims of vocal samples and their demands.
Scribble Benefit Compilation Volume 2
Scribble is a nonprofit that provides mental health services to the Los Angeles area with an artistic touch, as its facility includes a functional music venue. Through this comes a series of benefit compilations, the latest in collaboration with Wharf Cat Records, to keep their operations humming smoothly. Appearances are made by a healthy crop of indie stars, from Lily Konigsberg to Dougie Poole and Garcia Peoples.
Choice Cut: Little Wings - “Speed Bead”
Active since 1998, Little Wings’ Kyle Field is no stranger to DIY methods in his work, but “Speed Bead” moves beyond his customary folk heroism. Here, he’s an avant-garde savant, as his acoustic guitar gets swapped out for toy synths and vocal doubling. The result is so charming that he’s bound to try it again.
Providence Popfest 2026
Rhode Island’s music scene is best known for its folk and jazz fests, but pop gets its moment in the college town of Providence from May 1-3. For those who can’t make it, this compilation features demos, live sets, and covers from this illustrious lineup, including Sweeping Promises, Pylon Reenactment Society, Touch Girl Apple Blossom, and more. The tape is already sold out, but you can still pre-order the CD and digital album. Proceeds go to Alliance to Mobilize Our Resistance, a local nonprofit that “supports people impacted by the inhumane immigration system.”
Choice Cut: Linda Smith & Band - “All the Umbrellas in London”
Lo-fi icon Linda Smith covers the Magnetic Fields in this live clip from last year, which shows just how good she is with minimal back-up. No notes, it’s perfect.
Discovering NYC Compilation #2
Everyone in New York City has a band, but how many of those cut through the noise? The good people at To-Go Records have done the hard work of going to basement shows and Pianos showcases for you with their second installment of Discovering NYC. There’s soft-spoken indie, modern grunge, and party-prepped cumbia to fit every taste and subculture (disclaimer: my own band appears on here as well.) Proceeds from the digital download and tape will go to the Immigrant Defense Project.
Choice Cut: Bellcave - “Sleeping Rabbit”
Brooklyn’s Bellcave has been showing their dreamy, alt-rock hand one song at a time over on their Bandcamp page, but this new track shows off a funkier skillset. “Sleeping Rabbit” grooves between sharp riffs and smooth basslines with some spacey effects to tie things together.
Don't Forget Your Guitar
Seventeen of New York’s greatest guitar players pair up to create new works in this collection by jazz artist Joel Harrison. And this album is truly JUST guitar, but it always has something new to offer. The best of every genre is represented, from the blues to the avant-garde, and even in technique, some use pedals, some play acoustic, and some even have a pedal steel. Guitar heaven, this must truly be.
Choice Cut: “Don't Forget Your Guitar” - Ben Monder and David Tronzo
It is the name of the album, after all. Ben Monder comes from the jazz world, while Tronzo specializes in electric slide guitar, both with accolades longer than a CVS receipt. Together, their experimental jam combines plucky precision with sampling and distortion.
BBR001: Together in a Room
The Boom Boom Room is a popular rehearsal space in Marrickville, a suburb of Sydney, with so many bands running in and out of it that a DIY label was bound to be formed. Their first release, naturally, is a sampling of 18 bands that share the space, although the real number of tenants is much higher. The punk community makes a great showing, as is the case in Australian rock these days, but pay close attention to the pop, folk, and experimental offerings as well.
Choice Cut: HDPE - “A Vision”
“A Vision” was first released on a split 7” a year ago, but it’s imperative that you hear it again, or at least for the first time. Only a self-proclaimed “anti-hardcore” band such as HDPE would write an anarchist anthem for Luigi Mangione while referencing “Pretty Fly for a White Guy.” And it’s catchy to boot.
Various Artists is a quarterly column by Sydney Salk highlighting compilations, the people who make them, and the causes they champion. Sydney Salk is a writer and zine-maker based in Brooklyn, NY. If you like this column you should read her zine Compilation Nation, which is dedicated to archival releases. (sydneysalk.com)