by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
"The President" keeps running his big stupid mouth and with it we (the people) are continuously in need of doing what we can to support marginalized communities. Bandcamp understands this and for the second time this year have offered to donate their profit share (10%) of every sale through their massive network of releases to the Transgender Law Center. It's a good cause and a good excuse to buy some new music. Many labels and artists will be donating their profits in addition to Bandcamp's share as well.
So where to begin? Well, that's up to you. As the astute music listener you most likely are (being a reader of Post-Trash and all), you probably already have a list of digital albums and records alike you've been meaning to buy. I know I do. If you don't though, there are millions of albums on Bandcamp... and the getting is good. While I personally think you should peruse the Exploding In Sound Records and Post-Trash pages (of course), I've decided to refrain from highlighting our releases (because you should just get *all* of them).
I could recommend 1,000 different releases and I'd be missing 1,000 other great releases. I have selected 17 categories for your consideration, broken into record labels, genres, and selections that include: The Sounds of Omaha, Devolved Punk, and of course, The Music of the Melvins. It's a fairly arbitrary list compiled at 3 in the morning, but odds are you'll find something worth your hard earned charitable consumption. - Dan Goldin
If you would like to specifically support transgender artists, GoldFlakePaint has put together a great list.
CATEGORY #1: THE MUSIC OF THE MELVINS
The Melvins' three decade long catalog is unstoppable and eternally rewarding. Bandcamp has all the albums the band have released on Ipecac Records, spanning many different eras and line-ups. I've been listening to a lot of Hostile Ambient Takeover recently, one of my favorite post-Atlantic records. With a lifetime of sludge brilliance, The Melvins have never really made the same album twice.
CATEGORY #2: MODERN "GARAGE ROCK" GREATS
I use "garage rock" pretty loosely here, but these four albums are a masterclass of raw punk and agitated melodies. Garage rock may reign supreme on the West Coast, but here's four shining examples of scuzzy pop throughout the East Coast, South, and Midwest. Forever enjoyable, Sharkmuffin, Mannequin Pussy, The Coathangers, and The Blind Shake make cathartic music best played loud.
CATEGORY #3: DEVOLVED PUNK
The influence of Devo looms large over this category in the absolute best of ways. Detached, full of energy, often blown out, and furiously infectious, these records are full of reckless charm and unhinged fun. While these bands tend to stay in the underground's shadows, they've all released some of the decade's best new punk.
CATEGORY #4: THE MUSIC OF DISCO DOOM
Disco Doom have left an insurmountable influence of me from their guitar tones, addition to details, and the commitment they have for their art. Dream Electric is my favorite album of all time, and the rest of the catalog doesn't fall to far from the tree. Buy their entire catalog, we can all discuss later.
CATEGORY #5: THE SOUNDS OF OMAHA
Omaha, huh? Yep. While half of them have since moved to the East Coast, you can take the artist out of Omaha, but you can't take the Omaha out of the artist... there must be something special in the water. From Anna McClellan's unbelievable indie folk pop and David Nance's blistering rock 'n' roll to Bib's filthy noise punk, there's a little something for everyone.
CATEGORY #6: HEAVY MUSIC TO LISTEN TO WHILE AT WORK
Recently I've found that listening to ultra heavy music while working a 9 to 5 is just what I need. It feels great. Try it out with an assortment of our favorite heavy releases in recent memory. I'm still pretty new to Converge (yes, it took me this long) but they've really been getting me through these sleepy Summer days. Honorable mention to SUMAC.
CATEGORY #7: THE MUSIC OF FATHER/DAUGHTER RECORDS
San Francisco's Father/Daughter Records are one of the best taste-making labels in modern indie rock. Forever pushing forward, their sound is without boundaries, curated to perfection by Jessi Frick, who has launched bands like Vagabon, Diet Cig, and T-Rextasy to mainstream success, all the while releasing some criminally overlooked albums from Happy Diving, Flagland, Plush, and Never Young. This year's Pardoner record is one of the year's best and there's never been a better time to pre-order.
CATEGORY #8: THE MUSIC OF HYDRA HEAD RECORDS
Hydra Head Records have spent their entire existence releasing metal, sludge, and experimental music's most thoughtful records. They have amassed a catalog that includes (or once included) Harvey Milk, Cave In, Big Business, Torche, Oxbow, Daughters, Old Man Gloom, and so many others that are continually pushing the boundaries of all that is good, loud, and consistently nuanced. Unflinching brilliant, undeniably legendary.
CATEGORY #9: THE MUSIC OF DRAG CITY RECORDS
Drag City is on Bandcamp! Now you can stream their entire legendary catalog... well, not quite, but it's a step in the right direction for one of our generation's best and most uncompromising labels. Stream a single or two from any of their records, then just buy a copy... because Drag City have cultivated a roster of divergent sounds with a focus on songwriting at the core of them all. We recommend just about anything from Ty Segall, Cate Le Bon, and Silver Jews (in general, forever and always) but be sure to check out The Peacers' latest, one of the year's finest lo-fi albums.
CATEGORY #10: RECENT FAVORITES
As a Post-Trash reader, you might recognize these albums. I've been writing about on "Fuzzy Meadows," talking about them on Post-Trash Radio, and just generally bringing them up whenever I can. Buy them. All of them. Four very different releases from four outstanding bands, that somehow get better with every successive release. Want to read my thoughts on these bands... follow the tags: Helvetia, Flagland, Cool Ghouls, and Melkbelly.
CATEGORY #11: NEW ENGLAND ESSENTIALS
Everyone should own these four records. New England essentials is an understatement. These bands have shaped and shifted the way I think about music, all from the lovely locales of Boston, New Hampshire, and Western Massachussetts.
CATEGORY #12: THE MUSIC OF DISCHORD RECORDS
Dischord changed the face of independent record labels as well know it, operating with strong principles and focusing on their local scene. It's the gold standard and it's catalog is a lot more diverse than people choose to remember. They've released some of the most intelligent punk music ever created, and provided a home for band's to divert from expectations. I could go on and on, but these four records capture a great deal of that sentiment better than I could ever express.
CATEGORY #13: ACROSS THE POND
Turns out they make amazing music over in the United Kingdom too... go figure. These bands should all be well-known internationally (and some are), but it's a big world and word of mouth spreads slowly over ocean. We'll keep trying though.
CATEGORY #14: BEDROOM POP GEMS
Bedroom pop is Bandcamp's quintessential genre. It's the perfect platform for the artist who self-records and instantly releases album after album... or the ones who create at a more leisure pace... either way, Bandcamp is here for all the *feelings* you may have.
CATEGORY #15: THE MUSIC OF NICK REINHART
Guitars will never die as long as Nick Reinhart is alive (or after, but work with me). The driving force behind Tera Melos is a busy guy... busy shredding... on everything. His guitar playing is as imaginative as it comes, unrestrained, and constantly explosive. How he manages to fit melodies to it all is what makes it so brilliant.
CATEGORY #16: PHILADELPHIA'S FINEST
Philadelphia may not always be sunny, but its more than just a city for people who can no longer afford to live in NYC. It also happens to have one of the best underground scenes in music, and has for a long time. Legendary bands have come and gone, but the community remains in full bloom at every turn.
CATEGORY #17: NEW INDIE CLASSICS
You know those types of albums that you feel like you've been listening to your entire life? Yeah, that good.