Yet another good excuse to buy some music from Madison artists.
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We’ve covered “Bandcamp Friday” a few times before on Tone Madison, especially because the music streaming/selling platform has been stepping it up during the pandemic and raising money for social-justice causes. Basically, when you buy an album or a song on Bandcamp, the company usually takes a cut (a super reasonable one, in my opinion). On Bandcamp Fridays, the company waives that slice of its revenue, allowing more of the money to go directly to artists and labels.
That makes for an extra-solid excuse to buy some music, and put a dent in your Bandcamp wishlist if you’re already an active user. Searching the Madison tag on Bandcamp also gives you one window into local music, though there are still plenty of local artists worth hearing who aren’t putting music out here and you should still seek them out as well.
Here are a few Madison-related things I’d recommend checking out if you’re on a Bandcamp Friday spree:
Tani Diakite, Live At Cafe Coda
Tani Diakite’s gifts as a vocalist and a player of the kamale ngoni make him an under-appreciated treasure in Madison. I still have only good things to say about Dalonkan, a 2012 album that offers a polished look at his powerfully arranged work with many local collaborators under the name Tani Diakite And The Afrofunkstars. This newer live recording captures a slow-burn version of Diakite’s music and even those previously familiar should hear it.
Lunar Moth, self-titled EP
Madison trio Lunar Moth falls a bit between the lumbering rhythms of doom and the lean attack of ’90s indie-rock. This 2019 EP starts off strong with the tense but spacious “Abecedarian,” and the band followed it up in April with the single “Valley Of Fire.”
Kleptix, Open Your Heart, Pray for Light
Troy Peterson has explored a few different angles of electronic experimentation and wild live performance under the name Kleptix (and played some solid doom metal in another project, House Of Lud). Peterson keeps pushing into a more subdued and reflective zone with this July release, which combines an austere pulse with a taste for lush ambient music.
Sardonyx, self-titled
This popped up on Bandcamp earlier this year, though Sardonyx was mostly active in the early 2010s. In retrospect Sardonyx might have been short-lived, but it combines members of several noteworthy heavy Madison acts, including Tubal Cain, Panther, Vanishing Kids, and Ossuary.
Ari Smith and Tim Russell, Junct
The more avant-garde jazz on Bandcamp, the better. Bassist Ari Smith and percussionist Tim Russell drew me in with this raw but sharply attuned set of improvised performances.
While you’re browsing, I’d also suggest checking out some other Bandcamp-available releases we’ve covered lately, including The August Teens’ I’m Selfish And So Is My Cat, Ilana Bryne’s latest two EPs, and Norris Court’s Imposter Syndrome.
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