She released new EP STIGMATA on August 4, a three-track sonic barrage that only takes a breath at the end, with an eerie two-and-a-half-minute “Interlude of Doom.” It’s a good introduction to Backxwash, after which you should turn to her reflective debut album God Has Nothing to Do With This Leave Him Out of It, which also folds-in Zambian chants and church choirs, and was recently shortlisted for Canada’s Polaris Prize.Ĭelebrating the 10th anniversary of their slacker-rock debut Crazy for You, California rockers Best Coast released a new version of hit “Boyfriend” on Bandcamp for one day only on August 7. It’s the perfect time to get into Backxwash, the Zambian-Canadian rapper who makes harmony - or dissonance - out of hardcore, electropop and hip-hop music. (Also check out our list of 19 Black musicians to support on Bandcamp from the platform’s Juneteenth donation day.) Find dozens of recommendations below, including new music from Backxwash, Blu & Exile, Dehd, Gulch, Illuminati Hotties, Katie Dey, and Margo Price, along with a Bandcamp exclusive from Best Coast. On August 7, September 4, October 2, November 6, and December 4, the site will again direct its share of profits to artists and labels from 12 a.m. The Bandcamp Day on July 3 looked like it was going to be the last, and artists responded accordingly by uploading B-sides and demos for that day only - but, given the popularity of the event, Bandcamp has declared that the first Friday of every month for the rest of 2020 will be Bandcamp Friday. For June 5’s Bandcamp Day, many artists directed their own profits toward racial justice causes and dropped new benefit releases find ten of them farther below. When the site did it again on May 1, artists sold $7.1 million, besting March’s record by 40 percent. (Most music for sale on Bandcamp has a minimum price, but you can always pay more to go directly to the artist.) Many labels gave up their share too, and some even made all their music pay-what-you-can. It’s also given fans a conundrum: What’s the best way to support independent music right now? Bandcamp provided one answer on March 20, when the music-distribution site gave 100 percent of profits directly to artists and sold $4.3 million in music and merch - 15 times a typical day of sales. The coronavirus pandemic has put indie musicians in a tougher spot than most have ever been in before, with no ability to tour traditionally - and, therefore, sell more merch in person - due to social-distancing measures and bans on large gatherings. Photo-Illustration: Vulture, Fire Talk/YouTube, Getty Images and Run For Cover Records/YouTube

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