Crow's Nest 06: 020421
🅱️onus 🅱️andcamp 🅱️its Edition
Hey hey hello there,
Welcome to Issue #6 of Crow’s Nest. The slightly observant of you may note that today is Not Sunday (though for many that’s also not a significant difference), and indeed this is not a typical issue for me. I have every intention of writing up one of my “standard” issues for this weekend on my usual schedule, but in the meantime I felt I shouldn’t wait until then for my next missive.
As you’re likely aware, tomorrow (in Oakland time) marks the return of Bandcamp Fridays, the day the beloved independent music platform waives its cut of the purchases made on the site and passes that along to the artists. It’s a way for music lovers to better support artists through the pandemic, especially as touring and in-person shows are near-impossible and frequently ill-advised. I’ve noted before that Bandcamp Fridays are systemically problematic for reasons that go well beyond the platform, and yet I still participate in said spectacle, like capitalism.
As my inbox fills up with messages and new releases akin to the snow and cold bearing down outside my apartment, I thought I would highlight some records that have wound up in my Bandcamp wishlist since the last Bandcamp Day that I’ve not written about in past issues (or plan to in upcoming issues). This is less to do with the overall quality of the records and more my capacity to include them in my emails—I can only dedicate myself to write so much before I call it an issue, and I usually wind up deciding against writing about as many records as writing about those that do make the cut. (Wow that’s a weird sentence for me to try to have written.) So, I hope you take the time to consider these records and, if you’re on the fence and have the means to do so, purchase them tomorrow or today if that’s when you’re reading this.
No other bits this issue, I’m solely sticking to music here. As usual, thank you for reading this.
Albertine Sarges was a member of the vocal ensemble accompanying Holly Herndon when touring PROTO in 2019—which had some of the most stunning singing I’ve ever seen live at the Thalia Hall stop—though you wouldn’t guess that by listening to this album, the debut of her group The Sticky Fingers. Dry Cleaning being the top recommendation feels on the money for the 80s-indebted indie sound here, and the flutes on the earlier tracks remind me of the title track from ГШ (Glintshake)’s Гибкий график as well. This is definitely a project to keep an eye on.
Stockholm’s Höga Nord Records puts out consistently strong leftfield releases, somewhere between psych and dance music. A lot of it’s krautrock-adjacent—Minami Deutsch has a couple singles on the label—and Andrew Weatherall released his final album through the label too. Recently the label announced something I don’t 100% recall with this 2015 album they put out. Lots of good drone and dub over repetitive beats here.
My initial inspiration for this issue was that I cut this track from Charlotte Rose Benjamin from the last issue and the decision didn’t sit well with me. I’m not big on folk rock but this has a strong sense of momentum to it that led me to repeat it a bit—I would love to see this live, preferably with a drummer going ballistic over it.
Another grab bag compilation of dance music that I spend a fair amount of time listening to. I enjoyed Isabella’s Melody Depleted from last year which drew my eyes and ears to this and, as always, could use to spend some more time with.
Here’s a charming album of minimalist compositions in the proper sense, not the “well they said it was minimal in the press release and I guess I can kinda hear that” sense that I distinctly recall Yeezus being tagged as upon release. Anyway, another entry discarded from a past issue, here now for you to enjoy.
There are many more sides to Constellation Records than just being the label that puts out Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s records and similar fare. There are at least a handful of dance singles and EPs among their catalog—I still really enjoy the house 12” that Thee Silver Mount Zion Memorial Whatever Other Naming Embellishments Are On This One put out in 2014—including this one from Deadbeat & Camara, which came out last year but I only heard about yesterday. Well that won’t be the only day I hear it, at least.
A pleasant, off-kilter bedroom dance-pop track from a local duo.
Finally, here are a pair of releases from the Italian-Canadian-British label Maple Death, released back in December and cut from an earlier issue. I’m partial to the heavier experimental techno throb of Jerome than Ancient Plastix but both are worth the spin.
And with that we’ve reached my limit for the night so I’ll call it there. As usual if you’re reading this thank you for your time. @embirdened on Twitter and available through the contact points in this post.