7 Bands to Buy Music From This Bandcamp Friday

February has just begun, and with the start of a new month comes the inevitable and always anticipated Bandcamp Friday! Today marks the first Bandcamp Friday of 2022, and as always, Mad Indie Media is excited to introduce you to some of the best independent artists you can support today.

Bandcamp Friday is a monthly event hosted by Bandcamp in which the website waives all of its revenue shares for any purchases made. This means that 93% of the purchase cost for music on Bandcamp goes directly to the artist – the other 7% goes towards payment processing fees. Over the past 17 Bandcamp Fridays, nearly 800,000 fans have directly paid independent artists and labels over $70 million. Today, we encourage you to join in, and to entice you, we’ve created this list of some of the best independent artists you can support today.

:3LON – “QUANTUM LEAPING”

FFO: Charli XCX, The Weeknd, Thom Yorke

Baltimore, Maryland’s :3LON (read as “Elon,” thankfully not Musk) is a multi-hyphenate artist, being a self-taught singer, songwriter, and producer. “QUANTUM LEAPING” is the latest single from the artist, and represents an exciting look into their creative mind. :3LON’s haunting falsetto is laid over instrumentals that sound like a mix between the score of a Steven Universe episode and a percussive performance dance piece – and that is meant in the best way possible. “QUANTUM LEAP” is yet another piece of :3LON’s music pie that focuses on “the state of humanity from a futuristic lense” while simultaneously incorporating anime and fantasy references.

QUANTUM LEAPING (single) | :3LON (bandcamp.com)

Paper Heart – “Breaking Down”

FFO: PUP, The Dictators, Comets on Fire

This Gloucester City, NJ-based band came on the scene last year with their debut single, “Breaking Down,” released in July 2021. Mixing sounds of punk, emo, garage rock, and even some heavy psychedelic rock, Paper Heart’s debut is one that will please a variety of listeners. Confessional and lo-fi in tone, multi-instrumentalist Matt Joseph shouts his love for another in this single, unrequited and heartbroken.

Breaking Down | Paper Heart (bandcamp.com)

Glass Leaf – “Branches”

FFO: American Football, TTNG, Origami Angel

Inspired by the sounds of emo, prog rock, metalcore, and math rock, Philadelphia’s Glass Leaf have created a musical contradiction: easy listening made up of complex phrases. Their latest single, “Branches,” perfectly encapsulates this paradoxical sound through its intricate melodies and harmonies that somehow still blend together to create something that is altogether smooth and easy on the ears. Regular tempo changes and tonal shifts, combined with its commitment to return to a familiar vocal chorus full of harmony, make “Branches” a truly outstanding single.

Branches | Glass Leaf (bandcamp.com)

Russian Cowboy – A Slow Migration West

FFO: Orville Peck, Social Distortion, Violent Femmes

Punk outfit Russian Cowboy remind listeners of the original definition of “redneck,” referring to working-poor coal miners who wore red bandanas around their necks as a signifier either of solidarity with the coal miners’ union or as a political statement on wealth inequality in the South in the early twentieth century. The group wears the same red bandanas on their necks in their Bandcamp artist profile and their songs tell the stories of four working-class individuals from Bloomington, Indiana. But enough about history – let’s talk about their music! Russian Cowboy takes influence from Midwestern emo, punk, and alternative country alike, perfectly fitting the moniker of “cowpunk.” Their latest release, the full-length A Slow Migration West, was released in January 2022 and has tracks that vary in tone, from the energetic opening “Know My Name” to the dark country storytelling track “Siblicide,” which clocks in at just over 8 minutes in length.

A Slow Migration West | Russian Cowboy (bandcamp.com)

No Pants Maurice – The Davis Situation

FFO: NOFX, The Offspring, FIDLAR

Recently signed to the independent label River Monster Records, Palmetto, Florida’s No Pants Maurice are making fun punk in the South. The quartet’s goal is simply to make fun, original punk music, and they certainly succeed in this avenue. While their music generally sticks to a skate punk vibe, the band occasionally incorporates heavier breakdowns such as in “Childhood 141” or turns off their distortion for slower tracks like “Shmeat (Nothing but Heat).” Overall, No Pants Maurice’s 2020 release, The Davis Situation, is a fun album for any punk fan.

The Davis Situation | No Pants Maurice (bandcamp.com)

Chill Smith – For the KYDS

FFO: JPEGMAFIA, Lupe Fiasco, Aesop Rock

Asbury Park, NJ native Chill Smith has been an active member of his community for over a decade now, releasing music and videos with other Asbury Park artists such as Chris Rockwell, Drew the Recluse, and Heather Hills. Besides his artistic collaborations, Chill Smith has built relationships with community-based organizations throughout the Asbury Park area that benefit youth and adults alike. His latest release, For the KYDS, combines these two passions together in an EP that both educates listeners on health and wellness practices but also raises money for the Asbury-based holistic wellness nonprofit, KYDS. But just because Smith uses his bars to educate listeners doesn’t mean that this is a Sesame Street album – For the KYDS showcases some great lyricism from Smith and overall serves as a great introduction to Smith for new listeners.

For the KYDS | Chill Smith (bandcamp.com)

KULT KRIMES – GOOD GRIEF

FFO: ARCA, (early) Ministry, Cocteau Twins

London Van Rooy, better known by his stage name KULT KRIMES, is a Portland, Oregon multi-instrumentalist whose latest release, the full-length debut GOOD GRIEF, is making waves in the electronic circle – and for good reason. Defying one singular genre and merging sounds from hip hop to synth pop to industrial, KULT KRIMES is making some of the most forward-thinking music today. GOOD GRIEF has a wide variety of themes, ranging from the universal in “God’s Gone” to the mundane in “Stove Top Stuffing” to the intensely personal in “Still Breathing.”

GOOD GRIEF | KULT KRIMES (bandcamp.com)

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