Bandcamp Blitz - February 7th, 2019

The List:




The Bogart Jones Band - 14th & Willow
https://thebogartjonesband.bandcamp.com/album/14th-willow
(Mighty fine tunes. Classic/funk/blues/soul, good-timey, hard livin', grit-infused, down home, heart-o-gold Southern rock & roll. A little something for everyone. Been a fan of these dudes for a while, and looking forward to what's next. I might have to mention the family ties, as my uncle plays the keys in this band, but the only bias here is the fact that this rocks, plain and simple.)

Sam Hoffman - Fair Weather
https://sam-hoffman.bandcamp.com/album/fairweather 
(Awesome psychy power pop! Just the sound I love and want when it comes to "power pop". No punky stuff here, no whiny lamenting... Just straight songwriting, groovy vocals, layered harmonies.)

 Half Stack - Quitting Time
https://halfstack.bandcamp.com/album/quitting-time
(Wonderful little discovery. Country Psych/Cosmic Americana. So good, I shared this with everybody I thought would appreciate it. Another album from last year that I feel like I missed out on when it came out.)

PowerPlant - EP
https://hailtheplant.bandcamp.com/album/ep
(Grungy stoner doom from Szczecin, Poland with some psych influences. A fine EP, with lots of depth, lots of groovy riffs, head nodding heaviness.)

Roger Røksund - Roger Røksund
https://roksund.bandcamp.com/album/roger-r-ksund
(Smooth proggy pop rock. Not in the sense you're thinking of. This isn't Toto. This is a little John Grant, a little Floyd. Coming in from Norway, we, of course, have some really interesting stuff going on here. The vocals are truly top notch (one of the strongest parts of the album), the songwriting is pleasantly plump, with wonderfully orchestrated instrumentation. Can get over the top for the sake of it, but never sounds like stunted grandiosity. Fine music.)

Knivderby - Den första skörden
https://knivderby.bandcamp.com/album/den-f-rsta-sk-rden 
(Really good, powerful indie rock! A little power pop thrown in for good measure... Sung in Swedish. For those that don't speak the language, it's easy to enjoy this without knowing what they're saying. We're talking some serious songwriting here. According to the description, this is the band's 9th and last album. 9th album? Wow. Quite a dynamic band with a nice little history. Worth a listen.)

- Andy Benson

Bandcamp Blitz - February 3rd, 2019

The List:


Galaxy Chamber - Millennium Madness 
https://galaxychamber.bandcamp.com/album/millennium-maddness-ep 
(Avant Garde, bizarre, psych rock blowout. Wacky in all kinds of good ways. Bordering on horror film score-ish-ness. A total head trip.)

Svarta Stugan -  Islands / Öar
https://svartastugan.bandcamp.com/album/islands-ar 

(Mighty, thematic instrumental indie prog post rock. The melodies are what struck me right off the bat. Heavier than most, without being too metallic. Conjuring pioneering bands like Earth, Pelican, June Of '44, and such, we're treated to the right concoction of melodic nuances.)

JARS - ДЖРС II

https://jars.bandcamp.com/album/ii
(Superb, angry, noise rock/post hardcore from Russian Federation. There are no light moments, no pretty things, and no sleeping on the job here. Just unrelenting brashness. Coming soon on Forbidden Place Records)

Holy Whale - Adrift Through The Storm
https://holywhale.bandcamp.com/album/adrift-through-the-storm 
(Grungy, stonery Ukrainian hard rock. A little touch of AIC & friends, a little smidgen of other various alt-metal bands here and there, pinches of various genres. Strong effort.)

Dark Numbers - If It Was It Would Be So 
https://darknumbers-nadinerecords.bandcamp.com/album/if-it-was-it-would-be-so  
(Megablast of powerful, epic proggy alt-metal. Ridiculous melodic hammerings, great female vox, superb harmonies, atomic-blast, this-is-your-doom riffage. This is like Yes-meets-Baroness in a dark alley, and subsequently melds into Helms Alee and White Swan. Looking forward to the rest of this album, for sure. Bring it on, folks. Bring it on.)

Ryan Holweger - Gunmetal Sky
https://ryanholweger.bandcamp.com/album/gunmetal-sky
(Another little alt-country album that was real sneaky about it. Just came out of nowhere for me. Kinda swooped in like an intervention. Ryan Holweger, long-time member of the alt-country band The Western Fifth, stands out like a beacon on his first full-length solo work. With the help of a few buddies, he's created quite a stunning collection of tunes. A real keeper, this one.)

- Andy B.