Discovering Bandcamp

~ Cheryl

I have been wondering what I should do about buying music now I’m trying not to use Amazon. Well, thanks to Amanda Palmer, I have discovered Bandcamp. According to Amanda, artists selling through this store get a bigger cut than anywhere else. It also allows you to choose the format, and they allow you to add a tip to your purchase, should you feel so inclined.

Most of the artists there are people I have never heard of, because the big labels don’t use the site. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that quite a few of them will fall into the category of “really awesome bands that Marc Gascoigne hasn’t told me about yet” and I will come to love them in due course. There are familiar names though. I saw several albums by SJ Tucker, and also the soundtrack album for Jeff VanderMeer’s Finch.

Doubtless I have many hours of fun exploring the site ahead of me. But before that I’m going to sit back and listen to my shiny (well, shiny for a set of MP3s) copy of Evelyn Evelyn.

7 thoughts on “Discovering Bandcamp”

  1. I discovered Bandcamp with the Vermillion Lies, and it’s a great place. Bandcamp takes a long time exploring but it really hides some gems.
    I particularly like that you can select some songs and share them by embedding a player into a blog post or Fb or wherever.

  2. I take it you’ve missed all the Amanda Palmer controversy lately? Or do you not let that get in the way of enjoying her music?

    1. I’ve seen it. But she is marrying one of my oldest friends so I like to keep an eye on what she’s up to. Especially when it is something that looks suspiciously like an Angela Carter story.

      I also like to judge these things for myself, and that requires actually looking at the work. I have a number of books by people whose political views I despise, for example. Some of them are very well written, and only subtly offensive.

      I can quite see how Amanda managed to upset a lot of people (and having met her I think it is something she’ll always do). There’s certainly an argument to be made that the record is exploitative. On the other hand, I’m not sure it is as exploitative as something like this, which makes a joke out of people being murdered. The blogosphere tends to see everything in black and white, as a consequence of which there are trans activists out there who think Neil is the Most Transphobic Author Evah!!! I know why they think that, but I also know they are wrong.

      I try to bear in mind what Philip Pullman has been saying recently about art offending people. That applies equally well when the person being offended is me.

  4. Theres no lack of competitors to Amazon but sites/sources like Bandcamp may well be where Music retailing will go in the future

    And so to look google ” Amanda Palmer controversy ” of which I’ve never heard. I’m almost certain that it hasn’t featured on News 24 ..which I watch compulsively when I can’t sleep .. or even on Bloomberg which I watch for much the same reason. Lots of News these days but information is sometimes hard to come by.

  6. Do you know about CDbaby? I don’t know how much of your interest they cover, or if their shipping would be practical, but they OWN distribution of independents.

    Current Numbers
    278,510 albums being sold on CD Baby
    5,339,025 CDs sold online to customers
    $107,769,092 paid directly to the artists

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