Albums to be Thankful for...

This is special. pic.twitter.com/1b3jeu71WY

— Weird Christmas (@weird_christmas) November 23, 2020

I am a big fan of Bandcamp, as amply demonstrated by my collection there—I make about 90% of my music purchases there, occasionally buying direct from an artist or from Amazon when the black hole of american capitalism is the only place an album is available, but for the vast, vast majority of my purchases, I use Bandcamp.

More a music and merch store for artists and labels than a streaming service, though Bandcamp does offer some streaming—Bandcamp seems, from what I have heard and can tell, to actually pay artists! So, when you make a purchase you don't have to worry about the musicians only making fractions of fractions of a penny. Plus, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, they have been doing Bandcamp Friday, where they waive their fees and funnel that money to the artist instead.

And, in this turbulent year, there have been a bunch of bands and labels that have put out albums on Bandcamp where the proceeds went to a worthy cause, so without further ado, here are a slew of albums you can pick up on Bandcamp that I both heartily recommend and that also will pass on some of your money to a cause worth supporting! Plus for almost all of these albums, you can stream one or more tracks for a taste before you buy.

25 albums that support worthy causes & are worth checking out!

 

 

Am I Free To Go? - The Soft Pink Truth

Genre: Techno Covers

Stand Out Track: "Fuck Nazi Sympathy (Aus-Rotten cover)"

Benefits:  All profits after paying out due/requested royalties from the original artists will go to the International Anti-Fascist Legal Defence Fund, which assists people all around the world with the legal repercussions of protesting fascism.

The companion album to The Soft Pink Truth's incredible Shall We Go On Sinning So That Grace May Increase?, I've had both on regular rotation since they came out this spring.

Ambient for a Greener Planet

Genre: Ambient

Stand Out Track: "Ingentimusa"

Benefits:  ALL PROFITS OF THIS ALBUM WILL BE DONATED to the Community Carbon Trees- an organization that has been providing valuable work for more than 10 years in the Costa Rican rainforest and now conducting another project in Kenya, Africa. Their work includes planting, nurturing trees in the area and educating people of all ages about how essential are trees for our planet's sustainability. (Please visit www.communitycarbontrees.org)

This is a great selection of atmospeheric ambient tracks with a naturalistic undercurrent.

Bear Catching Fish - Engine Kid

Genre: Post-Hardcore Metal

Stand Out Track: "Treasure Chest"

Benefits: Original Engine Kid drummer: Chris Vandebrooke was murdered at a homeless encampment near Griffith Park in December of 2016. In his memory proceeds from sales of this album will be donated to the Midnight Mission a comprehensive homeless shelter and homeless services provider serving the Los Angeles homeless community, www.midnightmission.org.

One of the first bands of Greg Anderson, of SUNN O))) and more, Engine Kid has a great early 90's in Seattle sound.

Beast Rider EP - Panopticon

Genre: Folk Metal

Stand Out Track: "Beast Rider (Electric Version)"

Benefits:  Austin Lunn of Panopticon says: "Every penny I receive from this release will be forwarded to musicians that I know who are struggling from cancelled gigs and tours, lost income that they depended on."

A two song ep of alternate versions of these Panopticon tracks that are lush and evocative.

Birthday Tribute to Bill Rieflin - Chris Connelly & Jessica Gallo

Genre: Harp and Voice

Stand Out Track: "Prayer"

Benefits:  All proceeds from this special release will be donated to the Floyd & Delores Jones Cancer Institute at the Virginia Mason Foundation

Industrial Rock singer/songwriter legend Chris Connelly and harpist Jessica Gallo pay tribute to the great Bill Rieflin by revisiting a haunting track from Largo, the album Bill & Chris put out as a duo.

Borderless Lullabies

Genre: Lullabies

Stand Out Track: "Waiting for Clouds"

Benefits:  Borderless Lullabies is a collection of songs and spoken-word recordings, with 100% of proceeds benefiting KIND: Kids In Need of Defense (supportkind.org).

Soothing lullabies in support of providing legal support to unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children.

Crushing Intolerance Volume 5 

Genre: Metal

Stand Out Track: "Fuck You Alt-Right"

Benefits:  All proceeds go to the Indigenous Environmental Network

I've been getting more and more into metal these past few years, and compilations like Crushing Intolerance are great as they help me find new bands with righteous politics.

For a Better Tomorrow

Genre: Experimental Folk

Stand Out Track: "Live At Café Bourbon Street, 06​/​13​/​19 (Edit)"

Benefits: This compilation release will see 100% of digital proceeds donated to Mutual Aid Athens. Mutual Aid Athens is a great group of folks working hard to get support to people and families in my community of Athens, GA that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

I got into the Garden Portal label through the Beacon album and it's spotlight on the hammered dulcimer, and this compilation is a great selection of American Primitive folk.

For Belarus

Genre: Post-Punk

Stand Out Track: "Cold Dark Place"

Benefits: The aim of this international compilation is to show solidarity with these brave Belarusians and collect money for the victims of repression. Funds will be sent directly to Belarus Solidarity Foundation - one of several foundations currently helping Belarus. There is no time to wait — they desperately need our help now.

Very much a compilation if you want a fantastic selection of early 80's flavored post-punk with modern production.

Habibi Funk 014: Solidarity With Beirut

Genre: Habibi Funk

Stand Out Track: "Sometimes You Feel Bad"

Benefits:  100% of the profits will go the the Lebanese Red Cross.

This compilation is worth picking up, just for the two Rogér Fakhr tracks, each of which distills a particular sort of 70's song into a perfect audio snapshot.

IN SOLIDARITY: Songs Of Struggle and Liberation 

Genre: Neo-Folk

Stand Out Track: "Crumbs (Left/Folk)"

Benefits:  We are happy to collaborate for a project from the Left/Folk collective, pulling together antiracist and radical neofolk musicians in a project to raise money for the Black Lives Matter National Bail Fund.

This compilation brings together tracks that exemplify the surprisingly wide variety in Neo-Folk while all being explicitly antiracist and antifascist.

Kin Campaigns

Genre: Indie Rock Covers

Stand Out Track: "Wicked Game"

Benefits:  After the election, all proceeds will go to Brand New Congress, a federal PAC helping regular working people (AOC, Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, Paula Jean Swearengin, etc.) run for office without corporate cash and push progressive policies like the Green New Deal and Medicare For All.

A gathering of marvelous covers, delightful and slightly skewed takes on the original songs.

Live in Paris ‘19 - King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

Genre: Psychedelic Rock

Stand Out Track: "Mars for the Rich"

Benefits: 100% OF PROCEEDS GO TO WILDLIFE VICTORIA.

My favorite of the three live albums that prolific psych outfit King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard put out in early 2020 to support charities after the Australian Wildfires, not that you shouldn't also grab Live in Adelaide '19 or Live in Brussels '19 if you dig King Giz.

Microclimates - Adzes

Genre: Sludge Covers

Stand Out Track: "Revelator"

Benefits:  Proceeds will be split between Rainier Valley Food Bank (www.rvfb.org) and University District Food Bank (www.udistrictfoodbank.org).

Two covers from sludge metal rockers Adzes, these tracks are lighter than their usual fare but no less masterful.

MITRA Music for Nepal Extended

Genre: Various

Stand Out Track: "PARAMAHANSA"

Benefits: Artists shared new music to raise funds for Animal Nepal in their struggle to maintain their vital work during the terrible Covid epidemic.

A truly epic collection of 105 tracks featuring Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Jarboe, The The / Matt Johnson and many, many, many, many, many more.

Noise is Political 2020

Genre: Noise

Stand Out Track: "Braziers are Burning"

Benefits:  100% OF FUNDS GO STRAIGHT TO THE NATIONAL COMMUNITY BAIL FUND: secure.actblue.com/donate/bailfundscovid.

Noise and electronic for when you want a harsh, futuristic soundtrack to your harsh future state.

OVERGROW TO OVERTHROW

Genre: Metal

Stand Out Track: "Flag Burner Torch Bearer 2020 (re recording)"

Benefits:  All proceeds to support: Black Lives Matter - Over-arching movement to combat racism and fight for social justice in the US and Canada. Life After Hate - A nonprofit in the US that seeks to combat racism by providing resources to help people leave racist movements, as well as help de-radicalize violent Far Right extremists.

Another excellent explicitly antiracist and antifascist metal compilation

Particle Count

Genre: Ambient

Stand Out Track: "MosquitoBass"

Benefits:  The funds from this compilation will go towards Latino Community Fund's Norcal Wildfire Relief Fund, Direct Relief's Wildfire funds, and GoFundMe's Wildfire Relief Fund.

Ambient tracks with a heavy emphasis on field recordings, that gives the album an immersive and wild feel.

PRF/BLM

Genre:Various

Stand Out Track: "Pity (Bad Religion Cover)"

Benefits:  All proceeds from the album will be donated to Brave Space Alliance (www.bravespacealliance.org) and My Block My Hood My City (www.formyblock.org). 

A fairly eclectic compilation of alternative and independant music

Riffs for Reproductive Justice

Genre: Metal

Stand Out Track: "Dead Set Eyes (Demo)"

Benefits:  100% of proceeds from this compilation will be donated to the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAH: abortionfunds.org) and the Yellowhammer Fund (yellowhammerfund.org).

A massive compilation of tracks united in their excellent riffs to support a truly worthy cause.

Shut it Down: Benefit for the Movement for Black Lives

Genre: Metal

Stand Out Track: "Dream Canyon"

Benefits: All proceeds will be donated to the organization Movement for Black Lives (m4bl.org).

Another exceptional collection of metal, noise, hardcore and punk put forth for an excellent aim.

StereoAkuma - Merzbow

Genre: Noise

Stand Out Track: "StereoAkuma"

Benefits: All profits from this edition will be donated to assisting wildlife recovery in the wake of the Australia bushfire crisis of the past few months. Room40 will be matching all money raised.

A live recording from Noise legend Merzbow, immersive in its intensity.

The Longest Day

Genre: Various

Stand Out Track: "Turn to Stone"

Benefits: 100% of profits across all formats will be donated to the Alzheimer's Association.

Another eclectic compilation of heavy hitters, featuring acts like Cold Specks, New Order, Algiers and Moby.

The Sacred Rage

Genre: Various

Stand Out Track: "Destroy Me (Version)"

Benefits: Non-Profit Compilation for the Lebanese Emergency Fundraise. #morphinexbeirut

Unreleased tracks from a wide variety of artists gives this album a diverse feel.

Vigor Reconstruct

Genre: Metal

Stand Out Track: "Pleiades (King's X Cover)"

Benefits: Markov Soroka's father suffered a severe heart attack earlier this summer and, though he survived, was left without a job nor insurance in the wake of such tumult. Now the Soroka family faces at least $66,000 in medical bills. It is our hope that this compilation, featuring some of the very best of the metal (and beyond) underground, will help ameliorate some of the financial woes which they face.

Another metal compilation to help you discover more fantastic tracks.