It’s a New Year and Another Round of Bandcamp Friday

While Bandcamp Fridays may have taken January off, that won't be the case for the foreseeable future. Bandcamp Fridays, which started as a way of helping bands make a little more money during the pandemic by Bandcamp waiving their fees on the very first Friday of the month, will be continuing through May. This fantastic monthly event has allowed more money to reach the artists and their labels, especially since tons of fans have flooded the website to support their favorites and keep great music going during these hard times. So let's celebrate Bandcamp Friday will be happening all day until midnight PDT tonight. If you're unsure what time it all ends in your timezone, check isitbandcampfriday.com for exactly how much time you have left to jump in on the sales effort. As with every edition of this feature, we've added a few more local acts that we highly suggest you check out. And don't forget to head over to your favorite artists' Bandcamp pages and see what they'll be doing for today's push to support quality music! And for those of you who have meticulously curated Spotify playlists, we suggest using Merch Table to see what artists are on Bandcamp so you can support directly. Below is our running list of Chicago-based acts we definitely think you should check out if you haven't already! We also recommend you check out some of the great compilations that help support various causes.  The SituationChicago compilation benefits 25 venues in the city and has tracks for the likes of Jeff Tweedy, Ric Wilson, Girl K, Rich Jones, Ovef Ow, The Curls, and tons more! Warm Violet is a 46 (!) song comp that benefits Chicago Community Jail Support and features a plethora of artists you should be listening to anyway!

• Akenya
• Angel Bat Dawid
• Apollo Mighty
• Beach Bunny are so much fun and with the recently released Blame Game, now's a great time to jump onto their sound! Two of our writers focused on their debut Honeymoon for our list of albums we enjoyed in 2020
• Berta Bigtoe While relatively new to Chicago, this two piece does right by the tasteful palette of '70s rock through gorgeous production and soulful falsettos.
• Burr Oak
• Byzmuti
• Cavanaugh (Serengeti and Open Mike Eagle) The duo released some quarantine recordings during the first time Bandcamp waived fees, so if you didn't get those tracks then, now's the time!
• Charles Joseph Smith
• Cordoba offers up soulful vocals and far-out fusion jazz, what's not to love?
• Cory Jose
• The Curls
• Dance Bullies - country/indie/blues/rock group and regular performers in the Front Porch Concerts pop-up series
• DEEPER

DEHD - photo by Julian Ramirez

• DEHD- Dehd rules FFO Omni and NE-HI! Check out our review of one of their live performances here!
• Divino Niño - Need some smooth and delectable tunes to soundtrack your evenings, then look no further than these amazing songs! Check out our review of their album Foam. They also just released a new single "Made Up My Mind" that really shows off the band's sound, from the psychedelic instrumentation to their bilingual lyricism.
• Dos Santos
• drea the vibe dealer
• Emily Blue
• Ester has been incredibly prolific this year having released a full length album Turn Around in March, a four-song EP entitled weak that she recorded in seven days, a new track "Only Mine" out today, and quite a few tracks in between! Go listen to this incredible artist.
• .ethos
• ÉSSO
• Fay Ray
• Fieldmates
• The Flat Five are a Chicago supergroup that we absolutely adore. Kelly Hogan, Nora O’Connor, Scott Ligon, Casey McDonough, and Alex Hall make up the band with decades worth of their musical expertise! Their slightly twisted dulcet tones are a sure fire way to make these trying times feel a little better. Check out their debut album It's a World of Love and Hope (with songs written by fellow Chicago mainstay Chris Ligon) and their recently released Another World!

Fran - photo by Julian Ramirez

• Fran's guitar-driven songs with extraordinary vocals are perfect for these physical distancing times
• Ganser - Need some downright incredible rock music to pulse through your veins? Look no further than Ganser's exhilarating sound, especially right now since their newest album Just Look at That Sky is out now! Let yourself melt into Alicia Gaines' range of confident vocals and snarls and the band's raw post-punk surge. The first pressing of their album is sold out, but the second pressing (on an even cooler color vinyl) is available now! Plus the band is offering up some incredible prints this time around with $1 from each print sale going towards The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
• Girl K - You can't get much better than Katherine Patino's excellent project! Check out our review of their set with Charly Bliss from TNK!
• Good Fuck is experimental madness from Tim Kinsella and Jenny Pulse. To put it simple, it's fucking good.
• The Glow Ups Chicago-based, punk rock trio features Mike Licari (Bass/Vocals), Kevin De Leon (Drums), and Brian Perfect (Guitar/Vocals). After a series of three separately released singles, the band officially released its debut album, Take Your Tapas Off, on April 27. Accompanied by the band's "down to earth" nature, their songs take you on a voyage of pop-punk nostalgia. They hold the central theme of "not having to impress anybody" and you witness this in their lyrical storytelling—comprising real-life stories and experiences.
• Half Gringa has a new album out right now! Force to Reckon is exactly that, giving you some much needed new tunes from Isabel Olive!
• The Hecks - Great local band balancing angular post-punk and catchy synth rock, with an awesome live show to boot.
• Honey Cellar
• Hushdrops
• Impulsive Hearts makes sun-soaked tunes that will make staying at home way better. Her latest album Cry All The Time is a perfect example of her sound and another great record for summer (or whenever!). She also recently released "Dearie" and all proceeds of "Dearie" will be donated to Chicago's Brave Space Alliance.
• Jeremy Cunningham's latest album The Weather Up There is one to behold. Written in response to the loss of his brother, the jazz album is a powerful listen as it ruminates on its heavy themes perfectly. It's a must-listen-to album. This album was featured on our list of albums we enjoyed in 2020.
• Jessica Risker -- psychedelic folk musician and sound designer making some excellent tunes to chill out to.
• Joan of Arc is coming to end and recently released their final album Tim Melina Theo Bobby. This genre hopping band has been going two and a half decades with a rotating lineup always lead by the formidable Tim Kinsella. Check out this amazing local act asthey call it a legacy.

Jordanna - Photo by Geoff Stellfox

• Jordanna has been a 3CR fave for a while. Check out our feature with her a couple years ago!
• Joshua Wentz -- electronic artist and multi-instrumentalist who has released over 20 EPs and 10 albums
• Joslyn-Marie
• Krystal Metcalfe

Lala Lala - Photo by Julian Ramirez

• Lala Lala
• Late Night Laundry
• Liam Kazar has learned and recorded 20 song requests for $25 donations to Hungry Brain and the project is now on Bandcamp: With A Song. He's also released a new song since then, "Shoes Too Tight", go check it out!
• Makaya McCraven
• Malci
• Manny 10x is releasing his next single, "Shiva," today on Bandcamp Friday! His rapid fire flow is exhilarating!
• Matt Muse - If you need solid hip hop in your life right now, check out Matt Muse and femdot.'s ode to friends and car rides "SHOTGUN (Remix)" right now! Check out our thoughts on the track here!
• Melvin Knight

Miranda Winters - Photo by Julian Ramirez

• Melkbelly delivers some noise rock that will surely get you hooked on Miranda Winters (see below) excellent voice! Their most recent album Pith was featured on our list of albums we enjoyed in 2020
• Mia Joy
• Miranda Winters recently ventured out from Melkbelly (see Above) for a pair of great singles! Check out our thoughts on them here!
• Monobody has a new album coming out in April! Today's the perfect day to preorder it!
• Mooner delivers some straight up rock and roll jams and their latest collection of songs The Alternate Universe of Love is out next week. So head over to their Bandcamp page and support this excellent band!
• Mother Nature

NNAMDÏ - photo by Julian Ramirez

• NNAMDÏ released a fair amount of music during the pandemic like KRAZY KARL and it's another amazing addition to his already excellent discography. Speaking of which, have you picked up Brat? How about Drool? No? Then drop what your doing and definitely support this great artist.
• Ocean Cult
• OHMME are such a fantastic band that are delivering some of the best experimental rock you'll hear today! They've just released their second full length album Fantasize Your Ghost. It's a fantastic followup to Parts, evolving their sound as they always do. Check out our thoughts on their single "The Limit" and our review of the album here! And of course Fantasize Your Ghost was featured on our list of albums we enjoyed in 2020
• ONO's sound is as demanding as it is rewarding, making from one incredibly intense listen. Their album Red Summer was featured on our list of albums we enjoyed in 2020
• Oux

Ovef Ow - Photo By Julian Ramirez

• Ovef Ow's brand of surf punk is a pure joy and a nice little coda to this summer that kinda wasn't. Let yourself rock out their catchy riffs and forget about the less than ideal times we're living in!
• Pelican
• The Phantom Broadcast
• Pool Holograph has been on a roll recently and their newest album Love Touched Time and Time Began to Sweat is a perfect album for this times!
• Psalm One
• Quicksails

Ratboys - photo by Julian Ramirez

• Ratboys is awesome and has been doing a lot of Chicago's music scene and community in general! Check out our review of one of their sets at Schubas!
• Replicant makes dark futuristic synth music that will make you want to dance, but in that fun brooding way.
• Ric Wilson just released an fantastic new EP They Call Me Disco! Check out our thoughts on the great release here.
• Rich Jones' music just makes you feel nice and warm whenever it comes on. We're big fans of his sound, whether it's his more hip hop leaning stuff like Light Work, or the R&B smoothness of The Shoulder You Lean On. He's about to release a new collaborative album with Montana Macks' How do you sleep at night? later this month, so it's a perfect time to pre-order it! Checlk out our thoughts on the lead single "Groceries".

Sen Morimoto - photo by Julian Ramirez

• Sen Morimoto not only makes incredibly catchy tunes and is about to release what's sure to be another banger of an album, he is also now apart of the Hideout team!
• Serengeti is technically on the list twice, but with good reason. The man makes some of the weirdest hip hop and is prolific. A Couple months ago he dropped a new album, the gentle fall, so what better time to pick it up than on a Bandcamp Friday!
• ShowYouSuck
• Slow Pulp just released a new album and we're big fans of it! Check out our thoughts here!
• Spun Out was birthed from the ashes of NE-HI. Members of that incredible band found renewed interest in other projects (we've already mentioned DEHD) but also gave birth to Spun Out's alluring synths and undeniable grooves. Their debut album is a must listen affair that will help pass the nights away in the best way possible.
• TALSounds
• Tara Terra

Tasha - photo by Julian Ramirez

• Tasha's incredible voice is unparalleled, making her already ethereal tracks all the more alluring and enjoyable. After Sen Morimoto was taken off the Millennium Park at Home virtual music series earlier this year, Tasha decided to pull her performance in support of Sen. in these hard and troubling times, we have to stick together and fight for what's right, and Tasha has showed that in full effect.
• Tenci just released My Heart is an Open Field and it's a wonderful album that really emphasizes Tenci's minimalist style, letting her voice and lyrics capture you in ways few albums can. This album was featured on our list of albums we enjoyed in 2020
• Tough Break Kid
• Twin Peaks
• Uma Bloo
• uuskhy

V.V. Lightbody - photo by Julian Ramirez

• V.V. Lightbody's latest release, Make a Shrine or Burn It, is a phenomenal collections of songs that you need to listen to, especially on vinyl. While the first pressing of the release on cream-colored wax sold out on release day (you read that right), there is a second "half moon maroon" color pressing that you drop your needle on today! (seriously because I may get another copy of it because the new colorway is amazing!) This album was featured on our list of albums we enjoyed in 2020.
• Wyatt Waddell just released the amazing "FIGHT!" and will be donating all proceeds from the song to the Chicago Community Bond Fund, Black Lives Matter Chicago, and the Greater Chicago Food Depository. You can check out our thoughts on "FIGHT!" here!

Also let's not forget these incredible local labels.

• Bloodshot Records
• Born Yesterday Records
• Eye Vibe Records
• Feel Trip
• International Anthem features tons of great albums from amazing artists like Angel Bat Dawid, Ben Lamar Gay, Resavoir, and more!
• Midwest Action has tons of great local acts ready to wow you like Impulsive Hearts.
• No Trend Records has Glitter Moneyyy jams, Mykele Deville grooves, Avantist insanity, and more goodness waiting for you!
• Numero Group is always releasing some quality under listened to albums!
• Sooper Records released albums from the likes of NNAMDÏ (who we mentioned above, but want to emphasize that he just released a new album KRAZY KARL and you should go get this amazing record now!), KAINA, Sen Morimoto (again, we mentioned him earlier but he also deserves another), Sonny Falls, and many more!
• Thrill Jockey

There are plenty of other great bands on Bandcamp, so take a look around and discover something new! If you have any recommendations, comment below and spread the love because everybody needs it right now.