The Final Bandcamp Friday of 2023

It's the first Friday in December so that means it's Bandcamp Friday!

Things have certainly changed since Bandcamp first announced their initiative to help bands affected by the pandemic shutting down touring by waiving fees and letting more money flow to the artists. The company went from being it's own entity to being acquired by Epic Games. During that time things felt uncertain but things kept going along seemingly swimmingly. The Bandcamp employees decided to unionize and for while it felt like any changes being made were for the better.

However in the past few months things have gone awry. The majority of the editorial staff (and many more across the entire company) were let go and Bandcamp found itself under new ownership again; this time sold to Songtradr. The Epic Games acquisition brought uncertainty, the Songtradr ownership feels ever more obscure. Their decision not to acknowledge the Bandcamp Union and their virtual lack of support of this final Bandcamp Friday is fairly telling. The company markets itself as a music licensing and sonic branding company, which is important to making money as an artist, but has the air of only caring about music as a sterile product to be repackaged and sold.

While this initiative is fantastic, this is the final announced Bandcamp Friday. So remember to support your favorite bands by going to shows or purchasing from bands directly. While the future is as hazy and scary as ever for Bandcamp, they have been a good platform as at one point an average of 83% of your money reaches the artist/label (after payment processor fees).

Bandcamp Friday will be happening today December 1 until midnight PDT. 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.

Noname - Photo by Andrew Lagunas

We also recommend you check out some of the great compilations!

Now let’s get to the bands!

Brenda's Friend. Photo by Andrew Lagunas.
Circuit des Yeux. Photo by Julian Ramirez.
Divino Niño. Photo by Andrew Lagunas.
Fauvely. Photo by Julian Ramirez.
  • Fauvely makes some incredible dreamy tunes that will certainly hook you the second you give them a listen. Led by Sophie Brochu, the band just released Beautiful Places, so pick it up and enjoy this great band!
  • Fieldmates
  • Finom, formally known as 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
  • Fire-Toolz
  • Flamingo Rodeo
  • 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 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!
  • Floatie released their stellar math rock debut Voyage Out last year! It was so damn good that we included it in our favorite albums of 2021, so don’t miss out!
  • Fran‘s guitar-driven songs with extraordinary vocals are perfect for these physical distancing times.
  • Freakons
Free Range. Photo by Julian Ramirez.
  • Free Range is set to release their debut album Growing Away later this month! Sofia Jensen voice and songwriting are incredible and you need to listen to them as soon as you possibly can!
  • Friko
  • Gal Gun – I first saw Gal Gun perform at a living room show four years ago and their latest album Critical Hit is fantastic!
  • 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! And they recently released a new set of songs Nothing You Do Matters!
  • 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!
  • Glad Rags
  • 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, 2020. 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.
  • Glitter Moneyyy – Need some sexy, raunchy goodness in your music? Look no further than this amazing duo!
  • Chris Greene Quartet‘s last album PlaySPACE, which was recorded live at Evanston SPACE, is one of my favorites and a great introduction to this fantastic jazz band.
  • Jason Griff
  • Half Gringa has a new EP out right now! Ancestral Home is giving you some much needed new tunes from Isabel Olive!
  • Heavee
  • The Hecks – Great local band balancing angular post-punk and catchy synth rock, with an awesome live show to boot.
  • HLDAY MAGIK
  • Ivy Hollivana
  • Hollyy
  • Honey Cellar
Horsegirl. Photo by Kate Scott.
KAINA. Photo by Andrew Lagunas.
Miranda Winter. Photo by Julian Ramirez.
Nora O'Connor. Photo by Julian Ramirez.
Replicant. Photo by Julian Ramirez.
Macie Stewart. Photo By Julian Ramirez.
Tasha. Photo by Julian Ramirez.
V.V. Lightbody. Photo by Julian Ramirez.

Also let’s not forget these incredible local labels.

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.

Julian Ramirez