The music site Bandcamp announced this week that on Friday, Feb. 3, it would be donating its share of all proceeds to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
In a post on its website, Bandcamp founder and CEO Ethan Diamond condemned last week’s Executive Order limiting travel and immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries, writing: “Like 98% of U.S. citizens (including the President), I am the descendant of immigrants … In this context, last week’s Executive Order barring immigrants and refugees from seven Middle Eastern countries from entering the United States is not simply immoral, it violates the very spirit and foundation of America.”
Diamond goes on to explain that on Feb. 3, starting at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time, for all purchases made on Bandcamp, the company will donate its share of the proceeds to the ACLU, “who are working tirelessly to combat these discriminatory and unconstitutional actions.”
He closes the post with a list of albums from musicians in the seven affected nations (Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia and Libya), as well as in Mexico.
“We hope,” he wrote, “that, as you listen to these albums, you’ll not only discover some great new artists, but will also gain a further appreciation and understanding for the way music transcends all borders, and remember that, even in the darkest of times, there is more that unites us than divides us.”
If you’re interested in expanding your collection a bit more locally, you can support many fantastic Iowa artists on Bandcamp, too. Here are just a few of the artists that have been reviewed in Little Village recently:
Belly Belt — Stay True
Belly Belt’s Stay True “revels in its shiny plastic surface … The EP’s title seems ironic and sincere at the same time, a scream from the heart and an elaborately-constructed joke.” Read the review.
Idpyramid — Dawn Rider II
On Idpyramid’s Dawn Rider II, “one moment you’re in a clubby, beat-heavy part, and the next you’re gliding through Dusseldorf in the late 1960s, on your way to Plantasia. There are sludgy, warped trenches and bright shiny melodies that come fast and furious.” Read the review.
TIRES — LP1
“The experimental electronic rock that resulted from the three-day sequester — a mix of synths and live guitars and drums — is driving, bombastic and distorted.” Read the review.
Anthony Worden — Demos
“Even though this release is named Demos, there’s nothing makeshift or tentative about it. Worden’s songs and lyrics are never complicated but there’s some shadow and mystery in the corners.” Read the review.
Karen Meat — She’s Drunk Like the Rest of Us
“Karen Meat’s deadpan brings to mind Sarah Vowell, if Sarah Vowell sang, and was a character in a Todd Solondz movie.” Read the review.
Flannel Season — Back Amongst the Dirt
“It’s clear that Flannel Season is not content to remain mired in nostalgia. They are taking what worked best about grunge, dusting it off and finding its relevance as more than just a memory.” Read the review.
Also be sure to check out LV favorites like Angle, Jim Swim and Samuel Locke Ward, as well as local labels like Bloated Kat, Sump Pump and 5CM.
