Seven tracks

I occasionally post about bands and tracks we are listening to right now. Here is my latest offering and may make it a regular monthly feature. Enjoy!

Apr 24, 2024

Bandcamp is an online record shop and music community where passionate fans discover, connect with, and directly support the artists they love.

Bandcamp is cool.

Why? Well, more and more artists are pissed off with the free streaming services that pay us virtually nothing and last year I wrote an impassioned article about this before releasing our latest album STARLITE.ONE.

VIBES

To stream or not to stream?

The artistic landscape for musicians has changed since the heady days of the 80s when record company money flowed like water and I signed to a major label. I am not saying it was easy to secure a record contract back then, the competition was fierce and unless you found the ear of a record company executive, or managed to get into one of the four weekly …

2 years ago · 10 likes · 2 comments · Simon Campbell

I read a number of online music magazines and have seen more and more linking new albums and songs to Bandcamp as opposed to the multitude of free/subscription based streaming services. We all know who we are talking about…

The Black Keys, Ride, The Smile, Arctic Monkeys, Einstürzende Neubauten, Yo la Tengo, Peter Gabriel, Low, Wet Leg, ANOHNI, Lambchop, Ty Segall, The National, English Teacher, plus great labels such as Real World Records, Warp Records, Sub-Pop, Rough Trade, 4AD, Domino Recording Co. and XL Recordings are all on Bandcamp.

There was a lot of talk about problems with this company last year following two takeovers and the firing of many staff, but it still seems like the only game in town when it comes to remunerating musicians fairly.

So, here are seven tracks for your delectation, all of which can be found on Bandcamp apart from the final one which had be included as we saw the band live in Lisbon a couple of weeks ago and they were fantastic.

Enjoy!

The Smile

This is the last post about this fabulous band - promise.

We are still enamoured by both albums: A Light For Attracting Attention ’ and Wall Of Eyes which features the song Bending Hectic.

Just in case you haven’t read our previous posts or listened to our podcasts, The Smile consists of Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood with the superb Tom Skinner on drums.

We saw them live during their first tour in Lisboa, Portugal. A stunning band both live and in the studio.

Occasionally I hear a song with a guitar sound that gets my attention: how is he doing that? This is one of those tracks.

Johnny is certainly one of the finest contemporary guitar players and a tremendous all-round musician.

Yorke’s lyrics and vocal tone are captivating; Skinner’s drum parts are just perfect.

Killer shit…

Lambchop

I have been a fan of Lambchop for many years and always check out their latest releases.

The Bible really gripped me and covers a wide range of genres - each track bearing the unmistakable voice of Kurt Wagner who appears to be the only continuous member of the band.

It’s 70s but not. It’s fun, funky and beautifully produced. Love those horns…

Starlite & Campbell (that’s us)

As we mentioned, our latest album - STARLITE.ONE has not been made available on any audio-only streaming services however you can listen on Bandcamp. We have released two singles, with accompanying videos from the album to date with more to come.

This is the final track from the album. Progtastic…

But for now, we live.

Ty Segall

A newcomer to my listening experience, Ty Garrett Segall is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is best known for his solo career, during which he has released fifteen studio albums alongside various EPs, singles, and collaborative albums. A lot of work.

I have listened to the album a lot and really enjoy the sounds, moods and time signature changes throughout the record.

Here is my favourite track. It’s prog. It’s cool.

If you have a minute, please share this post to encourage others to join our merry band.

In an abortive attempt to see our mate and ace keyboard player Christian Madden on stage with Liam Gallagher, we managed to catch the set by both The National and Muse at the Rock in Rio festival in our home city of Lisbon.

This band seem to attract stars like mosquitoes to an electric light in a swamp.

Their latest album Laugh Track has contributions by Phoebe Bridgers, Rosanne Cash, the London Contemporary Orchestra and Justin Vernon (aka Bon Iver). Their previous offering, First Two Pages of Frankenstein, features Bridgers again, Sufjan Stevens and Taylor Swift (who’s that?).

The whole album is worth a listen, but my favourite track, Smoke Detector isn’t available free on Bandcamp. So you had better buy it or listen to our last podcast!

English Teacher

English Teacher is a relatively new artist to me. They were formed in 2020 and from Leeds in Yorkshire, England and signed by Island Records.

Their songwriting and grasp of complex musicality is quite stunning. Cool riffs, unsettling time signatures, poetic lyrics and lovely melodic lines are all present in their first full album.

The record was produced by the wonderful Marta Salogni who has worked with an enviable list of superb artists such as Björk, Depeche Mode, M.I.A., Groove Armada, Animal Collective, Black Midi, Bar Italia, Philip Selway, Temples, Django Django and many others.

Refreshing and very, very cool.

Yard Act

This is a bonus and although not on Bandcamp, deserves a mention as two weeks ago we saw this excellent band in Lisboa. Around 300 people attended, all paying 25 Euro (plus the ubiquitous and irritating booking fee) per ticket. Suzy and I were three metres from the lead singer. Great vibe.

They are again signed to Island Records and from Leeds (something is going on up there right now). The label is clearly financially supporting the tour as there were seven band members plus six crew - expensive and great to see.

Their social media numbers are relatively low, but growing and we have no doubt they will go on to be very successful with the support of a label who are still investing in artists.

And finally

I am always looking for new music and recently asked our friends on Facebook and Mastodon to give me some suggestions which I am working through.

If you have a favourite track, album or band please share it in the comments below!

Much love

Simon