Today, October 2, is another Bandcamp Friday, which means the platform is waiving its share of revenue for 24 hours. It’s always great to support artists directly, but there are also plenty of benefit albums that support various causes. Some initiatives local—like feeding vulnerable New Yorkers or helping out students in North Carolina—while others focus on national and global issues. Below, check out a handful of benefit albums you can buy on Bandcamp.
In This Together LA (a coalition of artists, activists, and organizers within greater Los Angeles) recruited Kelsey Lu, Empress Of, Kimya Dawson, Kareem Ali, Black Belt Eagle Scout, and others for the Care Not Cops compilation. The album supports Feed Black Futures (which provides organic produce to Black mothers and caregivers impacted by incarceration) and Youth Justice Coalition (which looks to end mass incarceration, deportation, and police terror).
Last month, Dave Eggers, Jordan Kurland, Darius Zelkha, Christian Stavros, and Josh Rosenfeld organized a 40-song compilation called Good Music to Avert the Collapse of American Democracy. That album raised over $250,000 for Fair Fight and Color of Change. Now, they’ve compiled the massive, 77-track GMTATCOAD, Volume 2, which features contributions from Phoenix, Pearl Jam, Girlpool, and many others. This month’s comp benefits Voting Rights Lab.
Progressive Democratic Congressional Candidates
Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Ohmme, Sharon Van Etten, and Deerhoof are on the new covers record Kin Campaigns. Each artist is supporting a different progressive congressional candidate with their entry. For example, proceeds from a cover of John Lennon’s “Gimme Some Truth” support Isaac “Ike” McCorkle, a Democratic trying to unseat Republican incumbent Ken Buck in Colorado.
In May, artist Raia Was recruited New York artists for an album to support Food Issues Group’s emergency food relief efforts. The second collection—NYC-Sides: Vol 2, featuring Half Waif, Tōth, and more— supports the same cause, providing groceries for New York City’s most vulnerable communities.
Room40, the label founded by Australian sound artist Lawrence English, is supporting environmental causes with the new compilation Particle Count. Ian Wellman curated the project, which English mastered.
Hiss Golden Messenger’s M.C. Taylor is releasing his second live album of 2020 to support North Carolina’s Durham Public Schools Foundation. The new record, featuring 15 tracks from the band’s Terms of Surrender shows, will go to DPSF’s Accelerating Digital Equity initiative, which aims to give Durham students high-quality digital and remote instruction.
The Estok’Gna of Texas are facing the possibility of several liquid natural gas terminals and pipelines crossing through their sacred land. Proceeds from To the People of the Land—featuring Big Thief, Black Belt Eagle Scout, and Molly Burch—support the tribe in its efforts to combat the construction.
Read “This Is How Much More Money Artists Earn From Bandcamp Compared to Streaming Services” over on the Pitch.