I’m currently knee-deep in some non-bloggy writing that I’m excited to share soon, but I couldn’t let a glorious spring Bandcamp Friday like this pass without sending out a few recommendations. Without further ado:

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Opin — Hospital Street

Opin Tweeted out a heads up about this release on Wednesday, saying “38 minutes of hard techno/drone/soundtrack explorations on deck for Bandcamp Friday.” My reaction? An immediate and unequivocal “Yes plz.” (Sometimes there’s too much excitement for typing out whole words.)

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DJ Harrison — Pen Eyes 💨

New DJ Harrison = another immediate “Yes plz.” (The emoji in the album title might be a YHT first. I’ll have to do double-check that, but I love that it’s handwritten in the album art as well 👌)

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Curt Sydnor — The Consort

Been enjoying getting to know this album from Richmond-based pianist and composer Curt Sydnor. So dreamy, and so wonderfully off-kilter. A limited supply of transparent, hand-cut, 10″ lathe-cut copies are available.

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Stray Fossa — With You For Ever

Speaking of dreamy, With You For Ever — courtesy of Charlottesville’s Stray Fossa — promises to be a 2021 highlight in the realm of dream pop. There’s a textural fluidity to these songs that makes them feel so beautifully built-out and multi-dimensional. Each listen hits a little differently. Full album out next Friday, but four songs are streaming now. (Cheers to Andrew Cothern for the heads up about this one in his excellent RVA Playlist newsletter!)

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Gerycz / Powers / Rolin — Beacon

We don’t always get second chances in life, but the kind folks at the Centripetal Force label managed to secure a few more vinyl copies of the dulcimer-drenched drone-y excellence that is Beacon, the handiwork of a trio formed by Jayson Gerycz, Jen Powers, and Matthew J. Rolin. Don’t snooze. I bet these will go quick.

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More fun stuff on my radar today (check back for updates):

Avery Fogarty — “until tunnels”
Jones/Kuhl/Harris/Clarke/Pharr/Parker — 08​.​06​.​2013
Marisa Anderson/William Tyler — Lost Futures
Carlos Niño & Friends — More Energy Fields, Current
PJ Sykes — Fuzz (preorder just went live!)
Ohbliv — Rugged Tranquility Volume 1 & 2 (white vinyl still available)
tangent — “Rate Your Heart”
Borrowed Beams of Light — No Cover Covers vol. 7