Bandcamp Friday is back and here’s a few local favorites you can support

Photo courtesy of Starslinger 

One of the greatest aspects of any city is live music. Kansas and Missouri are filled to the brim with local talent, and they need your help this Friday. This Friday, Oct. 7 is Bandcamp Friday, a day that ensures that all revenue made from music goes directly to the artists for 24 hours.

Here’s why this matters, especially on the local level.

According to Music Gateway, Spotify pays an average of .003-.005 cents per stream. Artists keep 70% of the revenue–before labels and distributors have their share–and Spotify takes 30%. If we factor all of this in, artists can expect to make a whopping $1,666 after receiving 1,000,000 streams worldwide. Not to mention many artists use online distributors, which they typically subscribe to out of pocket. This is why Bandcamp Friday is a huge f-ing deal.

More and more often, we are seeing artists we love being unable to financially sustain themselves. This means more canceled tours, fewer opportunities to buy and sell merchandise, and even create music in the first place. If you choose to spend money on anything this Friday, please, make it local music via Bandcamp. 

While any contribution to any artist is welcome, here are a few local and regional projects we feel deserve your love and attention. 

Starslinger, Contact! (2021)

Hays, Ks-based trio Starslinger may just be one of the brightest shining lights in Kansas, and a listen-through of their 2021 album Contact! will prove that point. The record is filled with everything from ballads to fuzz-rock, and each song is better than the last. It’s an album I can confidently say has no bad songs. Notable tracks include “Chupacabra,” “Blossom,” “Maggots and Butterflies,” and the title track. 

Radkey, Green Room (2020)

Local favorites and trio of brothers Radkey are among some of the biggest stars emerging from the KC area. I mean, they toured with the Foo Fighters. And if they’re good enough for Dave Grohl, they’re great. 2020s Green Room is an exceptional piece of work from a band that produces nothing but straight gas. If you like the Ramones, Black Sabbath, and anything in between, this band is for you. Notable tracks include, “Seize,” “Underground,” “Judy,” and “Stains.”

Hembree, It’s a Dream! (2022) 

Keeping true with emerging KC Stars, we have Hembree and their latest album, It’s a Dream! One of the many projects from brothers and KC badasses Alex and Austen Ward, Hembree fuzes synth-pop with retro-funky, feel-good lyrics, and melodies. It’s a Dream! is the kind of music that should be included in every video game and movie soundtrack. Notable tracks include “I’ll Be on Time,” “Panic,” “It’s Real,” and the title track.

Social Cinema, Stay Numb (2023) 

Wichita’s Social Cinema is one of the premiere acts in the 316. Their latest EP, Stay Numb is comprised of songs with vibes very similar to artists like Wolfmother, MGMT, or Queens of the Stone Age. But Social Cinema brings those vibes into the 2020s. Infusing dance-pop beats with tight, overdriven guitar, coupled with 80s new wave style vocals, Social Cinema delivers yet again and proves that Wichita isn’t a city to count out.

Lorraine-Dietrich, Devotion (2021)

Rounding off this list are Kansas City progressive rockers Lorraine-Dietrich and their 2021 album, Devotion. Coupling stoner rock with Killers-esque vocals, L-D fuzes and bends multiple genres on the record, and it absolutely hits the mark. Notable tracks include “Save Me Now,” “Devil’s Lair,” “New Age,” and, “Where Were You?”