Crate Digging is Uproxx Music’s monthly exploration of the depths of DIY music distribution platform Bandcamp, in an effort to unearth some hidden gem albums that just might find their spot among your favorites.
All of Kanye West’s Wyoming albums are out in the world. Drake’s new double album just dropped. If you’re interested in remaining abreast of the current pop culture conversation, definitely go listen to those records. Once you’re done that, though, good news: Other music exists, some of it from sources you may not even be aware of! A slew of strong albums came out on Bandcamp this month, so let’s dive into some undeservedly obscure releases:
5. Kahone Concept — And Then, My Five
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The origins of the Pittsburgh group’s new EP is even more intimate than most bedroom music, in that it was recorded in an even smaller space: A bedroom closet. Their indie synth pop sound is more lush than that suggests, though: Songs like “Cathectic” are as brimming with personality as they are with melody, high quality songwriting, and production value.
4. Watoo Watoo — Modern Express
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This is the final album from the French duo Watoo Watoo, which is a bummer because their Wes Anderson movie chamber music sound meets indie pop-rock a la Tennis is a winner. It’s a breezy record that fans of Belle & Sebastian would enjoy, and it remains at that consistently engaging level from front to back, on songs like the airy “Modern Express” and the more synth pop-influenced “Enfermée dans ta rue.”
3. Los Wálters — Caramelo
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This duo claims Puerto Rico as their home, but this is actually a long-distance collaboration, perhaps like The Postal Service but with less reliance on physical mail. Despite the physical barriers between the two, there’s no sense of a disconnect anywhere on the EP. Their synth pop sound has ties to the chillwave movement without leaning on the aesthetic as its sole appeal, as songs like “Calma” borrow from the playbooks of Toro Y Moi and Hot Chip.
2. Croatia — Half Dreams
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The Stranger Things synthwave sound was widely imitated after the show’s rise to prominence (and before that as well), but this Canadian (and not actually Croatian) group does something productive with it. Instead of a reductive knockoff, they fold the aesthetic into catchy indie pop, especially on the thumping “Cut Me Out” and the big hooks of the title track.
1. Dott — Heart Swell
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If this sounds like Speedy Ortiz to you, that makes sense: That band’s frontwoman Sadie Dupuis enjoyed this Irish group enough that she makes an appearance on “Like A Girl,” a garage rock anthem that’s filled with noise and harmony. Dott has a marvelous understanding of what makes the indie garage rock so appealing and they apply that knowledge excellently. They bring an ideal combination of energy and songwriting to the table that results in a record that fits beautifully into the modern edgy indie conversation.
