I've been listening to the same music over and over again for years now, and I'm bored of everything in my library -- including stuff I used to love!

I'm interested in some music recommendations, with the caveat that they have to be available through Bandcamp, as I'm trying an experiment where I step away from streaming and a lot of the more major-label stuff right now to see how it goes for me.

I'm open to recommendations in any genre, but if you'd like some direction, I tend to like music that:

  1. Is electronic (especially chiptunes)
  2. Features vocal harmonies
  3. Is bright and uplifting
  4. Works great as background music for reading/falling asleep

None of these are required -- so don't feel limited by them. Also, note that these are distinct categories -- I'm not looking for albums that hit all of these all together, though if you somehow know of one, certainly do recommend it!

Also, in the spirit of the site, here are some GAs for everyone! All of them are open to Level 3 or higher and all of them close Friday, August 7th. I'll be adding to the list as the week goes!

1st Giveaway Batch

Game GA Code
7 Wonders: Magical Mystery Tour agz0B
AER Memories of Old L0l3O
Corporate Lifestyle Simulator GTvRo
Evil Genius f9z1F
Garfield Kart jOvsn
Guards dRFEG
Guns, Gore & Cannoli B2eu9
IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 71WPZ
Little Big Adventure 2 oS859
Odallus: The Dark Call yVzhv
Raining Blobs OVt8j
Roads of Rome 2 yUZve
Sanitarium D6OvG
When Ski Lifts Go Wrong SdkXk
Wick PsHuf

2nd Giveaway Batch

Game GA Code
BLACKHOLE 9o4Te
天使帝國四《Empire of Angels IV》 KhdKW
Gibz XT5ST
Hero of the Kingdom III QCl1J
Moto Racer 4 NgTA4
Prime World: Defenders cOmQ2
Quarantine hKhAH
Really Big Sky 4fsmx
Shooting Stars! gNxm7
Subject 13 KRegO
This Book Is a Dungeon POluR
Vampire of the Sands Sy1IV
4 years ago*

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What's your primary music platform?

View Results
Amazon Music
Apple Music
Bandcamp
Deezer
Google Play Music
Napster
Pandora
SoundCloud
Spotify
Tidal
Yandex
YouTube
YouTube Music
Physical media (CDs, vinyl)
Other (specify in comments)

https://macross82-99.bandcamp.com/album/sailorwave-ii

This is my favourite album from what I've listened to from them so far, it's also the only thing I have on bandcamp :D

4 years ago
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Catchy, energetic, and uplifting! This is great!

4 years ago
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I never heard about BandCamp, thanks for the presentation and giveaways!

4 years ago
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I don't know of any nice Bandcamp albums, but I voted "Other" in the poll. I use the website di.fm for when I don't have anything in particular to listen to. It's an internet radio for various electronic music genres, like trance, house, techno, etc.

4 years ago*
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Here's some of the bands (and songs) that I listen, unfortunately it doesn't meet your criteria but maybe you'll find it interesting:

  • Oingo Boingo (Just Another Day, Grey Matter, Insanity)
  • Morrissey/ The Smiths (Spent the Day in Bed/ What Difference Does It Make?)
  • Siouxsie And The Banshees (Spellbound, Cities in Dust)
  • Sisters of Mercy (This Corrosion, Dominion Mother Russia)
  • Marilyn Manson (No Reflection, Eat Me Drink Me, Saturnalia, The Mephistopheles Of Los Angeles)
  • Eyes Of the Nightmare Jungle (Shadow Dance)
    There are also The Cure, The Cult, Fancy, Enya, KISS, HIM and many more but I don't want to wirte an essay. Maybe you'll find something for you (but I doubt xp).
    Edit: I forgot that it has to be available through Bandcamp, but some of these surely will be there. I don't use Bandcamp at all. Sorry. :P
4 years ago*
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bump, I not used bandcamp services yet

4 years ago
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off the top of my head:

Could be uplifting[+electronic]:
https://analogicalforce.bandcamp.com
(dropping an entire label as recommendation because really it's all gonna be up your alley if even one album hits)
uplifting,electronic,chiptune-y:
https://ceephax.bandcamp.com
uplifting,electronic(entire discography really,not just this one):
https://jonhopkins.bandcamp.com/album/immunity
background:
https://starsofthelid.bandcamp.com
possibly uplifting,electronic:
https://timhecker.bandcamp.com/album/an-imaginary-country

Many video game composers are on bandcamp so you got quite a few choices for your uplifting chiptunes btw.

4 years ago*
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Thanks for the recs! I'll make my way through these.

4 years ago
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Remembered some more:

bubly/spiritual type of positivity electronics:
https://fourtet.bandcamp.com [entire discography]

silly,self parodying and childish while somehow combining absolutely mental beats,noise and beautiful melodies. about as uplifting as I can think of:
https://bogdanraczynski.bandcamp.com/album/alright [but also his entire discography is like that]

also more in the vein of fun,perhaps uplifting electronics:
https://rossfromfriends.bandcamp.com/album/family-portrait-2
https://iglooghost.bandcamp.com/album/ne-wax-bloom-2
https://bicep.bandcamp.com/album/bicep [this one is always a rollercoaster of emotions for me]

4 years ago
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4 years ago*
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Thanks for all the recommendations! I'm looking forward to sampling all of these.

4 years ago
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Took me a while to find something I love which is also featured on Bandcamp, but here we are:

https://emancipator.bandcamp.com/album/safe-in-the-steep-cliffs

It's electronic music, which is bright and uplifting (if more on the deep side of things) and also works well as background music I suppose. Let me know if you liked it :)
Edit: I use Deezer as my primary online streaming service.

4 years ago
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This album has got a great groove! Thank you for sharing it.

4 years ago
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https://au5music.bandcamp.com godlike edm here

https://vvidovv.bandcamp.com/releases kinda folk, kinda electronic, but really awesome, if you can search for the rest of his songs on other place, a personal recommendation, Windswept

4 years ago
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Godlike indeed! Au5 sounds awesome!

4 years ago
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https://thelucksmiths.bandcamp.com/album/warmer-corners
One of my favorite bands. Sunlight in a Jar is my favorite. Bright and uplifting and some vocal harmonies.

4 years ago
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Maxthor
https://maxthor.bandcamp.com/

Stand out tracks from the album Another World are "Howlings In The Night", "Set Your Wheels On Fire" and "Hunters"

https://maxthor.bandcamp.com/track/howlings-in-the-night
https://maxthor.bandcamp.com/track/set-your-wheels-on-fire
https://maxthor.bandcamp.com/track/hunters

And standout tracks from the album Fiction are "No One's Gonna Save Us", "Run", and "Crossing The Line".

https://maxthor.bandcamp.com/track/no-ones-gonna-save-us-2
https://maxthor.bandcamp.com/track/run-2
https://maxthor.bandcamp.com/track/crossing-the-line

4 years ago
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(If you're looking to Bandcamp specifically to give financial support to the artists you're interested in, keep in mind that they're doing another Bandcamp Friday on the 7th. Bandcamp waives all their revenue share so all proceeds go straight to the artist(s) you buy from on that day.)

Most outright electronic stuff I listen to checks your "works great as background music for reading/falling asleep," but it's mainly dark ambient stuff that's more unnerving than it is uplifting. Some psybient and video gamey stuff might work, so check these out:

https://ottsonic.bandcamp.com/track/the-queen-of-all-everything
https://entheogenic-usr.bandcamp.com/track/pagan-dream-machine-vibrasphere-remix
https://sheofficial.bandcamp.com/track/coloris-2
https://zirconstudios.bandcamp.com/album/unearthed

For something way out of your wheelhouse that nevertheless checks a couple of your boxes (vocal harmonies; bright and uplifting), try Spanish prog rock group Cheeto's Magazine. Although a rock band, they have two lead keyboardists, and their approach is about as a fun-loving and light-hearted as it comes. I'm obnoxiously elitist about this type of music and usually can't stand when bands inject their haha-so-funny-and-random humor into it, but the actual songwriting and musicianship here is so high quality--and the silliness is evened up by a kind of heartfelt earnestness that somehow makes the humor work for me--that it might have been my favorite album of 2020. And I listened to hundreds of 2020 albums. @_@ Anyways, check it out: https://cheetosmagazine.bandcamp.com/track/big-boy

4 years ago
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The reason I started the giveaways now and am ending them Friday is because I hope to accumulate a good cart of music this week and checkout with it on Bandcamp Friday!

Your recommendations are much appreciated, by the way. Started with she and am already really enjoying it. Excited to get into the others as well.

4 years ago
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Ah, gotcha. I hope you find as many hidden gems as your wallet can reasonably handle! Also, I just realized me copying the representative song from each album links to the page for the songs instead of the albums as a whole. I can vouch for the full LPs all being worth a listen if the linked song does it for you. Glad you liked the she track! I mostly listen to electronic music for reading, writing, and sleeping purposes, but back when I stayed at a martial arts-focused boarding school, I'd always put that song on to psych myself up when going to class since it was just the right length for the walk from the dorm to the dojo.

Thanks for the giveaways too, btw!

4 years ago
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4 years ago
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I'm currently the sole Soundcloud user in the poll, but that might be because I tend to seek out individual remixes, rather than stream playlists. :P

Genres are sometimes a bit nebulous, but maybe you might like some melodic EDM from Illenium or Seven Lions?
https://illeniumashes.bandcamp.com/album/ashes
https://seekingsevenlions.bandcamp.com/

4 years ago
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I fell in love with Bandcamp the moment I discovered it 7 years ago or so, such a huge variety of high quality music. I especially love the Bandcamp Weekly show, it's a great way to keep up with and discover the artists and music on the website.
I'm not sure that I can think of an album that meets your criteria but feel free to check my small library: https://bandcamp.com/kaiser_ali

4 years ago
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Ohhh got quite a few artists from bandcamp....all in the electronic and/or chiptunes genre...but some also in your other 3 categories.
I'll link one album from everyone and also list my fav song of that album.
Hope theres something good (and expecially new) for you. fingers crossed😁

Dubmood - Lost Floppies Vol 2 - Chiptunes - fav. song of the album: "Wake Up Skip School"
Streetcleaner - Street Cleaner - Synthwave - fav. songs of the album: "Primer (Trailer) " such a cool intro :) and "Heartbeat (Credits)"
Xyce - papillons remastered - Chiptunes - fav. song of the album: "xyce & radix - rainbow dash"...the part from 0:55 and onwards...yeah!
Anachronist - RGB - Synthwave - fav. song of the album: "A Replacement"
Peer Kusiv - Natur & Techno - Something something, electric - fav. song of the album: "Hoch - Tief"...just love the beat! :D
The Midnight - Kids - Synthwave - fav. song of the album: "Explorers"...such an upbeat song
Chipzel - Super Hexagon EP - Chiptunes - fav song of the album: "Focus"
NINA - Sleepwalking - Synthwave(?) - fav song of the album: "One Of Us"

4 years ago
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I've been listening through the recommendations in this thread this week, and I'm really digging a lot of yours! Going to purchase a couple of them tomorrow. Thank you!

4 years ago
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Glad to hear it :)

4 years ago
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I've been listening to a lot of Superweaks lately thanks to discovery via the Teenage blob game during the Steam Indie Festival
Pretty cool punk rock band
https://thesuperweaks.bandcamp.com/album/better-heavens

4 years ago
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4 years ago
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No option for mp3 / Winamp in the poll. :)

I haven't seen anyone mention nervous_testpilot yet.

4 years ago
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That's what I was looking for too, since all my CDs get ripped to mp3 and then put away.

Also, are people still using Winamp? I remember introducing all my friends to it about 20 years ago, but I haven't used it in over a decade since the UI has remained virtually unchanged since... about 20 years ago.

4 years ago
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It's still the best as far as I am concerned; I can't do without Global Hotkeys and Jump to File.

4 years ago
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Ah. I forgot any and all hotkeys long ago, and rarely listen to music on my computer anymore.

I use Windows Media Player now to catalog and sort all my music - and fix the metadata - then transfer it to my phone. All of my listening now is via my phone or via Plex on the TV.

4 years ago
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Yeah, that was my bad. I realized it right after posting the thread and then learned that you can't edit polls after they've gone up. Sorry!

Also nervous_testpilot is great!

4 years ago
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I agree, glad you like him!

4 years ago
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Bumf

4 years ago
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Thanks for all the recommendations everyone. Keep them coming! I'm going to have quite the Bandcamp Friday this week!

I also added a 2nd batch of giveaways to the main post to thank everyone for contributing so far.

4 years ago
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Only searched for one of my favourite bands, but apparently they have 2 songs up on bandcamp! Which was surprising, considering that they barely have any songs out on any digital platforms
So here goes:
nekomusume - 染まる日
nekomusume - sora!

4 years ago
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4 years ago
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This is perfect for reading/falling asleep. Thank you!

4 years ago
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You're welcome! There was another one I really enjoyed... but I just cannot remember what it was. If it comes back to me, I'll comment it for you.

4 years ago
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Ozric Tentacles is everything of that in one band
Here's one song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-iaMzSm-9g

4 years ago
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I mostly listen to music live (though not at the moment sad), or on the radio in the car.

4 years ago
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Closed 4 years ago by ruteqube.