Every month, I will recap the music I discovered on Bandcamp or were submitted that spoke to me. I find music through word of mouth recommendations, recommendations from artists on their profile, Bandcamp editorial lists, and, occasionally, the site’s recommendation tools. These albums may or may not have been released in the month in which I am reviewing. The criteria is simply that I found them during that month. I will give each release a brief review and share the Bandcamp link.

This is the first month in review I’ve put together since February of 2024. Maybe the “every month” in the introduction is more aspirational than descriptive. Perhaps I’ll be more consistent? Speaking of consistency, this is also the first month in review I’m not writing exclusively about heavy music, so expect it to be quite scattershot. I did not keep an accurate log of when I found all of this music, and it’s entirely possible that I found some of these releases in June. Both of us will never know. Without further ado.

Baby in the 90s – Stuck

Released on July 25th, 2025

I wrote an entire review on this EP. You can read it here. TL;DR: This EP slaps.

https://babyinthe90s.bandcamp.com/album/stuck

drug bug – a seasons end.

Released on March 10th, 2025

Insanely ambitious solo projects from Canada may be my new favorite hyper specific subgenre. I’m only aware of two, This is the Glasshouse and drug bug, but that seems significant. a seasons end. is an inventive mashup of seemingly discordant influences, pulling from lo-fi, emo, early 2000s pop post-punk, and r&b. Of particular note, as far as I am concerned, is the bass playing, which pulls from Motown r&b in the absolute best way. I do not typically listen to much lo-fi or bedroom, besides bedroom black metal, and I found the mix to be charming, conveying the vibe of rawness without losing listenability. The resulting record is jarringly unique, defying all easy comparisons or “for fans of” recommendations.

https://drugbug1.bandcamp.com/album/a-seasons-end

Clifford – Golden Caravan

Released on July 25th, 2025

Folk isn’t my thing. The focus on lyricism usually loses me, as its usually the last thing I listen for in music, and you can miss me with an acoustic guitar for almost anything but texture. But, whatever Clifford is doing on Golden Caravan is definitely my thing. Clifford, admittedly, is mostly electrified, but what really pulled me in was the darkness bubbling behind Miles Chandler’s vocals and folksy guitar playing, courtesy of the muscular rhythm section, Nate Scaringi and Ben Currell, and the guitar playing of Danny Edlin, who apparently didn’t get the memo he’s not playing in a Pile-esque post-hardcore band. There’s something for most listeners on Grand Caravan.

https://cliffordtheband.bandcamp.com/album/golden-caravan

SPARES – SPARES

Released on February 14th, 2025

I only needed to hear a couple of seconds of SPARES to know that this self-titled EP was for me. It seems silly to say a band that pulls influence so obviously from Unwound, Fugazi, and other usual post-hardcore suspects from the 90s sounds fresh, but hear me out. Like Porcelain’s excellent self-titled LP from last year, SPARES imagines a world where post-hardcore evolved in a completely different way around the year 2000, embracing its abrasiveness instead of melodies. This path leads us to an absolutely pummeling rhythm section that jackhammers your ear drums into submission and dual guitar work that is as beautiful as it is abrasive. I’ve heard a couple of other bands shoot for this vibe, but, besides Porcelain, I have yet to find another band that hits the nail as squarely on the head as SPARES.

https://sparestheband.bandcamp.com/album/spares

Lust Hag – Irrevocably Drubbed

Released on May 9th, 2025

I’ve been a fan of Lust Hag for a bit now, buying the self-titled debut last spring via Fiadh Productions, and I’m thrilled with the turn this project has taken on Irrevocably Drubbed. While Eleanor Harper, the one woman show behind Lust Hag, still leans into the aesthetics of black metal, with shrieking vocals and some atmospheric textures filling out space in a few spots, this LP takes a sharp turn into death metal territory, with a much larger emphasis on riffs than the previous outing. “Ravenous Feast” is the best illustration of this shift, and its my favorite on the record. Fans of riffs rejoice.

https://fiadh.bandcamp.com/album/irrevocably-drubbed

Hefnfelth – One Small Quest

Released on June 20th, 2025

When I purchased Irrevocably Drubbed on cassette, Fiadh Productions included a number of Bandcamp codes for other releases from the label. They also did this when I purchased the self-titled Lust Hag release. What a nice gesture! One of the inclusions was One Small Quest. I’ve never listened to dungeon synth, lo-fi, or really any ambient music with any intentionality, so I’m going to be honest, I have no idea how to write about this. As a parent, the premise of the record is adorable, as it is meant to serve as a score for a story about a wizard atop a mountain told by the artist’s young son. One day I’ll expand my vocabulary related to the genre, but in the meantime, I will simply say that I greatly enjoy One Small Quest.

https://fiadh.bandcamp.com/album/one-small-quest

I will no longer be including a Spotify playlist.