Three quick personal picks for you on this lovely Bandcamp Friday!

Some super quick Bandcamp Friday picks. I had something a little more robust planned, but time got away from me, so this month I'm just highlighting a few of my friends' albums I think you should snag because a) they are all very, very good and b) of course I want all my friends to make a little extra money sans Bandcamp fees today!

Triple Fast Action

Triple Fast Action

I am so used to typing the band name as Triplefastaction (or, briefly, I would follow the "tripl3fastaction" styling) I almost did the same here, which maybe tells you how long I've been a fan of what I consider one of the most underrated acts to come out of Chicago in many, many years. Last year's Cattlemen Don't reissue gave fans a peek to what might be in the band's vaults, and this triple-vinyl or double-CD release throws those doors wide open with a stunning number of tracks largely pulled from the period prior to their initial signing to Capitol records. Some of this has been heard before, but the vast majority will be new even to old, old fans. ESSENTIAL.

Ryan Allen

The Last Rock Band

Ryan has put out a truly stunning amount of music over the past few years, and the pandemic only saw him grow even more prolific as he released various albums under numerous monikers in sometimes wildly differing styles. The Last Rock Band is a 100% solo effort with Ryan handling all the instruments, and is ambitious in its argument for including it in the pantheon of "concept albums" that actually work! Bopping from power-pop to classic rock to synth-pop (with each genre or sonic tweak fitting into the narrative of the album) there is a little here for everyone. And together I think there's a lot there to love for everyone! ALSO ESSENTIAL.

The Brontosaur

Reaver

I got to know Tony when I used to book his old band Firetrucs at The Note, and while he took a loooooong break from releasing music, his return as The Brontosaur was well worth the wait. Plumbing some of the lower sonic depths and grafting them onto heavy hooks with a slightly psychedelic bent (in the sense of a swirling sonic journey, and not lysergic effects), I'm not sure what you would call this. Me? I call it rawk, or excellent, or something you'll listen to on repeat because it will infect your ears and fight to stay lodged there as long as possible. I also HIGHLY recommend picking up the double-vinyl version if you can swing it; it's a heavy slab of wonderful. Guess what? ALSO ALSO ESSENTIAL.