Bandcamp is an online music platform used largely by independent artists and record labels to stream songs and sell merchandise. For listeners, one of the coolest things about it is its robust discovery component, which allows you to browse the site by genre (punk, folk, jazz, classical and so on, plus endless sub-genres), format (digital, vinyl, etc.) and location (featuring big cities and small towns around the world), as well as best-selling releases and new arrivals.
This week, I chose to write about three albums I found by searching the best-selling releases in the “devotional” genre. None are truly devotional — these aren’t hymns or religious works, they’re just cheekily categorized — but they are great.
Shout out to the great state of Ohio! Jayson Gerycz is the excellent drummer for Cleveland-based punk band Cloud Nothings, while Jen Powers and Matthew Rolin of Columbus are, together, the Powers/Rolin Duo, wherein they make shimmering, transportive instrumental music using the hammered dulcimer (Powers) and the 12-string guitar (Rolin). On “Beacon,” the three team up to make music for levitating. The user reviews on Bandcamp say it best: “Gorgeous acoustic psychedelic improv drone” ... “A secret door into a world of (its) own” … “The musical equivalent of those ThunderShirts they put on dogs to calm them during storms.”
The second album from Massachusetts band The Hotelier might be tagged “devotional” on Bandcamp because of the fervent adoration the group inspires in its fans. Or perhaps it’s because singer-songwriter Christian Holden’s gut-wrenching lyrics about death, destruction, transformation and redemption feel so intensely personal and cathartic. Either way, it’s a better tag than “emo revival,” which is what many people have called The Hotelier, much to the band’s dismay. It suffices to say that if you like your rock ‘n’ roll built on jangling electric guitars, memorable melodies, occasional howls and deeply felt feelings, “Home, Like Noplace Is There” may be for you.
Ben Salmon is a Bend-based music journalist and host of Left Of The Dial, which airs 8-10 p.m. Thursdays on KPOV, 88.9 FM and streams at kpov.org. You can find him on Bandcamp and Twitter at @bcsalmon.
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