That headline is a mouthful, isn’t it? It’s been difficult processing all of my feelings about everything that has happened this year… From Australian burning to the destruction of Nashville to COVID-19, this year has been a rough one, but it’s been particularly bad for the music business. Yet, in the last few weeks, coming off the heels of the tragic deaths of Breonna Taylor and Charles Floyd, there has been an outpouring if activity coming from musicians, all donating to worthy causes that will fight the infrastructure that has led to so many innocent people of color dying at the hands of the people they pay to serve and protect them.
All I am asking of you is to do something you probably want to do anyways: buy merch from your favorite artists. Many of these artists are leveraging that June 5th is “Bandcamp Day,” where Bandcamp waives their fees, so artists get everything. Here are just a handful of campaigns happening now from some Spinning Platters favorites:
Sleater-Kinney have repressed a few more copies of their incredibly rare Animal 7″, are donating those proceeds to Black Lives Matter, as well as a cute t-shirt they have dubbed the “Pink Triangles” shirt. This fundraiser is running til June 12th.
Hinds are selling a previously “tour only” t-shirt, with proceeds going to BTFA Collective, ACER, AMAC, and SOSracismomadrid.
Our good friends, Bam! Bam! are donating sales all Bandcamp sales from their excellent 2019 record Nails towards Gianna Floyd, Charles Floyd’s daughter’s college fund.
Ty Segall has released a collaborative single with Wand’s Cory Hanson called “She’s A Beam,” with all proceeds going towards Black Lives Matter LA.
Shannon Lay & Steve Gunn’s cover of “Clay Pigeons” is available as a “pay what you want” download. All proceeds will go to the Black Visions Collective in Minnesota in support of racial equity.
Bully are donating everything they sell on Bandcamp today to Gideon’s Army.
And, of course, simply by supporting Black Artists, you are giving back to some of the communities most deeply affected by both police violence AND COVID-19. Here’s a handy, crowd-sourced resource for Black artists on Bandcamp. Reminding me, personally, that I still need to pick up a copy of LEGACY!LEGACY! by the great Jamila Woods.
If you either aren’t looking to buy music right now, or just want to give money outright, here are a few more places you can give to:
COVID-19 Protest Relief Fund: Folks are risking their lives to fight for their freedom. COVID-19 is only getting worse in this country, too, so you know people will be catching it at these protests. Let’s do all we can for these brave souls.
World Central Kitchen: This is another double COVID / Support Minority Communities one: They are purchasing meals from restaurants owned by people of color to feed hungry families, many of whom lost work because of COVID-19.
