We’re back with our fifth Bandcamp Friday playlist! A lot has changed since our last installment in May 2021. For instance, we opened back up for live concerts on Tuesday, August 3rd, and we’ve had 19 shows since then.

A major reason Bandcamp Friday was created was to help musicians increase their income that was lost from cancelling tours and not being able to launch future tours reliably. In spring 2020, when Bandcamp Friday began, there was a lot of uncertainty of when live shows would be able to return. Some people thought late 2020, and so shows were scheduled. Then those shows were rescheduled for early 2021, and then those shows were re-rescheduled for late-2021. Thankfully, many of those late-2021 shows have happened: you may have attended them! Attending a multi-sensory event such as a music concert is a beautiful part of the human experience. In hard times, the need for these cathartic moments is higher than ever. While many are going to concerts again, including here at The Cedar, the numbers still are not the same. They are also not predictable. Touring musicians are still in need of stable income, just like Bandcamp stated when creating Bandcamp Friday. Purchasing digital music files, vinyls, CD’s, posters, and other kinds of merchandise is a great way to tangibly support these artists.

We are still in very unpredictable times when it comes to the world of live music performance. What we do know is that people are still listening to music outside of concert halls. Let’s be sure we compensate the musicians who make this possible for us.

Check out our playlist of song selections for December 2021 below, and remember that if you purchase them on Bandcamp today, the artists will receive approximately 93% of the revenue. To date, Bandcamp Friday’s have generated $61 million dollars directly to the people making it! Even if you come across this on Saturday December 4, we still encourage you to buy music there and through other methods that get money directly to the artists. On any day besides Bandcamp Friday, approximately 82% of the revenue reaches the artists which is still wonderful!

There are a variety of genres and sounds for you to choose from! Read a bit about each song and find the direct Bandcamp links hyperlinked below:

Minneapolis indie rock band creeping charlie explores what seems to be an internal imbalance in the aptly named song “asymmetrical.” Stripped down with guitar and soft vocals, the 2020 song is cradling and sweet. Join creeping charlie for their album release on December 22, 2021, along with Ivers, Nucleus Accumbens, Truman Beck, and an act that is TBA.

Sometimes you want to put a mix on so there is no needed alteration to your queue. In those moments, we suggest “SHADES OF FLU 2: In These Odd Times” by modern jazz artist Kassa Overall. Featuring 14 tracks, the mix inspired by Madlib’s 2003 “Shades of Blue” is one of Kassa Overall’s COVID-19 creations - it was released in April 2020. Kassa Overall is bringing his brilliant sound to The Cedar on May 6, 2022.

Receiving very high praise, Brooklyn artist L’Rain’s sophomore album Fatigue (2021) has been on many a Best Of 2021 list - deservingly so. While we are just suggesting one song, “Find It,” it is really best experienced with the songs preceding and following it. L’Rains soft and tranquil voice sounds a lot like the waterfall on the albums cover. Similarly, the songs in the album flow into each other effortlessly. It’s a very unified project.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, multi-instrumentalist Lutalo joined Adrianne Lenker on tour this fall and was set to open for her at The Cedar for the November 21, 2021 show. Due to COVID-19 they were sadly unable to perform. Their July 2021 release “Bad Man” is a sunshine-y summer song with a fantastic bridge. With daylight ending around 4 pm, we can use more brightness.

Scottish trio TALISK’s “Aura” feels like a perfect end-of-year song because of its hope and optimism: feelings that are not always conveyed easily. This song feels comforting and reassuring. We are excited to welcome TALISK back to The Cedar on February 15, 2022.

Northern Mali Tuareg rock group Tinariwen is a crowd favorite at The Cedar and we were so sad that their October 15, 2021 show was cancelled. Since their last stop here in 2018 they released Amadjar (2019) which includes “Zawal” ft. Warren Ellis, Noura Mint Seymali, Jeiche Ould Chighaly. According to Pan African Music, the song is about witnessing the first solar eclipse*.One of the most compelling parts of the song is the last 40 seconds. Muffled vocals and a soft beat, it’s incredibly smooth and makes us want that snippet expanded.

*(Note: Interestingly enough there is a solar eclipse tomorrow, December 4!)

Zoë Keating is a phenomenal “one-woman cello orchestra,” as indicated on her Bandcamp page. Known for her beautiful composition and performance, the Canadian born artist highlights the beauty of the cello. “Possible (live at King’s Place)” transports the listener to the hall it was recorded in. Hear Zoë Keating live in The Cedar hall on January 11, 2022.

If you do buy some of these songs, please let us know via email, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook! Happy listening!