Today, June 5, Bandcamp is once again waiving their cut of sales to support artists impacted by Covid-19. Buying music and merch on Bandcamp today is an easy way to support musicians by directly giving them your dollars. Today, and every day, it is important to support the artists whose voices often aren’t heard in our music communities — Black, Brown, and Indigenous voices.
Bandcamp released a list of artists and labels with special offerings today, many of whom are donating all or a portion of their proceeds to organizations that promote racial justice and change. On Juneteenth (June 19), Bandcamp will also be donating 100% of their share of sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
There are many other lists of artists to check out today — Angry Grrrl Music of the Indie Rock Persuasion has an awesome guide on their website of over 100 Black artists to support — but we’ve put together a list of just a few of the many amazing artists of color from the Twin Cities music scene who you should know about.
Gully Boys
The scruffy rock trio Gully Boys write songs so catchy that most of them have been stuck in my head from the release of their debut album Not So Brave to their sophomore EP Phony to now. The band have released a new limited edition t-shirt, featuring the band’s signature three cherubs design and the words “Demolish White Supremacy.” All proceeds from the shirt will go to West Broadway Business and Area Coalition, who is partnering with Northside Funders Group to support North Minneapolis businesses that have been impacted by Covid-19 and the recent uprising.
EVV
Eve Spears released her first single as EVV, “I’m Not Your Woman,” in December 2019 and I’ve been eagerly awaiting her debut album ever since. The powerhouse singer also plays guitar in the band Allergen, and has been on the frontlines of the uprisings in Minneapolis working as a mobile medic.
K.Raydio
K.Raydio’s “Sync” series, a set of five EP’s released throughout 2019, showcases the singer, songwriter, and producer’s endless drive for creating. It seems like K.Raydio hardly sits still, and her vast musical catalogue includes tight beats, soul-inspired vocals and carefully chosen lyrics.
Dua Saleh
Dua Saleh is an activist, poet, and musician based in St. Paul who made waves across the music scene with their debut EP Nūr in 2019. On May 30, Dua released the song “body cast,” which addresses police brutality and injustice. All proceeds from the song will benefit Black Visions Collective.
Blue Venus
The St. Paul hardcore band Blue Venus released their first EP, Papercut, on May 24. The band’s songs usually clock in under 3 minutes long, but in that short time Blue Venus shred through fiery guitar riffs and urgent vocals that call out white privilege and police violence.
Taylor Seaberg
If you’re in the Twin Cities, you won’t want to miss a show from Taylor Seaberg and the Black Velvet Punks. Seaberg has been making music solo and with the Black Velvet Punks for years around Minneapolis, blending bluesy rock with jazz, hip-hop, and R&B.
DJ-U
This last one technically isn’t an artist, nor is it on Bandcamp, but DJ-U is an awesome organization that “expands the network of high-quality, diverse local DJs through workshops & 1:1 coaching.” DJ-U is a “workshop series and mentorship program, by and for Women and Non-Binary, Black/Indigenous/People of Color (BIPOC), that teaches participants the basics of vinyl & digital DJing.” The program is raising money though a GoFundMe to offer scholarships and fund their 2020 season.
Pass The Mic 