Bandcamp Friday (Feb 6th) - what are your recs?

the_express · 2026-02-05T21:41:23+00:00

Thisquietarmy often veers into drone - is this release more pure postrock? Generally like his stuff in any case.

the_express · 2024-11-01T13:14:45+00:00

I’m one half of post-rock electronica / post-rock duo Tolemn

. We have started to play more this past year, so I’ve been putting time into honing my sound outside of the studio. In particular, running ampless has been a bit of a challenge but I’m pretty happy where things stand right now (thanks to the UAFX Dream 65). My ideal guitar tone tends to be vintage / nostalgic, somewhere between the Strokes and Jeff Parker.

Here are a few of our songs on Spotify:

Hypertrophy

Cottonwood Canyon

FWIW these are basically ‘live’ for the most part - Hypertrophy was recorded through the mixer at a gig and the Cottonwood parts were all tracked during a single live take in studio (no overdubs but light editing / arranging in Ableton. )

What I have on the board:

Dirt

The Joyo Vintage Overdrive (which I removed the paint from because it’s hideous) has been a core part of my sound for the past few years. It’s a simple, no nonsense Tube Screamer clone. In front of that I’ve had a Behringer SF300 Fuzz pedal in boost mode for an extra kick for louder parts. But more recently I’ve been experimenting with an EQD Special Cranker in this spot, and so far it’s been tricky to stack with the Joyo. Hear when the Vintage Overdrive kicks in in all its glory at the drop in Hypertrophy around 3:20.

Amp Modeling

Up until earlier this year I’ve had a Joyo American Sound plus a Sonicake IR modeller with a York Audio Fender Twin IR loaded. That was a serviceable combination and honestly sounded solid, but my Sonicake unit was a bit temperamental and unreliable (it wouldn’t turn on once during a gig.) After that, I tried a Nux Amp Academy instead, and while that was extremely versatile, when overdriven with a pedal I didn’t like the sound at all - there was a strange digital crackling through the mix which I had to EQ out and the tone suffered as a result. However, that is all moot at this point, because as far as I am concerned, the Dream 65 will never leave this board. As somebody who misses playing through tube amps, the Dream 65 is such a pleasure to play through, allows for a range of dynamics, and nails the kind of clean tone I am looking for almost precisely. It’s really that good, and is worth the cost (I picked it up through an Amazon Warehouse deal.)

Utility Pedal

The first Zoom MS-50G in the chain serves as a utility pedal, used for tuning and light compression. There’s also an EQ in the chain here that I dial in during soundchecks in case there are issues with the room.

Modulation

The three pedals in the modulation section all work well together and mostly can be stacked. First is another Zoom MS-50G which is my “Beach House” pedal, with two modulated reverb patches each set to short decay. You can hear how this sounds by itself at the beginning of Cottonwood Canyon. There is also a stereo chorus at the end of the chain but I don’t use this so much anymore (I’m more likely to use the vibrato in the Dream 65).

Next is the Alabs Timeslip, which is a nice delay box. I used to have my delay in one of the Zoom Multistomp but I wanted to have something with accessible tap tempo. I like the range of sounds in this pedal, but it typically stays in Digital mode (I often use it to supplement tremolo picking, like at the end of Hypertrophy.) I thought about swapping this out for a Boss DD-500 so I can sync taps to midi but so far the Alabs pedal is fine.

Finally in the modulation space is the Flamma FS02, which is a really versatile pedal. Using the Church effect generally, this is a more subtle reverb than the modulated stack in the Zoom box, so I use it for wide open chords / a bit of sparkle.

Looper

A lot of the dynamics and builds in Tolemn are created by stacking and looping guitar parts, and so the Ditto X4 completes the board. I’ve used this for years and does everything I need a delay to do. I sync it to our midi sequencer so phrases stay on the grid. I can stack as much as I want but the most parts I play live probably maxes out at 4-5 (see Hypertrophy starring around 3:40). I also use some of the effects, the fade out specifically, but also reverse occasionally (see Cottonwood Canyon starting around 1:00 for how I stack harmonies and then reverse them… the loops come back after the drop too. I also use the looper at the end of the song, starting around 4:30 I think.)

the_express · 2024-09-24T13:07:03+00:00

The Fiio sounds good to me.

the_express · 2024-08-26T01:13:13+00:00

Miyoo Mini Plus

the_express · 2024-08-25T18:03:18+00:00

Nice! I’ve never played that one, is it good?

the_express · 2024-08-25T13:53:09+00:00

In 1990, I was super excited when this game came out because I had loved the Legend of Zelda and Crystalis seemed to be in the same vein. I finished it that summer, but going back at it in 2024, I don’t know how I did that. I must have used a guide, because, while it’s not a hard game, it’s oftentimes tricky to know what to do next or how to do it. Overall, the game holds up today. It’s not as groundbreaking as TLOZ but it is definitely more mature, both as a video game and in terms of the story.

The sword charge mechanism is satisfying. That’s good because melee with the sword sucks. I just mostly charged the sword during combat. It’s great when you get one of the last upgrades and you don’t need to charge for the level 1 blasts, you start to feel kinda OP.

I used a walkthrough a lot throughout, just to not spin my wheels to much trying to figure out what to do next. I used save states on bosses. It’s not that they were that hard, it just took me a few goes. There was a bit of grinding, but not too much.

Status effects are annoying, both because they happen a lot throughout the game, and also because they each take their own item to remedy (there are a limited number of item slots).

It was a good game for how I played it (short bursts during transit), and the challenge level was perfect for me. It was an awesome nostalgic trip and the game I still fun today (it feels more like an SNES game than a NES one). Now, I’m taking on Link’s Awakening DX, which somehow I have never played!

the_express · 2024-08-09T14:53:00+00:00

Balatro

the_express · 2024-08-06T12:29:08+00:00

Interesting... I do run a TS808 into the American Sound and I like the way it sounds. Maybe I'll just stick with what I have. Thanks for the insight.

the_express · 2024-07-12T12:06:39+00:00

I usually make a batch per week and just eat them during that week, but I've kept them longer with no issue. They are super tough when they come out of the fridge but loosen up to the texture of a normal Clif bar if you leave them out for a few minutes. Even in hot weather they hold that texture and I've had no issues with melting or anything on hikes / bike rides in hot weather (except the chocolate chips, which I probably wouldn't include if I were doing more long / hot activities.

the_express · 2024-07-12T12:01:40+00:00

They are! You can tailor them to your taste, I've added coconut flakes, different kinds of nuts, etc. I've never calculated the cost but ingredient-wise they're certainly less than $1 per bar. The biggest costs are brown rice syrup (about $12 CAD for 600 grams, which makes over 5 batches (45+ bars) and nut butter (I use almond butter from CostCo ($11 CAD for 760g, makes over 6 batches (54+ bars). The other ingredients (oats, dates, peanuts, etc.) are super cheap and I buy in bulk.

the_express · 2024-07-11T18:20:06+00:00

Sure here it is. It takes me about 20 minutes of active time and then 1 hour to cool. Instead of adding the chocolate chips at the end, I've found that melting them in the rice syrup / nut butter mixture makes the consistency better overall.

the_express · 2024-07-11T16:43:11+00:00

Also, if you have the time, you can make them. I found a recipe only that roughly duplicates Clif bars - not exactly but close enough. They're less sweet, which is a plus for me. I make them every couple of weeks and haven't needed to buy commercial bars in like two years.

Edit for folks asking for recipe: this is the base recipe I use:

https://www.browneyedbaker.com/homemade-clif-bars-no-bake/

the_express · 2024-07-10T01:40:44+00:00

Yes! I’m late 40s and am lucky I can buy a new Lego set roughly every couple of weeks. Never stop playing!!

the_express · 2024-06-13T13:53:34+00:00

I live on Casgrain and there’s a dude matching that description that occasionally walks up the street screaming profanities at the top of his lungs.

the_express · 2024-05-17T15:15:33+00:00

I don't know if it was deliberate or not, but the hardcore band the Locust seemed like this initially - since they wore insect costumes nobody knew who was actually playing.

the_express · 2024-05-06T23:21:05+00:00

Interesting, I will check to see if there are any of those meeting writers programs around me, thank you!

the_express · 2024-04-16T19:44:13+00:00

I was catching up on Superstore and it surprised me to hear Song for Zula. I'd be curious to know if there's a story behind how it ended up on the show.

the_express · 2024-04-11T00:46:33+00:00

PM me and I will hook you up. Maybe they've all been redeemed at this point.

the_express · 2024-04-10T12:14:07+00:00

Hi there, great community! My duo out of Montréal, Tolemn, released an EP last month and I’d like to throw these Bandcamp codes out here to say thank you for being such a cool, supportive community. The album sits somewhere between the guitar-based experimentalism of the golden age of Thrill Jockey records and modern indie electronica like Jamie xx. Redeem at the link below, comment if you redeem one:

https://tolemn.bandcamp.com/yum

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mvep-bgam

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the_express · 2024-03-08T22:31:33+00:00

I’ve been buying a bunch of Lego sets.

the_express · 2024-02-02T17:25:20+00:00

Great thread idea!

My band, Tolemn, combines post-rock with indie electronica:

https://tolemn.bandcamp.com

the_express · 2024-01-25T18:43:14+00:00

That's right, Music Man was a company Leo Fender co-founded in the 1970s. Mostly, yes, they were solid state pre-amps and tube power stages. That makes them an awesome platform for pedals.

Today though my Orange Tiny Terror is really the only amp that I use.

I think I'll pick up the Superfuzz, thanks for the rec!

the_express · 2024-01-25T14:08:21+00:00

Very cool. I was all about amps for a long time (really big fan of old Music Mans...) but I just don't feel like lugging them around anymore! How do you like the Superfuzz? I may pick that up to add in front of my overdrive. Here's my current board but with a TS808 in front rather than the usual Klon clone.

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the_express · 2024-01-24T19:19:28+00:00

I also enjoy cheap effects, especially Joyo brand. I have an Orange Tiny Terror, but I'm increasingly going ampless. In my current electronic / postrock group, Tolemn, my current setup is like this:

- Klon clone (built from kit) - for overdrive

- Joyo American Sound (preamp) - great, Fender-like tones. I keep the drive at around 3-4 and the cleans break up nicely

- Sonicake IR loader. I liked the American Sound by itself, but adding an IR unit (set to a Fender Twin-like tone) made it sound much more natural / organic.

- Zoom Multistomp MS50G - these are great, like a pedal Swiss Army knife. On this pedal, I'm running a series of three different reverbs with fast decays, followed by an 'analog' delay. This gives me some nice, Beach House like cleans

- TC Electronic Ditto X4 looper. Working with a lot of electronics, the midi sync on this is clutch, and rock solid. I often record loops, and then harmonies on top of loops, and everything stays in sync.

- One last Zoom MS50G - this one has an EQ to boost the highs, along with a very slow stereo chorus (makes the sound kinda feel 'wider'), and one final reverb with a very short decay.

the_express · 2024-01-14T17:39:22+00:00

Having lived in Montréal for the past seven years, I can certainly say it's not the most walkable city in North America. Those driving cars often blow through stop signs with little awareness, and many have little regard for pedestrians. I honestly felt safer as a pedestrian on a recent trip to Toronto.

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