Julien Baker, Sharon Van Etten, and The National are among the artists contributing to a covers compilation to help music website Stereogum stay alive. The album, titled Save Stereogum: An ‘00s Covers Comp, serves as a fundraiser for the long-running music publication, which recently became fully independent after founder Scott Lapatine reacquired the site from its former parent company, Valence. The album is available to purchase exclusively through Stereogum’s Indiegogo campaign and will be available to download in September. The download will come in the form of a .zip file and will include MP3s, artwork, and liner notes. More perks are offered for the higher tiers, including a Stereogum T-shirt and Zoom Party.
The beloved website, which was founded in 2002, was an early champion of countless indie acts including Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire, and Billie Eilish. But ever since the pandemic hit, revenue from advertising has fallen dramatically, and with that income basically out the window, Lapatine reached out to artists to help support the site’s independent journalism. More than 40 artists ended up recording covers for the benefit album, whose theme is 00’s hits, though only the names of the artists have been revealed, with more to be announced in the future.
“Our small team has always thought of itself as a DIY operation, which was difficult to reconcile while part of a corporate conglomerate,” Lapatine wrote in a blog post. “We’re grateful to finally be in charge of our own destiny. We set out with a solid plan to diversify Stereogum’s business, which currently derives all of its revenue from advertising at a time when 70% of all digital ad spending goes to Google, Facebook, and Amazon. We knew building a sustainable operation would not be easy. But since March, like so many other publications big and small, we have seen our advertising revenue plummet more than 50% because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerts and festivals, historically our biggest advertisers, have disappeared entirely.”
He added: “We risk shutting down before we even got a chance to get going as an independent entity. We have a plan to modernize and just need to survive this tough time in order to execute it.”
“And so: smart and attractive and generous readers, we are now asking for your help.”
Below, check out the full list of artists contributing Save Stereogum: An ‘00s Covers Comp, as well as a trailer for the album. Help support Stereogum’s crowdfunding campagin here.
- Anna Calvi
- Bedouine
- Bethany Cosentino (Best Coast)
- Bill MacKay
- Car Seat Headrest
- Charly Bliss
- Chris Farren
- Clipping.
- Colleen Green feat. Diarrhea Planet’s Emmett Miller
- Death Cab For Cutie
- Dirty Projectors
- El-P
- Frankie Cosmos
- Half Waif
- Hamilton Leithauser
- Hand Habits
- Illuminati Hotties
- Jeff Rosenstock
- Julien Baker
- Kero Kero Bonito
- Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers
- Laura Stevenson
- Mac DeMarco
- Nothing
- PUP
- Pure Bathing Culture
- Ratboys
- Rostam
- Ryley Walker
- SAD13
- Shamir
- Sharon Van Etten
- Soccer Mommy
- Strand Of Oaks
- The National
- The New Pornographers
- Thou
- TOPS
- Ty Segall
- Waxahatchee
- Wet
- White Reaper
- Wild Pink
- Wye Oak
…and more to be revealed soon!
