APP AID Fundraiser for Community Foundation of Western NC

APP AID Fundraiser for Community Foundation of Western NC Viv & Riley Tatiana Hargreaves Alice Gerrard Lou Hazel Garret Clemens Ranford Almond

Kill Dyll

Kill Dyll stands out as a trap metal artist who defies genre boundaries, seamlessly blending elements of hip hop, rock, and various subgenres. His distinct sound is marked by self-produced beats, self-directed music videos, and a unique touch in the form of handmade clothing, notably his character face masks. Hailing from Denver, CO, Dyll’s early exposure to his father’s diverse music taste sparked his fascination with a wide range of genres, influencing his own musical experimentation and collaborations. Diving into the realm of Trap Metal, a genre characterized by the fusion of hard-hitting trap drums, powerful bass, lo-fi production, and metal-inspired vocal expressions, Kill Dyll attributes his artistic evolution to his upbringing in the digital age. From his roots as a drummer to crafting his own beats, rapping over them, and shaping a persona he defines as “an artistic interpretation of ego in America,” Kill Dyll has undergone a significant transformation. Inspired by a diverse range of artists such as XXXTentacion, Kanye West, NWA, Bad Brains, Scarlxrd, and City Morgue, Kill Dyll has amassed a substantial audience, with millions streaming his music. His reinvention serves as a testament to the possibilities that arise when one embraces self-belief and dedication. Continuously challenging himself, Kill Dyll is pushing the boundaries of his music, proving that anything is achievable in his ongoing artistic journey. Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | YouTube | Soundcloud

Peter Hook & The Light

Dua Saleh

The music of LA-based Sudanese-American artist Dua Saleh (they/them) explores the inner self and the world at large. With their long-awaited full-length debut, a collection of R&B-infused electronic indie-pop songs titled I SHOULD CALL THEM, they portray the spiritual power, resilience, and joy of love. Equal parts imaginative and lived-through, it’s a statement record only Saleh could make. Across three EPs since 2019, heralded by The New York Times (“commanding”), NPR (“visionary”), and Pitchfork (“ambitious and riveting”) — alongside their breakout role in the Netflix series Sex Education — Saleh has deftly fused and inverted genre conventions with a socially conscious style driven by melody, grit, and bravado. Saleh’s foundation as first a skilled poet and their close ties to the indigenous roots have enriched their music with incredible depth. In 2023, they signed with Ghostly International with the punk-leaning standalone single “daylight falls” and took the cover of GAY TIMES as their Rising Star in Music honour recipient. Now squarely at the helm of their first LP — guests include Ambré, Gallant, serpentwithfeet, and Sid Sriram — Saleh shapes their most vulnerable work to date, an apocalyptic narrative informed by environmental anxieties and their experiences as a lover, holding personal truth and hope amidst chaos. Sonically, the album ushers in a new era for the artist whose boundless sound continues to expand. “It’s important for me to heal by being fully myself,” says Saleh, referring to the outsized role identity and gender expression play in their process. “I am being honest with myself with this record, this is my story.” They see queer love as an act of defiance, be it figuratively, in the album’s storyline, which follows two lovers at the end-of-times, or literally, in the many oppressed cultures around the world. They reference inspirations in popular culture with trans and queer representation such as Japanese manga and various memes like the one the album’s title winks at. They credit Minnesota, where Saleh came of age, for its inclusivity and catalyzing encouragement, and pay homage to the Midwest with the pulsing opening track “chi girl,” which details the playful pursuit of a crush in Chicago. Saleh finds a kindred spirit in serpentwithfeet, who duets with them on the striking, string-backed “unruly.” “Something about his voice is so captivating,” says Saleh. “I think our connection musically is queerness, being able to have that against-all-odds connection with somebody where we may have had to resist our identity initially when we were younger. There’s a power that queerness holds for both of us.” The song pairs otherworldly atmospherics with a tangible bounce. serpentwithfeet rings questions into the night (“how’d I get so unruly”) as Saleh trails with hushed hooks and sly verses. Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Soundcloud | TikTok

G. Love & Special Sauce

“I’ve been in the game a long time, but I’ve always considered myself a student,” says G. Love. “Finishing this album with Keb Mo’ felt like graduation.” Recorded in Nashville with a slew of special guests including Robert Randolph, Marcus King, and Roosevelt Collier, ‘The Juice’ is indeed diploma-worthy. Co-produced and co-written with GRAMMY-winning icon Keb Mo,’ it’s an electrifying collection, one that tips its cap to more than a century of blues greats even as it offers its own distinctly modern pop spin on the genre, mixing programmed beats and hip-hop grooves with blistering guitar and sacred steel. G. Love’s lyrics are both personal and political here, artfully balancing his appreciation for the simple joys in life with his obligation to speak out for justice and equality, and his performances are suitably riotous and rousing to match, with infectious call-and-response hooks and funky sing-along choruses at every turn. Easy as it is to succumb to cynicism these days, the songs on ‘The Juice’ refuse, insisting instead on hope and determination in the face of doubt and despair. “I’ve always tried to make music that’s a force for positivity,” G. Love explains. “It was important to me that this album be something that could empower the folks who are out there fighting the good fight every day. I wanted to make a rallying cry for empathy and unity.” Born Garrett Dutton in Philadelphia, PA, G. Love grew up equally enthralled with folk, blues, and rap, devouring everything from Lead Belly and Run D.M.C. to John Hammond and the Beastie Boys. After migrating to Boston, he and his band, Special Sauce, broke out in 1994 with their Gold-selling self-titled debut, which earned widespread critical acclaim for its bold vision and adventurous production. Over the next twenty-five years, G. Love would go on to release seven more similarly lauded studio studios albums with Special Sauce (plus four solo albums on his own), solidifying his place in music history as a genre-bending pioneer with a sound The New York Times described as “a new and urgent hybrid” and NPR called a “musical melting pot.” G. Love’s magnetic stage presence, meanwhile, made him a fixture on festival lineups from Bonnaroo to Lollapalooza, and his relentless appetite for tour and collaboration landed him on the road and in the studio with artists as diverse as Lucinda Williams, Dave Matthews, The Avett Brothers, Jack Johnson, and DJ Logic. While G. Love has covered considerable sonic ground during his prolific career, he’s always found himself drawn back to the blues, and to one bluesman in particular. “Keb Mo’ and I got signed to the same label at the same time back when I first started out, and we toured together early on in my career,” G. Love remembers. “He used to introduce me onstage as ‘a true American original,’ and I could tell that he got a kick out of what I did. We didn’t see each other for a while after that, but a few years ago we reconnected and did a co-headline tour, which was really special for me.” Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Soundcloud | YouTube

Ray Bull

Ray Bull is an indie pop duo based out of Brooklyn. Songwriters Aaron Graham and Tucker Elkins met as art students in NYC. Their art school origins can be felt throughout their varied discography and their viral content. Website | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

Philstock ’24

Proceeds will benefit the North Carolina ALS Association

Into The Fog

Into The Fog is a psychedelic jamgrass band from Raleigh, North Carolina that combines timeless songwriting with progressive instrumentation and tight harmonies. The group consists of Winston Mitchell (mandolin), Derek Lane (upright bass), and Connor Kozlosky (guitar), with everyone contributing on vocals. The band’s members have varied musical backgrounds that range from bluegrass to funk, which helps create Into The Fog’s genre-jumping sound. The band has released three studio albums and two live records. Their latest, Carolina Moon released in August of 2024, expands upon their latest sounds incorporating collaborative songwriting, improvised jams, and a focus on harmony. Live shows are a keystone of the Into The Fog experience, as the band expands songs to highlight their instrumental prowess and push the boundaries of the newgrass sound. . Into The Fog has shared the stage with the likes of Sam Bush, Keller & The Keels, Town Mountain, Daniel Donato, Arkansauce, Shadowgrass, Big Richard, and The Grass Is Dead. No strangers to the festival scene, Into The Fog has played FloydFest, Rooster Walk, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Charleston Bluegrass Festival, Earl Scruggs Music Festival, The Big What? and more. Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok

Lutalo

Lutalo’s highly visceral folk goes electric on The Academy, the Vermont multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer’s debut LP. Recorded in January 2024 at the storied Sonic Ranch and co-produced alongside Jake Aron (Snail Mail, Protomartyr, L’Rain), The Academy feels like watching the best underground film you’ve seen in years; establishing Lutalo as a singular voice of this generation of indie rock. Lutalo describes The Academy as their “first chapter” – a time capsule of the lessons they’ve learned in their 20-something years of life. “This record is exactly that: a ‘record’ of my early life,” they say of their debut album, out via Winspear. “The experiences, thoughts and feelings I was holding at those times and am currently processing. To me, this is the first big stamp of my existence I’m sharing.” While Lutalo’s 2022 EP Once Now, Then Again introduced them as a lo-fi acoustic guitar wunderkind, The Academy is bigger and bolder without compromising Lutalo’s inviting sense of emotional intimacy, inspired by alt-rock veterans like Thom Yorke and Rob Crow as well as electronic greats like Aphex Twin and Bowery Electric. The Academy’s grander arrangements are heard in the biting adrenaline rush of “Ocean Swallows Him Whole,” or the anti-war jangle of album closer “The Bed.” Their lyrics are often deeply intuitive, flowing as a stream of consciousness, albeit with weighty meanings. With their unique baritone and finesse for lyrical world building, Lutalo cuts to the bone–while only just beginning to reveal the depth of their artistry and vision. Instagram | Twitter | Spotify | YouTube

Arts Fishing Club

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Genre: Concerts