Tommy Prine
Website · Instagram · YouTube · Facebook · TikTok
Andrew Marlin & Josh Oliver
Soda Water Sea
Soda Water Sea is a musical collective from Durham, NC. A rock band, a chorus, a mini-orchestra, 20ish people of all ages making beautiful music together. Bandcamp · Instagram
Future Islands
Future Islands are an emotionally charged synth pop group, known for their dexterous melodic touch, stately momentum and impassioned delivery. Over the past twenty years they have travelled a rare arc, from promising newcomers to best-kept secret, from cult favourites to heroes of the genre. As they reach this remarkable milestone, they resist the obvious move. Instead of a ‘best-of’ compilation victory lap, Future Islands present From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth—an immediate and accessible collection, half of which has never appeared on streaming services, comprising alternate hits, rarities, and fan favourites that showcase the band’s palette and bring further colour to their uniquely universal appeal. Future Islands have chosen this moment to shine a light on the less obvious, giving everyone the chance to glimpse at how they’ve grown as a band. This is not mere fan service however, nor a nostalgic exercise in self-congratulation. I’ve worked with the band since their first album, and this release feels more like a resetting of the narrative, or rather a reaffirmation of who they truly are. Future Islands have always been more than a viral moment; their career contains extraordinary depth and nuance, often overshadowed by louder peaks. Here, that breadth is finally acknowledged. These songs reveal a band comfortable with subtlety, grace, and emotional endurance—and they have never sounded more eternal. As the title suggests, this double-LP traces the group’s journey from humble origins toward ever-widening horizons. Twenty songs for twenty years, four members of the band, four sides of vinyl. There’s a well-known Tennessee Williams quote that talks of this kind of duration—“time is the longest distance between two places.” It is time that really separates the floor from the fountain. Future Islands have developed from a pulse-quickening prospect into something more majestic and sustaining. What remains constant though is that romantic core, keeping perfect time with a melancholic pendulum, documenting those moments that vanish with fleeting beauty. Thinking back to those early days spent with Future Islands on that first tour of the UK in 2009, my memories surface in vivid flashes—a frozen February visit to Stonehenge, wrapped in long scarves as we stalked tree-crowned barrows. “Take all the time it takes, make all the time it takes,” sings Samuel T. Herring on phenomenal woozy serenade “Sail,” urging further recollection. I remember a battered copy of the Collected Roethke hanging out of a torn duffle coat pocket, sleepwalking through strange rooms, and driving the van into a snowstorm after the Bristol show; we were all sublimated into a full-beam screensaver of shooting stars. There was vocalist Herring’s instant rapport with a venue lackey in Nottingham, sparked purely by the coincidence of matching hats, a small moment of unlikely shared humanity, emblematic of the band’s warmth and decency. That same charisma animates their performances even now, remaining crystalline, vivid, and alive. The songs on this anthology unfold like pages torn from a diary by a sudden gale. From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth takes its title from the opening line of “Pinnochio,” a smouldering anthem built on a persistent bass motif and soaring keyboard line, rising toward an air-punching climax. Website · Facebook · Spotify · Instagram · YouTube
Future Islands
Future Islands are an emotionally charged synth pop group, known for their dexterous melodic touch, stately momentum and impassioned delivery. Over the past twenty years they have travelled a rare arc, from promising newcomers to best-kept secret, from cult favourites to heroes of the genre. As they reach this remarkable milestone, they resist the obvious move. Instead of a ‘best-of’ compilation victory lap, Future Islands present From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth—an immediate and accessible collection, half of which has never appeared on streaming services, comprising alternate hits, rarities, and fan favourites that showcase the band’s palette and bring further colour to their uniquely universal appeal. Future Islands have chosen this moment to shine a light on the less obvious, giving everyone the chance to glimpse at how they’ve grown as a band. This is not mere fan service however, nor a nostalgic exercise in self-congratulation. I’ve worked with the band since their first album, and this release feels more like a resetting of the narrative, or rather a reaffirmation of who they truly are. Future Islands have always been more than a viral moment; their career contains extraordinary depth and nuance, often overshadowed by louder peaks. Here, that breadth is finally acknowledged. These songs reveal a band comfortable with subtlety, grace, and emotional endurance—and they have never sounded more eternal. As the title suggests, this double-LP traces the group’s journey from humble origins toward ever-widening horizons. Twenty songs for twenty years, four members of the band, four sides of vinyl. There’s a well-known Tennessee Williams quote that talks of this kind of duration—“time is the longest distance between two places.” It is time that really separates the floor from the fountain. Future Islands have developed from a pulse-quickening prospect into something more majestic and sustaining. What remains constant though is that romantic core, keeping perfect time with a melancholic pendulum, documenting those moments that vanish with fleeting beauty. Thinking back to those early days spent with Future Islands on that first tour of the UK in 2009, my memories surface in vivid flashes—a frozen February visit to Stonehenge, wrapped in long scarves as we stalked tree-crowned barrows. “Take all the time it takes, make all the time it takes,” sings Samuel T. Herring on phenomenal woozy serenade “Sail,” urging further recollection. I remember a battered copy of the Collected Roethke hanging out of a torn duffle coat pocket, sleepwalking through strange rooms, and driving the van into a snowstorm after the Bristol show; we were all sublimated into a full-beam screensaver of shooting stars. There was vocalist Herring’s instant rapport with a venue lackey in Nottingham, sparked purely by the coincidence of matching hats, a small moment of unlikely shared humanity, emblematic of the band’s warmth and decency. That same charisma animates their performances even now, remaining crystalline, vivid, and alive. The songs on this anthology unfold like pages torn from a diary by a sudden gale. From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth takes its title from the opening line of “Pinnochio,” a smouldering anthem built on a persistent bass motif and soaring keyboard line, rising toward an air-punching climax. Website · Facebook · Spotify · Instagram · YouTube
Future Islands
Future Islands are an emotionally charged synth pop group, known for their dexterous melodic touch, stately momentum and impassioned delivery. Over the past twenty years they have travelled a rare arc, from promising newcomers to best-kept secret, from cult favourites to heroes of the genre. As they reach this remarkable milestone, they resist the obvious move. Instead of a ‘best-of’ compilation victory lap, Future Islands present From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth—an immediate and accessible collection, half of which has never appeared on streaming services, comprising alternate hits, rarities, and fan favourites that showcase the band’s palette and bring further colour to their uniquely universal appeal. Future Islands have chosen this moment to shine a light on the less obvious, giving everyone the chance to glimpse at how they’ve grown as a band. This is not mere fan service however, nor a nostalgic exercise in self-congratulation. I’ve worked with the band since their first album, and this release feels more like a resetting of the narrative, or rather a reaffirmation of who they truly are. Future Islands have always been more than a viral moment; their career contains extraordinary depth and nuance, often overshadowed by louder peaks. Here, that breadth is finally acknowledged. These songs reveal a band comfortable with subtlety, grace, and emotional endurance—and they have never sounded more eternal. As the title suggests, this double-LP traces the group’s journey from humble origins toward ever-widening horizons. Twenty songs for twenty years, four members of the band, four sides of vinyl. There’s a well-known Tennessee Williams quote that talks of this kind of duration—“time is the longest distance between two places.” It is time that really separates the floor from the fountain. Future Islands have developed from a pulse-quickening prospect into something more majestic and sustaining. What remains constant though is that romantic core, keeping perfect time with a melancholic pendulum, documenting those moments that vanish with fleeting beauty. Thinking back to those early days spent with Future Islands on that first tour of the UK in 2009, my memories surface in vivid flashes—a frozen February visit to Stonehenge, wrapped in long scarves as we stalked tree-crowned barrows. “Take all the time it takes, make all the time it takes,” sings Samuel T. Herring on phenomenal woozy serenade “Sail,” urging further recollection. I remember a battered copy of the Collected Roethke hanging out of a torn duffle coat pocket, sleepwalking through strange rooms, and driving the van into a snowstorm after the Bristol show; we were all sublimated into a full-beam screensaver of shooting stars. There was vocalist Herring’s instant rapport with a venue lackey in Nottingham, sparked purely by the coincidence of matching hats, a small moment of unlikely shared humanity, emblematic of the band’s warmth and decency. That same charisma animates their performances even now, remaining crystalline, vivid, and alive. The songs on this anthology unfold like pages torn from a diary by a sudden gale. From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth takes its title from the opening line of “Pinnochio,” a smouldering anthem built on a persistent bass motif and soaring keyboard line, rising toward an air-punching climax. Website · Facebook · Spotify · Instagram · YouTube
Alcantara, Persimmon, Snide
Formed in 2022 by transplants from the vibrant scenes of Brooklyn, Oakland, New Haven, Raleigh, and Salt Lake City, Alcantara is a riveting ensemble showcasing the talents of Brooke Suffridge, Justin Blau, Eric Bliss, Myles Peterson, and Adrian Drummond-Cole. These seasoned musicians converged in the Triangle and found a whole more than equal to the sum of its parts. Pulling in equal measures from indie, post-rock, punk, and post-hardcore, Alcantara specializes in off-kilter grooves and earworm melodies. Songs flow from wistful to wrathful, reflective to rebellious, always bursting with energy. Their live performances around the state have earned them a growing following as well as a spot on Raleigh’s Boared to Death Records. Alcantara recorded with Kei Mizobuchi and Chris Wimberly at Carrboro’s Night Sound Studios and mastered by Mike Westbrook. These first five songs capture a band brimming with potential, confident in their collaboration and hungry to create. The Bee EP released digitally on 02/21/2025. A recent interview with the band on The Daily Tarheel can be found here. Instagram · Bandcamp · Linktree SNiDE Is a four piece American rock and roll band from chapel hill, NC. Featuring Two suave guitarists in love, a hunky rhythm section with a brotherly bond. Topped by a big gay sparkling frontman whom will not be ignored. Slamming untamed self expression into mountains of reverb. Crafting concerningly personal songs With themes inspired by the sanctuaries and alleys of the queer human experience. Known widely for providing excellent value in dollar to entertainment ratio. Their music lies somewhere between Motörhead and The Beach Boys. with a snarky attitude backed up with pure bop ass melodies. Delivered in a hardcore punk package. Linktree Persimmon Linktree
Subhumans
Subhumans are one of the most influential bands from the UK Anarcho-Punk scene of the 80’s, filed right alongside Crass and Conflict, and just as relevant today as they were during the darkest days of Thatcher’s Britain. Take your choice in how to label them – Punk, UK82, Crusty, etc, – there lies the attraction and consequent reason for their popularity, the band epitomizes non-conformity and connects with people in many different scenes. Forming in 1980, recording and releasing a series of live and demo cassette tapes on their own Bluurg label, they continued to release music throughout the 80’s – building a powerhouse of a back catalog that completely stands the test of time. Their debut LP ‘The Day the Country Died’ (1983), with its Orwellian influence, is considered by many to be a classic and has sold in excess of 100,000 copies. The second album, ‘From the Cradle to the Grave’, came swiftly the following year (1984), and although the same frenetic pace is in evidence, this marks a significant musical development for the band. In 1985 Subhumans broke up, citing the usual musical differences, although had managed to release a third, maybe ironically entitled, LP ‘Worlds Apart.’ A final EP was released posthumously in 1986, ‘29:29 Split Vision,’ a further demonstration of how far the band had come musically from their initial leanings. Dick Lucas subsequently joined Culture Shock and then formed political ska-punk band Citizen Fish in 1990, both bands releasing many albums, and still playing today. Subhumans had a couple of reunion shows in the nineties, before a more permanent return for the 21st century, including 2 major tours of the US, the first resulting in the ‘Live in a Dive’ LP. The Subhumans then released a further studio album in 2007, ‘Internal Riot,’ again on Bluurg Records. The band is still passionate and angry, illustrated by Dick saying “Being in a band is the source of most of my passion and drive! The live experience of sharing it with people keeps it ongoing, the release of anger, frustration and initially negative/destructive states of mind is a release from the downward spiral of keeping it all bottled up and it feels positive/constructive as a result.” The band have recently written ten new songs, which Pirates Press Records are thrilled to be releasing, and are embarking on a year of touring in both Europe and North America! First a split with The Restarts before a 12” of their own comes out in October of 2019! The social and political commentary of bands like Subhumans forged a path, along with their contemporaries, for punk to change lives and opinions around the world. Sadly the things they sang about forty years ago are largely just as important now, sometimes more so in an age of Trump and Brexit. We can’t wait to hear more of what they have to say about the current political climate, the immense imbalance of wealth and power, and the causes they hold near and dear to their hearts. Facebook · Instagram · Spotify
Music for Mental Health
NC Musicians Mental Health Alliance Caleb Caudle On his latest release, Sweet Critters, Caleb Caudle continues to mine both the brightest and murkiest corners of his imagination, finding that purest of points where tenderness and grit collide, inspired by musical heroes like Buddy Miller and Guy Clark, and mentors like Elizabeth Cook and John Paul White. It was White who Caudle tapped to produce Sweet Critters, along with Ben Tanner, at the duo’s Florence, Alabama studio Sun Drop Sound. “I was very excited to work with Caleb on this record. Iʼve been a fan for years and count him as a friend,” White says of working with Caudle. “Heʼs a stellar songwriter, so I knew heʼd bring the goods. And he did.” The album features Allison Russell, Aoife O’Donovan, John Paul White and Caleb’s own touring band. He has played Stagecoach, Cayamo, Luck Reunion, Mountain Stage, Merlefest, Americanafest and recently supported Marty Stuart, Steve Earle, Hayes Carll, Elizabeth Cook, Brent Cobb, Charles Wesley Godwin and Ray Wylie Hubbard among many others. ———————————— Laurelyn DossettSinger/songwriter Laurelyn Dossett lives and writes in Stokes County, NC. Her songs have appeared in films and television (Hell on Wheels, Ain’t In it for My Health) and have been recorded by many artists including Grammy-winning Levon Helm (Anna Lee) and Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops (Leaving Eden). She has written the songs for seven plays, staged at Triad Stage and Playmaker’s Repertory. Her song cycle, The Gathering: A Winter’s Tale in Six Songs was commissioned by the North Carolina Symphony and premiered in Raleigh in 2011. She last performed it in 2019 with the Winston-Salem Symphony. Laurelyn has written songs for various protest movements in North Carolina including My Beloved Enemy and Vote Against Amendment One. She remains a voice for social justice and environmental activism in North Carolina and beyond. The River’s Lament is her testament to the devastation of the Dan River coal ash spill. She founded and continues to host the annual “Songs of Hope and Justice” at the North Carolina Folk Festival. ———————————– The Vagabond Saints’ Society has waited patiently for many years for the right time to pay tribute to one of their favorite cult albums – The Waterboys’ 1988 classic, “Fisherman’s Blues.” The VSS will perform this timeless record classic in its entirety, featuring Doug Davis on lead vocals, as well as a selection of other Waterboys favorites featuring a selection of Triad & Triangle singers! “Fisherman’s Blues” was the fruit of an intense reevaluation of the Waterboys’ previous anthemic post-punk, filtered through a new fascination with traditional Irish forms and instrumentation. The result is neither rock ’n roll nor authentic “trad” music, but something all its own, rooted in the deeply passionate and romantic writing of bandleader, Mike Scott.
Squirrel Nut Zippers
When Hot first hit the airwaves in 1996, it didn’t just ignite excitement — it sparked a cultural bonfire. With its infectious blend of swing, jazz, Delta blues, and Southern storytelling, Hot rocketed Squirrel Nut Zippers from the underground scene of Chapel Hill, NC, to the national stage, going Platinum and defining a generation’s rediscovery of vintage Americana. The band’s breakout sophomore album captured lightning in a bottle. Recorded at the famed Kingsway Studio in New Orleans (owned by Daneil Lanois), the record radiated with authenticity. Featuring a warm, analog sound, paired with wry, vivid storytelling, the album topped the Billboard 200 charts for an impressive 51 weeks and included such standout tracks as “Put a Lid On It,” “Blue Angel,” and its biggest hit to-date “Hell.” “Hell,” which at the time, was considered an unlikely radio single, topped the Alternative Airplay charts at #13 and has become a pivotal piece of pop culture as it continues to heat up the radio and TV airwaves, appearing on alt rock and Americana stations and in such prominent television shows as Wednesday (2025) and Lucifer (2021).Now, 30 years later, the Zippers are celebrating the ever-lasting magic of Hot with the “In The Afterlife” tour, where the band will play the record in its entirety. The 30th celebration of Hot is not just a look back — it’s a salute to resilience, innovation, and the enduring power of a band that never stopped evolving.Formed in 1993 by Jimbo Mathus, Katharine Whalen, and a tight-knit group of musical misfits, Squirrel Nut Zippers defied genre from the start. Their sound — an intoxicating mix of prohibition-era jazz, big band bravado, and punk-rock irreverence — invited listeners into a world where vaudeville met voodoo and speakeasy swagger met Southern soul. Led by Mathus, and managed by original drummer Chris Phillips, the modern-day Zippers continue to honor that legacy while breathing new life into their beloved catalog. As the Squirrel Nut Zippers bring Hot back to the stage, fans old and new are rediscovering what made the album — and the band — so unforgettable. Music that swings, sings, and sizzles with soul. Website · Instagram · Facebook · YouTube
