Cor de Lux, Wish Queen
Cor De Lux Cor de Lux grew out of the music scene of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The band found each other during a chance conversation about the love of music between Tim Lusk and Dawn Moraga while Moraga waited for a phone repair in Lusk’s shop. This was the catalyst for the band’s formation, with John Bliven quickly added on bass and Jacob Richardson stepping in for founding member and drummer Dana Quinn in early 2022. Their music (a mixture of post-punk, goth-tinged pop and shoegaze) has earned the tongue-in-cheek nickname ‘Shoe-Gazi’ by friends. The past year has seen Cor De Lux steadily tour the eastern US coast, fitting DIY and club shows in-between opening slots for Archers of Loaf, LA Witch, Pile, Teenage Fanclub, COLA (Ex-Ought), The Bobby Lees, Hammered Hulls (Dischord), Wishy, Ducks Ltd, Sweeping Promises, and Pylon Reenactment Society. They are ready to keep the momentum with shows for 2025! The single “Long Face People” will be accompanied by custom retroview finders with reels from the music video, longsleeve with graphic custom YONIL shirts, matches from the video, and custom hand made-by-band zines. Instagram Wish Queen Website | Instagram | YouTube | Spotify
Nicotine Dolls
Nicotine Dolls make the kind of music you can’t hide from. The storytelling is front-and-center, beckoning your attention like a dusty old novel you can’t put down until the last page. The vocals are gritty and honest, holding nothing back in fits of joy, regret, and sadness similar to a phone call from one of your best friends at 3am. The instrumentation is equally punchy and nuanced, grafting rafter-reaching hooks on top of rich soundscapes. The moment the New York alternative quartet—Sam Cieri [vocals], John Hays [guitar], John Merritt [bass], and Abel Tabares [drums]—plug in, it’s as if a rush of collective emotion floods through the speakers. Nicotine Dolls officially emerged in 2019 at the crossroads between its members’ respective paths. As the story goes, Sam met John Hays in 2015 during a Broadway tour. “I ended up there because I was getting evicted from my apartment, and my friend told me to try musical theater since you get a consistent paycheck,” he recalls. They instantly became best friends. By this time, Sam’s journey had already twisted and turned from “leaving high school to be a musician, living in motels, playing Las Vegas, going to South Florida, and amassing all of these crazy ass stories.” Nevertheless, his newfound musical bond with Hays eventually attracted Merritt and Abel to the fold. The guys gained traction with the likes of “What Makes You Sad” which has received more than 13 million Spotify streams. The band’s cover of Tina Turner’s iconic “The Best” has surpassed 12 million streams. Collectively, music released to date, is nearing 50 million streams on Spotify alone. Impressively, they attracted north of 1.7 million followers on TikTok, and nearly 900k on Instagram as well. Nicotine Dolls have released a series of self-penned and produced singles and EPs, including the 2024 live EP Nicotine Dolls on Audiotree Live. After signing with Nettwerk Music Group, the band have been hailed by SPIN for their “vulnerability and determination,” calling Cieri a “charismatic, gravelly-throated powerhouse with the rasp of Bruce Springsteen and the emotion of Lewis Capaldi.” Nicotine Dolls debut full length album (set for early 2025) is already gaining serious attention. “This album has been my own internal attempt to be OK with wanting to love, and be loved in return,” he explains. “I wanted to be dumb and nervous and brave and scared and everything that you drown in when someone looks at you in that way that derails the whole plan you had for your life. I live alone with my dog and I’m not saying I don’t adore that life, because I do (my dog is my sweet big boy Indiana). But I miss laughing with someone in the kitchen or falling asleep watching trashy TV. I pride myself on my independence, but I think I made this record as a way to admit to myself that having someone there…would be nice.” Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | TikTok
A Benefit for James Reardon
-Colorado, November 27, 2024 – Over Labor Day weekend, James Reardon’s life was forever changed by a devastating hit-and-run accident. While walking back to a parking lot with his longtime girlfriend and brother, James was struck by a driver speeding at 65 mph in a 35 mph zone. The tragic accident claimed the life of his girlfriend, leaving James with life-altering injuries.James, a devoted father to 13-year-old Peter, sustained severe injuries, including broken legs, shoulder, and pelvis, as well as a traumatic brain injury. Since the accident, he has undergone multiple surgeries and remains in a Colorado rehabilitation center, focusing on intense physical and speech therapy to regain his strength and independence. “The hardest part of my recovery isn’t the pain; it’s being away from my son,” James shared. “Peter is my greatest motivator. Before the accident, I loved being an active dad—traveling with him, cheering him on in his activities, and even tackling homework together. Being apart has been incredibly hard for both of us.” Despite his determination to heal, James faces overwhelming challenges. His insurance is forcing an early discharge, though he cannot yet walk or care for himself independently. Without coverage, James must pay for his care, mounting medical bills, and necessary home modifications out of pocket. Compounding these costs is the $32,000 needed for an air ambulance to bring him back home to North Carolina. James is calling on the community for help. Donations will ensure he continues to receive critical care, remains insured, and can return home to his son. “This journey has been the hardest fight of my life, but I’m determined to recover and be the father Peter deserves,” James said. “Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference.” Gofundme for James Reardon
Knock on Wood – A Stax Records Tribute
Proceeds will go to help benefit the victims of Hurricane Helene With Special Guests John Howie Jr., Armand Lenchek, Thee Tim Smith, Lance White, Joe Bell, Willie Painter, Whiskey Honeys, Rob Sharer, Kimmie Wilson, Glenn Jones, Emma Davis, David Burney, Rebecca Newton, Nancy Middleton, Carter Minor, Michelle Belanger, Todd Jones, Alison Jones, Becky Lenchek, Julia Vo, Doug Guild, Teeyum Smith, David Shore, Mike Rosado, Larry Duckworth, Rob Mcintire, Kris Whitenack, Greg Bell, Tim Shearer, Alan Wilson, Luis Rodriguez, Jeremy Boomhower, Arch Altman, Tom Anderson, Danny Gotham, Crystal Bright
The Merch Christmas Party
RIBS, Patois Counselors, Mean Habit
The recipe for a RIBS song is simple: start with a rhythm section that couldn’t count its way out of a wet paper bag, then slather on some futuristic George Jetson joint from a guitar player who seems to have forgotten he’s playing guitar, then finish it with heavy hectoring from a minister of information who woke up on the wrong side of the bus station. Incoming debut LP this spring. You may recognize them from such bands as 300 Dog Night, Audubon Park, Autospkr, Birds Of Avalon, Blues Creature, Calc, Canned Snakes, Dim Delights, Drag Sounds, Dreamless, Enemy Waves, Headkicker, Heads On Sticks, Mutual Hate Society, The Nein, Olympus Mons, Reese McHenry, S.E. Ward, Strange, TZYVYX, Verity Den, and The White Octave. Bandcamp | Instagram
Ben Gerber and Friends
Hi. I’m Ben and I’m a stand up comedian, filmmaker and former cyber bully who lives in Chicago. Not going to write anything else because that’s what the rest of this website is for. Please contact me directly for projects, comments, questions and concerns. Also, let’s talk bitcoin and NFT’s at a loud bar surrounded by dudes in button downs. Website | Instagram
The Tallest Man On Earth
Kristian Matsson has never remained in one place for very long. Having spent much of the last decade touring around the world as The Tallest Man on Earth, Matsson has captivated audiences using, as The New York Times describes, “every inch of his long guitar cord to roam the stage: darting around, crouching, stretching, hip-twitching, perching briefly and jittering away…Mr. Matsson is a guitar-slinger rooted in folk, and his songs are troubadour ballads at heart.” Then came 2020, when Matsson left New York City and returned to his farm in Sweden. There, during that quiet, dreary time of isolation, he drowned out his thoughts by manically growing vegetables in his garden. When he tried writing again, during those many months of collective forced solitude, “I just found myself commenting on the darkness,” Matsson says. “I lost my imagination.” Playing live, music and inspiration returned near the end of 2021, and his produce became less of a priority. “When I’m in motion, I can focus on my instinct, have my daydreams again. When I was finally able to tour again, I started writing like a madman.” He eventually had twenty songs he wanted to record in ten days. Now, Matsson returns as The Tallest Man on Earth with Henry St., his sixth studio album following 2012’s There’s No Leaving Now, full of “vivid imagery, clever turns-of-phrase, and devastating, world-weary observations” (Under The Radar) and 2015’s Dark Bird Is A Home, his “most personal record… surreal and dreamlike” (Pitchfork). Henry St. notably marks the first time he recorded an album in a band setting. “My entire career I’ve been a DIY person––mostly fueled by the feeling that I didn’t know what I was doing, so I’d just do everything myself.” But now, longing for the energy that’s only released when creating together with others, Matsson invited his friends to come and play. Nick Sanborn (of Sylvan Esso) produced Henry St., which includes contributions from Ryan Gustafson (of The Dead Tongues) on guitar, lap steel and ukulele, TJ Maiani on drums, CJ Camerieri (of Bon Iver) on trumpet and French horn, Phil Cook on piano and organ, Rob Moose (of Bon Iver, yMusic) on strings and Adam Schatz on saxophone. “They opened everything up, and understood what the songs that I’d written needed: sounds that I couldn’t ever have thought of or created myself. We recorded so many of the songs live in the studio, playing, having fun and being really open with each other.” An overarching theme of Henry St., he says, is “how to be a person in this world.” The title track is about the deception that, “as individuals, we’re told that we should strive for success. But when we have it, it doesn’t solve anything. The song is about stepping away and thinking: why am I actually doing this?” While writing the song back in Sweden, he knew it would be the centerpiece of the album. “It’s the low point and the turnaround: the other songs are a reminder that I will always be a stubborn optimist, even at the darkest of times.” He was about to record the track as a solo piece, until Phil Cook came in on his first day in the studio. Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube
Fo Daniels and Virginia Man
Fo Daniels combines the raw intensity of a rock and roll band with a singer-songwriter’s attention to lyrical and emotional detail. With a general disregard for trends and genre restriction, Daniels and his band blaze their own trail, quickly growing their diverse catalog of records- which contains a wide variety of influences but is united by the common themes of originality, heart, and rebel spirit. Their tenacious touring schedule has left audiences deeply inspired up and down the East Coast, spreading the word about a sound which can be best described as “pretty and gritty”. “Rugged yet seamless musicality rooted in authenticity”- EARMILK “A quietly assured sense of control, deft but yet also dynamic in a very subtle way” – NOTION “An urgent display that tapped into the helter-skelter spirit of rock ‘n’ roll” – CLASH Fo is a childhood nickname for Forrest. Website | Instagram | Facebook Virginia Man is an emotional folk-and-roll band comprised of Kristian Lietzan (singer/songwriter), Stephen Amoruso (bass/vocals), and Jamaal Farrow (drummer). With poetic lyrics bellowing over the sounds of middle Appalachia, these gentlemen champion the sound of Virginia: a strange suspension between the cardinal directions, musical genres, and the changing of seasons. With lots of new music arriving in 2023, the boys have been out on the road! The live show has become a favorite amongst members and audiences alike, like a sonic rollercoaster, akin to the plot of a great American classic, with gripping performances and storytelling, and celebratory beverages to follow. Website | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | Soundcloud
For The Record, Ran Albright, Bella Peadon
Ran AlbrightRan Albright is a captivating Americana artist with a distinctive Southern sound that resonates deeply with audiences. His performances are an exhilarating blend of heartfelt originals and compelling storytelling, drawing inspiration from the likes of Tyler Childers and Jason Isbell. With unmatched talent and charisma, Ran effortlessly pulls in engaged crowds, delivering an entertaining experience that leaves listeners wanting more. Bella PeadonBased in Wilmington, NC, Bella Peadon, singer songwriter whose music is melodic and lyrically driven, began her music journey in 2024 after releasing her debut single, ‘Red Wine’. Pulling inspiration from artists including Maggie Rogers, Gracie Abrams, and Kacey Musgraves, her acoustically centered songwriting includes hints of indie, pop, and americana styles. For The RecordFor The Record is a Chapel Hill-based band combining influences from bluegrass, rock, and country to create a dynamic and distinctive sound. Inspired by artists like The Beatles and John Mayer, they weave a modern musical narrative rooted in timeless traditions, with ambitions to craft original music and grow within North Carolina’s music scene.
