Willi Carlisle
Willi Carlisle is a poet and a folk singer for the people, but his extraordinary gift for turning a phrase isn’t about high falutin’ pontificatin’; it’s about looking out for one another and connecting through our shared human condition. Born and raised on the Midwestern plains, Carlisle is a product of the punk to folk music pipeline that’s long fueled frustrated young men looking to resist. After falling for the rich ballads and tunes of the Ozarks, where he now lives, he began examining the full spectrum of American musical history. This insatiable stylistic diversity is obvious in his wildly raucous live performances, where songs range from sardonic trucker-ballads like “Vanlife” to the heartbreaking queer waltz “Life on the Fence,” to an existential talkin’ blues about a panic attack in Walmart’s aisle five. With guitar, fiddle, button-box, banjo, harmonicas, rhythm-bones, and Willi’s booming baritone, this is bonafide populist folk music in the tradition of cowboys, frontier fiddlers, and tall-tale tellers. Carlisle recognizes that the only thing holding us back from greatness is each other. With a quick wit and big sing-alongs, these folksongs bring us a step closer to breaking down our divides. Website | Instagram | Threads | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
CY&I
CY&I Cogan Adam Xavier
Fust
Fust — the Durham, North Carolina-based band — announce their new album, Big Ugly, out March 7th via Dear Life Records. Big Ugly arrives after the release of 2024’s Songs of the Rail––“one of the best alt-country compilations…in a long, long time” (Paste) –– and 2023’s standout Genevieve, which unassumingly introduced new listeners to Fust’s unmistakable blend of “small-town poetry” (Mojo) with a familiar yet probing “country-tinged folk-rock” (KEXP) that made it “one of the most fun rock records of the year” (Pitchfork). Big Ugly finds Fust taking its “gutsy, blue-collar Americana” (New Commute) further than it has before. Songwriter Aaron Dowdy pushes his obsessions with country-storytelling to more mystifying places, telling stories of Southern life teeming with utopian possibility that arises uniquely from the contradictions for which the south is infamously known. In this way, it is a record that could easily be filed on the record shelf alongside lyric-forward indie or Southern rock, as well as on the bookshelf amongst the throngs of Southern literature hellbent on proving the elegance of grittiness. Big Ugly is also Fust––above all a group of close friends––uncovering a freedom within their sincere form of loose and fried guitar rock, emboldened to deliver both their most intimate songwriting and biggest sound to date. While perhaps “few voices can write a song quite like Aaron Dowdy” (Paste), it is clear upon listening that Big Ugly is an album of fully recognizable voices. One hears in the music the years of interplay between Avery Sullivan (Sluice) on Drums, Justin Morris (Sluice, Weirs) on guitar and vocals, Oliver Child-Lanning (Sluice, Weirs) on bass and vocals, Frank Meadows on piano, John Wallace (Colamo) on guitar and vocals, and Libby Rodenbough (Mipso) on fiddle and vocals. Big Ugly is also the second collaboration with the Asheville-based engineer Alex Farrar, recorded together throughout the summer of 2024 at Drop of Sun Studio. And with the help of many friends including Merce Lemon, Dave Hartley (The War on Drugs), and John James Tourville (The Deslondes), Big Ugly is exactly what one feels it to be: a huge group of people gathered together, stumbling upon songs amidst long days and even longer nights. Website | Bandcamp | Instagram
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
