“What am I to build, if my hands are broken, if I’m not the chosen one?” sings Steven McKellar of Civil Twilight on “Story of An Immigrant”, over a lush, dynamic beat that evokes the sounds of his native South Africa while steeped in the band’s everevolving present. The foursome (Steven, his brother and guitarist Andrew, drummer Richard Wouters and Kevin Dailey on keys and guitar) are living proof of what happens when you stop worrying about being the chosen one and make music built on both the roots that grew you and the love that keeps you thriving every day. Civil Twilight’s songs embrace every corner of human emotion, balancing delicate, poetic lyrics with sweeping arrangements that touch all the senses: a phrase to make you think; a rolling drumbeat you can feel in your bones; a guitar vamp as illustrative as a picture; a shimmer of keys whose light can nearly be seen and heard. Produced by Ben H. Allen (Gnarls Barkley, Bombay Bicycle Club, Cut Copy), their third record on Wind-Up is built on this vibrancy, on the permanent dust of a Cape Town youth; on the connection that unites them all as brothers beyond blood and on their new home in America where they pull from the innate, thriving musicianship of Nashville, where they live. When you listen to Civil Twilight, from their self-titled debut, to 2012’s widely lauded Holy Weather to now, it’s easy to understand why the band has topped five million YouTube views and reached historic success with film and television syncs – because it’s music you can’t shake, that translates experience into moments and creates melodies that become imbedded deep under the skin. We’re all immigrants, in some way, and Civil Twilight’s singing our national anthem.

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I've been a musician and a songwriter for quite some time. Things are getting a little more serious, stick with me.

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Fat Wreck Chords is an indie label co-founded in San Francisco by NOFX frontman Fat Mike (Michael Burkett) and Erin Kelly-Burkett, in 1990. The first wave of bands signed to FAT (No Use For A Name, NOFX, Propagandhi, Lagwagon, and more) shaped what became known as the Fat Wreck sound. FAT continues to be an artist-friendly label and has a unique business model of signing bands to one record deals. Going on its third decade, FAT boastfully remains a 100% independently owned and operated company.

The Pen Pals are a hip-hop group from Tuscaloosa, AL comprised of two emcee-poets. With a borderline religious view of hip-hop, they aim to maintain a certain quality with their soulful approach to writing rhymes. The two emcees spent nearly two years getting familiar with each other’s styles in freestyle sessions before taking on the title “Pen Pals”. Fathom and sLanguage came together and blended many different inspirations. They started writing as a group in the summer of 2012 and quickly formed a distinct writing style that they like to call “punch-line poetry”, in which they take concepts of substantial and/or poetic nature, and deliver them in a way that will immediately be attention grabbing. This writing led to the release of their first project, a 5 song self titled EP, in November of 2012. Each track offered something different yet true to hip-hop, and that attracted a wide variety of listeners both locally and online. Soon after the EP’s release, the two started performing together, winning crowds over with an infectious energy and stage presence. Through this the Pen Pals have helped shape and revitalize true hip-hop music in the 205 area.

How Dangerous

Dick and Dom explore the surprising science that can be found around us. With the help of some young volunteers, they meet scientists who show them a selection of hands-on experiments - which you can try out for yourself at home - revealing new facts about everything from remote controls to bicycle brakes.

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