No Snow Days in Hardcore: Inside YAMALOKA’s Blizzard-Born Studio Sessions
No Snow Days in Hardcore: Inside YAMALOKA’s Blizzard-Born Studio Sessions

“There are NO snow days in hardcore music.” – I wholeheartedly meant it when I typed it in the group chat on day three of tracking our debut EP, Sermons Of The Damned. At that point, it wasn’t just a statement—it was the reality we were living in. Snow was dumping outside, roads were getting worse by the hour, and somehow, that only made us push harder. I play guitar in YAMALOKA, a five-piece, no-frills hardcore

Sala, a cocktail bar – Brought to you by Moffett Restaurant Group
Sala, a cocktail bar – Brought to you by Moffett Restaurant Group

There was little fanfare in September when Charlotte chef and restaurateur Bruce Moffett quietly opened Sala, a European-style cocktail lounge next to his stalwart Italian restaurant, Stagioni. The opening was, however, an homage to Blanche Morgan Reynolds-Gourmajenko, the Charlotte socialite and legendary hostess who built the Tuscan-style villa in the 1920s at the spot where Stagioni and Sala now reside. Sala is the newest addition to Moffett Restaurant Group’s portfolio, which also includes Barrington’s, Good Food on Montford, and

Norlin Era Gibson – The 1986 Standard
Norlin Era Gibson – The 1986 Standard

I’ve ALWAYS wanted a Les Paul born the same year as me… along with LP’s from Bad Brains, Youth of Today, Agnostic Front, Sonic Youth, Cro Mags & Hüsker Dü. Norlin era Gibson was an awkward transitional period for the organization  – last year of Tim Shaw PAF’s. I gave this one a top wrap for a super slinky feel. and lets not forget to mention the Chainsaw case 😳 Banger Releases of 1986 Bad Brains – I

MariGold Started her life as a Mary Ford Signature
MariGold Started her life as a Mary Ford Signature

It’s DAMN hard to find a slim taper neck, ~9 lbs, Standard Gold Top… so I upfitted my own. Meet “MariGold.” 🤩 She started life as a Gibson Mary Ford Signature Standard and somehow became my No.1. Huge shout out to Worth at Mojotone for the insane-sounding 44 Magnum (21k passive) bridge pickup and vintage slim 500k CTS pots. Absolute fire. I also swapped out the floral guards and just added Kluson Locking Revolution Series

4×12 Power to a Custom MojoTone 2×12 Masterpiece
4×12 Power to a Custom MojoTone 2×12 Masterpiece

Finding the Perfect Balance: My Journey from 4×12 Power to a Custom MojoTone 2×12 Masterpiece For nearly a decade, I fought against the rise of digital modeling amplifiers. I was a purist — nothing, I told myself, would ever replace the roar and feel of a proper 4×12 cabinet pushing air behind me. My back, however, started disagreeing. After years of lugging heavy gear from gig to gig, I decided it was time to find

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Hello folks!! My name is Justin Driscoll – father, photographer and lover of all things music.

I am a gear nerd through and through. I enjoy collecting vinyl and tinkering with all sorts of guitar equipment.

This site is dedicated to what I’ve been up to. Cheers!

Norlin Era Gibson – The 1986 Standard

Justin Driscoll January 12, 2026

I’ve ALWAYS wanted a Les Paul born the same year as me… along with LP’s from Bad Brains, Youth of Today, Agnostic Front, Sonic Youth, Cro Mags & Hüsker Dü. Norlin era Gibson was an awkward transitional period

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