Hiss Golden Messenger on "The Best Southern Albums of 2014"

"Durham, N.C., has always turned out great bands, but we think Hiss Golden Messenger tops the list right now. "

— "The Best Southern Albums of 2014," Bitter Southerner

Duke Cancer Center Artist Featured in Wall Street Journal

"Mr. von Roenn['s] glass projects tower over and droop down skyscrapers. They frame pedestrian bridges to basketball stadiums. A circular glass piece, embedded into the floor of a cancer treatment center in Durham, N.C., was commissioned to “create a soothing element that relieved stress and encouraged reflection,” according to his studio’s website."

—"A New World for Stained Glass," Timothy W. Martin, The Wall Street Journal

Sylvan Esso is one of "10 Breakout artists of 2014"

"On Sylvan Esso's self-titled debut, the duo occasionally flirts with bass drops and low-end rattling, but it keeps most of its compositions sparse, buoyant and airborne; few songs released this year encourage dance-like-no-one's-watching movements quite like the sing-songy single "Coffee.""

—"Public Radio's 10 Breakout Artists Of 2014," Andrea Swensson, NPR Music

David Dye's Top 10 Albums of 2014 Includes Hiss Golden Messenger

"Hiss Golden Messenger's first album for Merge shambled its way into my heart. There is still anguish in MC Taylor's voice on this his fourth album as Hiss Golden Messenger, but there is also light in these songs, even if it may be the artificial light of a Saturday night honky-tonk...The songs combine gospel's swampy guitar with direct writing. A natural beauty."

—"David Dye's Top 10 Albums of 2014," David Dye, NPR

Bon Appetit Chooses Rose's Meat Market and Big Spoon Roasters as best things of 2014

"2014 was a good year for eating and drinking. But this year, it was the simple things that really stood out for me... hot pastrami sandwiches with zippy kimchi slaw at Rose’s Meat Market and Sweet Shop in Durham...Spoon Roasters‘ Almond Brazil Butter with wildflower honey and sea salt."

— "46 Things Andrew Knowlton Liked in 2014 (and 7 He Didn't)," Andrew Knowlton, Bon Appetit

Epicurious Recommends Gifting Durham's Big Spoon Roasters Nut Butters

"For the literal health nuts, new nut butters flavors from Big Spoon Roasters are sure to spice up their breakfast toast, smoothies, and baked goods. Big Spoon makes their nut butters from scratch in North Carolina using tip-top nuts and wildflower honeys. We're especially fond of Chai Spice, Almond Ginger, and Espresso Nut. For the purists, though, their original peanut butter cannot be beat."

"The 2015 Epicurious Edible Gift Guide For Your Food-Loving Friends And Family," Gabriella Vigoreaux, Epicurious

Paste Recognizes Design of Fullsteam Beer Cans

Fullsteam Brewery's El Toro, Fullsteam and Rocket Science beers were featured in a Paste Magazine slideshow of "40 of the Best Beer Can Designs."

Vogue Calls Counter Culture Coffee a "Gobsmacking Gorgeous Gift"

"Looks like a literary classic and goes down just as well."

— "31 Gobsmacking Gorgeous Gifts," Vogue

City Pulse writes guide to Durham

"Today, the downtown is a prime example of revitalization with many of the old tobacco districts becoming mixed-use buildings and entertainment venues.  Since 2008, the city has seen a huge boom in high end, “foodie” type restaurants with award winning chefs owning and operating everything from food trucks to $95 set price tasting meals."

—"City Pulse: The Only Guide To Durham, North Carolina You Need," Tom Bastek, Travel Pulse

Durham Bands are on NPR's "Favorite Songs of 2014"

Durham-based Sylvan Esso, and Hiss Golden Messenger were recognized on NPR Music's "Favorite Songs of 2014." for "Coffee" and  "Saturday's Song" respectively.

Durham recognized on Travel + Leisure's "Best Places to Travel in 2015."

"Southern-inspired tapas at Mateo and locavore dishes like Sunburst trout with butternut squash at months-old Black House at Straw Valley are among the standouts making Durham one of the South’s hottest food destinations."

—"Best Places to Travel in 2015," Melanie Lieberman, Travel + Leisure

Hip Green Scene Profiles Durham

"Imagine the Triangle cities as sisters. In this case, Durham is the laid back one you’d think was just as good looking as her sister Raleigh, but a little more relaxing to be around. Great food trucks, interesting galleries, cute little eateries–Durham has it in spades. It may be a little trickier to navigate, but once you get the lay of the land, you’ll want to stick around for a beer or two and strike up a conversation."

— "Durham," Hip Green Scene

NPR Profiles Women Butchers in Durham

"In a chilly walk-in storage cooler in Durham, Curtis watches as fresh beef is tagged for distribution. Then she reaches down and picks up a thick chunk of dark red meat: "Oh my gosh, have you had this before? It's Osso Buco, or beef shank," she tells me."

—"Female Butchers Are Slicing Through The Meat World's Glass Ceiling," Leoneda Inge, The Salt, National Public Radio

Durham-based Hiss Golden Messenger Writes Third Top Song of 2014

Durham-based Hiss Golden Messenger has been recognized by American Songwriter magazine as having the third best song on "American Songwriter’s Top 50 Songs Of 2014"

West Elm Learns from Durham Store

"In the college town of Durham, N.C., demographic data suggested that West Elm should expect a younger shopper seeking a contemporary look. A few months in, the store wasn’t living up to its potential...Online sales revealed a preference for traditional, not modern, pieces—a reflection of the state’s role as the birthplace of American furniture. The local team revisited the store’s offerings and sales rebounded."

—"At West Elm there's no place like home," Beth Kowitt, Fortune

Charlotte Observer Recommends Museum of Life + Science

"The Museum of Life + Science, in Durham, is a day-long, indoor-outdoor adventure where inquisitive visitors of all ages can expect to do a lot of walking."

—"Explore the world, inside and outside, in Durham," Gary McCullough, Charlotte Observer

Huffington Post Profiles Piedmont

"You could easily drive right past Piedmont restaurant in Durham, N.C., but if you did, you would never experience the gastronomic adventure inside the unassuming building on Foster Street... Piedmont is tucked into the brick shell of a former Nash Motors dealership in a section of Durham that has undergone extraordinary revitalization."

— "Piedmont Brings Inspired Food to Durham," Carolyn Bass, Huffington Post

Scratch Recognized by USA Today on "Delicious Pies Around the South"

"Typical of Scratch's intensive approach is its standout shaker lemon pie. Flaky and double-crusted, the pie features a marmalade-like filling made from whole sliced lemons that have been macerated for days. Seasonal fillings include persimmons and muscadine; popular varieties run the gamut from vanilla sugar (an old-fashioned "pantry pie" with no eggs) to sinful buttermilk sweet potato."

- "Delicious Pies Around the South," Eric Grossman, USA Today