Hi Everyone,

Ben Kweller has been a longtime friend of CIMS, ThinkIndie and indie retail in general, and it is with great sadness that we learned that he and his wife Liz lost their son Dorian last week.

News of the loss of someone so young with so much life ahead of them is always so hard, so I wanted to extend our condolences to Ben and his family while they are going through such a heartbreaking time. May they one day find peace with this devastating event in their lives.

I am also sharing their note remembering their son Dorian Zev Kweller.

Our son Dorian died in a freak car accident on Monday, February 27th, 2023. He was 16 years old. He was going the speed limit, phone in its holder, seatbelt on, doing everything right. He was freestyle rapping to his favorite instrumental playlist when an oncoming truck drifted towards him. Dorian swerved into the shoulder to avoid the oncoming truck. While in the shoulder, a downed broken tree branch from the recent freeze came through the window and hit him on the right side of his head. He died instantly. The airbags didn’t go off, the car wasn’t overly damaged. He would’ve walked away from this had it not been for that one branch. When Dorian was born, our main wish for him was to have a zest for life. That wish came true times a hundred. Our baby was riding high until his final minute on earth.

Lizzy and I are starting a foundation in his honor. It will serve young musicians and skateboarders (Dorian's two favorite things). We've set up a GoFundMe to get everything off the ground. Please consider donating something, even if it's $1. We are going to do great things for young people and I'd love to have you along for the ride. www.gofundme.com/doriankweller

Dorian Zev Kweller came into this world on May 30th, 2006. He took his first breath in a tiny NYC delivery room while the music of Mason Jennings played in the background. Dorian received his first drum set at the age of 2 and played a 4/4 rock beat before his father could show him how. He was a wordsmith from the time he could speak - rhyming and freestyling from his car seat to the backyard, to the bed.

In 2008 we relocated to Austin, TX where we spent countless days hiking the greenbelt and swimming in local swimming holes. When Dorian had his mind set on something he was unstoppable. His first mission was to learn how to skateboard. Music and skating ultimately became his two lifelong passions.

Dorian attended Habibi’s Hutch preschool and Zilker Elementary school where he made lifelong friends. During his time at Zilker, he received the “Friend To All'' and “Do It My Own Way” awards. While these accolades became loving jokes inside the household, they were spot on. He truly was a unique, outside of the box thinking ‘friend to all’. One of his strongest bonds was with his brother Judah, who was born in 2010. Dorian protected and adored Judah and they were deeply intertwined. Dorian was a spiritual person who perceived deeper meaning in life. He was authentic, kind and generous. He saw the good in everyone and was never embarrassed to be himself because he was confident in who he was.

In 2018 we moved to Dripping Springs where Dorian attended Skybridge Academy (now known as The Appamada School) then Dripping Springs High where he continued to expand his vast circle of friends. He was heavily involved in the local Dripping Springs Skate Club and the Austin skate scene at large. Dorian cherished every minute he had with his skate friends and knew every public and private skate spot in central Texas. Dorian was an integral member of the acclaimed DSHS music program where he played the bass drum and tenor/quad drums. His expressive drumming helped bring DSHS to the State Finals two years in a row.

His knack for wordplay came alive in high school as did his guitar playing and audio production skills. 2021 was the year that Dorian got serious about his life as an artist. He worked under his middle name, ZEV, which is Hebrew for “wolf”. Every day after school, he oscillated between hip-hop beats, acoustic ballads, indie-guitar rockers, and lofi chill-wave grooves. One of the last traits that Dorian developed, and perhaps the most stunning, was his lush singing voice. ZEV released music to the public for the first time on July 1st, 2022.

On February 25th, 2023, two days before Dorian’s passing, TikTok superstar, Masked Mortal discovered his song “SH3” and noted ZEV’s “voice that could cut butter.” ZEV was scheduled to make his live debut at SXSW on March 17th, 2023. He was looking forward to his senior year of High School and visiting potential colleges with his eye on Boston’s Berklee College of Music. Music was looking like a viable career path for him and at the same time Volatile Skateboards offered him a sponsorship deal just six hours before the car crash.

On Friday, March 3rd, 2023, we laid Dorian to rest on our family’s ranch. The outpouring of love from our Dripping Springs, Austin, and worldwide communities has been incredible. In his short life, Dorian radiated positivity and spread it to everyone he touched. He was brave, adventurous, and lived each day to the fullest. He was witty and loved making people laugh even when it was at his own expense. He loved deeply and was loved deeply. We know that his powerful light and music will continue to make this world a happier, more peaceful place.

xo Ben and Lizzy
P.S. Here's his rad music.

Here are the charts.

Andrea

Andrea Paschal
Executive Director
Coalition of Independent Music Stores
ThinkIndie Distribution
3738 4th Terrace North
Birmingham, AL 35222
Phone: 205.595.1932 x.208
Fax: 205.595.1938
Email : andrea@cimsmusic.com
cimsmusic.com
#cimsmusic