Kevin Wierzbicki, antiMusic.com Travel Editor, Senior Music Reviewer

A native of Flint, Michigan and longtime resident of Phoenix, Arizona, Kevin travels the world (and makes plenty of trips to his mailbox) in search of good music and exciting travel adventures and very often finds them both in one place. Below you'll find links to lots of his recently published pieces, including specialty columns On the Record (for vinyl fanatics), Passport (spotlight on international music), Root 66 (Americana and roots music) and Get the Blues (well, you know.) Kevin's Road Trip series, along with other travel pieces, finds him recounting his exploits in exotic places like Malaysia, Mexico, Greenland and French Polynesia but he also frequently reports from the U.S. where he's just as likely to pop up in Bloomington (that's Indiana) as he is in Nashville. Kevin's work has also been published in USA Today Mexican/Caribbean edition, The Arizona Republic, The Desert Leaf (Tucson), Campus Circle (Los Angeles), Broughton Quarterly, azcentral.com and many other publications.

Read more of Kevin's work on his Facebook Page

Kevin won a Bronze Award in the North American Travel Journalists Association 2011 Travel Writing Competition for his article Behind Closed Doors, about the Elvis Honeymoon Hideaway in Palm Springs, CA, published in Broughton Quarterly in summer 2011.

Kevin's articles here at antiMusic

On The Record: The dB's- Rick Monroe and the Hitmen- Atlas Maior- Stoned Jesus Our spotlight on new vinyl releases is very diverse this time out as we spin hot wax from Rick Monroe and the Hitmen, Atlas Maior, Stoned Jesus and we begin with a fabulous reissue from the dBs. Read the full The dB's- Rick Monroe and the Hitmen- Atlas Maior- Stoned Jesus review

What's Doing With Dave Koz? Christmas Carols and Cool Cruises! Its that time of year again! Sax man Dave Koz is about to don his Santa cap and head out on his annual Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour. Read the full What's Doing With Dave Koz? Christmas Carols and Cool Cruises! review

Hot In The City: Lou Malnati's Pizzeria Opens in Surprise, Arizona Theyve been enjoying Lou Malnatis deep dish pizza in Chicago for more than 50-years now and the just-opened Surprise location, the first in the far Western reaches of the Valley of the Sun Read the full Lou Malnati's Pizzeria Opens in Surprise, Arizona review

On The Record: Craft Recordings Announces Record Store Day Exclusives Vinyl fans can expect Record Store Day Black Friday offerings from Craft Recordings to be very desirable and collectible. Read the full Craft Recordings Announces Record Store Day Exclusives review

Live: T Bone Burnett Rocks Phoenix Fans of Americana and folk music got a rare treat on Saturday, November 9 as T Bone Burnett performed in the music theater at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix during his first tour in 18 years Read the full T Bone Burnett Rocks Phoenix review

Get To Know... Staytus Staytus is quickly becoming one of our favorite developing artists. In conjunction with the release of her new song 68 Kill we offer fans a chance here to get to know a little more about her as she answers a few questions for us. Read the full Staytus review

Holiday Gift Guide: Early Edition Regardless of when you do your holiday gift buying its never too early to get ideas and we have some very cool suggestions for you here in our first Holiday Gift Guide of the season. Read the full Early Edition review

Quick Flicks: Todd Rundgren and Billy Preston In this edition of Quick Flicks we screen a new live release from Todd Rundgren and a documentary about the career of Billy Preston. Read the full Todd Rundgren and Billy Preston review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Maverick & Co.'s Explorer Light Backpack Plus We have a new favorite backpack and wow is it a good one! Well try not to rave too much but it is worthy of all the high praise we give it! Read the full Maverick & Co.'s Explorer Light Backpack Plus review

America - Live from the Hollywood Bowl 1975 Heres a live recording from beloved pop band America that was committed to tape at the zenith of their career after they enjoyed a long line of hits, all of which are included Read the full America - Live from the Hollywood Bowl 1975 review

Live: Rick Wakeman Rocks Phoenix Its always a treat to see Rick Wakeman in concert, whether its with Yes, Yes spinoff groups ARW (Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman), Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman and Howe or in a solo performance Read the full Rick Wakeman Rocks Phoenix review

Rock Reads: Halloween Edition This spooky season cuddle up with a good boo, er, book; theres no better way to keep the ghosties and ghoulies at bay and have a great time doing so. Read the full Rock Reads: Halloween Edition review

Live: Maria Muldaur Brings Way Past Midnight Tour To Phoenix Maria Muldaur brought her Way Past Midnight tour to the music theater at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix Read the full Maria Muldaur Brings Way Past Midnight Tour To Phoenix review

Hot In The City: Halloween Fun in Phoenix Here are our suggestions for a couple of things to do during the spooky Halloween season in the Phoenix metropolitan area: Candytopia and Glowing Pumpkins. Read the full Halloween Fun in Phoenix review

Sites and Sounds: Unity, Peace & Freedom Music Festival The People for a New America organization has announced the inaugural Unity, Peace & Freedom Festival Read the full Unity, Peace & Freedom Music Festival review

Halloween Special: Put These Halloween Goodies in Your Trick-or-Treat Bag With all the costumes and candy and scary good fun, Halloween is one of the most enjoyable holidays. Here are some items that we think will make your spooky parties even more fun, and we begin with a monstrously good soundtrack Read the full Put These Halloween Goodies in Your Trick-or-Treat Bag review

Reggae Party: Bob Marley- Stephen Marley- Seagram's Escapes Jamaican Me Happiness Collection Our look at reggae-related fun begins with a taste of some new adult beverages from Seagrams before moving into a new album from Stephen Marley on vinyl and an awesome highly-illustrated book about Bob Marley and the Wailers Read the full Reggae Party: Bob Marley- Stephen Marley- Seagram's Escapes Jamaican Me Happiness Collection review

Hot In The City: Shows Coming to the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix The acoustics in the intimate music theater at The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix makes it a favorite venue for touring musicians and their fans and as always the theater has an eclectic bunch of shows coming up Read the full Shows Coming to the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix review

Root 66: Silver Bullet Bluegrass- 3 Pairs of Boots- more We listen to new roots music from 3 Pairs of Boots, Teni Rane, Mystic Twangers and an awesome various artists tribute to Bob Seger, Silver Bullet Bluegrass. Read the full Silver Bullet Bluegrass- 3 Pairs of Boots- more review

R.E.M. - We Are Hope Despite the Times The band feels that now is the perfect time to revisit these songs and really listen to the lyrics for inspiration. Read the full R.E.M. - We Are Hope Despite the Times review

RockPile: Spotlight on Cleopatra Records Weve sung the praises of Cleopatra Records and their spinoff label Purple Pyramid in this column a couple of times before and they just keep on releasing some of the tastiest music that comes across our desk Read the full Spotlight on Cleopatra Records review

Hippies & Cowboys - Fork in the Road Hippies & Cowboys is a Nashville-based five piece that has a soul-infused Southern rock sound and theyve really been ripping it up and building a fan base regionally with their live shows and occasional release of singles Read the full Hippies & Cowboys - Fork in the Road review

Cruise News: Joe Bonamassa Heads for Alaska For the first time ever one of Joe Bonamassas Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea cruises is headed to Alaska. Read the full Cruise News: Joe Bonamassa Heads for Alaska review

Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Dirt on My Diamonds Vol. 2 Like his first Dirt on My Diamonds release, this second collection in the series was written in the longtime music hotbed of Muscle Shoals, Alabama and recorded in that citys legendary FAME Studios Read the full Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Dirt on My Diamonds Vol. 2 review

Live: Midge Ure Rocks Phoenix Former frontman for the beloved synth pop band Ultravox, Midge Ure could not have chosen a more dramatic way to begin his concert in the music theater at the Music Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix. Read the full Midge Ure Rocks Phoenix review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Fall Travel Essentials Check out these items that we recommend as take-alongs for all of your autumn travel adventures. And yes, youll love them at home too! Read the full Fall Travel Essentials review

Micki Free - Dreamcatcher Besides his stellar guitar work Free has a velvety smooth voice and those who dont yet know his work will be absolutely thrilled when introduced to Dreamcatcher. Read the full Micki Free - Dreamcatcher review

What's Doing with System of a Down Bassist Shavo Odadjian? A Lot! Shavo Odadjian currently has some time away from his regular job of laying down monster bass riffs for the multi-platinum selling rock band System of a Down Read the full What's Doing with System of a Down Bassist Shavo Odadjian? A Lot! review

Candytopia: Sweet Treat Comes to Scottsdale I want candy! If youre a big fan of sweet treats (or have children who are) and like to let your imagination run wild then youll need to tweak the I want candy notion a little bit to I Want Candytopia! Read the full Candytopia: Sweet Treat Comes to Scottsdale review

The Hollywood Stars - Starstruck If youre a fan of The Hollywood Stars from back in the day you probably thought at this point that youd never again see a new release from the guys, after all its been 47 years since they put out an album featuring new material Read the full The Hollywood Stars - Starstruck review

Passport: Esbe- Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Chao Tian- more For this edition of Passport, Kevin Wierzbicki tells us about new releases from Esbe, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Chao Tian, Les Arrivants, and Tasha Smith Godinez Read the full Esbe- Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer with Chao Tian- more review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Late Summer Fun in Clarksville, Tennessee If youre looking for a place where theres fun to be had for the whole family that wont break the bank you should be thinking of Clarksville, Tennessee! Read the full Late Summer Fun in Clarksville, Tennessee review

On The Record: Styx and Foreigner- Michael Hutchence- The Dalai Lama- More We spin some very collectible new releases including a split from Styx and Foreigner, a picture disc from Michael Hutchence, the soundtrack to the film Black Girl and an album from none other than The Dalai Lama! Read the full Styx and Foreigner- Michael Hutchence- The Dalai Lama- More review

Robert Jon & The Wreck - Red Moon Rising These SoCal rockers have been consistently building a fervent fan base and a listen to their strong new album Red Moon Rising demonstrates exactly why Robert Jon & The Wreck are becoming a household name Read the full Robert Jon & The Wreck - Red Moon Rising review

Sites and Sounds: Let the Dance Begin! Eswatini's Umhlanga Reed Dance Ceremony One of the most significant cultural events in all of Africa is about to take place in the Kingdom of Eswatini, the southern African nation formerly known as Swaziland. Read the full Let the Dance Begin! Eswatini's Umhlanga Reed Dance Ceremony review

Quick Flicks: U.K. Subs - The Last Will and Testament of U.K. Subs (DVD + CD) The sense of celebration is palpable throughout and if this indeed does turn out to be the end of the band, what an end it is. Read the full U.K. Subs - The Last Will and Testament of U.K. Subs (DVD + CD) review

Road Trip: Special 'I'm Hungry!' Edition There's one thing about a road trip, all that traveling and sightseeing can sure work up a mighty hunger and thirst! Read the full Special 'I'm Hungry!' Edition Road Trip

Travel News, Trips and Tips: The Kentucky Black Trailblazers Experience A unique experience awaits those who check out the newly-opened Kentucky Black Trailblazers Experience, a 19-stop trail in the Shelbyville area Read the full The Kentucky Black Trailblazers Experience review

On The Record: The Darts, Mike Watt, Papa M, On Being An Angel Kevin Wierzbicki gives vinyl releases from The Darts, Mike Watt, Papa M, and On Being An Angel a spin Read the full The Darts, Mike Watt, Papa M, On Being An Angel review

Get To Know... Zoey Tess Zoey was kind enough to answer a few questions for us, including explaining the meaning behind In These Dreams. Read the full Zoey Tess review

Sites and Sounds: Art-In-Action Camp Coming to Woodward, PA The inaugural Art-In-Action camp is being called the Warped Tour of Summer Camps and for those who wish to follow their passion in action sports, music, digital media and more, thats probably a pretty good description Read the full Art-In-Action Camp Coming to Woodward, PA review

Quick Flicks: REO Speedwagon - Live at Rockpalast 1979 Part of the vaunted and long-running Live at Rockpalast series from German label M.i.G. Music, this concert film captures REO Speedwagon just about at the end of being able to play medium-sized venues Read the full REO Speedwagon - Live at Rockpalast 1979 review

Road Trip: Eswatini's Swazi Candles: Light from Africa While seeing elephants and lions and the like in their natural habitat is an unforgettable experience, many visitors to Eswatini don't realize that they can take an animal or two home with them! Well, sort of. Read the full Eswatini's Swazi Candles: Light from Africa Road Trip

Stuckey's: A Road Trip Institution - A Chat with CEO Stephanie Stuckey Those who have been taking road trips for a long time know that theres one roadside attraction that you never want to pass by: Stuckeys! Read the full Stuckey's: A Road Trip Institution - A Chat with CEO Stephanie Stuckey review

Quick Flicks: Joe Bonamassa - Live at the Hollywood Bowl with Orchestra To Bonamassas credit he lets the music do the talking, there is no stage patter or band introduction, just one helluva good time Read the full Joe Bonamassa - Live at the Hollywood Bowl with Orchestra review

Hot In The City: Big Shows Coming To Phoenix Include Journey And Def Leppard, Judas Priest, Megadeth Theres an amazing slate of exciting concerts coming up in Phoenix, including legendary rock bands and one very funny comedian. Our list starts with a gigantic triple bill! Read the full Big Shows Coming To Phoenix Include Journey And Def Leppard, Judas Priest, Megadeth review

Little Richard - Right Now! With this Omnivore Recordings reissue of his 1973 album Right Now! is a chance to delve deeper into the soulful side of his vast catalog Read the full Little Richard - Right Now! review

Sites and Sounds: Cooter's 25th Anniversary Festival Dukes of Hazzard Star Tom Wopat to Appear at 25th Anniversary Celebration of Cooters Place in Luray, Virginia Read the full Cooter's 25th Anniversary Festival review

Live: Brit Floyd Rocks Phoenix It was a wondrous evening of progressive rock music as Brit Floyd, the premiere Pink Floyd tribute act, brought their 2024 Pulse World Tour to downtown Phoenix Read the full Brit Floyd Rocks Phoenix review

The dB's - Stands for deciBels Its easy to hear here why Stands for deciBels has the place in rock history that it does. Read the full The dB's - Stands for deciBels review

Sites and Sounds: The Mountain USA Music Festival Coming to Gatlinburg, Tennessee Great White, Joan Jett and Tesla will be headlining the three-day, late summer Mountain USA Music Festival in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Read the full The Mountain USA Music Festival Coming to Gatlinburg, Tennessee review

Battle of the Band: Burrito Brothers This time out the Flying Burrito Brothers battle it out with their kinfolk the Burrito Brothers. Read the full Battle of the Band: Burrito Brothers review

Aatmaa - Cataclysm These are definitely not carefree pop songs but Aatmaa are mesmerizing here as they explore the blackness that so often permeates the soul. Read the full Aatmaa - Cataclysm review

Black Country Communion - V Its been seven years since Black Country Communion put out a record and this, their fifth release, is so good that itll not only thrill those whove been waiting but also easily tide them over for another seven years if it has to. Read the full Black Country Communion - V review

Sites and Sounds: Little Steven's Underground Garage Cruise Social Distortion, X and Rocket from the Crypt are set to headline the inaugural Little Stevens Underground Garage Cruise in May 2025. Read the full Little Steven's Underground Garage Cruise review

The Blues: Ladies Edition - Sue Foley, Bex Marshall and more Our spotlight on ladies with the blues listens to new releases from Bex Marshall, Deb Ryder, Patti Parks, Katie Knipp and the one and only Sue Foley. Read the full Ladies Edition - Sue Foley, Bex Marshall and more review

Father's Day Gift Guide Part 2 Still need gift ideas for Fathers Day? Weve got plenty! Here are some ideas for gifts that we think dad would really enjoy. Fathers Day 2024 is June 16. Read the full Father's Day Gift Guide Part 2 review

Father's Day Gift Guide Part 1 Fathers Day 2024 is almost here; dads special day is Sunday June 16. Here we offer up some suggestions for gifts for dear old dad and theres not a tie among them! Read the full Father's Day Gift Guide Part 1 review

Hot In The City: Meet Ozzy Osbourne at Mad Monster Party Arizona 2024 Heres a rare chance for fans in Arizona to meet the legendary Ozzy Osbourne when the Mad Monster Party comes to metropolitan Phoenix. Read the full Meet Ozzy Osbourne at Mad Monster Party Arizona 2024 review

Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews by Margo Cooper This coffee table-style hardcover tome is impressive in myriad ways, not the least of which is the collection of photos that Cooper presents Read the full Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews by Margo Cooper review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Florida's Adventure Coast is Ready for Scallops! The Brooksville-Weeki Wachee area on Floridas Adventure Coast is renowned for having lots of fun things for visitors to do, not the least of which is to see one of the world famous mermaid shows at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. Read the full Florida's Adventure Coast is Ready for Scallops! review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Sammy Hagar Opens Sammy's Island at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas A poolside tropical oasis in Las Vegas dreamed up by rock n roll superstar Sammy Hagar? Count us in! The hippest new place to party in Vegas is Sammys Island Read the full Sammy Hagar Opens Sammy's Island at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Austria Wants to Know 'What's Your Sign?' Whats your sign? It might sound like a cheesy pickup line but in this case its a question being asked in all seriousness by one of Europes most desirable travel destinations, Austria Read the full Austria Wants to Know 'What's Your Sign?' review

On The Record: The Hu, On Thorns I Lay and Psygnosis Our spotlight on new vinyl is a little bit heavy this time out as we spin titles from The Hu, On Thorns I Lay and Psygnosis. Read the full The Hu, On Thorns I Lay and Psygnosis review

Quick Flicks: Foghat - Slow Ride - Live in Concert Filmed at two shows in Houston in 1999, Slow Ride - Live in Concert features a career-spanning selection of hits and favorites performed by a classic Foghat lineup Read the full Foghat - Slow Ride - Live in Concert review

Sites and Sounds: The Big Easy Cruise: A Feast of Louisiana Music and Food What could possibly be more fun than a weeklong music cruise where all the performers have a kinship to the jubilant music of New Orleans and Louisiana Read the full The Big Easy Cruise: A Feast of Louisiana Music and Food review

Hot In The City: Late Spring Concerts Coming to Arizona Were halfway through spring but concerts in Arizona keep popping up like proverbial May flowers! Here are some upcoming shows that have us really excited. Read the full Late Spring Concerts Coming to Arizona review

Get To Know... Hippies and Cowboys Nashville has a thriving music scene thats being powered by contemporary acts like Hippies and Cowboys, a five-piece rock outfit that has grown a huge fan base Read the full Hippies and Cowboys review

Mother's Day Gift Guide Part 2 Dont forget to get a present for mom to celebrate Mothers Day which is May 12, 2024. Here are a few more suggestions for gift items we like including something very cool thatll help mom sleep while music plays just for her. Read the full Mother's Day Gift Guide Part 2 review

Mother's Day Gift Guide Part 1 Mothers Day is always a good time to surprise mom, and with that in mind we offer you our gift guide Read the full Mother's Day Gift Guide Part 1 review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: More Road Trip Essentials Its road trip season and were always on the lookout for cool items to help make your time on the road go smoothly Read the full More Road Trip Essentials review

Sites and Sounds: Mutants Fest Coming to North Little Rock Mutants are about to descend on the peaceful city of North Little Rock, Arkansas! But there’s no need to panic or lock yourself in your safe room Read the full Mutants Fest Coming to North Little Rock review

Reggae Party: Creation Rebel Reissues This time out we spin two vinyl reissues from the groundbreaking experimental dub band Creation Rebel, a five-piece that worked exclusively with instrumentals. Read the full Reggae Party: Creation Rebel Reissues review

Sites and Sounds: Eswatini's MTN Bushfire Festival Ready To Ignite One of Africas most exciting and eclectic music festivals kicks off in just about a month in the Kingdom of Eswatini. Read the full Sites & Sounds: Eswatini's MTN Bushfire Festival Ready To Ignite review

Robert Plant, Yes and Willie Nelson Among Stars Coming to Ozarks Amphitheater As is always the case, Ozarks Amphitheater has an amazing lineup of shows set for the summer and into the fall. Read the full Robert Plant, Yes and Willie Nelson Among Stars Coming to Ozarks Amphitheater review

Root 66: New Riders of the Purple Sage- Gene Clark- More Our focus on Americana music listens to vintage music from highly-influential acts New Riders of the Purple Sage and Gene Clark as well as several releases from contemporary artists. Read the full New Riders of the Purple Sage- Gene Clark- More review

Quick Flicks: Impulse In this thriller from 1974 (about five years after Star Trek ended) the danger comes from Shatner as he portrays Matt Stone, a psychotic killer. Read the full Impulse review

On the Blue: New Horizons Cruise Days 4 & 5: Starship Lands on the Pearl, Alan Parsons Takes It Home There was still lots of live classic rock music and other fun things taking place during the last two days of the On the Blue: New Horizons cruise. Read the full On the Blue: New Horizons Cruise Days 4 & 5: Starship Lands on the Pearl, Alan Parsons Takes It Home review

On the Blue: New Horizons Cruise Days 2 & 3: Mid-Voyage Fun from Justin Hayward, Uriah Heep and a Few Monkeys! On the second and third days of the cruise more than two dozen concerts took place, including shows from legendary acts Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues and classic hard rockers Uriah Heep Read the full On the Blue: New Horizons Cruise Days 2 & 3: Mid-Voyage Fun from Justin Hayward, Uriah Heep and a Few Monkeys! review

Happy 420! Its only right that the week thats full of stress due to the tax filing deadline also holds a day for relaxing, especially for fans of cannabis Read the full Happy 420! review

On the Blue: New Horizons Cruise Day 1: Marbin Gets the Fun Started The On the Blue: New Horizons cruise took place April 5-10, 2024 aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Pearl Read the full On the Blue: New Horizons Cruise Day 1: Marbin Gets the Fun Started review

Sites and Sounds: Daytona Beach Ready to Rumble with Welcome to Rockville One of the most revered metal and hard rock festivals in the country (and the largest) is set to rattle Daytona Beach, Florida May 9 - 12, 2024 as the Welcome to Rockville festival comes to Daytona International Speedway. Read the full Daytona Beach Ready to Rumble with Welcome to Rockville review

CINDERS - Going Nowhere This Salt Lake City-based trio hasnt released new music for a few years, here fans can hear what theyre up to now with this four-song EP Read the full CINDERS - Going Nowhere review

Hot In The City: Prog Band Tu-Ner Coming to Phoenix Fans of progressive rock music will be in for a rare treat when Tu-Ner comes to Phoenix May 9, 2024 for a show at The Rhythm Room Read the full Prog Band Tu-Ner Coming to Phoenix review

Kandace Springs - Run Your Race Springs is a pianist with a soulful voice, a combination that makes her perfectly suited to jazz and R&B, and jazz-tinged R&B like the albums title cut Read the full Kandace Springs - Run Your Race review

Ross Valory - All of the Above This debut solo album from Valory, long the bass player for superstar rock band Journey, has actually been in the making for almost two decades. Read the full Ross Valory - All of the Above review

5 Star: Judas Priest - Invincible Shield Judas Priest are going to add significantly to their 50 million sold total with this stellar effort. Read the full Judas Priest - Invincible Shield review

Sites and Sounds: Festival Season Heats Up in Arkansas Festival season has arrived in Arkansas. Here are some of the best festivals coming to the state this year, including something special that occurs during Aprils solar eclipse! Read the full Festival Season Heats Up in Arkansas review

A Doll's House - Annum Heres a very impressive debut from a Los Angeles-based band comprised of four guys in their 50s, not the usual circumstances for an act thats just starting out. Read the full A Doll's House - Annum review

Easter Gift Guide Easter is a fun time to give gifts, whether its a basket full of goodies or an individual present. Here we offer some gift ideas that we really like and that we think your gift recipient will too. And youll find a sweet treat at the end! Read the full Easter Gift Guide review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Road Trip Essentials We know youre just aching to take to the highway for some out-of-town fun so here we recommend some items to take with you thatll make you safer, healthier, and in the case of some very special sunglasses, the envy of all. Read the full Road Trip Essentials review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: In the Swim at Circa Resort & Casino, Las Vegas Its not unusual for venues in Las Vegas to be making a big splash. But when it comes to Circa Resort & Casino you can take the news of a big splash literally! Read the full In the Swim at Circa Resort & Casino, Las Vegas review

Rock Reads: Jill and the Killers Heres the debut issue of Jill and the Killers from the folks at American comic book and graphic novel publisher Oni Press (Rick and Morty, Scott Pilgrim, Wasteland.) Read the full Rock Reads: Jill and the Killers review

RockPile: Spotlight on Season of Mist When were in the mood for metal, were in the mood for Season of Mist, one of the best metal imprints around. Read the full Spotlight on Season of Mist review

Record Store Day: Craft Recordings Announce Record Store Day Vinyl Releases - Collective Soul- Filter- More The anxiously-awaited Record Store Day (RSD), the day that celebrates brick & mortar record stores, is April 20 this year Read the full Craft Recordings Announce Record Store Day Vinyl Releases - Collective Soul- Filter- More review

Columbia, Missouri's True/False Film Fest Part 2: Music and More In Part 2 we look at some of the other fun things that occurred during T/F including parties and opportunities to hear great music. Read the full Columbia, Missouri's True/False Film Fest Part 2: Music and More review

Columbia, Missouri's True/False Film Fest Part 1: Documentaries Galore! The True/False Film Fest, one of the most prestigious documentary film festivals in North America, took place February 29 - March 3, 2024 in Columbia, Missouri Read the full Columbia, Missouri's True/False Film Fest Part 1: Documentaries Galore! review

Peytan Porter - Grown Its only fitting that Porters new EP is titled Grown- the singer has been releasing recorded music for a few years now and she has indicated that with the new release she feels unfettered as far as conforming to one style is concerned Read the full Peytan Porter - Grown review

Quick Flicks: Long Story Short - Willie Nelson 90 - Live at the Hollywood Bowl If you watched this celebration of Willie Nelsons 90th birthday on network TV you actually only saw part of what went on at the Hollywood Bowl. Read the full Long Story Short - Willie Nelson 90 - Live at the Hollywood Bowl review

Box Sets: Aretha Franklin - A Portrait of the Queen 1970-1974 Flash back to the era of 70s soul with this box set of vinyl albums from the legendary Aretha Franklin. Read the full Aretha Franklin - A Portrait of the Queen 1970-1974 review

Sites and Sounds: Music Cruises are Red Hot! 2025 Sailings Announced for Shiprocked, Country Music Cruise, Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea X, Outlaw Country Cruise Read the full Music Cruises are Red Hot! review

Hot In The City: Upcoming Arizona Concerts As usual theres a diverse bunch of shows on tap for Arizona; here are our picks for some of the most interesting including a festival in Lake Havasu City. Read the full Upcoming Arizona Concerts review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Spotlight on Victoria, Australia Victoria has a full slate of fun things to do on tap for 2024, including lots of music festivals (Knotfest, Brunswick Music Festival, CresFest and Matsumura Blues Festival). Read the full Spotlight on Victoria, Australia review

Live: Small Island Big Song The collective known as Small Island Big Song put on a show February 10th that can only be described as stunning at one of the Phoenix areas most intimate venues, the Arizona State University-adjacent Tempe Center for the Arts. Read the full Small Island Big Song review

Sites and Sounds: Columbia, MO's True/False Film Fest One of the most respected documentary film festivals in the nation will once again be adding buzz to the already vibrant scene in Columbia, Missouri. Read the full Columbia, MO's True/False Film Fest review

Matisyahu - Hold The Fire Matisyahu makes a great spiritual connection through his music and he has an excellent talent for passing that positivity on to his fans Read the full Matisyahu - Hold The Fire review

Valentine's Day Gift Guide Candy is always a nice thing to give or receive on Valentines Day but we offer here some sweet ideas for gifts that are completely calorie free! Your Valentine will surely love one or more of these. Read the full Valentine's Day Gift Guide review

Having a Super Bowl Party? Go Nuts! You probably wouldnt believe us if we told you that at Nuts.com they can kick a field goal from 50 yards out. Read the full Having a Super Bowl Party? Go Nuts! review

On The Record: Spotlight on Joe Bonamassa J&R Adventures, Joe Bonamassas own record label, has repressed three of Joes album releases on limited edition colored 180 gram vinyl. Read the full Spotlight on Joe Bonamassa review

The Gems - Phoenix The legend of the phoenix, about a bird that constantly rejuvenates itself, rising from its own ashes, is part of Greek mythology. Read the full The Gems - Phoenix review

Root 66: Year End Wrap-Up Part 2 There were some very good releases we didnt get to before the clock ran out on 2023, so weve picked out some of our favorites from that stack to tell you about here. Read the full Year End Wrap-Up Part 2 review

The Allman Brothers Band - Manley Field House, Syracuse University, April 7, 1972 This live Allman Brothers Band concert was recorded during their five man band period Read the full The Allman Brothers Band - Manley Field House, Syracuse University, April 7, 1972 review

The Blues: 2023 Wrap Up Part 2: Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia, Johnny Winter and more We finish up our 2023 recap with five more releases that we werent able to tell you about when they first released. They are some of 2023s best! Read the full 2023 Wrap Up Part 2: Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia, Johnny Winter and more review

Sites and Sounds: It's Tulsa Time! There are a lot of fun music events coming to the greater Tulsa, Oklahoma area in late winter and early spri Read the full It's Tulsa Time! review

Passport: Koum Tara, Yungchen Lhamo and More Our spotlight on global music listens to Koum Tara, Yungchen Lhamo and a various artists compilation from Putumayo. Read the full Koum Tara, Yungchen Lhamo and More review

Asking Alexandria - Dark Void In 2024 Blue Monday falls on Jan. 15 and Bettley says it is a perfect time for those suffering from depression to Turn it up and let it be a reminder that you arent alone and together we can make it through. Read the full Asking Alexandria - Dark Void review

Root 66: Year End Wrap Up Part 1 We got a lot of roots music in 2023 that we were not able to tell you about until now. Here are some of the best that came to us last year. Read the full Year End Wrap Up Part 1 review

Van Morrison - Accentuate the Positive Heres a 19-song set of covers from Van the Man that reflects his early rock n roll influences Read the full Van Morrison - Accentuate the Positive review

On The Record: Spotlight on Craft Recordings (Collective Soul, Social Distortion, More) The Craft Recordings label is one of our favorites here at On the Record and this time out we feature four of their recent vinyl releases: reissues of titles by Collective Soul, OTEP, Social Distortion and The Maine. Read the full Spotlight on Craft Recordings (Collective Soul, Social Distortion, More) review

The Blues: 2023 Wrap-Up Part 1: Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, Jason Ricci and the Bad Kind, More A ton of great blues releases crossed our desk in 2023- here are some of the best that we have not told you about yet. Read the full 2023 Wrap-Up Part 1: Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, Jason Ricci and the Bad Kind, More review

Hot In The City: Winter Concerts in Arizona - Aaron Lewis, G3 and More Here are our picks for not-to-miss shows coming to Arizona early in the year, including something very special for fans of global music. Read the full Winter Concerts in Arizona - Aaron Lewis, G3 and More review

Saxon - Hell, Fire and Damnation Hell, Fire and Damnation is a very satisfying listen that will please Saxon fans of all eras including newbies who are just now getting hip to this beloved band. Read the full Saxon - Hell, Fire and Damnation review

Quick Flicks: Roadkill This exciting, fast-moving film stars teenage actress Caitlin Carmichael and Ryan Knudson as The Driver and The Drifter respectively Read the full Roadkill review

Quick Flicks: Billy Idol - Stateline: Live at the Hoover Dam (Blu-ray) Heres a very cool concert film of Billy Idol performing in a very unusual place. In April of 2023 Billy Idol performed the first (and likely only) concert to ever be performed at Hoover Dam Read the full Billy Idol - Stateline: Live at the Hoover Dam (Blu-ray) review

Quick Flicks: Mark Farner - Rock 'N' Roll Soul Live 1989 As a founding member of Grand Funk Railroad and the lead singer for the band, guitarist Mark Farner was responsible for a good portion of the group’s hits as he wrote many of them Read the full Mark Farner - Rock 'N' Roll Soul Live 1989 review

Robin Trower - Joyful Sky Joyful Sky is a stellar addition to the Trower catalog and hopefully hell work again with Schorr in the future. Read the full Robin Trower - Joyful Sky review

Sites and Sounds: On the Blue's New Horizons Cruise Music cruise promoters On the Blue have a fantastic cruise coming up for prog rock and classic rock fans: the April sailing of the New Horizons cruise! Read the full On the Blue's New Horizons Cruise review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Wyoming Ice Festival Cold weather fun is always on tap this time of year in Cody, Wyoming, but something especially exciting for ice climbers is coming in early January. Read the full Wyoming Ice Festival review

Santa's Jukebox Part 2 Its almost time for Santa Claus and his reindeer to head out on their trip around the globe to deliver toys, and you know St. Nick likes to keep the sleigh rocking with good tunes. Heres some of the music thats on Santas playlist this year. Read the full Santa's Jukebox Part 2 review

Holiday Gift Guide: Last Minute Gifts - Music And More! Heres our final Holiday Gift Guide of the year, just in time for last minute shopping. And dont worry, we saved some of our best gift suggestions for last! Read the full Last Minute Gifts - Music And More! review

Holiday Gift Guide: More Rock Reads - Queen, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie and Sammy Hagar Tis the season for gift giving. Here are our suggestions of new titles about Queen, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie and Sammy Hagar for the music lover on your list. Read the full More Rock Reads - Queen, Fleetwood Mac, David Bowie and Sammy Hagar review

Holiday Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers Here are our suggestions for some unique stocking stuffer gifts including a fun way to enhance date night and a way to help keep away sharks (really!) Read the full Stocking Stuffers review

Holiday Gift Guide: More Stocking Stuffers Still need stocking stuffer ideas? Weve got some suggestions for you, including something special for the runner on your list and anyone with a green thumb! Read the full More Stocking Stuffers review

Santa's Jukebox: 2023 Part 1 Santa sent us a note to let us know what tunes he and his elves are enjoying around the North Pole as they prepare for the big day. And it seems that St. Nick has pretty good taste! Read the full Santa's Jukebox: 2023 Part 1 review

Holiday Gift Guide: Disney Vinyl These new vinyl titles from Walt Disney Records and their affiliated label Hollywood Records will be cherished by the Disney fan and the vinyl collector alike Read the full Disney Vinyl review

3 - Rockin' the Ritz: NYC 1988 Fans of Emerson, Lake & Palmer will find Rockin the Ritz to be a fine addition to their ELP collections Read the full 3 - Rockin' the Ritz: NYC 1988 review

Holiday Gift Guide: Sammy's Beach Bar Platinum Rum and Beach Bar Cocktails, KURU Footwear, More Have someone on your gift list who suffers from heel pain, or who wants to build up their muscles? Maybe a cannabis fan, a rum drinker or someone who could use a mini humidifier? Then read on! Read the full Sammy's Beach Bar Platinum Rum and Beach Bar Cocktails, KURU Footwear, More review

Holiday Gift Guide: Vinyl Edition - The Kinks, Allman Brothers, The Cranberries, Rory Gallagher, more Here are some exciting gift ideas for the vinyl fan on your list! New releases featuring The Kinks, The Allman Brothers, The Cranberries, Rory Gallagher, Gram Parsons, John Lee Hooker and The Three OClock. Read the full Vinyl Edition - The Kinks, Allman Brothers, The Cranberries, Rory Gallagher, more review

Holiday Gift Guide: Concert Tickets The live music lover on your gift list will be thrilled to receive concert tickets this holiday season. Here are our selections for some exciting shows coming in 2024 to venues across the nation Read the full Concert Tickets review

Everclear - Live at The Whisky a Go Go Everclear recorded their show at famed West Hollywood venue The Whisky a Go Go during their 2022 30th anniversary tour and heres the entire 15-song set along with two new studio tracks Read the full Everclear - Live at The Whisky a Go Go review

Holiday Gift Guide: Rock Reads Edition - AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Grateful Dead, Beatles, More For the music lover on your holiday gift list, check out our recommended books about AC/DC, the Beatles and the Grateful Dead along with rocking activity books from Fantoons and a collection of indie rock photos from Piper Ferguson Read the full Rock Reads Edition - AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Grateful Dead, Beatles, More review

Yellowjackets Season 2 Official Soundtrack Showtimes hit show Yellowjackets is a very dark drama so its no surprise that the music thats attached to the show generally lives on the dark side as well. Read the full Yellowjackets Season 2 Official Soundtrack review

Reggae Party: Vinyl Edition We listen to the greatest reggae soundtrack of all time and three compilation albums from Jamaicas fabled Trojan Records label. Read the full Reggae Party: Vinyl Edition review

Rock Reads: Iron Maiden The fertile minds at Fantoons Animation Studios have turned loose two fun Iron Maiden collectible books, one a coloring book and the other a seek-and-find puzzle book. Read the full Rock Reads: Iron Maiden review

Road Trip: Crystal Vision: A Visit to Eswatini's Ngwenya Glass The African nation of Eswatini, formerly-known as Swaziland, is a small country but it is huge when it comes to ways to have fun. Read the full Crystal Vision: A Visit to Eswatini's Ngwenya Glass Road Trip

Live: Andy Summers Rocks Phoenix After taking a couple of weeks off, Andy Summers, the former guitarist for The Police, resumed his The Cracked Lens + A Missing String tour in the music theater at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix Read the full Andy Summers Rocks Phoenix review

Foghat - Sonic Mojo Foghats sound has progressed a great ways since the days of Slow Ride, Sonic Mojo is a satisfying set from this long-running and beloved band. Read the full Foghat - Sonic Mojo review

Dokken - Heaven Comes Down Heres the lucky 13th studio album from beloved band Dokken. And the guys must have been carrying their good luck charms when they hit the studio as theyve delivered a very strong effort here Read the full Dokken - Heaven Comes Down review

Heavenly Cream: An Acoustic Tribute to Cream These songs meant and continue to mean so much to so many and these interpretations will surely please the truest of Cream fans. Read the full Heavenly Cream: An Acoustic Tribute to Cream review

On The Record: Linda Ronstadt- Tim Easton- Jackie DeShannon This time out our spotlight on vinyl spins Linda Ronstadts first Spanish language album, two reissues from Tim Easton and an early work from Jackie DeShannon. Read the full Linda Ronstadt- Tim Easton- Jackie DeShannon review

5 Star: The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds A new Rolling Stones record is always a major event and this one is a biggie. Hackney Diamonds will undoubtedly stand as one of the bands best. Worlds greatest rock n roll band? Yeah buddy. Read the full The Rolling Stones - Hackney Diamonds review

More Halloween Nuggets: Haunted Underground Classics The ghoulies at Liberation Hall released Halloween Nuggets last year and now theyre back with this follow-up compilation featuring 18 obscure Halloween-oriented cuts Read the full More Halloween Nuggets: Haunted Underground Classics review

KK's Priest - The Sinner Rides Again Two journeymen of heavy metal --- guitarist K.K. Downing and singer Tim Ripper Owens, both former members of Judas Priest --- team up here for a satisfying album of classic metal Read the full KK's Priest - The Sinner Rides Again review

Joe Bonamassa - Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 As fans have come to expect, Bonamassas singing and playing is superb throughout and his crack band is right on the money as they delve into a satisfying set that honors Joes blues roots. Read the full Joe Bonamassa - Blues Deluxe Vol. 2 review

Ringo Starr - Rewind Forward Perhaps in a nod to how songs were released back in his early days with The Beatles, Starr has for the past few years doled out his new stuff via 4-song EPs. Read the full Ringo Starr - Rewind Forward review

Root 66: Joyann Parker- Tom Heyman- Austin Gilliam- Jeshua Marshall More exciting roots music releases from Joyann Parker, Tom Heyman, Austin Gilliam and Jeshua Marshall. Read the full Joyann Parker- Tom Heyman- Austin Gilliam- Jeshua Marshall review

Red Reign - Don't Look Back Having released an EP in 2021, this is Red Reigns first full-length album and fans get a better idea here what the band is all about. Read the full Red Reign - Don't Look Back review

Road Trip: Mountains of Fun Await in Smyth County, Virginia Smyth County is also the place to find lots of off-trail fun, with there being something to do to suit all sorts. Read the full Mountains of Fun Await in Smyth County, Virginia Road Trip

Box Sets: The Darkness - Permission to Land...Again This set is truly a godsend for fans of The Darkness and it will undoubtedly make many new fans as well. Permission to land? Granted! Read the full The Darkness - Permission to Land...Again review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Wine Lovers Edition Raise your glass! If you like wine heres news that you can really drink up! We start by telling you about the fun way to do a wine tasting at Peltier Winery & Vineyards. Read the full Wine Lovers Edition review

Hot In The City: Autumn Concerts Coming to Arizona Its going to be a bountiful harvest of shows in Arizona this autumn. Here are some of our picks for the best of the bunch, including an event that promises spooky Halloween fun! Read the full Autumn Concerts Coming to Arizona review

William Shatner - Ponder the Mystery Revisited Ten years ago Shatner released Ponder the Mystery, a spoken word effort featuring a cornucopia of prog rock luminaries that stands as one of his best albums Read the full William Shatner - Ponder the Mystery Revisited review

Sites and Sounds: Ragas Live Festival Back for its 12th iteration, the Ragas Live Festival will once again feature a live music presentation thatll span 24 hours Read the full Ragas Live Festival review

Quick Flicks: Hi-Fear This is the final entry in the Hi horror trilogy which was preceded by 2013s Hi-8 and 2018s Hi-Death. Read the full Hi-Fear review

Firefall - Friends & Family Firefall, with five decades under their belt, have put together here a fine and generous (13 cuts) selection of covers that were originally done by friends of theirs and primarily released in the 1970s Read the full Firefall - Friends & Family review

Live from Celebrity Theatre: Blue Oyster Cult Oh no! Godzilla loose in Celebrity Theatre! No damage was done to the beloved theater in-the-round or its revolving stage Read the full Blue Oyster Cult review

The Magic of Eswatini's Umhlanga Reed Dance Ceremony The annual Umhlanga Reed Dance Ceremony that takes place in the African nation of Eswatini presents a spectacle like no other- a magical and mesmerizing display that once witnessed will never be forgotten Read the full The Magic of Eswatini's Umhlanga Reed Dance Ceremony review

Brian Setzer - The Devil Always Collects The Devil Always Collects is indeed one helluva record. Read the full Brian Setzer - The Devil Always Collects review

Lee Oskar - She Said Mahalo Heres a very nice instrumental set from famed harmonica player Lee Oskar, whose playing became familiar to millions when he was a member of War Read the full Lee Oskar - She Said Mahalo review

On The Record: Vandals- The Abbey Our spotlight on new vinyl releases listens to new metal from The Abbey and a 25th anniversary pressing of a great Vandals album. Read the full Vandals- The Abbey review

The Waymores - Greener Pastures A spin of Greener Pastures will have listeners happily looking forward to going honky-tonking. Read the full The Waymores - Greener Pastures review

Road Trip: A King is Born: A Visit to the Elvis Presley Birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi If you really want to understand Presley's humble beginnings you need to visit the Elvis Presley Birthplace in Tupelo Read the full A King is Born: A Visit to the Elvis Presley Birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi Road Trip

Candlebox - The Long Goodbye The Long Goodbye is touted as the final Candlebox studio album. Candlebox has had a good run and it ends here on a very high note. Read the full Candlebox - The Long Goodbye review

Quick Flicks: Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar Dethklok is back and theyre starring in their very own full length film! Fans of the animated metal band can rejoice as the band is now starring in Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar. Read the full Metalocalypse: Army of the Doomstar review

Albert Bouchard - Imaginos III: Mutant Reformation For the past few years Blue Oyster Cult legend Albert Bouchard has been reimagining the bands music with his Imaginos trilogy which comes to its end with this release Read the full Albert Bouchard - Imaginos III: Mutant Reformation review

The Blues: Mitch Woods- Monster Mike Welch- Jhett Black- Ole Lonesome We spin some of the hottest new blues releases including a new version of Mitch Woods Friends Along the Way thats loaded with big name guest performers. Read the full Mitch Woods- Monster Mike Welch- Jhett Black- Ole Lonesome review

Sites and Sounds: Louisville Ready to Rock with Late Summer Music Festivals Late summer will be rocking in Louisville, Kentucky as back-to-back music festivals take over the city. Get ready for Bourbon & Beyond and Louder Than Life! Read the full Louisville Ready to Rock with Late Summer Music Festivals review

On The Record: R.E.M. Craft Recordings has reissued two long out of print R.E.M. titles on vinyl including the bands last ever studio effort. Read the full R.E.M. review

Maia Sharp - Reckless Thoughts Sharp has penned songs for the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Cher and Trisha Yearwood. Still fans rejoice most in her own recordings and they wont be disappointed with her Restless Thoughts. Read the full Maia Sharp - Reckless Thoughts review

Root 66: Jorma Kaukonen- Beth Bombara- The Scooches- Daryl Mosley For this installment of Root 66, Kevin gives new releases from Jorma Kaukonen, Beth Bombara, The Scooches and Daryl Mosley a spin. Read the full Jorma Kaukonen- Beth Bombara- The Scooches- Daryl Mosley review

Dulcie Taylor - Edges of Silver Taylor begins her new five song EP with the blues rocking Back Beat in His Blood Read the full Dulcie Taylor - Edges of Silver review

Cillian Murphy's Sounds from a Safe Harbour Festival With his starring role in the hit film Oppenheimer and his likewise starring role in the hit television program Peaky Blinders, Irish actor Cillian Murphy is one of todays hottest talents Read the full Cillian Murphy's Sounds from a Safe Harbour Festival review

Live: The Tubes Rock Arizona It was a homecoming of sorts when The Tubes performed in the Grand Ballroom at Talking Stick Resort & Casino in Scottsdale Read the full The Tubes Rock Arizona review

RockPile: Peter Frampton Super Audio CDs Three early Peter Frampton albums have been reissued by Intervention Records in Super Audio CD format. Read the full Peter Frampton Super Audio CDs review

Live from Celebrity Theatre: John Lodge The day had long since slipped into Tuesday evening but as far as the fans of the legendary Moody Blues bassist and singer John Lodge were concerned it was still Tuesday Afternoon Read the full John Lodge review

On The Record: Warren Zevon- Nevada Nevada For this installment of On The Record, Kevin gives new vinyl releases from Warren Zevon and Nevada Nevada a spin. Read the full Warren Zevon- Nevada Nevada review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Umhlanga Reed Dance Ceremony The Umhlanga Reed Dance Ceremony, one of the most culturally significant events in all of Africa, is about to take place in Eswatini. Read the full Umhlanga Reed Dance Ceremony review

The Guess Who - Plein D'Amour Some fans will be surprised that The Guess Who are still a working band, after all its been many decades since the rockers ruled the airwaves Read the full The Guess Who - Plein D'Amour review

Sites and Sounds: Columbia, Missouri's Treeline Music Fest The Treeline Music Fest is actually a new version of the citys beloved Roots N Blues festival which has entertained fans for years. Read the full Columbia, Missouri's Treeline Music Fest review

Tupelo Abuzz Over Queen's Reward Meadery The bees that make the honey thats used in the wines made at Queens Reward Meadery in Tupelo, Mississippi have got to be proud Read the full Tupelo Abuzz Over Queen's Reward Meadery review

38 Special - Live at Rockpalast 1981 Southern rock was still going strong in 1981 thanks in part to great albums like 38 Specials Wild-Eyed Southern Boys. Read the full 38 Special - Live at Rockpalast 1981 review

Road Trip: Keep it Salty! A Visit to Saltville, Virginia Hey Jimmy Buffett, we found your lost shaker of salt! It's at the Museum of the Middle Appalachians in historic Saltville, Virginia Read the full Keep it Salty! A Visit to Saltville, Virginia Road Trip

Nothing But Thieves - Dead Club City Conor Masons voice carries Dead Club City in its more subdued moments, roaring synth approaching an industrial sound is the attention getter otherwise. Read the full Nothing But Thieves - Dead Club City review

Quick Flicks: Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius - Behind the Curtain: Live at ProgStock Awesome Stratospheerius release that was recorded at the ProgStock Festival in Rahway, New Jersey during the bands appearances there in 2019 and 2021. Read the full Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius - Behind the Curtain: Live at ProgStock review

Travel News, Trips and Tips: Snacks for Your Road Trip You know its going to happen; when youre traveling, youre going to want snacks! Enjoy staving off the munchies with the goodies we recommend here. Read the full Snacks for Your Road Trip review

On The Record: Poe, Anthony W. Rogers, Duwayne Burnside and Jann Klose Our spotlight on new vinyl releases listens to titles from Poe, Anthony W. Rogers, Duwayne Burnside and Jann Klose. Read the full Poe, Anthony W. Rogers, Duwayne Burnside and Jann Klose review

Sites and Sounds: Calgary Stampede - Canada's Rocking Rodeo Its time to cowboy (and cowgirl) up as the worlds largest rodeo gets set to take over Calgary for 10 days of riding and roping and lots of other rodeo fun Read the full Calgary Stampede - Canada's Rocking Rodeo review

Mercy Music - What You Stand to Lose Mercy Music come out swinging with Suddenly, a jangling pop rocker that, although it has a bit of a punkier edge, reminds of the radio-ruling cuts of the Gin Blossoms Read the full Mercy Music - What You Stand to Lose review

Quick Flicks: The Long Dark Trail The film is suspenseful to the very end of the long dark trail. Henry and Jacob are played by real life brothers Carter and Brady ODonnell. Read the full The Long Dark Trail review

Motorhead - Live at Montreux Jazz Festival '07

This Motorhead show was recorded 16 years ago at the massive Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland during the bands tour behind their Kiss of Death album

Elvis is Everywhere! The Tupelo Elvis Festival

The Tupelo Elvis Festival celebrated its 25th anniversary this year and took place June 8-13.

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Crashing Wayward - Listen!

Led by singer Peter Summit, Crashing Wayward have crafted a set of songs likely to rule Active Rock Radio all summer long.

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Travel News, Trips and Tips: Summer Travel Essentials

The summer road trip season has arrived. Here are some items that will improve your ease of travel, and heighten your fun!

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The Blues: Savoy Brown - Barbara Blue - Mose Allison - John Primer

We spin new blues releases including the 42nd and likely last album from stalwarts Savoy Brown.

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Father's Day Gift Guide

Fathers Day falls on Sunday, June 18, 2023 and of course this is an appropriate day to honor dad in every way, including with a gift. Forget about getting him another tie; weve got some ideas for you here that hell surely love.

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Joan Jett and the Blackhearts - Mindsets

She told us a long time ago: She loves rock n roll! Joan Jett has really proven that notion over the years and she continues to do so nowadays with the release of the six-song EP Mindsets

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Sites and Sounds: Music Festivals Set to Rock St. Louis All Summer

St. Louis, Missouri will be a hot bed of musical fun this summer as the calendar for the area is packed with festivals with exciting lineups! It all begins with Twangfest which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

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Yes - Mirror to the Sky

Its always something special when Yes release a new album and the famed prog rockers have given fans another stellar release with Mirror to the Sky.

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Sites and Sounds: Tupelo Elvis Festival

Elvis Presley will be honored in Tupelo, Mississippi, his birthplace, with five days of music, an Elvis tribute artists contest, and other sorts of Elvis-related fun

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Live from Celebrity Theatre: Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band

We took in the first of two shows by Ringo Starr at the historic Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix.

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Sites and Sounds: Milwaukee Metal Fest

Milwaukee goes metal with shows by Anthrax, Unearth, Cephalic Carnage, Obituary and many others, including the mighty Lamb of God!

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Sites and Sounds: Jacksonville Jazz Festival

Spend the three-day Memorial Day weekend in Jacksonville swinging, grooving and be-bopping with stars like Ron Carter, David Sanborn, Chaka Khan and many others.

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Graham Nash - Now

Nashs last album featured the songs from his first two solo albums, both released five decades ago. So then its appropriate, in more ways than one, that his latest effort is entitled Now.

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What's Doing with Joe Bonamassa

Whats doing with Joe Bonamassa? What isnt! The popular blues rocker has a brand new live CD/DVD release out, two blues cruises in the works and a full slate of tour dates throughout 2023.

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Duff McKagan - This is the Song

As a founding member of both Guns N Roses and Velvet Revolver, Duff McKagan has certainly seen more than his share of lives going off the rails

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Sites and Sounds: Belize Songwriter Festival

Some of Nashvilles best songwriters will make the first annual Belize Songwriter Festival something to remember

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Root 66: Ian Jones- Arkansauce- Steve Dawson- The Petersens

For this installment of Root 66 Kevin tells us about new releases from Ian Jones, Arkansauce, Steve Dawson and The Petersens

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Mother's Day Gift Guide

Dont forget that Mothers Day 2023 is Sunday, May 14. Here we offer some very cool gift ideas that are sure to please mom, including eco-friendly and sustainable skin care products.

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Cinco de Mayo: Have A Fantastico Fiesta With These Items

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on May 5 and that falls on a Friday this year, so what better reason do you need to celebrate all weekend long?

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Stephen Stills - Live at Berkeley 1971

This previously unreleased live recording features 14 tracks culled from two shows that Stills performed at the intimate Berkeley Community Theater in late August of 1971

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Sites and Sounds: Schellraiser Music Festival

This June when the Schellraiser Music Festival takes flight, McGill will be the middle of everywhere!

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RockPile: American Jetset- Blak29- And More

Kevins takes a listen to new releases from American Jetset, Blak29, Ape Shifter and F8TLSTK

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Sites and Sounds: Daytona Beach is Rockville!

Daytona Beach has also been garnering fame as the home of Welcome to Rockville, one of the nations most-revered music festivals

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Live: Fatoumata Diawara Live In Phoenix

Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara and her four-piece band put on an exciting show April 21 in the Music Theater at the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix

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Sites and Sounds: Alpine Helen Songwriters Festival

Alpine Helen has been making a name for itself as the place to be to hear good music every spring when the Alpine Helen Songwriters Festival takes place

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Record Store Day Is on the Way!

Record Store Day takes place on Saturday April 22 and record stores will once again have tons of new collectible vinyl titles that will only be available in store

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Sites and Sounds: The Lake of the Ozarks is Ready to Rock!

Located in the heart of Missouri, the Lake of the Ozarks is renowned as the Midwests premier lake resort destination, and its no wonder!

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Sites and Sounds: George Jones Tribute Concert

George Jones legacy will be honored by more than 20 country luminaries at the cleverly-named one-night-only event Still Playin Possum

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The Kinks - The Journey - Part 1

This anthology from the Kinks includes material thats drawn from their early work in 1964 on through to 1975

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On The Record: Just the Hits Edition - The Police, Bryan Adams, Roxy Music and Little River Band

There are hits galore in this edition of our spotlight on new vinyl releases. Checking in with their biggest hits are the Police, Roxy Music, Bryan Adams and the Little River Band.

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Peter Case - Doctor Moan

Case was a founding member of fabled punk rock band The Nerves and his power pop band The Plimsouls had a memorable hit with A Million Miles Away.

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Travel News, Trips and Tips: Spring 2023

We like everything for travelers that we review here but were including something that we absolutely love! Forgive us if we rave a little bit!

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Hot In The City: More Arizona Spring Concerts

Theyre popping up like desert wildflowers! There are tons of good shows coming to Phoenix and Arizona this spring and here are some of our picks.

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Quick Flicks: Carly Simon - Live at Grand Central

Live at Grand Central is a great snapshot in time and will be cherished by Carly Simon fans.

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Travel News, Trips and Tips: Takulandirani - Malawi International Tourism Expo Coming to Lilongwe in April

The Malawi International Tourism Expo (MITE), also known as Takulandirani, will celebrate Malawis emergence as Africas newest tourism hot spot and showcase the real African experience.

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Passport: Keturah

In this edition of Passport we preview the debut release from Keturah, Malawis rising singing star.

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RockPile: Cold Stares, Eyelids, Dust Bowl Faeries and Juniper

RockPile unearths new releases from the Cold Stares, Eyelids, Dust Bowl Faeries and Juniper.

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Hot In The City: Arizona Upcoming Concerts Roundup Spring 2023

Our spotlight on the Phoenix and Arizona music scene features info on some of the exciting concerts coming to the Phoenix metropolitan area and produced by Danny Zelisko Presents

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Party Favors For St Patrick's Day

Have you got your Kiss Me Im Irish button located? Ready to drink a few mugs of green beer? Here we offer some new music for your St. Patricks Day celebration as well as a recipe for a new cocktail thats perfect for the day

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The Blues: Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Vanessa Collier, Kirk Fletcher

Our focus on blues music this time out features new releases from Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Vanessa Collier and Kirk Fletcher. And they have something special in common.

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Sites and Sounds: Beale Street Music Festival

A stellar lineup will be on hand to wow fans at the 2023 Beale Street Music Festival, set to take place on three stages in the Beale Street riverfront area of Memphis

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With Priceless Memories Made, Cayamo Sails to 2024 Sellout

If you were aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Pearl for this years Cayamo you would not be surprised to find out that the 2024 edition of the cruise sold out barely a week after cabins went on sale.

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Cayamo 2023 Hits the Islands: Fun Ashore in Tortola and St. Maarten

Dozens and dozens of concerts make sure that theres non-stop fun during the Cayamo cruise, a floating music festival and celebration of Americana music that this year took place Feb. 10-17

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Box Sets: Dokken - The Elektra Albums 1983-1987

Heres a chance for vinyl fans to really do some serious rockin with Dokken. This new box set collects the first four albums from the band, all released in the mid-1980s.

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Cayamo Cruise Begins with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Sail Away Show

The 15th edition of the Cayamo cruise got off to an auspicious start on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023 as the long-running Americana group Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (NGDB) had the honor of playing Cayamos sail-away show

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Sites and Sounds: The Big Easy Cruise will Celebrate New Orleans

Fans of cruising, great music and the city of New Orleans will be in for a real treat with The Big Easy Cruise, a new themed cruise produced by music cruise specialists StarVista LIVE

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On The Record: Suzi Moon - Dumb & In Luv

You may not be dumb but you will definitely be in love with this awesome party platter after just one listen; that is, if you like great punk pop with female lead vocals

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On The Record: Vinyl Moon

This time out our spotlight on vinyl features the Vinyl Moon label. The imprint is already a vinyl lovers delight, now theyre releasing titles with Augmented Reality!

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Adam Masterson - Time Bomb

Kevin takes a listen to Adam Mastersons new album Time Bomb

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Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

Here are some cool ideas for gifts for your Valentine, and yes we have chocolate!

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Jared James Nichols - Jared James Nichols

Nichols has a stated goal here of playing in different styles to reflect his influences and it works nicely, theres a very cohesive feel to the album.

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Quick Flicks: Creature From Black Lake

We screen a campy, vintage creature feature about a hairy humanoid!

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Box Sets: Amazing Grace: Country Stars Sing Songs of Faith and Hope

We listen to a fabulous collection of inspirational songs by country music stars both current and past.

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Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros. - Live in Colorado, Vol. 2

Founding member of the Grateful Dead Bob Weir continues to bring music to Deadheads by working with various entities

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Root 66: Sicard Hollow - Brightest of Days

But like the music of the Grateful Dead that its inspired by, just dig it and dont hurt your head trying to figure it out

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Heroes & Monsters - Heroes and Monsters

Many fans will be familiar with members of the trios lineup of singer and bass man Todd Kerns (Slash and the Conspirators), guitarist Stef Burns (Y&T, Alice Cooper) and drummer Will Hunt (Evanescence.)

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Bloodsucking Zombies from Outer Space - 2 Decades of Decay

Not yet hip to this delightfully-named Austrian shock rock outfit? Heres your chance to catch up as this set compiles the best of the bands English language material from the past 20-years.

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GETSOME! - Nothing Personal of Course

This Hollywood-based band begins their new album with the sublime groove of One Too Many

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David Crosby & the Lighthouse Band - Live at the Capitol Theatre

Longtime Crosby fans will be absolutely delighted that the singer has released his first ever live recording

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Root 66: Linda Ronstadt- The Flying Burrito Brothers- Danceland

For this installment of Root 66, Kevin takes a listen to new releases from Linda Ronstadt, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Danceland

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Travel News, Trips and Tips: Lou Malnati's Pizzeria Comes to Tempe

Our travel news this time out is hot and tasty! Its deep dish! Lou Malnatis Pizzeria has opened in Tempe, Arizona.

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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Live at the Fillmore (1997)

Heres a nice treat for fans of the late rocker as the 2-CD set Live at the Fillmore (1997) presents many hits along with a host of cover versions of famous songs that influenced Petty.

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Santa's Jukebox

Ho ho ho its almost time to go! Ive got my sleigh loaded, my reindeer well fed, and my playlist all set! Heres a peek at some of the tunes Ill be listening to as I make my rounds.

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Holiday Gift Guide: Rock Reads Edition Part 2

We suggest giving the gift of a music-related book this holiday season- here are six that are hits with us, including Elton John, Rob Halford, John Lennon, Sun Records, Frank Zappa and more.

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Holiday Gift Guide: More Stocking Stuffers

Still need a gift or two for your holiday celebrations? Here are a few ideas for you, including something that everyone can use --- an incredible device to help ease aches and pains.

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Holiday Gift Guide: More Great Gifts For 2022

Were pretty sure that someone on your list would love to have one or more of these goodies, and we begin our list with something just for folks who are always mixing things up!

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World Cup Have You Craving Qatar? Here Are Doha Highlights In Photos

Whether youve wanted to visit Qatar for a long time or have more recent yearnings stirred by watching the 2022 FIFA World Cup on television, Qatar and its capital city Doha are home to treasures both ancient and very modern

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Holiday Gift Guide: Rock Reads Edition Part 1 - Bowie- Beatles- Allman- More

If you have someone on your holiday gift list who loves music and loves reading about the folks who make it, here are some new books that theyll absolutely love!

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Holiday Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffers

Our stocking stuffer suggestions for this holiday season includes something that'll be a big hit with fans of the Beatles!

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Live from Celebrity Theatre: Dave Mason

Rock journeyman and founding member of Traffic Dave Mason brought his World in Changes Tour to Phoenix on November 19 for a show at the historic Celebrity Theatre

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On The Record: Night Crickets- Drowning Pool- Slinky Vagabond

Our spotlight on vinyl spins new releases from Night Crickets, Drowning Pool and Slinky Vagabond.

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Live: The Who Hits Back In Phoenix

One of the most-revered rock bands of all time thrilled a capacity crowd Oct. 30 as The Who brought their "The Who Hits Back!" show to the Ak-Chin Pavilion in Phoenix.

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Live: Dropkick Murphys Rock Phoenix

Boom! The sound of a simulated cannon shot rang out in the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Phoenix as a light show dazzled and Dropkick Murphys launched into the first song of their set, "Ten Times More."

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The Blues: Rory Block- Crystal Shawanda- Jimmy Carpenter- More

We spin hot new releases from Rory Block, Crystal Shawanda, Jimmy Carpenter and more!

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On The Record: Tobias Berblinger - The Luckiest Hippie Alive

The Luckiest Hippie Alive is a fine album from a talent that hopefully will not be overlooked again now that fans have a second chance with this reissue. Pressed on 180-gram vinyl.

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Root 66: New Riders of the Purple Sage- John Fusco- Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal

For this installment of Root 66, Kevin takes a listen to releases from New Riders of the Purple Sage, John Fusco, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal

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RockPile: Spotlight on Deko Entertainment

One of our favorite labels here at RockPile is Deko Entertainment who've recently released awesome records by Dianthus, Little Caesar, separate releases from former Blue Oyster Cult stars Joe and Albert Bouchard, pop star Tiffany and more

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Pat Travers - The Art of Time Travel

The Art of Time Travel thoroughly demonstrates that Travers is still adept at the art of guitar and fans will love it.

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Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown - Shake the Roots

All of the good things about Americana-tinged blues rock are here and new fans should be pleasantly surprised by Shake the Roots.

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Creedence Clearwater Revival - Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall

This live recording from 1970 took on a sort of mythical status as it was lost for 50 years and nobody really thought that it would ever be found and released. But miracles do happen

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Pink Floyd - Animals 2018 Remix

Pink Floyd's Animals was given the remix treatment in 2018 and is now available in 5.1 Surround Sound for the first time.

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Kevin's previous articles
 

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