From The Archives: The Meat Purveyors - Live on KUT 2002

Here's another I got a request to re-up because the sharebee site is malicious. This is a really good set. Anybody who likes bluegrass will surely dig this.


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How would I describe The Meat Purveyors, well "frantic lesbian bluegrass" is my favorite way to describe it. These guys are good, damned good. They take traditional bluegrass and add just the right amount of punk abandon to it. And did I mention they can play......some damn fined instrumentalists. Anyway, give it a listen if you dig bluegrass. Even if you don't dig bluegrass, give it a listen, they just might convert you.

Fans of "The Gourds" & "Bad Livers" will probably dig this as well.

MP3 @ 320

Download The Meat Purveyors - Live on KUT

Free Music Alert: Vanguard Records Holiday Sampler

Vanguard Records is offering up this free holiday sampler featuring Brandi Carlile, Josh Ritter, The Waton Twins, and many others (as you can see by the cover art).

Just go to the link below and give 'em your email (warning, you are also signing up for newsletters)

From The Archives: Steve Earle - Magnetised Motherfuckers & More Magnetised MFers

Been getting a few emails and comments about malware on Sharebee with some of my links. I stopped using sharebee a long time ago for that very reason. I am slowly going through updating the links when I do one of these From The Archives posts. If you run across one you want, let me know so I can update it.

This one I originally posted a little over 2 years ago and it's a huge, well done (and awesome) rarities collection of Steve Earle spanning from the beginning of his career up until Transcendental Blues. This is one mother of a collection and a must for any Steve Earle fan or fan of good music in general.
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OK, as promised....FINALLY! It took me a while to upload this as I was having technical differcations (to create a Bushism), but here it is....the massive Steve Earle rarites box. Comprised of 4 discs that are jam packed with Steve Earle heroin & high cholesterol goodness....that is, these tracks are pre 9/11 Steve, so we all know what that means (good stuff). Not that I have anything against his post 9/11 work, but I know alot of people do. So anyway, here it is. It's a collection of live songs, songs he cut for soundtracks or tributes, songs he guested on other peoples albums, songs from radio promos, Duets, Singles, etc...

Disc 1
1. Continental Trailways Blues (Steve Earle & The Dukes) (Planes, Trains And Automobiles Soundtrack, 1987)
2. Six Days On The Road (Steve Earle & The Dukes) (Planes, Trains And Automobiles Soundtrack, 1987)
3. Honey Don't (Steve Earle & Joe Walsh) (Beverly Hillbillies Soundtrack, 1993)
4. What's Your Name (Steve Earle) (Skynyrd Frynds, 1994)
5. Johnny Too Bad (Steve Earle & The V-Roys) (Steve Earle & The V-Roys: Johnny Too Bad CD Single, 1996)
6. Ellis Unit One (Steve Earle & The Fairfield Four) (Steve Earle & The V-Roys: Johnny Too Bad CD Single, 1996)
7. Johnny Too Bad (Steve Earle & The V-Roys; Jamaican Hillbilly Mix) (Steve Earle & The V-Roys: Johnny Too Bad CD Single, 1996 )
8. Crying, Waiting, Hoping (Steve Earle & Marty Stuart) (Notfadeaway: Remembering Buddy Holly, 1996)
9. Creepy Jackalope Eye (Steve Earle & The Supersuckers) (Steve Earle & The Supersuckers: Sub Pop EP, 1997)
10. Angel Is The Devil (The Supersuckers & Steve Earle) From Steve Earle & The Supersuckers: Sub Pop EP, 1997)
11. Before They Make Me Run (Steve Earle & The Supersuckers) (Steve Earle & The Supersuckers: Sub Pop EP, 1997)
12. In The Jailhouse Now (Steve Earle & The V-Roys) (The Songs Of Jimmie Rodgers: A Tribute, 1997)
13. Hot Enough For Ya (Steve Earle & Lee Rocker, Scotty Moore, D. J. Fontana) (All The King's Men, 1997)
14. Poison Love (Buddy Miller & Steve Earle) (Buddy Miller: Poison Love, 1997)
15. I Call On You (Julie Miller & Steve Earle) (Julie Miller: Blue Pony, 1997)
16. Dallas (Jack Ingram & Steve Earle) (Jack Ingram: Livin' Or Dyin', 1997)
17. Don't Take Your Guns To Town (Jerry Douglas & Steve Earle) (Jerry Douglas: Restless On The Farm, 1998)
18. Desperados Waiting For A Train (Nanci Griffith, Guy Clark, Steve Earle et al) (Nanci Griffith: Other Voices Too (A Trip Back To Bountiful), 1998)
19. Dirty Old Town (Bap Kennedy & Steve Earle) (Bap Kennedy: Domestic Blues, 1998)
20. Me And The Eagle (Steve Earle) (The Horse Whisperer: Songs From And Inspired By The Motion Picture, 1998)

Disc 2
1. Sunday Morning Coming Down (Kris Kristofferson & Steve Earle) (Kris Kristofferson: The Austin Sessions, 1999)
2. Love Match (Buddy Miller & Steve Earle) (Buddy Miller: Cruel Moon, 1999)
3. High Fashion Queen (Chris Hillman & Steve Earle) (Return Of The Grievous Angel: A Tribute To Gram Parsons, 1999)
4. Breed (Steve Earle & The Dukes) (Transcendental Blues (Japan), 2000)
5. Time Has Come Today (Steve Earle & Sheryl Crow) (Steal This Movie Soundtrack, 2000)
6. The Galway Girl (Sharon Shannon & Steve Earle) (Sharon Shannon: The Galway Girl CD Single, 2000)
7. Our Lady Of The Highways (John Wesley Harding & Steve Earle) (John Wesley Harding: The Confessions Of St. Ace 2000)
8. The Truth (Steve Earle) (Free The West Memphis Three, 2000)
9. Nebraska (Steve Earle & The Dukes) (Johnny Come Lately CD Single, 1988)
10. Little Sister (Steve Earle & The Dukes) (Copperhead Road CD Single, 1988)
11. State Trooper (Steve Earle & The Dukes) Chicago, IL, 15-Aug-1986 (Back To The Wall CD Single, 1989)
12. Dead Flowers (Steve Earle & The Dukes) Calgary, Canada, 14-Apr-1989 (The Other Kind UK CD Single, 1990)
13. Copperhead Road (Steve Earle & The Dukes) Calgary, Canada, 14-Apr-1989 (Steve Earle & Energy Orchard HMV Promo, 1990)
14. I Ain't Ever Satisfied (Steve Earle & The Dukes) Calgary, Canada, 14-Apr-1989 (Steve Earle & Energy Orchard HMV Promo, 1990)
15. Guitar Town (Steve Earle & The Dukes) Calgary, Canada, 14-Apr-1989 (The Other Kind UK CD Single, 1990)
16. When Will We Be Married? (Steve Earle & The Dukes) London, England, 29-Nov-1988 (BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert, 1992)
17. Hard-Core Troubadour (Steve Earle & The Dukes) Henning, TN, 26-Jun-1996 (Hard-Core Troubadour US Promo CD, 1996)
18. White Freight Liner Blues (Steve Earle) (Rig Rock Deluxe: A Musical Salute To The American Truck Driver, 1996)
19. Ellis Unit One (Steve Earle) Boulder, CO, 22-Sep-1996 (E-Town Live, 1997)

Disc 3
1. Copperhead Road (Steve Earle & Peter Rowan, Roy Huskey Jr., Norman Blake) (American Songbook, 1997)
2. Sorry Dwayne (Steve Earle & The Dukes) (More Than I Can Do CD Single (Australia), 1996)
3. You Know The Rest (Steve Earle) Nashville, TN, 1-Oct-1997 (The Fairfield Four & Friends: Live From Mountain Stage, 2000)
4. Valentine's Day (Steve Earle & The Fairfield Four) Nashville, TN, 1-Oct-1997 (The Fairfield Four & Friends: Live From Mountain Stage, 2000)
5. Christmas In Washington (Steve Earle) Nashville, TN, 14-Jul-1999 (Freedom Sings: First Amendment Center, 2000)
6. This Land Is Your Land (Steve Earle et al) Nashville, TN, 14-Jul-1999 (Freedom Sings: First Amendment Center, 2000)
7. Copperhead Road (Steve Earle & The Del Mccoury Band) Hamburg, Germany, 13-May-1999(The Mountain CD Single, 1999)
8. I Ain't Ever Satisfied (Steve Earle) Hamburg, Germany, 13-May-1999 (The Mountain CD Single, 1999)
9. Sin City (Steve Earle & The Bluegrass Dukes) Fargo, ND, 20-Aug-1999 (Transcendental Blues US Bonus CD, 2000)
10. My Uncle (Steve Earle & The Bluegrass Dukes) Fargo, ND, 20-Aug-1999 (Transcendental Blues US Bonus CD, 2000)
11. Copperhead Road (Steve Earle & The Dukes) Bristow, VA, 12-Sep-1999 (Farm Aid: Volume 1 Live, 2000)
12. The Galway Girl (Steve Earle & The Dukes) Austin, TX, 16-Mar-2000 (Transcendental Blues UK Bonus CD, 2000)
13. Steve's Last Ramble (Steve Earle & The Dukes) Austin, TX, 16-Mar-2000 (Transcendental Blues UK Bonus CD, 2000)
14. I Feel Alright (Steve Earle & The Dukes) Austin, TX, 16-Mar-2000 (Transcendental Blues UK Bonus CD, 2000)
15. Copperhead Road (Steve Earle & The Dukes) Austin, TX, 16-Mar-2000 (Transcendental Blues UK Bonus CD, 2000)
16. Until The Day I Die (Steve Earle & The Del Mccoury Band) Glasgow, Scotland, 16-Mar-1999
17. Sara's Angel (Steve Earle & The Bluegrass Dukes) Seattle, WA, 29-Aug-1999
18. Goodbye (Steve Earle & Emmylou Harris, Sharon Shannon) Washington, D.C., 13-May-2000

Disc 4 - More Magnetised Motherfuckers
1. Light In The Window (Greg Trooper) (Greg Trooper: Noises In The Hallway, 1996)
2. Love Is Never Equal (Jill Sobule) (Jill Sobule: Happy Town, 1997)
3. Losers Weep (Stacey Earle) (Stacey Earle: Simple Gearle, 1998)
4. Concrete And Barbed Wire (Lucinda Williams) (Lucinda Williams: Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, 1998)
5. I'll Keep It With Mine (Greg Trooper) (Greg Trooper: Popular Demons, 1998)
6. Open Your Window (Steve Earle) (Pay It Forward Soundtrack, 2000)
7. Neverland (Cindy Bullens) (Cindy Bullens: Neverland, 2001)
8. Candy Man (Steve & Justin Earle) (Avalon Blues: A Tribute To The Music Of Mississippi John Hurt, 2001)
9. Two Girls (Steve Earle & The Dukes) (Poet: A Tribute To Townes Van Zandt, 2001)
10. Walking Down Death Row (Steve Earle) (If I Had A Song... The Songs Of Pete Seeger Vol. 2, 2001)
11. Mercenary Song (Steve Earle, Guy Clark & Townes Van Zandt) Nashville, TN, 13-Sep-1995 (Together At The Bluebird Café, 2001)
12. Ft. Worth Blues (Steve Earle) Cambridge, England, 26-Jul-1997
13. Ellis Unit One (Steve Earle) (KGSR Broadcasts Vol. 6, 1998)
14. Goodbye (Steve Earle) (E-Town Show #9828, feed date 10-Jul-1998)
15. Hometown Blues (Steve Earle) (E-Town Show #9828, feed date 10-Jul-1998)
16. Raleigh And Spencer (Tim O'Brien, Steve Earle & Friends) Nashville, TN, 7-Jul-1999
17. Christmas In Washington (Steve Earle) Santa Rosa, CA, 2-Dec-1999 (Concerts For A Landmine Free World, 2001)
18. Halo 'Round The Moon (Steve Earle) (KGSR Broadcasts Vol. 8, 2000)
19. South Nashville Blues (Steve Earle) (KGSR Broadcasts Vol. 9, 2001)

MP3
Download Steve Earle - Magnetised Motherfuckers

Are You Ready For The (Pop) Country or, my saturday as a mass music listener zombie guy

So today I had Thanksgiving with the in-laws, and between my wifes ipod, the radio, and CMT I was hit with a barrage of music I spend most of my time trying to avoid. Here is a run down of some of the things I heard:

• "God is great, beer is good, people are crazy", that was one of the songs, and what a trite song. It's like the script from a movie a 12 year old would pitch to Adam Sandler. Hey.....so you go to a bar right, drink with this old man all night and talk vaguely of everthing....then okay....get this.....the guy is millionaire and is gonna die and leave everything to you instead of his kids.....which by the way he never talked about cause he was too busy talking about all the women he effed after he divorced their mom(s).

• Taylor Swift.

• Some Toby Keith song with, get this this....smoove sax. Yes, it was about somebody dying and of course waiting in heaven for him, but the kicker was the Kenny G like smoove sax grooves all over this thing. Is Toby trying to get back in that "safe" zone that pop country seems to cater too? Allright, mention God and heaven, we should have this locked. Geez that makes me lose what tiny respect I had for the man's character . And by tiny respect, I mean that literally....a very small amount of respect, and only because he did stand his ground and hold on to his opinions in a genre where "safe" is the word. And my beef with Toby is not because he sang pandering patriotic songs, or his feud with The Dixie Chicks, or his general douchiness. No my beef with Toby stems from an interview I read in which he stated that if it wasn't for him Willie Nelson would have been a has-been. Really Toby....way I see it if it wasn't for Willie you'd still have that shitty looking curly mullet on your head.

• Some guy doing a cover of Hall and Oates. Wow, with this song and the smooove sax of Toby I think pop-country might be going Yacht Rock.

• Tim McGraw must be going for the world record in shitty name dropping songs.

• Taylor Swift.

• Jason Aldean still sucks

• Miranda Lambert video for White Lies. You know I've always kinda just dismissed Miranda, but damned if this song wasn't enjoyable, also it had Jamey Johnson in the video as a preacher, and though the end of the song was a little forced and "safe" (there's that word again), it was better than anything else I was exposed to today (which could be the only reason I deemed it enjoyable). I also heard another Miranda track I dug off a compilation that Rockstar Aimz puts together recently and it was a cover of John Prine's "happy enchilada" song. I dug that too. Makes me wonder if her album is worth checking out. Hmm maybe I'll just talk my wife into getting it.

• Taylor Swift

• Now there was a silver lining in the days overexposure to shitty music. At one point I gained control of the remote and found a Bruce Springsteen concert on TV. A few minutes later everyone else left the room.....winner: Me!

and what the hell, let's celebrate black friday too....

I've posted this vid before, but really is there a more appropriate day to post this song than today? You can download this free (and great) album here: Deano Meats The Purveyors

Happy Thanksgiving, here's a little music

Someone asked me if I would be making a Thanksgiving sampler. Well I've thought about it before, but it's not going to happen this year, maybe next. What I can give you is a killer Thanksgiving song to tide you over.

This is Eric Rhame singing his song titled simply Thanksgiving Day off last year's Timber and Steel. Enjoy and hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving.

Listen to Eric Rhame - Thanksgiving Day here

Free Music Alert: Big Bullet Records - Terminal Ballistics Vol. 1

Big Bullet Records are a fairly new record label out of northern West Virginia. Recently they put out this sampler of some of there artists. Readers should be familiar with Prison Book Club and there are a couple other surprises on here. Now just a heads up this sampler spans many musical styles from the in-your-face rock of The Demon Beat, to gentle folk songs, to hip hop, it's a pretty eclectic mix.

Download Terminal Ballistics Vol. 1 here (click the picture)

Best (and worst) Album Art of 2009

One thing music geeks love to do is make lists. Just look around at all the music blogs on the internet, it's a virtual orgy of lists. So with that said I present to you another fricken' list!

Now, I am a big fan of album artwork. It is one of the reasons I love vinyl so much....those great big covers full of wonderful artwork, not to mention gatefolds and novelty covers (such as Sticky Fingers). CDs were not too bad either....nowhere near as nice as vinyl, but decent, and I especially enjoy when artists put something on the CD itself. Itunes however, with it's 3 inch display of what would otherwise be quality cover art, just doesn't do much for me. I remember the major reason I purchased a Zune media player a few years ago was for the fact that it had a large display screen that was dominated by the cover art. It drives me crazy when something doesn't have it's cover art on the zune too. Anyway, I guess I'm saying all that to get to my point here....I love album art. So without further delay here are my top 10 album covers of the year, followed by some I think are duds. This has nothing to do with the music, strictly from an album art appreciators standpoint.

1. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - s/t

I don't really know what this is...some kind of tree? Regardless it's my favorite album art of the year. [Edit: My sources on twitter tell me this album art was painted by 400 Unit guitarist Browan Lollar (view more of his artwork here). I think that makes it even cooler]

2. Slaid Cleaves - Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away

Love this painting on the cover. The guy is laying at a couple graves with a handkerchief with the title "Everything You Love Will Be Taken Away" underneath. My favorite part is the weeping willows.

3. Carolyn Mark & NQ Arbuckle - Let's Just Stay Here

Another cool painting, Carolyn Mark with a creepy expression because she likely chopped the heads off all the members of NQ Arbuckle

4. Drive By Truckers - The Fine Print

I love pretty much every album cover Wes Freed has done, especially the ones he's done for DBT. This one is no exception.

5. Bettysoo - Heat Sin, Water Skin

A cool stylized image of BettySoo herself. Really like the colors of this and the aura that's around her head (yeah, I'm not an art critic as you can tell)

6. Gretchen Peters with Tom Russell - One To The Heart, One To The Head

I am assuming this is a painting Tom Russell did. Just a cool cover, I almost put Tom's Blood and Candlesmoke but I like this cover a lot more.

7. Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

This one was on the worst list originally, but the more I look at it the more I find it endearing. Also, it's certainly memorable. Party Camel for life!

8. Joe Henry - Blood From Stars

I like this one because it reminds me of something O. Winston Link would have done.

9. Tim Easton - Porcupine

Cool painting by Tim Easton. I think I read he hand painted a limited number of vinyl releases of this album. Would love to see some pics of those

10. Kieran Kane - Somewhere Beyond The Roses

I'm not really sure what's going on here, some kind of collage or something but I like it.

Honorable Mentions to:

Cory Branan & Jon Snodgrass - s/t

This one is so bad it's good. I mean, it's a wolf....and a cobra. Also pyramids and snow mountains.

Prison Book Club - Required Reading

I just like this cover and didn't want to leave it out.

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Now for the worst ones:

The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You

I just think this one is creepy and weird. Also it reminds me of a Jethro Tull album cover.

Dave Rawlings Machine - Friend of A Friend

Speaking of creepy and weird, what's up with the look on his face? Did the camera man walk up on him doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing?

Jimbo Mathus - Jimmy The Kid

This one is on the worst list because there was a much better cover they could have used.

Scott Miller - For Crying Out Loud

I'm a huge Scott Miller fan, but not a fan of this cover...at all.

Gurf Morlix - Last Exit To Happyland

Again, I'm a huge Gurf Morlix fan but this cover is almost disturbing. Maybe it's an homage to Bela Lugosi or something.

Heartless Bastards - The Mountain

This one is just aweful, reminds me of a collage I would have done in high school art class at the last minute cause I was too busy sneaking off and getting high during class.

Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

What the hell is this? Why is she on the hood of some car? And what kind of car is that anyway?

BettySoo - Never Knew No Love (Acoustic) (vid)

The folks at Music Fog continue to capture amazing videos of amazing artists. This is one of them.

Album Review Roundup: Band of Heathens, Sons of Bill, Gabriel Sullivan, The Pines, Pieta Brown

First let me say that in all honesty I don't like doing album reviews. I prefer to let the music speak for itself which is why I do the seasonal samplers. But, saying that, the reviews do get a lot of continuing hits from people doing searches and the like, so I like to think they serve their own purpose of turning folks onto music they might like. So with that said I have A LOT of albums I need to review....but like I said, I don't like doing it so I let them stack up. Here is my compromise, a post of shorter album reviews all in one post. Kind of like how magazines used to do their quick reviews. All right, so with the boring information out of the way, let's do this.

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Band of Heathens - One Foot In The Ether

Sounds like the Black Crowes and Little Feat got together and decided to jam. These guys are great musicians in the pentatonic classic rock style. The album kicks off with L.A. County blues which is one of the best odes to Hunter Thompson I believe I've ever heard. Standout tracks include the bluesy Golden Calf, the soulful country of What's This World, the "she talks to angels" type ballad, Let Your Heart Not Be Troubled, the little feat-ish funk of Somebody Tell The Truth, and an amazing cover of Gillian Welch's Look At Miss Ohio.

Buy Band Of Heathens - One Foot In The Ether here

Listen to Band of Heathens - Let Your Heart Not Be Troubled

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Sons of Bill - One Town Away

Well here is a review that is long overdue, and truthfully I'm glad I waited. Why, well because at first I liked the album but thought it to be too slick sounding. I still think it's a little slick sounding, but I quickly got over that after repeated listens. What I call "slick" others would call "well produced". The thing that immediately grabbed me about this album were the well crafted lyrics and melodies. Particularly the line in Broken Bottles "Hank Williams might have been a lovesick drinker, but being a lovesick drunk don't make you Hank". Lyricism such as that is all over this thing, and as I alluded to in the opening sentences, this album is a grower for me. Sons of Bill are recommended if you like Reckless Kelly and Scott Miller.

Buy Sons of Bill - One Town Away here

Listen to Sons of Bill - Joey's Arm

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Gabriel Sullivan - By The Dirt

Here is another one I'm glad I waited to review. I will admit at first I was a little underwhelmed with this one. However last week this album popped up on an MP3 disc in my truck and damn it hit me hard at just the right time. This is a great album though a little off the beaten path. The blurb sheet that came with this album said something like "sounds like Tom Waits fronting The Black Keys" and I would say that is a very apt description. I would also like to compare him to a less rustic, slightly jazzier William Elliot Whitmore. Little bit of a New Orleans thing going on here with the clarinet and song structures...but it works out good with Gabe's weathered voice. The absolute highlight of this album is without a doubt the duet with Brittany Dawn House Built On Love. Check out Gabe Sullivan's blog here.

Buy Gabriel Sullivan - By The Dirt here

Listen to Gabriel Sullivan - House Built On Love here

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The Pines - Tremolo
Man this album is fantastic. Full of bluesy folky goodness and some of the finest yet most subtle slide guitar ever laid to wax. The Pines are one part songwriter David Huckfelt, and one part songwriter Benson Ramsey, who is the son of Greg Brown sideman and producer Bo Ramsey (who also produced this album). I'm guessing that's where he gets his killer guitar chops. This is their second album, and shows a band that has matured quite a bit since their debut album. While that album was a good listen, I would call this album a MUST listen. Great songwriting, great playing, great production, just an all around great album. I tell you what it kind of reminds me of.....if Gurf Morlix had produced a mid 70's Bob Dylan album.

Buy The Pines - Tremolo here

Listen to The Pines - Pray Tell here

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Pieta Brown - Shimmer

Speaking of Greg Brown, longtime readers to ATS should be familiar with his daughter Pieta. This album is a 7-song EP (the second EP in two years) and it's mainly focusing on Pieta's folkier side. I will say this EP is a little more laid back than 2007's Remember The Sun which was one of my favorite albums of that year. But put this album side by side with last year's Flight Time EP and it makes perfect sense, as that album was full of her faster more rocking songs. I would recommend both of these EP's really, though I'm more of a fan of the Flight Time EP, I just think Pieta is best when she adds in a little electric guitar and up's the sultry twang thing. In my opinion the strongest song on here is Lovin' You Still which sounds like a reworking of In My Mind I Was Talking To Loretta off Remember The Sun.

Buy Pieta Brown - Shimmer here (Buy Flight Time here)

Listen to Pieta Brown - Lovin' You Still here

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Ok, guess I will stop there.