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Matthew Perry’s stepfather comments on arrests: “We look forward to justice taking its course”

Matthew Perry‘s stepfather Keith Morrison has opened up about the recent arrests made in connection to the Friends actor’s death. Yesterday (August 15), five people were arrested in connection with Perry’s death, including his personal assistant and two of his doctors. US federal authorities held a press conference in Los Angeles and stated that their investigation had uncovered a “broad criminal network” of ketamine suppliers that “took advantage” of Perry’s addiction issues. The actor was found dead at his Los Angeles home on October 28, aged 54. An autopsy report ruled his manner of death to be accidental and showed that he died from the acute effects of ketamine, with contributing factors including drowning. Now, Morrison – Perry’s stepfather and correspondent for Dateline NBC – has shared a statement about the arrests. “We were and still are heartbroken by Matthew’s death, but it has helped to know law enforcement has taken his case very seriously,” he wrote. Advertisement Keith Morrison speaks onstage at the Featured Session: “Dateline 24/7: How the True Crime Powerhouse Became a Podcast Empire” (Photo by Sean Mathis/Getty Images for SXSW) He continued: “We look forward to justice taking its course and we’re grateful for the exceptional work of… Read More →

Hit Singles

Inside our free Big Star CD

HAVE A COPY SENT DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR “Rock’n’roll,” sang Alex Chilton on 1972’s “Thirteen”, “is here to stay…” We couldn’t agree more, so it’s a real honour to present Out Past Midnight: A Big Star Sampler, a compilation of hand-picked tracks from one of the greatest bands of all time. With this CD, we’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of Big Star’s Radio City, along with the live tribute shows later this year, and marking a half-century since Chris Bell set out on his solo career with I Am The Cosmos – but really, there’s no need for an excuse to immerse yourself in Big Star. You can read more about Chris Bell and that incredible, harrowing solo record in the same issue, dated October 2024 (it’s out in UK shops now, or available to buy online), but in the meantime spin these 10 tracks and chart the group’s journey from power-pop perfection on 1972’s #1 Record to the more unhinged, rawer grooves of 1974’s Radio City, and finally the expansive, avant-garde obliteration of Third, recorded in late ’74 and first released four years later. Advertisement We hope you dig this sampler as much as we do, whether you’re revisiting… Read More →

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Former Great White singer Jack Russell has died, aged 63

Jack Russell, the former singer of American glam rock band Great White, has died at the age of 63. The singer’s death was confirmed by his family on social media, who wrote that he “passed peacefully” in the presence of his family and friends on Thursday, August 15. His family also confirmed that “details of a public memorial will be announced at a later date”. They wrote in the announcement post: “Jack is loved and remembered for his sense of humor, exceptional zest for life, and unshakeable contribution to rock and roll where his legacy will forever thrive.” Jack Russell’s death comes just under a month after he announced on Instagram that he would be retiring from touring due to medical complications. “After a recent diagnosis of Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) and Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), I am unable to perform at the level I desire and at the level you deserve. Words cannot express my gratitude for the many years of memories, love, and support.” Russell is best known for his time in Great White, which he co-founded in 1977. The band experienced the height of their success in the late 1980s with two albums that went platinum: ‘Once… Read More →

Hit Singles

Introducing…The Ultimate Music Guide: Page & Plant

The song remains the same – but also different A tough act to follow, Led Zeppelin. And as you’ll read in the latest Ultimate Music Guide, just because you were Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, the band’s main songwriters, didn’t mean that you found it easy. For Robert Plant, in the first place it meant retrenching in the past: gathering some bandmates from 15 years ago, and songs even older than that. The mission? To shake out the cobwebs round Britain’s university venues with a band he called the Honeydrippers. Jimmy Page meanwhile hit the rehearsal rooms with Chris Squire from Yes, and plans for another supergroup. Advertisement Plant’s willingness to deviate from the accepted path has characterised his music since, making his own way – falteringly at first – and then more confidently charting his course through a solo career made from the base elements of folk, psychedelia and world music. Page solo recordings have been fewer and more widely scattered, as he has dedicated much of his creative life since to preserving the Zeppelin legacy. It’s something that even 30 years ago, he was talking about as his “life’s work”. Zeppelin, of course, remained in the pair’s DNA. In… Read More →

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Blink-182 fan goes viral for disastrous attempt at singing ‘First Date’ on stage with band

Blink-182 brought up a fan to sing ‘First Date’ at a recent show and her disastrous attempt on vocals has ended up going viral. From video footage captured of the performance, it appears the fan got mixed up between songs and seems to be attempting ‘All The Small Things’ instead of ‘First Date’. She ended up going silent after a few seconds of singing. Nonetheless, the band carried on, with Mark Hoppus leading the crowd in a group singalong. Tom DeLonge, meanwhile, was spotted at the side of the stage trying not to laugh. Check it out below: @blink182italia Some days are f*cked and cannot be unf*cked, but props to this girl for even having the guts to get on stage in front of 17,000 people. I could never! And props to Mark, Tom, and Travis for handling this so gracefully! 🙏 🎥: Visual_Strategy7737 / @Kim / whatblock ♬ suono originale – blink182italia Advertisement Last week, DeLonge made light of a harsh review of Blink-182’s headline set at Lollapalooza, in which local outlet The Daily Illini called the band “cringeworthy”. “Why are two older men, aged 52 and 48, respectively, who have wives and children, making jokes about sleeping with the… Read More →

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IDLES announce Bristol War Child benefit gig with Stewart Lee, 86TVs and more

IDLES have announced a special hometown show in aid of War Child, with 86TVs, comedian Stewart Lee and more serving as support. Find all the details below. The band are due to headline the O2 Academy in Bristol next Saturday (August 24), following their appearance at Victorious Festival the previous day (23). Crosstown Concerts, Friendly Records and War Child UK have teamed up to host the fundraising gig, which will include a live performance from 86TVs and Zalizo (ЗАЛІЗО in Ukrainian, meaning Iron/Metal), as well as a DJ set from Bristol native Boca 45. Acclaimed comedian Lee is set to host the one-off evening of music. Advertisement Tickets go on general sale at 10am BST tomorrow (Friday August 16), priced at £50. You’ll be able to buy yours here. At the show, fans can enter a raffle draw to win some “one-of-a-kind prizes”. Tickets for this will cost £5, with all funds raised going to War Child. There will also be some limited-edition merchandise for sale. Rich Clarke, Head of War Child Records, said: “War Child is hugely grateful to the artist community for coming together to create this amazing night of live music at O2 Academy Bristol. Recommended “So… Read More →

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Sofia Vergara wants to do a ‘Modern Family’ movie before Ed O’Neill dies

Sofia Vergara has said she would be open to doing a Modern Family movie, but only as long as co-star Ed O’Neill “doesn’t die”. The Colombian-American actress, 52, played the trophy wife Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on the hit ABC sitcom for all 11 seasons, alongside her on-screen husband O’Neill, 78. Vergara told Variety that she would consider getting the Modern Family team back together, following the show’s conclusion in 2020. “I’d die to be on that set,” she said. “It’d be so much fun. A TV movie, maybe?” Advertisement The cast of ‘Modern Family’. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo. She did make clear that there would be one non-negotiable factor in her decision: O’Neill must be alive to see the day. “I always joke with him, ‘Ed, don’t die, because if we do the sequel, it will take some time, and you’re the oldest of us. You can’t be dead.” At the start of the year, Vergara appeared to dismiss the possibility of a Modern Family reboot. During an appearance on the Tonight Show, she spoke about hosting a reunion party for the show’s cast and whether it made her want to team up with them again. Recommended “No, it’s only been… Read More →

Hit Singles

Laurie Anderson – Amelia

Amelia Earhart was the pioneering American aviator who, among her many achievements, became the first women to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1932. She led the way in other areas too, using her fame to champion women’s rights, including the Equal Rights Movement, endorse commercial air travel, write bestselling books, take on sponsorship deals and, more broadly, promote her passions in public. She had the ear of President Roosevelt and blazed a trail for women in an industry where female pilots and mechanics are still woefully underrepresented. JIMI HENDRIX, A BIG STAR CD, GILLIAN WELCH, FONTAINES D.C. AND MORE – ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE NEW UNCUT HERE! On Amelia, Laurie Anderson tells the story of Earhart’s life as she makes her fateful attempt, in 1937, to circumnavigate the world in a Lockheed Model 10-E Electra plane. It’s a riveting tale anyway, straight out of an Indiana Jones movie, but Anderson – who was first commissioned to work on this back in 2000 and has performed versions of it, on and off, since then – puts herself in Earhart’s position, right in the cockpit, so that we experience the journey as a daily diary inspired by Earhart’s own pilot… Read More →

Hit Singles

Mark Lanegan Band – Bubblegum XX

The urge to disentangle certain charismatic artists from the mythos that clings to them is as eternally irresistible as it is futile. Interviews and memoirs are useful for this only if the subject/narrator is 100% reliable; the internet, teeming with wild opinions and purported truths, is no place to look for verification. Which is why a combination of cultural romanticism and institutionalised trust still has us looking to an artist’s songs for clues as to who they “really” are. As someone drawn to the dark side – well documented, not least of all in his unflinching autobiography Sing Backwards And Weep – Mark Lanegan is often the subject of “authentic self or projected character?” enquiry, as if the entire value of his recordings post-Screaming Trees rests on the answer. JIMI HENDRIX, A BIG STAR CD, GILLIAN WELCH, FONTAINES D.C. AND MORE – ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE NEW UNCUT HERE! It’s an odd thing to ask of someone who didn’t exactly burn through a wide range of personas in their career and barely tweaked their artistic expression. If Lanegan’s years of sombre reflection, the bleak and unshowy poeticism of his lyrics and borderline uncomfortable live performances point to anything, it’s… Read More →

Hit Singles

I’m New Here – Jacken Elswyth

Jacken Elswyth was always likely to be an alternative folk musician. Until recently, her parents were members of the band Sproatly Smith, at the centre of Herefordshire’s ‘Weirdshire’ folk scene; they’re also the two guests joining Elswyth on her new album, At Fargrounds. “It’s not exactly a standard narrative,” she smiles. “My parents aren’t old folkies who sang in folk clubs while I was young. We’re both approaching folk from a slightly oblique angle and doing something a bit strange with it. But it does mean that there is a connection there to the image of traditional song being something inter-generational.” JIMI HENDRIX, A BIG STAR CD, GILLIAN WELCH, FONTAINES D.C. AND MORE – ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE NEW UNCUT HERE! Elswyth started out making drone-based guitar improvisations as a teenager but stopped performing for several years due to full-time commitment to a doctorate in anthropology at Sussex University. “I was playing banjo through that time,” she says, “but just in my room, on my own.” When she returned to music with focused intent, the folk tradition was core to her interests, but with an experimental edge she’d gleaned from listening to ‘free folk’ artists like Six Organs Of… Read More →

Hit Singles

The confounding young Scotland

When Josef K were promoting a retrospective compilation in 1987, they were asked about the title. Why was it called Young And Stupid? “Because we were,” they replied. Since then, the Edinburgh band’s mystique has only grown, and their slim catalogue has been endlessly reappraised. The fact that Josef K’s music was released on Postcard Records has been a help and a hindrance. The group were outshone by the more flamboyant Orange Juice, and the label’s sock-drawer Svengali Alan Horne sometimes gave the impression he had signed them by mistake. JIMI HENDRIX, A BIG STAR CD, GILLIAN WELCH, FONTAINES D.C. AND MORE – ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE NEW UNCUT HERE! Josef K’s meteoric career is explored in Johnnie Johnstone’s new biography Through The Crack In The Wall, while the broader question of the label’s influence informs Grant McPhee’s book Postcards From Scotland, which builds on the filmmaker’s Scottish indie documentaries Big Gold Dream and Teenage Superstars. For Johnstone, discovering Josef K was “one of those Velvet Underground moments. Why had no one told me about them? Everything about them – the awkward, slightly forced smiles and ill-fitting suits, the oblique imagery of the lyrics, the frenetic angularity of their… Read More →

Hit Singles

Introducing the new Uncut: Jimi Hendrix, a Big Star CD, Gillian Welch, Fontaines D.C. and more

NOT long before we started planning this Jimi Hendrix cover story, I found myself playing Running The Voodoo Down! Explorations In Psychrockfunksouljazz 1967–80, a great compilation from 2017 that explored black America’s response to the volume and possibilities of psychedelic rock. Along with George Clinton, Sly Stone and Miles Davis, Hendrix casts a sizable shadow over the proceedings – either in a very overt sense, like the way the Isley Brothers segue from CSNY’s “Ohio” into Hendrix’s “Machine Gun”, or else as a galvanising force, whose questing and progressive imperative encouraged others to follow his example. We visit some of the music Hendrix made in his final creative outpouring, as part of Peter Watts’ cover story that digs into his fecund, if ultimately tragic, 1970. “He was the first person we knew who had stepped outside of the status quo,” recalls one former friend. “He was the spirit of the music.” JIMI HENDRIX, A BIG STAR CD, GILLIAN WELCH, FONTAINES D.C. AND MORE – ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE NEW UNCUT HERE! There’s more, of course. Stand by for the welcome return of some very old friends of Uncut – Gillian Welch and David Rawlings and Mercury Rev – artists… Read More →

Hit Singles

Uncut – October 2024

HAVE A COPY SENT DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Fontaines DC, Yes, Jack White, John Mayall, Nick Cave, Chris Bell, Thurston Moore, Mercury Rev, Cass McCombs, Lone Justice, David Crosby, Lawrence, Steve Van Zandt, Paul Heaton, Brown Horse and more all feature in Uncut‘s October 2024 issue, in UK shops from August 16 or available to buy online now. All print copies come with a free Big Star CD featuring 10 tracks of power-pop perfection, rarities and alternate mixes! Advertisement INSIDE THIS MONTH’S UNCUT: JIMI HENDRIX: In June 1970, the completion of JIMI HENDRIX’s own Electric Lady Studios in downtown New York unleashed a surge of unbridled creativity. Just three months later, he was gone. As a new film and box set explore Hendrix’s final sessions, friends, bandmates and studio staff consider how Electric Lady inspired everyone who entered its softly lit sanctuary. “They were free to create,” engineer Eddie Kramer tells Peter Watts. “I never saw Jimi so happy.” GILLIAN WELCH & DAVID RAWLINGS: After a devastating tornado strike, GILLIAN WELCH and DAVID RAWLINGS have spent four years bringing their beloved Nashville studio back to life. As a new masterpiece arrives,… Read More →

News

Lou Reed’s songwriting work before Velvet Underground compiled for new album

Lou Reed‘s songwriting work for Pickwick Records in the mid-1960s is being compiled into a single album – find out more below. READ MORE: The Velvet Underground review – revisionist doc reworks narrative of New York rock and rollers Before founding The Velvet Underground, Reed worked as a songwriter for Pickwick Records. Now, the songs that he penned during his stint at the company in the mid-1960s have been compiled for a new album: ‘Why Don’t You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-65’. The compilation album is due for release on September 27 via Light in the Attic, in partnership with Laurie Anderson and the Lou Reed Archive. You can now pre-order the album in various packages. As suggested by the album’s name, ‘Why Don’t You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-65′ will comprise of the material that he had worked on between those two years. The album’s opening track is The Primatives’ ‘The Ostrich’ that features Reed on lead vocals. Advertisement You can listen to it below. [embedded content] The tracklist for ‘Why Don’t You Smile Now: Lou Reed at Pickwick Records 1964-65’ is: Side A1. The Primitives – ‘The Ostrich’2. The Beachnuts – ‘Cycle Annie’3. The… Read More →

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Bicep’s Matt McBriar recovering after brain tumour surgery: “I’m feeling incredibly grateful and lucky”

Bicep‘s Matt McBriar has revealed that he is recovering after having a brain tumour surgically removed sharing he’s “incredibly grateful and lucky.” READ MORE: Bicep talk new single ‘Water’ and share what’s next: “We want to spend a few years experimenting” McBriar – who makes up one-half of the electronic dance duo alongside Andrew Ferguson – took to his official Instagram to share a photo of himself in a hospital gurney wearing an oxygen mask and holding up the horns sign. In the post’s caption, he revealed that he recently underwent brain tumour surgery and is in the process of healing. “Towards the end of 2023, I got some intense localised headaches matched with a weird fatigue that felt new. I got several blood tests in spring 2024 which came back indicating that something was wrong, so my GP arranged an MRI followed by a CT scan,” he began in the caption. Advertisement He continued: “Unfortunately, they told me they had discovered a large, and pretty rare Craniopharyngioma tumour on my pituitary gland (in my brain). The good news is firstly, it’s almost certainly not cancerous and secondly, I’ve caught it in the earlier stages of damage. I’d been very lucky… Read More →

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Megadeth perform rarity ‘Liar’ for first time since 2006

Megadeth have performed ‘Liar’ live for the first time since 2006 – watch footage of the performance below. Last Friday (August 9), while performing in Inglewood California, the legendary Dave Mustaine-fronted thrash metal band broke out the ‘So Far, So Good… So What!’ song live for the first time in 18 years. The song, takeen off their 1988 third studio album, ranks among the least-performed tracks in the band’s repertoire – it has only been played live 10 times in the 2000s, 27 times in the 1990s, and 36 times in the 1980s. Before launching into the song, Mustaine asked the California crowd: “I have a question for you – I have a question for everyone tonight. How’d you like us to play a song that we have played in about 20 years.” Advertisement Watch Megadeth perform ‘Liar’ below. [embedded content] In June, the band’s newest bassist James LoMenzo revealed that Megadeth are “actively” working on new music. It comes after the band split with longtime bassist David Ellefson on the back of allegations against him. Recommended In 2021, allegations against the former Megadeth bassist surfaced following the release of several explicit screenshots and videos on social media. At the… Read More →

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Police share update on investigation into Dutch Eurovision contestant Joost Klein expelled hours before final

Police in Sweden have said they have dropped its investigation into a backstage altercation involving Dutch Eurovision contestant Joost Klein. Klein – who was set to represent the Netherlands with his song ‘Europapa’ – was disqualified from the contest in Malmö, Sweden just hours before this year’s finale (May 11). At the time, police stated that the decision was made after he was accused of making verbal threats towards a female member of the production crew. In a new statement, the Swedish Prosecution Authority said the investigation had discovered that “the man made a movement that hit the woman’s film camera,” and added that “the course of events was fast and was perceived differently by the witnesses of the incident.” Senior prosecutor Fredrik Jönsson added: “I cannot prove that the act was capable of causing serious fear or that the man had any such intention.” The incident marked the first time that an act had been disqualified after reaching the Grand Final in the competition’s 68-year history and, before his disqualification, the 26-year-old singer was named as one of the favourites to win. [embedded content] After news of his disqualification, Dutch broadcaster Avrotros said it was “shocked” by the decision,… Read More →

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Former FIFTY FIFTY members sign with new label, to re-debut “later this year”

Former FIFTY FIFTY members Saena, Aran and Sio have signed with a new label, MASSIVE E&C, and have plans to re-debut as a new trio sometime this year. South Korean entertainment company IOK Company announced in a statement to NewsEn earlier today (August 12) that it has launched a brand-new subsidiary label called MASSIVE E&C, with all three former FIFTY FIFTY members as its first signed artists. According to the outlet, Saena, Aran and Sio are slated to begin their new chapter as a “global girl group later this year”, per translations by Soompi. The company also teased that the “team behind the success of ‘Cupid’” are behind the trio’s forthcoming return to music, however remained tightlipped about further information. IOK Company also announced that the upcoming re-debut of the three K-pop idols is part of its plan to “strengthen its presence in both domestic and international music markets and to solidify its status as a major player in global entertainment.” Advertisement “We plan to fully support these talented and passionate members to help them achieve even greater success worldwide,” the company wrote in their statement. “We aim to create a new success story in the global market.” In June 2023, the original… Read More →

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Museum receives backlash after Nirvana exhibition claims Kurt Cobain “un-alived himself”

A museum in Seattle has been criticised over a Nirvana exhibition which states that Kurt Cobain “un-alived himself”. Read More: Krist Novoselic on 30 years of ‘In Utero’ and using AI to restore Nirvana music Cobain lost his life to suicide on April 4, 1994. He was 27 years old. According to photos posted online from the Museum of Pop Culture exhibit, a placard states that “Kurt Cobain un-alived himself at 27” before it goes on to explain that a host of other artists of the same age also died under tragic circumstances including Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. Another placard also explained the use of the term “un-alive”, stating: “In the digital age, social media influences how online communities engage in discussions, particularly around sensitive topics like mental health. There’s a placard next to it that talks about the social context of “unalive” in how people talk about mental health but this is still stupid pic.twitter.com/iKA30ECUW7 — ブランドン (@burandon_sama) August 9, 2024 Advertisement “One example is the term ‘unalive’, which has emerged online to describe death by suicide or homicide. Users on social media platforms created this term to navigate around algorithms that censor content related to mental health and… Read More →

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Flavor Flav gets his own Olympics-themed Funko POP! doll

Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav has been immortalised with his own Olympics-themed Funko POP! doll. The hip-hop legend’s involvement with the US Olympics team is being celebrated with the limited-edition item that will only be available until August 16. Named ‘POP: Team USA USAWP Flavor Flav’, orders can be placed this week, with shipping estimated in December. Each sale will include a donation to Team USA’s Water Polo fund. You can buy yours here. He becomes the latest music figure to receive the honour, following on from the likes of Ice Spice, The Cure, Slipknot, Liam and Noel Gallagher, The White Stripes, Metallica, Post Malone and the late Eddie Van Halen. Hype man for the USA fans! You wanted him, so here he is: POP! Team USA USAWP Flavor Flav is live for pre-order – and to celebrate a donation will be made to Team USA – USA Water Polo. So dive in and show your support! https://t.co/2hhi8BJwn3 #FunkoPOP #TeamUSA #FlavorFlav pic.twitter.com/G36tDu2pIl — Funko (@OriginalFunko) August 9, 2024 Advertisement Flavor Flav has been heavily involved in the Paris Olympics, becoming one of the surprise viral hits of the games as the “official hype man” for the US women’s water polo team. [embedded content] Recommended “This is quite an… Read More →

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André 3000 says the Kendrick-Drake feud made him “a little sad”

André 3000 has shared his thoughts on the Kendrick-Drake beef, saying the whole saga left him feeling “a little sad”. The OutKast legend, who last year took an artistic left turn with his instrumental jazz flute album ‘New Blue Sun’, discussed the rap feud of the year in a recent interview with Crack. “I got a little sad, at a certain point,” he explained. “In early rap battles, you had kids in the park rapping against each other. But it’s not just people rapping now. You got people with 100 employees. You have livelihoods, empires, companies, deals — all of it can be jeopardized. If you don’t have anything to lose, sure, go for it. But if I already made it, I’m not sure it’s even worth it anymore.” [embedded content] Advertisement André is not the first hip-hop luminary to express their suspicions about the beef – Questlove called it “wrestling match level mudslinging and takedown by any means necessary”, while Jay Electronica and Vince Staples have also waded in. Last month, André also shared his thoughts on the current generation of rappers, arguing that a lot of them “sound the same”. Speaking about OutKast‘s time in the Dungeon Family –… Read More →