Category: Special

And the Winner of NYS Music’s March Madness 2022 is….

HANZOLO! The indie group with an explosive, emotional sound mixing soul, jazz, rock and funk, hail from Cooperstown, and bested Albany’s Fine Grain en route to winning the finals of NYS Music’s March Madness 2022.

HANZOLO, hailing Cooperstown – where 5 of the 7 members attended Cooperstown High School – formed in 2016 after playing in a variety of groups from high school and into college. The group’s name derives from the name of a samurai, Hanzo, and a certain science-fiction cowboy.

Band members include Carl Loewenguth (vocals, guitar), Nick Summers (keyboard, trumpet), Jack Loewenguth (bass), Nate Olmstead and Sebastian Green (drums), James Matson (trombone), and Joey Katz (keyboard, saxophone)

Since forming, HANZOLO have opened for bands like Lawrence, Wild Belle, and *repeat repeat. They released their first album Table Butter in 2019, an apt title given they have been compared to Table Butter: soft enough to spread yet hard enough to keep its shape.

As COVID-19 led to a music industry shutdown in 2020 and most of 2021, the band took the time to refine their second album, HANZOLO. In September 2021, the group won the EQX Battle of the Bands and opened Albanyâs annual Pearlpalooza music festival.

They have played regularly in NYC at The Delancy and Rockwood Music Hall, and look to expand their audience in coming months with festival appearances that are soon to be announced.

Closer to home, HANZOLO play regularly in Albany at Lost and Found, as well as Ommegang Fire Pit Fridays in the summer, Black Oak Tavern and Foothills PAC in Oneonta.

The self-titled second album was released on Christmas Day 2021, the result of a Kickstarter campaign that netted over $14,000. With COVID sidelining the band from touring, they used the time to put more focus on the quality control of the album and launch the band into their next phase in a well-timed manner.

They’ve also got a selection of HANZOLO merch you can pick up here.

HANZOLO 2022 Tour Dates

April 8 – Arts Gala at The Madison Theater, Albany

April 14 – Pauly’s Hotel, Albany (with JDolla)

April 24 – The Range, Ithaca (with Q-Tip Bandits)

April 27 – Lark Hall, Albany (with Q-Tip Bandits & E-Block)

June 11 – Cooperstown Blues Express, Cooperstown

Congratulations HANZOLO, NYS Music’s 2022 March Madness Winner!

Since 2015, NYS Music has crafted a friendly March Madness competition that spans all musical harbors of the Empire State. As fans and musicians, the NYS Music team aims to spotlight the great talent found across New York in a friendly contest, bringing broader attention to the next generation of artists and bands on the rise. March Madness 2022 highlighted 64 bands and artists you might not know, but should know, as these homegrown talents are making waves through the New York State. Review each round below.

Round One

Round Two

Sweet 16

Elite 8

Final 4

Finals – HANZOLO vs. Fine Grain

HANZOLO joins previous NYS Music March Madness winners include Organ Fairchild (2021), Black Mountain Symphony (2018), Root SHOCK (2017), Sprocket (2016) and Lucid (2014).

Our sincere thanks to the sponsors of NYS Music March Madness 2022 – Bearsville Theater, Funk n Waffles, DSP Shows, The Helping Friendly Hemp Company, The XPerience Monthly and Mirth Films.

March 29, 2022
NYC-Based Indie-Pop Singer Aubrey Haddard Announces New Single and Album

NYC-based indie-pop singer-songwriter Aubrey Haddard announced her second LP, Awake And Talking, out August 16. She also shared the first single from the project “Just A Wall” along with a music video.

The album is about Haddard’s self-examination and how she navigates love and her relationship to art. Her biggest influences for the album came from the greatest songwriters of the 90s, like Oasis and Björk. With her writing partner and multi-instrumentalist Charley Ruddell and drummer Josh Strmic, they all wrote the songs in rehearsal spaces and Haddard’s childhood upstate home. She spoke about the album, and the deep meaning it has for her.

Awake And Talking is about seeking a sense of purpose. It challenges perception – how many ways can you look at the world before you find your place in it? It is about destiny and the journey to self-acceptance. And, like anything I create, it is about my own personal experience over the past few years. This record makes me feel powerful and confident in the face of uncertainty and it brings me a lot of joy to know that it could offer a sliver of that to anyone listening.

The new single “Just A Wall” is bold and emotional, with mesmerizing electric guitar riffs as she proudly sings the lyrics “Now that you’ve gone and shattered the glass…Whose arms do you run to?”

Aubrey Haddard, photo by Emmysu.

Aubrey Haddard’s new album Awake And Talking is out August 16, and her new electrifying single ”Just A Wall” is out now.

March 28, 2022
Dee Snider Releases Video in Support of Ukraine

Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider releases new video for his song “Stand” in support of Ukraine.

Photo Credit: Randy Frieder

The video is retitled “Stand (with Ukraine)”. The new version includes live footage from the conflict currently going on in Ukraine.

About a week ago, it hit me that the song “Stand” from my last Napalm Records album, ‘Leave a Scar’, fit the crisis in Ukraine perfectly. I just couldn’t get around how well the lyrics resonated. So, I had a couple of incredibly talented people, Scott Pitek and Steve Sage Goldberg, cut together a new video using some live concert footage and news clips. The result is devastating.
Dee Snider

The idea for the new music video came after someone reached out to Snider to tell him that Ukrainians were using Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as a battle cry.

“About a month ago, someone on social media told me people in Ukraine were using Twisted Sister’s ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ as a battle cry and asked if I was cool with it,” said Snider. “Of course I was.”

Snider gained significant media attention after a tweet endorsing the use of “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as a pro Ukraine anthem went viral. Since then, Dee Snider contributed to relief fund World United Live to raise awareness and money for the victims of the conflict in Ukraine.

“At [World United Live] we have been beating the drum for the free world to come together not only in support of Ukraine and condemnation of Putin, but in sending a message to the Russian people that they are misinformed and not being told the truth,” explained Snider.

The organization is planning a benefit concert in support of Ukraine that it hopes will be the world’s largest.

March 27, 2022
Marco Benevento Announces New Studio Album, Shares “Marco & Mimo”

Marco Benevento has announced a brand new full-length studio album, Benevento, which drops June 10th via Royal Potato Family. Accompanying this exciting news, Benevento’s newest single, “Marco & Mimo,” is available for streaming now.

Additionally, Benevento has announced that they will be touring this April and June with a stop at Abilene Bar and Lounge in Rochester.

“Marco & Mimo,” the first single from the album, contains three songs. On it, Benevento blends groovy funk bounce with psychedelia, creating a beautiful blend of these two formative 80s genres. The vocals on the tracks further transport you into this window of time Benevento creates, transporting the listener back forty years. The single reeks of personality only Benevento can create and his talent shines through. My personal favorite, Winter Rose, has snappy instrumentation, mind-bending keys, and entrancing vocals that make for a magnificent listen.

The entire album was recorded in Woodstock at Fred Short Studios during the pandemic, and the sounds emitted from Marco & Mimo pay homage to Woodstock’s iconic psychedelic culture and history.

In addition to his new album, Marco Benevento has also announced a list of upcoming shows:

4/7 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair

4/8 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground

4/9 – Fairfield, CT – Stage One

6/22 – Rochester, NY – Abilene

6/23 – Pittsburgh, PA – Thunderbird

6/24 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom

6/26 – Rothbury, MI – Electric Forest Festival

7/1 – Scranton, PA – Peach Music Festival

7/3 – Quincy, CA – High Sierra Music Festival

9/3 – Portland, ME – Ghostland Festival

Tickets and limited edition bubblegum pink and classic black 180-gram vinyl are available at marcobenevento.com.

March 26, 2022
The Finals of NYS Music March Madness 2022

We have arrived at the Finals of NYS Music’s March Madness 2022. 64 bands we brought together, to build their name and share their sound with a wide audience. And now we are down to the final two bands, with a unique New York sound.

Since 2015, New York State Music has crafted a March Madness friendly competition that spans all the musical harbors of the Empire State. As fans and musicians, the NYS Music team aims to spotlight the great talent found across New York in a friendly contest, bringing broader attention to the next generation of artists and bands on the rise. March Madness 2022 highlights 64 bands and artists you might not know, but should know, as these homegrown talents are making waves through the New York State. Check out the Final 4 here.

Enter your email address, get to know the bands, and vote for your favorites below!

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Fine Grain – Albany

Fine Grain floats in a purgatory between shoegaze haze and punk posturing. Their post-punk brilliance runs deep with exceptional songwriting and performances of every member of the band. With prog-inspired riffs, post-punk murk, and the occasional ripping sax solo, fine grain offers up rambunctious reverie fit for hardcore fans of all generations. Fine Grain’s maturation is a testament to the transformative possibility of punk, showing how pulled threads of the past can still stitch together a promising new future.

Fine Grain is currently in the studio at Brunswick Recording, working on new music, and have been incorporating visual projections that sync up to their music, intensifying the experience for fans.

HANZOLO – Upstate

HANZOLO, hailing from Upstate NY, won the EQX Battle of the Bands and opened Albany’s annual Pearlpalooza music festival in 2021. They have opened for bands like Lawrence, Wild Belle, and *repeat repeat. The boys released their first album Table Butter in 2019 and followed it up with their second, HANZOLO, in the fall of 2021. Hanzolo’s music has been compared to Table Butter: soft enough to spread yet hard enough to keep its shape.

Upcoming HANZOLO shows include April 8 at Madison Theater in Albany, April 14 at Pauly’s Hotel, April 24 at The Range in Ithaca and April 27 at Lark Hall.

The polls are now closed. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, March 29 at 10am.

NYS Music has partnered with businesses across New York State to highlight these 64 up and coming bands. Regional sponsors include Funk n Waffles, a premiere music venue in Syracuse established in 2007 with a unique take on the culinary and entertainment industries, offering a wide variety of gourmet waffles and breakfast food, as well as offering live music every night! Bearsville Theater in Woodstock is where Americana was born – where Dylan took folk music and married it to Rock & Roll. where folk went electric, and where Janis took a breath and recuperated, before launching her hurricane energy and heart stopping songs out into the world. Renovated in 2019-2020, Bearsville Theater has an impressive calendar of shows for Hudson Valley music lovers.

DSP Shows based in Ithaca, NY and Northampton, MA, is one of the leading independent concert promoters in America, with shows at venues including State Theatre of Ithaca, Hangar Theatre, The Haunt, Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, Brewery Ommegang, Asbury Hall, The 9th Ward at Babeville, and Daryl’s House among others. The Helping Friendly Hemp Company offers a wide variety of industry leading products including tinctures, soft chews, and hemp flower, using only USA grown hemp extract.

The winners of each region will be rewarded with a collection of prizes worth $3000. Partners for NYS Music’s March Madness 2022 include Mirth Films from Albany, a music news/entertainment outlet that specializes in original video content and live streaming, with news coverage ranging across the whole country, who will provide a professional multi-camera recording session at The Palace Theatre in Albany for the winning band, premiering exclusively on Mirth Films.

The XPerience Monthly is the greater Capital Region’s alt-monthly newspaper, bringing independent music and thought provoking articles to the area. The XPerience Monthly will feature the winning band in a newspaper profile and interview this summer.

Check out Past Years’ NYS Music March Madness Here

March 26, 2022
Say She She, Brooklyn Based Trio Release New Single “Blow My Mind”

Brand-new Brooklyn-based trio, Say She She, have released their sophomore single “Blow My Mind.” The song follows their debut single and video “Forget Me Not” – both tracks have earned early support from KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic. Both tracks will be released together as a 45 via Colemine/Karma Chief Records.

Photo by Milton Arellano

Named as a silent nod to Nile Rodgers (C’est chi-chi!: It’s Chic!”), Say She She, an all-female “discodelic” soul band. Their unique sound is inspired by late 70’s girl groups with the three strong female lead voices of Piya Malik (featured in El Michels Affair, and backing singer for Chicano Batman), Nya Gazelle Brown, and Sabrina Cunningham.

Artwork by Alyssa Boni

The Brooklyn-based three-part harmony girl group have been making their way throughout the New York City scene for a couple of years now. Their sophomore song is about returning to reignite the fire of a former flame/love you still have. “‘Blow My Mind’ is about a love that you can’t seem to get rid of and you can’t quite get enough of,” explains Say She She member Nya Gazelle Brown.

The pandemic inspired the band, after spending time recording their LP on old tape machines in the basement studios of friends, the Summer of 2022 will see their much-awaited debut album. As they raise in popularity, their songs have garnered over 8.8 million streams, you will not want to miss out on this dynamic trio.

As Say She She, they have appeared in Brooklyn Paper and Bushwick Daily. Separately, the members of the band have been covered in: The Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Billboard, Pitchfork, NPR, Pop Matters, Paste Magazine, Brooklyn Vegan, American Songwriter, have toured extensively with Chicano Batman as backing singers doing everything from Coachella to Tiny Desk, and performed at Gilles Peterson WorldWide Awards in London.

Listen to “Blow My Mind” HERE

March 25, 2022
Le Big Zero Releases Third Single “Coda” Off Upcoming Album ‘A Proper Mess’

Brooklyn-based band Le Big Zero released their third single, “Coda,” off the anticipated album A Proper Mess that is set for release on April 8, 2022.

The forthcoming album is filled with a high-energy cocktail of garage rock and off-kilter punk. Le Big Zero’s previous album was released back in 2019 called Ollie Oxen Free. Since the prior album, Michael Pasuit and Carolina Aguilar the vocalists of the band continued to explore the humorous energy of monotony and anxiety in the modern age for the new album.

The new album gives the outlook of uncertainty of a messy love-letter and the ability to just keep moving forward. The third single, “Coda” comes from the story of Michael Pasuit’s previous band, X-Ray Press’s discarded track with correspondence to band breakups such as Fleetwood Mac, the Clash, or Oasis.

With “Coda” we were looking to create a live band concept that didn’t take place in a traditional venue and had a bit of a playful vibe. The creative process for the video was pretty collaborative with Michael and I sharing ideas back and forth before landing on the final concept of Le Big Zero playing their hearts out for an underwhelmed kid.
-Jeanette D Moses (Music Video Director)

Le Big Zero’s second album is a blend of ’90s garage rock with a twist of poppy structures. The band was originally founded by Michael Pasuit (vocalist and guitarist) and later Carolina Aguilar joined him an additional vocalist.

Prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, the band began recording the new album. The tracks on the album are paired together, fo example the first two singles that have been released “Horror Movie Pie Fight” and “Beach Seance” both give a sense of absurdity and abstraction. The uniqueness of the album, “A Proper Mess” offers an edge that can’t be broken down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIwBQRoYnRQ

March 25, 2022
Darro Deals With Heartbreak in New Single ‘Phoning In’

Brooklyn native, Darro, has returned with his newest single ‘Phoning In’. The pop punk track features artist Michael Meaney.

Produced by Kris Crummett, who has also worked with artists like Dance Gavin Dance and Sleeping With Sirens, ‘Phoning In’ embodies the anxiety of an ending relationship. Darro brings his personal experiences into the writing process, but still allows Michael Meaney to incorporate his own technique.

By incorporating early 2000’s inspired pop punk with electric instrumentals, this relatable single is the perfect addition to your breakup playlist. The deep Paramore influence brings listeners back to their most juvenile breakup to reminisce on the final moments of an ill-fated relationship.

Darro’s 2020 album, Song of Recovery, has received praise and critical acclaim from the likes of Billboard and Medium, as well as ranking #11 on the iTunes Rock Album chart.

Fans can expect Darro’s next album, Accidents, to drop this coming Fall. He will also be going on tour this July and fans can keep up with all his activities here.

Tour Schedule :

7/1 – Pittsburgh, PA

7/2 – Chicago, IL

7/3 – Cincinnati, OH

7/4 – Nashville, TN

7/5 – Atlanta, GA

7/7 – Charlotte, NC

7/8 – Washington, DC

7/9 – Lancaster, PA

7/10 – Allentown, PA

7/11 – Asbury Park, NJ

7/15 – Boston, MA

7/16 – Philadelphia, PA

7/17 – New York, NY

March 24, 2022
Watch the Stop moe.tion Animation “All the Way Down”

Long Island art teacher Brian Baker has released his second stop moe.tion brick film, “All The Way Down,” featuring LEGO versions of moe. and their fans.

Still image from “All The Way Down” by Brian Baker

Baker’s first stop moe.tion animation, “moe.rons on parade,” captured the spirit of a moe. show in LEGO form. This animation follows moe. on an adventure to visit guitarist Chuck Garvey as they prepare to practice for their upcoming tour. Chuck, as any proper moe.ron knows, spends his free time lording over the underworld in his role as Satan. The project was begun in June of 2021, before recent medical issues have sidelined Chuck, who continues to recover.

I send this project out into the universe with nothing but love and the best of intentions for his recovery.
Brian Baker

Continuing this project gave Baker a chance to build upon “moe.rons on Parade” and also improve on the original. As Baker looked back on his first ever ‘brick film,’ he saw many little things that he could do better, from the timing of the photos to the pacing of the story and the general plot itself. While Baker shared his work is a long throw from being a professional production, ‘All The Way Down” has polish to it that the first one lacked. And still, he continues to find joy in his work, noting “I still get a laugh watching segments for the 100^th time.”

Still image from “All The Way Down” by Brian Baker

Baker began work on “All The Way Down” in June of 2021, and by August he began filming. Using a camera that would focus throughout the whole more than 10,000 picture production, Baker planned more for his second go around.

I did a lot of research on other brick films and learned how to pull off some different tricks. I learned how to incorporate green screen. I spent a lot of time practicing walk cycles. I thought of different materials that could be used for effects such as tissue paper and stained glass. A lot of little challenges and problems arose along the way that I needed to find solutions to, but that’s half the fun.
Brian Baker

As the project progressed, ideas evolved and grew as the story took on a life of its own. Going into the last few minutes of screen time, Baker had no idea how to wrap everything up and pull it all back together. While he never considered himself a “storyteller,” he found it tough to keep everything moving forward in an understandable and entertaining way.

Still image from “All The Way Down” by Brian Baker

Besides a personal challenge and creation for Baker, “All The Way Down” also serves as a great teaching resource for his 9^th grade animation class.

I am planning to chop this up into smaller “gag” segments that I can use in class to help my students get ideas for their own brickfilms. Students have already started working on learning basic movements like walking and picking up objects. I am hoping some of them can get into some advanced animation techniques. Some students have definitely been bit by the animation bug. It is very rewarding when a student comes in and shows their teacher what they were working on at home over the weekend “just for fun.”

Baker thanks and gives credit to moe.rons who shared info and lyrics as well as thoughts about their experiences with the band in the past year, as well as friends who helped proofread the story. He looks forward, along with many other moe. fans, seeing the band back on stage this summer at City Bisco in Philadelphia and at the Great South Bay Music Festival in July.

March 24, 2022
The Final Four of NYS Music March Madness 2022

And then there were four…. Welcome to the Final Four of NYS Music’s March Madness 2022, featuring up and coming bands from around New York State, all coming to a local music venue near you.

Since 2015, New York State Music has crafted a March Madness friendly competition that spans all the musical harbors of the Empire State. As fans and musicians, the NYS Music team aims to spotlight the great talent found across New York in a friendly contest, bringing broader attention to the next generation of artists and bands on the rise. March Madness 2022 highlights 64 bands and artists you might not know, but should know, as these homegrown talents are making waves through the New York State. Check out Round 4 here.

Enter your email address, get to know the bands, and vote for your favorites below!

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Bearsville Theater Region Winner
Fine Grain

Fine Grain, a shoegazy punk band from Albany took both the red and blue pills with a Genny and got banned from Trader Joe’s. The girthy tones of this gritty group will remind you of late nights on a stoop in September, your first beer after work, weird questions about your parents cephalopods, and of course, the crushing weight of capitalism.

Fine Grain is currently in the studio at Brunswick Recording, working on new music, and have been incorporating visual projections that sync up to their music, intensifying the experience for fans.

Funk n Waffles Region Winner
Gooseberry

Gooseberry is a 4-piece band from Brooklyn, born during the Fall of 2019. Their combination of indie rock and soul is a recipe for a unique sound that Gooseberry delivers in each song. The band consists of Asa Daniels (formerly of Baked Goods) on guitar/vocals, Evin Rossington (drums), Sam Rappaport (keys, vocals), and Will Hammond (bass). The band is a genre-bending alchemy of many disparate elements. They are often referred to as having “two bands in one.” This phenomenon can be attributed to the distinctly different approaches of their two chief songwriters—Asa and Sam.

New on the block, Gooseberry has already begun developing a devoted following in and around New York City, running the full gamut of venues from The Bowery Electric to DROM to house shows across the boroughs, quickly staking their claim in the ever-lively Brooklyn music scene. Fans know they’ll be kept on their toes, as the band moves in and out of genres and styles, always keeping the crowd engaged. Upcoming shows include Thursday, March 24 with Grady Spencer & The Work at Hill Country in NYC, then at Bowery Electric on April 14 and at The Knitting Factory on May 21.

DSP Shows Region Winner
Seize Atlantis

Seize Atlantis has a unique, tight sound fueled by punchy bass, hard-driving percussion, melodic lead guitar, and pronounced moody vocals with meaningful lyrics, a truly dynamic range of soft to heavy Alternative Rock. Formed in 2019 out of Glens Falls, Seize Atlantis is a four-piece band most closely influenced by bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam, providing their own spin on a variety of covers from classic rock to modern pop in addition to their own original music.

Catch them on Friday, March 18 at Mean Max Brew Works in Glens Falls, April 10 at Fitzgerald’s in Fort Edward, and on April 22 at Empire Underground with Under the Den, Bad Mothers, and Sydney Worthley. Watch “The Unstoppable Groove” below.

The Helping Friendly Hemp Company Region Winner
HANZOLO

HANZOLO won the EQX Battle of the Bands and opened Albany’s annual Pearlpalooza music festival in 2021. They have opened for bands like Lawrence, Wild Belle, and *repeat repeat. The boys released their first album Table Butter in 2019 and followed it up with their second, HANZOLO, in the fall of 2021. Hanzolo’s music has been compared to Table Butter: soft enough to spread yet hard enough to keep its shape.

Upcoming HANZOLO shows include April 8 at Madison Theater in Albany, April 14 at Pauly’s Hotel, April 24 at The Range in Ithaca and April 27 at Lark Hall.

Voting for the Final 4 has closed. Stay tuned for Championship Round starting on Saturday March 26 at 10am, ending Sunday, March 27 at 11:59pm!

NYS Music has partnered with businesses across New York State to highlight these 64 up and coming bands. Regional sponsors include Funk n Waffles, a premiere music venue in Syracuse established in 2007 with a unique take on the culinary and entertainment industries, offering a wide variety of gourmet waffles and breakfast food, as well as offering live music every night! Bearsville Theater in Woodstock is where Americana was born – where Dylan took folk music and married it to Rock & Roll. where folk went electric, and where Janis took a breath and recuperated, before launching her hurricane energy and heart stopping songs out into the world. Renovated in 2019-2020, Bearsville Theater has an impressive calendar of shows for Hudson Valley music lovers.

DSP Shows based in Ithaca, NY and Northampton, MA, is one of the leading independent concert promoters in America, with shows at venues including State Theatre of Ithaca, Hangar Theatre, The Haunt, Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards, Brewery Ommegang, Asbury Hall, The 9th Ward at Babeville, and Daryl’s House among others. The Helping Friendly Hemp Company offers a wide variety of industry leading products including tinctures, soft chews, and hemp flower, using only USA grown hemp extract.

The winners of each region will be rewarded with a collection of prizes worth $3000. Partners for NYS Music’s March Madness 2022 include Mirth Films from Albany, a music news/entertainment outlet that specializes in original video content and live streaming, with news coverage ranging across the whole country, who will provide a professional multi-camera recording session at The Palace Theatre in Albany for the winning band, premiering exclusively on Mirth Films.

The XPerience Monthly is the greater Capital Region’s alt-monthly newspaper, bringing independent music and thought provoking articles to the area. The XPerience Monthly will feature the winning band in a newspaper profile and interview this summer.

Check out Past Years’ NYS Music March Madness Here

March 21, 2022

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