Then And Now – MOGWAI
From the debut LP to the newest one
Band: MOGWAI
Who: Legendary Scottish
post-punk-rock ensemble.
Albums: 11
Debut
MOGWAI YOUNG TEAM
1997
Newest one
THE BAD FIRE
2025
Mogwai
MOGWAI – Scottish Noizz Old Timers Have Their 11th Album ‘THE BAD FIRE’ Out
24 January 2025
New album artwork
Scottish noise experts MOGWAI have their
11th LP, baptized THE BAD FIRE, out today.
Press info: “The Bad Fire was recorded at Chem19 studios in Scotland with
American Grammy Award winning producer John Congleton (St Vincent, Angel
Olsen, John Grant) joining the band in the studio for their eleventh album.
A Scottish colloquialism for Hell, The Bad Fire draws inspiration from a series
of tough personal moments that the band found themselves in following on
from their chart-topping tenth album, As The Love Continues.”
Pitchfork: “On their 11th album, the long-running post-rockers open up disarming,
uplifting new dimensions to their sound without veering too far from familiar paths.
Post-rock’s preeminent pranksters have become the sort of band who can now claim
they’re making happy songs for happy people and actually mean it.”
TUTV: Mogwai‘s sonorous concept and sonic approach hasn’t changed much over the years. The Scots still construct walls of electrical-symphonic sound and still manufacture quiet/Loud/quiet/Loud jams. I admit I was never a great Mogwai fan and this record will not change that. Definitely one for their huge fanbase.
SINGLES: Gods Get You Back / Lion Rumpus / Fanzine Made Of Flesh
– Gods Get You Back –
– Lion Rumpus –
– Fanzine Made Of Flesh –
ALBUM
Frontman STUART BRAITHWAITE About Why MOGWAI Was Always Different
3 January 2025
Now we know.
MOGWAI – Scottish Noise Rock Veterans Launch New Album In January – Hear Taster ‘LION RUMPUS’ Here
Daily noise that works faster than a stream of caffeine
7 November 2024
New album artwork
Last month Scottish veteran noise wizards MOGWAI released a mesmerizing, orchestral piece of music, titled God Gets You Back, that circles around a piano/synth riff on and on for almost 7 minutes. But without further information.
Now the Scots offer a second new track, named LION RUMPUS with the news of a new longplayer their 11th one. It’s baptized THE BAD FIRE. It’ll come out on 25 January 2025.
“We’ve dealt with a lot of loss and in Barry’s case a serious family illness with one of his
daughters. Getting back together to write and record this record felt like a refuge and with
John Congleton we feel that we’ve made something special. We often hear from people that
our music has helped them get through hard times in their lives and for once I think it applies to us as well.”
Lion Rumpus is a multi-layered jam, fully instrumental, but rawer
and far more charged, with dueling guitars, than the previous song.
Tour 2025
TURN UP THE VOLUME’s JUKEBOX 2024 – 10 New Tracks Added Every Week
Every week 10 new rad tracks added
In order to not miss a beat Turn Up The Volume scans the musical
horizon daily (doing it for years now, actually) to stay in touch with
all new things sonically great and shares the results on a weekly
basis.
FULL JUKEBOX (so far)
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The 10 new ones added this week
TRACK-BY-TRACK
Band: BABY SCHILLACI
Who: Welsh alt-act producing a raw, unfiltered sound. Rooted in post-punk
and noise, the band’s aggressive yet intricately layered compositions evoke
comparisons to seminal acts like Mclusky, At the Drive-In, and Fugazi.
Track: BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA
A barbed slice of mayhew from their upcoming
debut album ‘THE SOUNDTRACK’ in 2024.
TUTV: This Welsh foursome is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of
the most excited bands my ears have experienced lately. Fact! Think
Sonic Youth going forth and back, and finishing with a flabbergasting finale.
Fucktastic.
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Linktree – Spotify
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Photography by Dimitri Tzoytzoyrakos
Band: LAFRANTZ
Who: The culmination of a journey that began in Salt Lake City,
where two kindred spirits, Jack and Meg, united by their love for
music, decided to chase their dreams together in Los Angeles.
FFO: Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, and The Allman Brothers Band.
Track: RATTLESNAKE
Press info: It’s a modernized, Southern rock n’ roll inspired pop track. The move-inducing wild and raucous song is brought to life through a determined, foot-stomping beat, catchy lyrics and twangy instrumentation.
Advice from the duo: “Blast this song when you’re in the car with your windows down and wanting to feel like a badass, when you’re at a party with your friends wanting to DANCE, or when you’re on a dusty desert road-trip wanting to feel like an outlaw.”
TUTV: No, it’s not the White Stripes but Lafrantz cause the same adrenalized delirium with this fantastic debut banger. The sultry harmonica, the glam vocals, the wham bam bloody wham bam drones combine for a solid gold knockout. Don’t miss the fireworks.
Instagram – Spotify
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Band: PIXIES
Track: MOTOROLLER
Cut from their upcoming 9th album, titled
The Night The Zombies Came and out
on October 25.
TUTV: No retirement yet for the Boston legends. After almost 40 years, the band hasn’t
the same stupefying force anymore (well, they’re 40 years older), but still come up with infectious tunes that resonate from the get-go. I wonder if Francis has already found his mind.
Instagram – Spotify
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Artist: ELIAS RøNENNEFELT
Who: Frontman/songwriter of
Danish indie outfit Iceage.
Track: WORM GREW A SPINE
Piece from his upcoming solo debut LP.
TUTV: It’s the third shared track, and all 3 are guitar-poppy earworms with
an instant yes-yes-yes impact which promise more cracking things to come.
Instagram – Spotify
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Artist: PETER PERRETT
Who: Frontman of British legendary
new-wave band The Only Ones.
Track: DISINFECTANT
From his forthcoming, second solo full-length,
called ‘The Cleansing‘ out on November 1st.
TUTV: The 72-year-old only one rocks out as if he’s 22 again. Disinfectant is an utterly cool, straightforward rocker. Listen up, all you ambitious upstarts out there, and take notes.
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Instagram – Spotify
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Band: ESCAPE GOATS
Who: Fresh indie trio
from Glasgow, Scotland.
Track: COWARDS
Their 4th one.
Press info: “Cowards” is a high-octane anthem that rips through the false bravado
and empty promises of a generation hiding behind masks. With fiery guitars and raw, unapologetic lyrics, this track calls out the pretenders and fair-weather friends, daring them to show their true colours in a world full of fakes.
TUTV: Hello Hüsker Dü fans, attention. Escape Goats‘s vigorous verve and reckless
drive remind me of the electrical panache of the former Minnosota noise rock heroes.
No-nonsense commotion. Fast-forward swiftness without looking back. Spot-on!
.
Instagram – Spotify
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Photo by Sara May
Band: BONNIE TRASH
Who: Italian-Canadian twins, Emmalia and Sarafina Bortolon-Vettor,
who beef out their sound with adding two new members.
Track: KISSES GOODBYE
Ace piece from their brand-new EP
My Love Remains The Same.
Press info: There’s a subtle softness to “Kisses Goodbye,” yet the energy is fully commanding with a catchy riff chugging us through. Bonnie Trash shows off their skill
with tight percussion and a heavy bass line. Squealing electric guitar, distortion, and harsh noise give a rough edge to this shoegaze-y track, while Sarafina’s airy and intimate vocals show off the band’s impressive ability to genre-hop from heavy metal to soft rock and everything in between.
TUTV: Layers of distorted guitars. Shoegaze echoes. Kisses Goodbye gets under your skin within 10 seconds and takes you on an entrancing trip juiced with dreamy vocals. Right on.
Band: MOGWAI
Track: GOD GETS YOU BACK
Barry Burns (multi-instrumentalist): “I couldn’t come up with the lyrics
so I asked my 7 year old daughter to make some up, and she did and I
sang them”
Are you kidding us, Barry?
TUTV: Scottish post-punk heroes are around for ages, actually since 1995, and still
appeal with every new release. This stand-alone single goes on like forever – 6,40 minutes – and rotates incessantly with Krautrock-like dynamics. For all fans: the band embarks on a world tour next year. Dates here.
Instagram – Spotify
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Photo by Gary Conway
Band: HOLLY HEAD
Who: Fresh, outspoken indies
from Manchester, UK.
Track: NO GAIN
The group’s stellar debut single.
Expect fringing post-punk, flirting with dance and suffusing no little funk into precious
few minutes of an incessant, rug-cutting “Afrobeat Curious Post-Hardgaze”, the four-piece transmit the crucial sounds of a raging, wide-awake, no more bullsh*t society.
Joe (vocals/guitar) says: “I was in a police cell in Scotland after getting arrested for disrupting the Scottish Grand National in April 2023. I could request a piece of paper and a pen to write or draw to keep me sane, whilst waiting to be released. I used the piece of paper that I got given about halfway through to write drafts of about two lines, one being eventually “I may not see what I want before I leave here, but I can’t regret in the cell I sit” – just trying to console myself that even though I’m in this unpleasant situation now, it won’t be for nothing. There’s also a jab at the royal family in there.”
TUTV: I hope that Joe gets arrested again soon and goes to jail, long enough to write an album. Meanwhile this head-twisting, bass-infused, vocally stand-out will mess-up your troubled mind the way you like it. Hells bells.
Linktree
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Band: SOFT SKIES INC
Who: Philadelphia-based identical-twin duo and longtime musical confidants
Ryan and Martin Rex, their shared sonic compass draws a straight line from the
classic alternative of their youth to the modern alternative and dream-pop of today.
Track: SOONER OR LATER
A song of hope, riding those tender waves of nostalgia, understanding that a loss of innocence comes with age but that we emerge from the other side with newfound perspective and awareness.
Ryan: “‘Sooner or Later’ is filled with bittersweet nostalgia for a time in one’s life that was innocent and free. I think no matter your circumstances, most can point to a period, usually younger years, where the world feels open, limitless, profound – before ‘real life gets in’. The song both lyrically and sonically reminisces about this time and laments the fact that we all get mangled – even under the best of conditions – and that sooner or later this is inevitable. And that somewhere deep down, we all know it’s inevitable.”
TUTV: Melodic guitar pop at its Sebadoh best. Uptempo shoe-slacker-gaze
spiced with scintalling synths and ethereal vocals. Start dreaming in overdrive.
Right now, right here.
Turn Up The Volume’s 20 KNOCKOUT TRACKS Of The Month – MAY 2022
A stream of rattling rippers, jagged jams, and romantic reveries
All 20 knockouts together on Spotify…
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Knockout by Knockout…
1. ‘Shaman’ by THE CHRONICLES OF MANIMAL AND SAMARA (London)
Shaman progresses like a vicious viper working its way to a grandiose climax. Determined, but always wary of sudden danger. Shaman dumbfounds and flummoxes while the song’s tension intensifies and has a spine-chilling effect. From the duo’s upcoming album Trust No Leaders, out 1st of July.
Watch the grandiose video clip…
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2. ‘Welcome To Hell’ by BLACK MIDI (UK)
The band’s third LP, baptized Hellfire is ready for release on 15th July.
The first single is a screwy zig-zagging masterstroke doing your head in.
Hell yeah…
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3. ‘It’s The Truth’ by DION LUNADON (New Zealand)
Echoes like a neurotic chainsaw flare-up.
A roaring riff slashes and thrashes throughout this psych-o-tic hellraiser. Add Lunadon‘s freakish vocals and you know that this brainbreaker will test the resilience of your stereo. Fucktastic! From new album Beyond Everything
Probably your favorite nightmare…
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4. ‘Zick Zack’ by RAMMSTEIN (Germany)
The bombastic German metal machine have
a new, their 8th, longplayer out, called Zeit.
Their same old recipe still works.
My fav sledgehammer on the LP is Zick Zack.
Ridiscouly infectious
Great Scheiße shit!
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5. ‘Troglodyte’ by VIAGRA BOYS (Sweden)
The Swedish mavericks have their 3rd full length Cave World out on 8 July.
But first this hot-blooded straightforward snorter. Gabba Gabba Viagra!
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6. ‘Nice Guy’ by FAB THE DUO (Los Angeles)
“Be You. Be Proud. And Be Loud!” is the duo’s motto.
So, I guess you know what to expect.
Sounds like a punked-up Weezer juggernaut.
This bang-on master blaster is bitch of a slam dunk.
Get up, stand up and fight for your right to be a nice guy…
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7. ‘Striking Like Thunder’ by LOWERY MILLS (Canada)
This thunder and lighting corker strikes big time from the first chord on, to the final one. Classic riffage rock with an anthemic plangency, a flaming drive, and a mammoth chorus. Add aroused vocals and the overall result is an ear-popping champion you’ll have on repeat for a while.
Titanic score.
Rock out…
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8.’Digging’ by NOTHINGHEADS (London)
These DIY misfits have a new 5-track EP out, titled DIGGING.
You can buy it on Bandcamp.
My numero uno cracker is the title track.
The band’s frontman sounds like his own meanest demon.
Threatening and ready to kick badasses. This uppercut goes
mental on schizophrenic guitars and merciless drums.
Get electrified here…
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9. ‘Not For You’ by JANIS (Berlin, Germany)
To hell with all ruthless power abusers. That’s the central sharp-cutting message
of this new Janis jackhammer that causes a racing rush of blood through your veins.
This cocksure swipe is stoked up by jagged guitars,
by a steadfast drums/bass force, and by biting vocals.
Fuck Putin!
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10. ‘Contagious’ by MIMOSA (Sheffield, UK)
What do you think of this? Topliners Arctic Monkeys turning up their amps or Liverpool legends The La’s if they would have been a rapid-fire punk turbo. Sounds insane, right?
You bet.
Spiky guitars zigzagging madly all over the place, John Bonham-like
drum brutality hits hard, and Alex Turner‘s younger brother is singing.
Be ready to move like a nutter on
a pogo stick. Contagious pyrotechnics.
Blitz-tastic…
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11. ‘The Frequency’ by RICHES
Dream pop splendor in motion, with shiny synths, bouncy basslines,
laid-back drums, sensual vocals, and majestic orchestration. This winsome
humdinger will find its way to your yearning heart and your restless soul.
Right here…
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12. Up The Mountain’ by REGINA SPEKTOR (Russia/America)
Spektor will make her fans happy with Home, Before And After.
Her 7h longplayer landing on 24 June.
Ahead of it this sublime pop pearl. Frisky and catchy.
Enjoy…
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13. ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ by SAM CASEY (Toronto)
This timeless Etta James gem is 55 years old. It was written
by Ellington Jordan and co-credited to Billy Foster and James.
Songstress Sam Casey‘s heart-and-soul touching rendition
sends shivers down your spine, with her goosebumps voice.
Casey about the video: It feels so vulnerable to see the results of my raw emotion and struggle that this is almost difficult to watch. As soon as we started filming, the lyrics (and most likely, the fact that I was crying between takes) took everyone to this dark yet loving place where tears were being shed, but there were hugs and kisses floating around all night.”
Magnific…
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14. ‘Desert Storm’ by HOLY COVES (Wales)
Desert Storm is a psychedelic thrill with the hypnotizing and repetitive dynamism
of Krautrock. Its vibrant vigor and steadfast swagger roll all the way.
Pounding drums push the track continuously, guitars glimmer,
and febrile vocals add a shadowy timbre. Bingo.
What you hear
is what you get…
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15. ‘The Order’ by MEAR (Toronto)
This synth dream-pop duo has their
debut album Soft Chaines out now.
A gripping work inspired by physical pain leading to psychological pain feeding doubt, despair, and anguish. Often musicians use their work to process adversity. That’s what happens on this album. The layered synth orchestrations add melancholic warmth and here and their guitars gently weep while Miller‘s voice is the wandering star in the middle. An enticing debut with a harrowing, human touch.
My favorite piece of the record is the opener The Order.
A shadowy musing with sparkling synths…
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16. ‘Boltfor’ by MOGWAI (Scotland)
Last year the Scottish veterans excited critics and
fans with their 10th LP As The Love Continues.
One song, from the same sessions, didn’t make the album as it wasn’t finished yet at the time. But it’s now ready to meet the world. It’s classic Mogwai euphony with swelling layers of synths, sheeny guitars, and slow-paced drums. The finale is just Homeric.
And a great video too…
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17. ‘Sunbleached’ by TIDAL WAVE (Canada)
Twinkling guitars draw you into this touchy-feely daydream from the get-go. The color is blue, the melody is melancholic, the voice is wondering. This is a shoegazy gem for heavyhearted hearts and vulnerable souls, a soothing score for all romantics among us. The vibe is idyllic, the tone is hazy, the end result is just wondrous.
Listen/watch and feel better…
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18. ‘Special Satellite’ by SUBATOMIC SATELLITE (Belgium)
I’m sure you know that feeling of awakening in the morning and your first thought is ‘I don’t want to get up and face the cruel world, out there, today‘. But some smart cells in your brains tell you that you have no choice as you can’t escape reality. Not today, not tomorrow, never.
That very moment smooth and soft shanties like this one help you to ease your
moody state of mind. By mingling shimmery guitar sparks, shooting synths, spirited melodiousness, and comforting vocals in a happy-go-lucky way you can imagine you’re
on a special satellite where life colors pink again.
Lou Reed called it the satellite of love.
Press play here…
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19. ‘The Getaway’ by THE AFGHAN WHIGS (Ohio)
The passionate rockers announced their 9th LP, named
HOW DO YOU BURN? I’ll land on 9/11.
After the lead firework single I’ll Make You See God
Greg Dulli and Co
slow down for this evocative lullaby…
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20. ‘Anything’ by SHARON VAN ETTEN (New Jersey)
The wonderful songstress released her new longplayer
We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong earlier this month.
One of the highlights is this longing love song…
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See/hear you next month, music junkies
And The Winner Is… MOGWAI
27 October 2021
Glaswegian noise explores MOGWAI scored best Scottish Album Of The Year
the first time in their career, with their 10th LP AS THE LOVE CONTINUES,
released last April.
Stuart Braithwaite (guitarist) represented the band to receive the trophy and
£20,000 at Usher Hall in Edinburgh last weekend. He dedicated the award to the
group’s long-time booking agent Mike Griffiths, who passed away earlier this month.
“I really was not expecting this. I have not thought of anything to say other than thank you and I wish I’d got steaming,” Braithwaite said (via The Scotsman). “This has been a really mental year for the band. Loads of things have happened that we didn’t think would happen and this is just another. This is nuts” said Braithwaite.
Stream the celebrated 5-star longplayer here…
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MOGWAI: All Albums
MOGWAI Released Third Longplayer ‘ROCK ACTION’ 20 Years Ago Today
30 April 2021
Band: MOGWAI (Scotland)
Active: Since 1995 / 10 albums, so far, including
this year’s splendid one As The Love Continues
Album: ROCK ACTION – 3rd LP
Released: 30 April 2021 – 20 years ago, today
Pitchfork said: “Granted, it’s not mind-blowing, and it’s not nearly as masterfully executed and affecting as their earliest work. But there are only a handful of bands out there that can put out an album as well-constructed as Rock Action and still expect people to bitch and moan about it. The fact that Mogwai can laugh at their detractors could either lead to the band pursuing brave new directions in rock, or traveling down a path of smug self-satisfaction and stagnation. Either way, Rock Action suggests that it’ll be worth sticking around to find out.” Score: 8/10.
Turn Up The Volume: Anything but rock action. One of the quietest Mogwai albums. I can’t but think they should have invited Nick Cave to sing on some symphonies on the record.
Key track...
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Full album…
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MOGWAI: Facebook
MOGWAI Released 5th Album ‘MR. BEAST’ 15 Years Ago
5 March 2021
Band: MOGWAI (Scotland)
Active: Since 1995
Album: MR. BEAST – 5th LP
Released: 6 March 2006 – 15 years ago
Q Magazine said: “While the sense of danger that
characterised 1997’s Mogwai ‘Young Team’ or 2001’s
‘Rock Action’ might have abated, Mr Beast shows a
band who have lost none of their bark or their bite.”
Score: 8/10.
Turn Up The Volume: Symphonic indie rock at its best.
Single: Friend Of The Night
Stream album here…
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MOGWAI: Facebook – All Albums
Tenth MOGWAI Album Out Today! Here’s Their New Impressive Score ‘AS THE LOVE CONTINUES’
19 February 2021
Band: MOGWAI (Scotland)
Active: Since 1995
Album: AS THE LOVE CONTINUES – 10th LP
Producer: Dave Fridmann
Released: 19th February 2021 – Order facilities here
Exactly 25th years ago this day the band released their
debut single Tuner / Lower. No coincidence I guess.
NME verdict: “The Scots paint widescreen scenes of beauty and movingly pay
tribute to the late musician David Berman, though these songs are more suited
to the stage… ‘As The Love Continues’ is an album that opens beautifully but falls
short at times during its second half. Then again, the whole record works so much
better in a live setting – and will continue to do so when Mogwai finally hit the
road again.” Full review here. Score: 3/5.
Turn Up The Volume says: I don’t agree with NME. The Scots’ excel here with
a series of amplified symphonies – mostly instrumental – boggling your mind
and your senses. Impressive score! No doubt about that! Check your ears NME.
Singles: Pat Stains / Ritchie Sacramento / Dry Fantasy
– PAT STAINS –
– RITCHIE SACRAMENTO –
– DRY FANTASY –
Full album…
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MOGWAI: Facebook
