Andrew Daly
Founder & Editor-in-Chief
Inspired by the likes of Hunter S. Thompson, Lester Bangs, and Eddie Trunk, coupled with an immense passion for music, and a disposition for writing, freelance journalist Andrew Daly moved to found VWMusic in 2019.
Over time, VWMusic has grown into a bustling music outlet harboring a staff who further the cause of sharing both a love of music and the art of journalism with the world through articles, interviews, and more.
In addition to running VWMusic, Andrew is also an accomplished freelance journalist, currently writing for Copper Magazine, Goldmine Magazine, and Ultimate Guitar, as well as a drummer, and lover of all things guitar.
Some of Andrew’s favorite artists include KISS, Starz, Megadeth Roxy Blue, Boston, Oasis, ACϟDC, Elvis Presley, Aerosmith, Black N’ Blue, The Rolling Stones, Rush, Spread Eagle, Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Rory Gallagher, Thin Lizzy, Van Halen, Blur, Billy Joel, and many more.
Andrew DiCecco
Senior Editor
Predominantly known for his NFL coverage, Andrew DiCecco is a Pennsylvania-based journalist with a profound passion for rock music and its illustrious history. Andrew is also a regular listener to SIRIUSXM’s Trunk Nation with Eddie Trunk, his primary inspiration for pursuing a career in the industry.
What initially began as a childhood hobby collecting CDs eventually evolved into a full-blown absorption into the world of rock ‘n’ roll. An aspiring rock historian, Andrew seeks out every autobiography and documentary on Rock artists imaginable to further his knowledge to go along with a growing collection of vintage albums and magazines.
Andrew’s musical preferences include, but are not limited to, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Van Halen, ACϟDC, Guns ‘N Roses, KISS, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, and Ozzy Osbourne. Andrew’s innate appreciation for guitar heroes, Andrew cites Vito Bratta, Eddie Van Halen, John Sykes, Dave Meniketti, George Lynch, Vinnie Vincent, Dave Mustaine, and Bill Leverty as some of his personal favorite players.
Andrew has been with VWMusic since it’s very early days, and was named Senior Ediotor in early 2022.
Joe O’Brien
Senior Columnist
Joe has always been a huge music fan. Growing up, Joe did chores and dumpster dove for bottles with his best friend Andrew to trade bottles for money to buy vinyl.
Joe is a Registered Nurse in the ER by day and a lifelong music lover by night. Having been an avid consumer of all things music since he was a child, Joe’s diverse collection of over 4,500 albums tells the story of a man who simply loves music.
Joe got his start in a freelance capacity for Vinyl Junkies, before joining VWMusic at its inception in 2019, eventually being named its Senior Columnist. Joe’s goal is to write about what he is most passionate about as well as share new and exciting music. A native Long Islander, Joe lives with his beloved dog Scarlett.
Dylan Peggin
Columnist
Dylan Peggin was born and raised in Vineland, NJ. Music has always played a huge part in his life, thanks to his parents who brought him up on bands such as Rush, Genesis, and Yes. At the young age of two, he became a member of the KISS Army and has never looked back.
Dylan started his vinyl collecting journey in 2014, partly inspired by musician Jack White and his label, Third Man Records. What started out as a casual hobby turned into an issue when Dylan realized he could not expand his ceiling to make way for his ever-growing vinyl collection.
On January 1st, 2018, Dylan started The Record Spinner, a YouTube channel about vinyl collecting and music, and he joined VWMusic in early 2021, where he featues as a columist presently.
Fábio Moniz
Columnist
Born and raised in Portugal, with an ever-growing love for knowledge, and an ever-increasing interest in teaching, Fábio teaches creative writing at the Senior Academy (Sintra), and music-based writing as a freelancer, and is presently working as a tutor.
Music was introduced late in Fábio’s life, but he found his way into playing the bass guitar, and had a few projects in rock music, in Portugal. Fábio also has studied jazz music at Hot Clube Portugal, going through various subgenres such as blues, bebop, hard bop, bossa nova, and others.
A wide range of artists may be included in his favorites list, such as Avenged Sevenfold, The Who, Rush, FUNKIST, Maximum The Hormone, Yes, The Racounters, Nonpoint, Rage Against the Machine, System Of A Down, Rise Against, Bruce Springsteen, Fruit Bats, and more.
Fábio joined VWMusic in the fall of 2021, and has served dutifuly as a columist ever since.
Christine Naprava
Columnist
Christine believes that a strong soundtrack is essential to the writing process. Very rarely does she write in silence. You can almost always find her listening to her records or vast digital library while writing. In addition to seeking inspiration from music, Christine often incorporates songs or references to bands or musical artists in her writing to help further the authenticity and set the mood of her work.
Having joined VWMusic in early 2022, her column always proves to be interesting, as she’s open to any and all genres, listening to everything from electronic to disco to metal to rap to reggaeton, but her heart truly lies in indie, hard rock, specifically 70s, 90s, and 00s hard rock, and her most beloved genre of all, alternative.
John Siden
Columnist
John Siden grew up surrounded by music from a young age. There was always music playing around the house or while driving in the car, mostly Country and Western on all forms, including vinyl, 8-track, and cassette.
John’s first personal interest in music was piqued when he saw an ad for The Monkees TV show, featuring reruns. Collecting records soon became his main hobby. John’s interest in writing has been around for as long as Internet access has been a “thing.“
Since 2019, John has had a YouTube channel called Surface Noise where he discusses music mostly focused on vinyl, and in early 2020, John joined VWMusic as a columnist.
John works in the security industry, is an avid reader, and lover of film. He also plays guitar and sometimes accordion. John has continued to expand his range in recently beginning to freelance in the securities world as well.
Raquel Figlo
Columnist
Raquel started her first company at the age of twenty-two. She teamed up with a couple of college classmates in her graphic design class and started a website design company. Her first clients were her dad and her cousin, who at the time was a professional ultimate fighter, “Bobby the Pit Bull Gamboa.” She had found her passion in consulting businesses with their marketing efforts. From there Raquel’s business grew and developed into public relations.
Packing the house night after night, Raquel threw all kinds of events, ranging from concerts, and corporate functions to red carpet events. It was here that she made many of the connections that helped lead her to a lucrative career in music journalism, interviewing some of the biggest names in hard rock and heavy metal as a correspondent for a variety of on-and off-line publications such as Rock and Roll Industries Magazine, Metal Shop Rocks, and Heavy Metal Hill.
Through her musical journey, this rock journalist has not forgotten her roots, which led Raquel to join VWMusic as a columist in 2022. She is still your go-to girl for anything PR, creating hype for your brand, through her own consulting company, Raquel Figlo Public Relations.
Layne Partin
Columnist
Layne Partin was exposed to music and literature from an early age, continues to be an avid reader and writer of poetry, has written two novels (neither yet published), and working on a few more.
His musical interests cover a variety of genres, from americana to classic country, almost all rock ‘n’ roll (especially from the seventies and eighties), classical, and gospel.
Layne grew up in Kentucky, spent most of his adulthood in Florida, and now resides in rural Kentucky with his wife, nine dogs, one cat, and two potbelly pigs.
Semi-retired, Layne joined VWMusic in late 2021, and continues to work part-time in property management as well.
Kimmarie Erickson
Columnist
Skullgurl Metalchick aka Kimmarie Erickson began her journey as a music journalist at the tender age of sixteen after being told she would never be a writer due to her severe dyslexia.
The Skullgurl fell into a primo gig doing reviews of upcoming releases for Geffen Records, and her fate was sealed. At age eighteen, Kimmarie began to get traveling gigs with the likes of Bile, GWAR, Propain, Violent Fems, and a plethora of national touring acts.
Over the span of thirty years, Skullgurl Metalchick has interviewed hundreds of rock stars and has covered at least twice as many concerts and festivals. Kimmarie joined the VWMusic team in 2022 as a columnist to cover what she loves most - metal and hard rock music. Music is the Skullgurl’s lifeblood, the driving force, the very heart, soul, and core of everything Skullgurl.