Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs

Mike Campbell is one of the great guitarists of the classic rock era, serving as Tom Petty's lieutenant for the better part of their careers, both with the Heartbreakers and on Petty's solo albums. He stepped out on his own in 2001 with a side project, the Dirty Knobs, playing the occasional gig but not recording until years later. 2020's Wreckless Abandon, found Campbell and his bandmates employing the anthemic sound of his work with the Heartbreakers and adding the influence of vintage '60s and '70s sounds as well as a touch of blues. Campbell moved his name above the Dirty Knobs in the billing for their second album, External Combustion, but the group continued to play rock & roll in the vein of the latter-day Heartbreakers, a continuity that was emphasized on 2024's Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits.