#Lightning record picker

[healthfitscoops-blog]

Record Lookup is an interface element that allows users to choose specific records from objects. To use a record Lookup in Lightning Web Component, we used to create custom lookup components like Generic Multi-Select Lookup Component. Although this is for multi-select lookup and it will still be used as there is no record picker component to select multiple records. For single record selection, Salesforce has introduced a new Record Picker control lightning-record-picker to select object records in custom LWC (Lightning Web Component) screens. Now we don’t need to create a custom component for record lookup. This post will explain how to create a configurable record picker in LWC to make it more manageable in code.

[dustedmagazine]

Buck Curran — One Evening and Other Folk Songs (Obsolete/ESP-Disk')

Curran (left) and Jodi Pedrali (right)

The Takoma-style guitar picker Buck Curran has been a regular feature of our coverage at Dusted, whether playing his own songs or paying tribute to artists including Jack Rose and Robbie Basho. Up to now, however, we have considered him mostly as a solo artist and, to some degree, as a curator of other’s work. In One Evening and Other Folk Songs, he fleshes out his psychedelic raga blues with a full band, including keyboard player and frequent live collaborator Jodi Pedrali, drummer Dave Barbarossa (a new wave veteran of Bow Wow Wow and Adam Ant), bassist Robert Frassini Moneta and singer Adele Pappalardo.

The disc revisits two songs that Curran previously recorded solo (“One Evening” and “Deep in the Loving Arms of my Babe”) explores further two joint efforts with Pedrali (“Sadness” and “Zitkala-Sa (Song for Shylah)),” reworks a folk song twice in fusion jazz mode (“Black Is the Color”) and adds a couple of new songs to the repertoire. The new versions are uniformly, less folk and more psychedelic than their original iterations, seething with feverish electric keyboards, bristling with propulsive drums and bass. “One Evening” on Curran’s 2020 No Love Is Sorrow, for instance, is a dark and haunted blues-folk dirge that evokes prime 1960s Michael Chapman. Here, it rumbles with rock energy, the bass tactile and twitchy, the drums slapping, the keyboards radiating silver 1970s Fender Rhodes cool. “Deep in the Loving Arms of my Babe” likewise picks up heat and friction. The drums and bass underline its lonely freight train rhythm. The backing vocals—that’s Pappalardo—infuse its mournful contours with mystery.

Yet it’s the two versions of “Black is the Color” that really leave a mark. The song is, of course, as traditional as it comes, born in some anonymous Appalachian hollow and covered by everyone from Jean Ritchie to Nina Simone to Judy Collins to, more recently, Espers and Angel Olsen. You might not think there was much anyone could add to the tune by this point, but you’d be wrong. It starts with the eerie, free-floating vocals of Pappalardo, sliding and fluting over the well-worn tune in loosely tethered melisma; she stretches the outline of the melody into elusive and ghostly shapes. Add to this the dreaming pulse of bass, the raucous commentary of drums, and again, the high reverberating electric keyboard tones. It’s an unearthly song, touching on 1970s jazz and torch blues and the most primitive forms of folk, but lightly, without tying itself down to any of them. There’s an alternate version later on the disc, a bit dreamier, a bit more nocturnal, and also very fine.

Curran’s notes indicate that these songs were recorded quickly, mostly live and in just a few takes, the product of a sudden electric connection between and among musicians that hadn’t worked together, at least in this configuration, much before. It feels like lightning striking, the current striking Curran’s already compelling folk psych melodies and illuminating them with fire.

Jennifer Kelly

[guitarhq]

The Don Kelley Band: Nashville's Telecaster Bootcamp and Guitarist IncubatorJ

For decades, if you wanted to see the absolute best in country guitar performance, you didn’t need a ticket to the Grand Ole Opry. All you had to do was walk into Robert’s Western World on Lower Broadway in Nashville and catch a set by the Don Kelley Band.

More than just a local act, the Don Kelley Band was a proving ground for guitarists who would go on to become legends in the music world.

This is the story of the Don Kelley Band, its role in shaping the Nashville sound, and the incredible lineup of guitar virtuosos who honed their craft in its ranks.

Don Kelley: The Visionary Bandleader

Don Kelley was more than a country singer or a bandleader—he was a curator of talent and a gatekeeper of traditional country music. Starting in the late 1980s, Kelley began assembling a house band that would become a staple of the Nashville nightlife scene. His vision was simple: play authentic, high-energy country music with an emphasis on instrumental virtuosity.

Kelley's sets featured classics by Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, and other honky-tonk legends, but the heart of each show was the blazing guitar solos that became the band’s signature. Kelley made a point of hiring the most talented young guitarists he could find, often giving them their first big break.

A Launchpad for Guitar Greats

Brent Mason

One of the earliest stars to pass through Don Kelley’s band was Brent Mason. Before becoming Nashville's most sought-after session guitarist, Mason cut his teeth with Kelley. His fluid style, blending jazz, country, and rock, helped define the modern Nashville guitar sound. Mason would go on to play on thousands of records and win the CMA Musician of the Year award multiple times.

Johnny Hiland

Blind from birth, Johnny Hiland brought a unique style to the stage: part shredder, part chicken-picker, all soul. His time with Kelley gave him the experience and exposure needed to launch a solo career and land a record deal with Steve Vai's Favored Nations label. Hiland’s lightning-fast licks and smooth phrasing made him a standout in any lineup.

Redd Volkaert

Known for his time with Merle Haggard, Redd Volkaert also spent time in Kelley’s band. His playing style is both fluid and muscular, with a tone that pays homage to Telecaster legend Roy Nichols. Redd’s command of the instrument and encyclopedic knowledge of country licks made him one of Kelley’s most respected alumni.

JD Simo

Before he was reinventing blues-rock as the frontman of his own band, JD Simo was melting faces at Robert’s Western World. With his Gibson Les Paul slung low, Simo brought a raw edge to Kelley’s band. His extended improvisations on songs like "Ghost Riders in the Sky" became a viral sensation, blending country, jazz, and psychedelic rock.

Daniel Donato

Perhaps the most well-known of Kelley’s recent protégés, Daniel Donato began playing with the band as a teenager. A self-described "cosmic cowboy," Donato blended traditional Telecaster twang with jam-band sensibilities. His expressive phrasing and otherworldly solos attracted fans across genres. Donato’s YouTube videos with the band racked up millions of views and launched his solo career.

Guthrie Trapp

Guthrie Trapp brought a deep musicality to the Don Kelley Band. His jazz-influenced phrasing, technical precision, and intuitive feel for groove made him a standout on Broadway and beyond. After his time with Kelley, Trapp went on to play with legends like Garth Brooks and John Oates.

Sid Hudson

While not as flashy as some of his counterparts, Sid Hudson was a stalwart of the Don Kelley Band, holding down rhythm and lead duties with finesse and reliability. His style was smooth, understated, and incredibly effective in allowing other soloists to shine.

The Formula: Simplicity, Soul, and the Telecaster

A defining trait of the Don Kelley Band was its commitment to simplicity. Most guitarists played Fender Telecasters through clean amps like the Fender Deluxe Reverb. There were no effects pedals or flashy gear—just pure tone and raw talent.

Kelley’s stage setup emphasized traditional band dynamics. The guitarist wasn’t just a sideman; he was often the centerpiece. Songs were chosen to give players room to stretch out, improvise, and engage the audience in real-time.

More than once, a tourist would walk into Robert’s and find themselves in awe of a player they assumed must already be famous. For many, they soon would be.

Mentorship and Mastery

Don Kelley ran his band like a bootcamp for guitar greatness. He demanded precision, professionalism, and humility. Night after night, his musicians learned how to play tight, entertain a crowd, and keep their chops razor-sharp.

He gave young players an opportunity to learn how to perform in a real-world setting—not just studio sessions or talent shows. Kelley emphasized feel over flash, tone over speed, and musical conversation over solos for their own sake.

That approach didn’t just create better players; it created better musicians.

The End of an Era

In 2020, Don Kelley retired from performing, bringing an end to one of the most storied house bands in Nashville history. While the Don Kelley Band no longer plays at Robert’s, the impact it left on Nashville and the guitar world remains monumental.

Today, Kelley’s Heroes—a band featuring former members like bassist Joe Fick and guitarist Luke McQueary—carry on the tradition at Robert’s, keeping the spirit of Don Kelley alive.

Legacy

The Don Kelley Band was more than a tourist attraction or a local favorite. It was a transformative platform for raw talent, a celebration of musicianship, and a guardian of true country music values.

Its alumni now span genres, lead their own bands, and work with some of the biggest names in the music industry. But ask any of them where they truly learned to play, and they'll point back to that narrow stage at Robert's Western World, under the watchful eye of Don Kelley.

In a world increasingly dominated by digital music and manufactured stars, the Don Kelley Band stood for something timeless: real music played by real musicians for people who truly listen.

And for that, the Don Kelley Band will always be a Nashville legend.

[nicoscheer]

SCULPTURES OF ANYTHING GOES AS OPENER FOR THEIR THIRD GLASTO HEADLINER

1. Sculptures

2. Brianstorm

3. Snap

4. Chair

5. Crying lightning

6. Teddy picker (when I get bent over?!! Alex!!!) https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ct4DUGpgtMn/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== (it’s rather ‘ya’ but we can pretend)

7. Cornerstone (I knew she’d understand instead of thought/she didn’t say that whooo, I just added that for you you’re welcome)

Interlude something about water by Alex on the piano (get this man his water he’s thirsty)

8. Why’d you only call me when you’re high (having mad instead of bad ideas/ plus epic pose)

Shout out by Alex for Space pictures

9. Arabella

10. Four out of five (loving butt slap for Cookie by Alex/ why don’t you come and stay with ME/ effective very effective what a night what a night, yeah man)

Smiling Alex

Angelic Alex

11. Pretty visitors (now’s me chance x3= rushing off to bowl and it’s a strike= happy little Alex jumping back on stage and then his mic was shut off for a sec there 🤣)

12. Fluorescent Adolescent (some kisses and a thank you from Alex)

Oh god he looks so baby in that picture

13. Perfect sense (another thank you 🥹)

Pouty mouth (he does look tired)

14. Do I wanna know (afterwards “astonishing”/ how are you feeling everybody *cheers* well I’m delighted about that)

15. Mardy Bum (thank you/ alright let’s leave the past behind)

16. There’d better be a mirrorball (conductor Alex at the beginning/ hey HEY at the end)

17. 505 (without Miles 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭his first note sounded so unsure/ the in ears only now getting removed gotta be a new record/ thank you for having us everybody it’s the Arctic monkeys/ so predictable I know what you’re thinking whoo)

18. Body Paint

Encore

19. I wanna be yours (Matt and backup sang and played I wanna be yours (second verse)while Alex sang STAR TREATMENT (first verse)/ thank you thank you very much) (for a second we had “Miles” there)(the Glastonbury special surprise; also genius move to reclaim IWBY from TikTok by hijacking it with TBHC)

A video of that beautiful medley

“Who are you gonna call the Martini police the who?”

20. I bet you look good on the dance floor (Matt having mic problems and some vocal ones aswell(sounded like a scratchy throat))

“We are gonna leave you now we can’t stay with you anymore but fank you for having us something tells me…something tells me that you’re gonna be okay good night”

21. R U MINE?

I mean I know it’s basically literally their normal concert playlist apart from that I wanna be yours/ star treatment medley (which was out of this world 🌚;)) but I still loved it apart from that heartbreak with 505 cause honestly don’t care what they play I’m still loving it and having a blast, great tunes great vocals an amazing night spent in front of the laptop screaming along (what if they had planned a different set list (in 2013 Alex said “that’s what we’re gonna do tonight everyone. we are gonna play some new shit. We’re gonna play some old shit. We are gonna play some things that are just Glastonbury specials, do you know what I’m saying”) but due to Alex falling sick they didn’t have time to practice so they settled for their usual setlist?) (genuinely feel sorry for Elton John and his humongous set cause i doubt that anybody can scream along on Sunday still)

And I love how all the real fans can easily agree that it was a fantastic gig while the TikTok fans and dark fruit lovers are whining in their mum’s basement how they didn’t just play do I wanna know and snap out of it in 10 different versions and how dare Alex that his voice and taste in music evolved and that they didn’t try and emulate the phenomenal, seminal career changing Glasto 2013 🤣🤣

Opening

Do I wanna know

Mardy Bum via BBCradio1

I bet you look good on the dance floor

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The BBC intern having some fun ( he’s gonna get tacos on the well reviewed taqueria of course)

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WARNING !! do not look at the comments 🤢 you don’t wanna see that shitshow that some ‘fans’ pull but I guess some people just can’t be satisfied cause their own lives are so shit that they have to lash out at whoever is available

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Rock band Arctic Monkeys’ headline set on Friday night was watched by an average of 1.5million viewers on BBC One.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct3ngjTLG7R/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.instagram.com/p/CuG4TRQLpjM/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ct_-x1NtosH/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The full audio of Arctic Monkeys’ Glastonbury 2023 set

[thinkingimages]

‘A Cellar Dive in the Bend’, c.1895, by Richard Hoe Lawrence and Henry G. Piffard

A short history of flash photography

Flash gets a bad press for its invasiveness – yet it brings a form of democracy to the material world

All photography requires light, but the light used in flash photography is unique — shocking, intrusive and abrupt. It’s quite unlike the light that comes from the sun, or even from ambient illumination. It explodes, suddenly, into darkness.

The history of flash goes right back to the challenges faced by early photographers who wanted to use their cameras in places where there was insufficient light — indoors, at night, in caves. The first flash photograph was probably a daguerreotype of a fossil, taken in 1839 by burning limelight. For the next 50 years, photographers experimented with limelight, which was familiar from theatre illumination, with portable battery-driven lights — which Nadar used in his well-known photos of the Paris catacombs — and with magnesium. Magnesium was available in pulverised form and blown through a flame, or ignited in lengths of wire, or mixed into various unstable, if brightly explosive compounds.

Then, in 1887, as magnesium extraction suddenly became much cheaper, a composite flash powder was invented by the German chemists Adolf Miethe and Johannes Gaedicke. They called it ‘Blitzlichtpulver’, or ‘lightning light powder’, borrowing associations of awe, grandeur and sublimity from naturally occurring flashes of electrical energy. This powder could be exploded in ‘flash guns’ — some even looked like pistols, adding to the atmosphere of panic that often attended early flash explosions — or ignited on a tray. It was available for do-it-yourself mixing; supplied on impregnated sheets or made into small explosive devices rather like tea bags.

In its early days, a sense of quasi-divine revelation was invoked by some flash photographers, especially when documenting deplorable social conditions. Jacob Riis, for example, working in New York in the late 1880s, used transcendental language to help underscore flash’s significance as an instrument of intervention and purgation. But it’s in relation to documentary photography that we encounter most starkly flash’s singular, and contradictory, aspects. It makes visible that which would otherwise remain in darkness; but it is often associated with unwelcome intrusion, a rupturing of private lives and interiors.

Yet flash brings a form of democracy to the material world. Many details take on unplanned prominence, as we see in the work of those Farm Security Administration photographers who used flash in the 1930s and laid bare the reality of poverty during the Depression. A sudden flare of light reveals each dent on a kitchen utensil and the label on each carefully stored can; each photograph on the mantel; each cherished ornament; each little heap of waste paper or discarded rag; each piece of polished furniture or stained floor or accumulation of dust; each wrinkle. Flash can make plain, bring out of obscurity, the appearance of things that may never before have been seen with such clarity.

These FSA photographers used flash bulbs, not powder. Pioneered in the late 1920s, these bulbs became generally available around 1930, their ease and portability transforming the abilities of press photographers as well as documentarians. Police photographers, too, could now record crimes committed under the cover of darkness. No one more famously brought flash and crime together than the figure of Weegee, recording murders, accidents, arrests: his self-publicity was synonymous with the Speed Graphic camera and his Graflex flash synchronizer — to the extent that he once photo-montaged himself into a flashbulb. This combination also found its way into detective fiction and film, as with George Harmon Coxe’s hard-bitten character ‘Flash Casey, Crime Photographer’.

However, and nothwithstanding its usefulness, flash continues to be disliked, even despised, because of its invasiveness. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in the work of paparazzi. The popping of flash bulbs has become visual shorthand for the achievement of fame, or notoriety. The firing off of a barrage of light may be represented as a terrifying onslaught, as when King Kong, displayed on the New York stage, is startled into destructive rage by news-paper photographers. From the early 1960s onwards, paparazzi flashes have become synonymous with unwelcome exposure.

Flash does not belong just to the world of the professional photographer. The earliest cheap cameras with synchronised flash date from about 1940, and then after the second world war a line stretches from little peanut-sized flash bulbs, to flash cubes, to the electronic flash that is now a commonplace of consumer cameras, and the bright light that can flare out of a mobile phone. These developments overlapped, and there are many variants to be found within flash’s technology. What remains constant is its connection — in advice manuals, in specialist publications, in advertising — to the modern; to, indeed, the flashy. ‘It’s new, it’s now, it’s — Flashcube!’ proclaims a TV commercial from the 1960s, linking it to the dance floor and the sounds of the Swinging Sixties. Until very recent developments in light-sensitive microchip technology, flash — and the red eyes and startled, bleached expressions that go with it — has been almost ubiquitous in everyday photography.

But the history of flash photography is about speed as well as about light. The word ‘flash’ is commonly used in all kinds of contexts to indicate the extremely short, or transitory, or spontaneous — as in ‘flash mobs’ and ‘flash floods’ and ‘flash fiction’. The two connotations — speed and light — converge in high-speed photography. Fox Talbot, in 1851, first patented the use of a spark to capture a moving object on a negative — an experiment allegedly suggested by the way in which a lightning flash at night seems to freeze drops of rain or the water playing in a fountain. Sadly, there’s no visual evidence for this: we have to wait until the work of Arthur Worthington, in the late 19th century, and then, and most notably, the beautiful images produced by the American Harold Edgerton in the mid-20th century. His high-speed images, enabled by very high-speed bursts of light from electrically controlled neon tubes, created the illusion of stopped motion: bullets piercing playing cards or balloons; golfers and tennis players swinging at balls. The ordinary became strange, and beautiful, through stroboscopic flash.

Despite its practical attributes, flash photography often remains an intrusive irritant. But in contemporary photography, flash’s reputation is being remade. This can take the form, say, of Martin Parr’s use of ring flash to heighten colour saturation in his works of affectionately satirical commentary — or it can take on a strong self-referential presence. Cindy Sherman and Viktoria Binschtok have experimented with the sudden glare of paparazzi exposure. Sarah Pickering, in her ‘Celestial Objects’ series, photographs a revolver’s bullet fired in the complete dark. In her use of darkness, flame, blurs of light and the white-hot core of gunpowder’s ignition, she returns flash photography to the unpredictable and thrilling category of the sublime. Likewise, Hiroshi Sugimoto captures electrical discharges that look like streaks of lightning branching off from an incandescent spinal core.

These examples challenge the bad press that flash photography has received over the century and a half since its invention. Certainly, flash has its destructive and damaging associations: think of the illumination of lynched bodies, or the atomic bomb, producing the biggest flash of all. Nonetheless, flash remains a creative as well as a practical tool. Sudden and surprising light continues to be imaginatively deployed by inventive photographers, once again making luminous something of the original wonder that attended flash.

Flash!: Photography, Writing and Surprising Illumination, by Kate Flint, is published by Oxford University Press.

[hillbillyhippiemusicreview]

POST #24- J’s Year in Review 2019

Jesus Christ it’s 36 degrees and dark at 5:30. The most depressing time of year for me. I owe my friends a few reviews and keep putting them off. I’ll do them tomorrow. Hell, maybe when I have time over the weekend I’ll get that one out I promised a few weeks ago. Here I am, sitting on the couch trying to figure out which record I want to highlight next. It’s a daunting task. A lesson I’ve learned over the past year. I need to get those reviews out but my mind (and ears) get the best of me. What do I do instead? I listen to a couple of records and skip right to the end. What I mean by end is that cliche year in review article that all music journalists put out with their favorite artists, songs, records, and shows of the year. This is all new to me. Shortly after the new year I decided it was time for me to get in the game. I don’t have much to offer but I wanted to put my perspective on paper. My first article was a piece about Tyler Childers raising awareness and getting a large donation of bottled water for the citizens of Martin County, Kentucky. I knew about Martin County. I didn’t know how deep it went. It wasn’t the meet and greet and small solo set that made me want to write about my experience. It was Tyler’s words. It was the raw emotion and the choked up words that inspired me to be a writer. I wanted as many people to know about this event as I could possibly get the word to. Be it 5, 10, 20 or even 30 people that read the article and learned about the plight of the citizens of Martin County have been in for years. That maybe 5, 10, 20 or even 30 people that may learn how to contact their representative and ask questions. I hope it inspires people to learn about their community and lend a helping hand to those in need. That event was last year, but it inspired my path this year.

Let me begin by saying that I have met some of the most amazing people over the past 12 months. I will touch on as many of those people as much as I can. I am going to highlight the music that has moved me over the same amount of time. I’m gonna forget people. I’m sorry in advance. I could put a list of my top 10 albums out but that just wouldn’t be fair. To be honest, there is one album that stands head and shoulders above all others. It’s not even a competition. How do you compete with amazing art? I look at it like its a steady stream of good shit coming out and keeping my playlist full.

Album of the Year (Any Genre)

Sound and Fury - Sturgill Simpson

Why?

It’s f*cking amazing. Earth shattering. Ground breaking. LOUD!

Sturgill Simpson took everything you thought you knew about him and his music, threw it out the window of his muscle car, and backed over it about a hundred times. This man does not give a shit. I screwed up on my first listen. There are two ways this album should be heard. 1) On a turntable with the volume turned as loud as it can possibly go. 2) Watching the accompanying anime movie with the volume turned as loud as it can possibly go. Unfortunately I did neither. Most of my first listen was a track at a time on my phone or in my truck. Dead. Wrong. If I had it to do over again I would most definitely start with the anime.

I get it. Anime is not for everyone. If I could give someone a starting point with anime, it would most definitely be Sound and Fury. This album is The Wall of our generation. After my first listen I posted, “Album of the Year Any Genre”. I fully stand by that assessment.

Favorite Albums of the Year

This is where I will most definitely make someone mad or make myself mad for leaving off someone who deserves to be included.

Home - Billy Strings

Favorite Tracks: Away From The Mire and Watch It Fall

Country Squire - Tyler Childers

Favorite Tracks - Creeker and Peace of Mind

Stranger In The Alps - Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle

Favorite Tracks: Buffalo’s Canon and Stewball

Between The Country - Ian Noe

Favorite Tracks: Barbara’s Song and Methhead

Seneca - Charles Wesley Godwin

Favorite Tracks: Hardwood Floors and Seneca Creek

Chris Knight - Almost Daylight

Favorite Tracks: I’m William Callahan and Go On

The Wind - Eric Bolander

Favorite Tracks: Closer to that Flame and Ghost

Josh Nolan - Kind Heart to Follow

Favorite Tracks: Makin’ Eyes and The Honeysuckle

Nicholas Jamerson - Floyd County All Star

Favorite Tracks: Patience and Floyd County All Star

High Expectations - Sean Whiting

Favorite Tracks: Melody and Misery

Songs Only A Mother Could Love - Wayne Graham

Favorite Tracks: By and By and Every Evil Thing

On The Hilltop - Nic Allen and the Troubled Minds

Favorite Tracks: Cheap Pills and Wine and For Heaven’s Sake

Cheap Silver and Solid Country Gold - Mike and the Moonpies

Favorite Tracks: Cheap Silver and Danger

The Gospel - The Local Honeys

Favorite Tracks: Amazing Grace and Let the Church Roll On

Full Moon/Heavy Light - Ona

Favorite Tracks: Young Forever and True Emotion

Trial and Error - Vintage Pistol

Favorite Tracks: Lay It Down and Leave Me Behind

The Pilot Light - Derek Spencer

Favorite Tracks: The Witches of Appalachia and Lit By Moonlight

We Fall, We Break - Walter DeBarr

Favorite Tracks - Wicked Eyes and We Fall, We Break

Alive at Hillbilly Central - Arthur Hancock

Favorite Tracks - Take Me Back To The Country and Kenton’s Outdoor Seating Area

Cuz I Love You - Lizzo

Favorite Tracks: Truth Hurts and Juice

I have to give a shoutout to some amazing visual artists for their work on some of these records. Jimbo Valentine and Colonel Tony Moore did an absolutely amazing job on the Country Squire album art. With Valentine’s futuristic hillbilly aura and Moore’s gritty comic book background, their collaboration is my favorite album artwork in some time. Honorable mention goes to Nashville Tattoo Artist, Squishy Eyes. His work for Billy Strings’ home is colorful and visually stimulating. I definitely want some skin art done by this guy!

Next. Let’s talk festivals. Jon Grace burst onto the scene this year putting on not one but two music festivals. Jon and I go way back. We’ve been to country shows, rock shows, heavy metal shows, nu metal shows, Ozzfest. You name it and we were probably in the vicinity. Laurel Cove Music Festival was Bell County’s first foray into the music festival scene and it started with a flash of lightning, then another, then a shit load of rain. An outdoor music festival being held at a beautiful natural amphitheater turned in to an indoor show in the conference room at Pine Mountain State Park. It was a tough decision to make, but in the end, it was worth every minute. The lineup came together in short order and provided us with two days of blistering sets. Jon then put together the FREE Cumberland Mountain Fall Festival in downtown Middlesboro, KY. Featuring local and regional talent for another two days of fun and music. 2019 set the bar high for live music in Bell County.

Festival of the Red is located in the heart of the Red River Gorge area and put on three days of camping and music. The only downside was that I was only there on Saturday. My buddies Blake and Dave packed in the truck with Dave’s little boy Waylon to make the two hour trip to Slade to catch up with old friends and new.

Master Musician Festival is a yearly mainstay in Somerset, KY. Tiffany Finley and company put together a stellar lineup year after year. My wife and I went for the day on Saturday and returned home with memories that we still laugh about months later. I first want to give a shoutout to the staff of MMF for enduring a brutal storm and having the integrity to cancel the headlining act in the face of severe storms. We were devastated that we missed out on a Jason Isbell set, but we are also blessed that we were not injured in a stupid storm. The party rolled on to Jarfly and into the wee hours of the morning.

This brings me to the granddaddy of them all.

Kickin’ It On The Creek.

The Roberts do it up right on Ross’ Creek. The 5th Annual Kickin’ It On The Creek held on Byron Roberts’ farm is something every music fan should experience once in their life. I went to Irvine in June to attempt to buy tickets in person. I left the house Saturday morning around 4:30. My anxiety hit when I got into town and parked and saw the line stretched nearly a half mile down the road. What do you do though? You hop in line! My friends Jon and Daniel arrived about an hour and a half ahead of me and were about 15 people in front of me. Throughout the morning we made conversation with both veterans and newbies alike. The vibe was jubilant. It was almost like a family reunion atmosphere, and this was just the presale. Long story short, about 3 hours later we get to the front of the line when Byron exits the store to announce the tickets were sold out. My friends who were 15 people in front of me were the last group in. It made me ill to realize I was that close. Never fret, the next step was an online sale that supposedly sells out in seconds. Over the next few weeks, karma would smile on us as we were able to purchase enough tickets so everyone in our group of friends were able to procure tickets. Now the wait.

I’m not a festival virgin by no means. I was fortunate enough to go to three Bonnaroo festivals in the early 00’s. Needless to say, I had an idea of the festival life. However, I can’t begin to explain the giddiness that my wife and I felt driving to the festival that Thursday evening in late September. We made it just in time to set up camp and catch Bedford Band and one of the acts I most looked forward to, Buffalo Wabs and the Price Hill Hustle. The family atmosphere was in full effect. We were home. On Friday we were treated to sets by a variety of artists handpicked by the Roberts family. Favorites included Luna and the Mountain Jets, Crownover, Laid Back Country Picker, Green Genes, Jericho Woods, Vintage Pistol, Magnolia Boulevard, John R Miller and the Engine Lights, Town Mountain, and the ‘Lectric Wooks. Saturday favorites included Abe Partridge, Padre Paul Handleman, Wayne Graham, William Matheny, Senora May, Ona, The Wooks, Arlo McKinley, and festival headliner Tyler Childers. I’m already thinking about KIOTC 2020.

This year was magical. I heard amazing music, saw amazing music, introduced my children to amazing music, and most importantly shared with with my wife. I met lifelong friends and have several shows to look forward to in 2020.

Upcoming shows I’ll be attending are The Wooks, Arlo McKinley, Eric Bolander, Charlie Woods and Deep Hollow, and Dave Shoemaker at the Bell Theater on December 21st. 2020 brings Morgan Wade/Kelsey Waldon, Town Mountain/Buffalo Wabs/Geno Seale, Billy Strings, and Sturgill Simpson/Tyler Childers. The festival circuit is also ramping up with dates set for Laurel Cove 2020.

-Josh Trosper

*This is an independent review. The Hillbilly Hippie Music Review was not compensated for this review.

*The opinions expressed are solely that of the author(s).

[wzbcpromo]

WZBC Rock Top 30: 05 November 2019

1. Caroline Polachek, Pang // 2019 Perceptual Novice

2. TOLEDO, Hot Stuff - EP // 2019 TOLEDO

3. The Grinns, Golden Hour // 2017 Too Blue Records

4. Screaming Females, Singles Too // 2019 Don Giovanni Records

5. Paper Foxes, Popular Confessions // 2019 Paper Foxes

6. Silver Sphere, yikes! // 2019 Human Re Sources

7. Test Dept, Disturbance // 2018 One Little Indian

8. Tortoise, TNT // 1998 Thrill Jockey Records

9. North Mississippi Allstars, Up and Rolling // 2019 New West Records

10. Modest Intentions, Change - EP // 2018 Soul Deep Digital

11. Amon Tobin, Long Stories // 2019 Nomark

12. Sports Team, Winter Nets - EP // 2018 Nice Swan Records

13. Nana Grizol, Ursa Minor // 2017 Orange Twin

14. PEACH KELLI POP, Gentle Leader // 2018 Mint Records, Inc.

15. Leland Blue, Leland Blue // 2019 Leland Blue

16. The Mind, Edge of the Planet // 2019 Drunken Sailor Records

17. Julie’s Haircut, In the Silence Electric // 2019 Rocket Recordings

18. Mountains and Rainbows, Particles // 2016 Castle Face Records

19. Harmony Woods, Make Yourself at Home // 2019 Skeletal Lightning

20. City Kids Feel the Beat, Cheeky Heart // 2018 Uncle M Records

22. HDMIRROR, Art of Destruction // 2019 ART OF DESTRUCTION

23. Pixx, Small Mercies // 2019 4AD

24. Negative Scanner, Nose Picker // 2018 Trouble in Mind Records

25. Great Grandpa, Plastic Cough // 2017 Double Double Whammy

26. Doctor Smoke, The Witching Hour // 2014 Totem Cat Records

27. Cluster Buster, Knee-Deep in the Dead // 2015 Future 80′s Records

28. Goat Girl, Goat Girl // 2018 Rough Trade

29. Ty Segall, First Taste // 2019 Drag City Records

30. Francie Moon, All the Same // 2019 King Pizza Records

As compiled by our music director, Krista Roze

[engelspolitics]

The Dust Bowl

https://www.grunge.com/183534/the-messed-up-truth-of-the-dust-bowl/

Dust Bowl was result of severe drought that turned the dirt on farmlands in the Midwest to dust; this dust was picked up by the winds and got everywhere à crop failure, starvation, suffocation

Perfect storm of multiple factors:

· Since 1862 people had been encouraged by government to settle on public land and turn it into farmland;

o After WWI wheat and grain prices skyrocketed, more land was ploughed

o When the Depression hit the market fell and farmers needed more land and crops to break even à land was overworked and topsoil had been ploughed away

o Once heat and winds came, the land eroded and was blown away

· Black blizzards à between 1932-1933 52 recorded blizzards; in winter mixed with snow

Dust pneumonia; coughing, chest pains, breathing difficulty, coughing up mud

Dust bowl storms were vicious enough to charge static electricity; could turn into lightning and charge people, cars, buildings; could be lethal

Swarming grasshoppers attacked in 1931 à destruction of crops, eat clothes, leather, wood; eating away wagons, equipment, train tracks, road coats

· Eggs were carried from Texas to Colorado through the dust storms

· Flamethrowers, explosives, and poison used to get rid of bugs

Proposal of using artillery to cause rain; Napoleon who first noticed heavy rains often followed battles where there was heavy artillery fire, and the idea became widespread after Civil War soldiers noticed the same thing

· However government was not on board with the idea

Dust Bowl victims formed mass exodus, especially from Oklahoma à those fleeing were called Oakies no matter where they came from

Headed for the West Coast; around 2.5 migrants tried to get here, but laws were erected to turn them away from places like Los Angeles

· Lucky ones found work as grape/cotton pickers but many faced discrimination

Black Sunday à April 14, 1935; storm of a thousand miles; some people went blind, many people packed their bags afterwards

By 1933, the federal government wanted the price of beef and pork back up; decided that the supply was too high, so they bought and killed millions of cattle and buried in mass graves

· Especially bad in light of famine going on in the 1930s

Dust bowl could happen again; 60% of USA was under some degree of drought conditions; some states already experienced dust storms bad enough to cause accidents and deaths

[dustedmagazine]

Dust, Volume 5, Number 7

Cy Dune’s Seth Olinsky

It’s summer time finally, and who wants to be bothered with 3000-word essays on the obscure but worthy? Not us, we want shorter reviews for longer days. We’ve got cannonballs to do off lake piers, carbonized meat to ingest, cold brews to drink. So that we can get back to all that, we deliver a robust Dust with the usual mix of garage rockers, Chicago improv’ers, acoustic finger-pickers, up and comers and lately revived-ers.  We hope you enjoy it, sitting out there on your deck or fire escape or stoop...and don’t forget the sun screen.  Contributors this time include Andrew Forell, Ben Remsen, Justin Cober-Lake, Jennifer Kelly, Isaac Olson, Bill Meyer and Jonathan Shaw.    

Martin Brandlmayr — Vive Les Fantômes (Thrill Jockey)

Austrian drummer/composer Martin Brandlmayr’s award winning radio opera Vive Les Fantômes (Long live the Ghosts) combines spoken word and jazz samples with experimental electronics and percussion to create a dialogue across time and genres between Brandlmayr and some of his influences including Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, Jacques Derrida and Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Snatches of live music - a trumpet tuning up, a piano run – emerge between Brandlmayr’s understated free drumming, subtle electronics and the occasional bracing burst of noise. Monk talks sound, Miles issues instructions, and Derrida answers the telephone to speak with an unheard interlocutor. Over an engaging 53 minutes samples repeat in various juxtapositions to create relationships and emphasize their mutability. The spectral voices of long gone cultural giants speak of human frailty and the strength of the creative act. Vive Les Fantômes poignantly addresses memory and mortality. The piece closes on Derrida speaking for the first time in English “OK, I’ll be very glad to meet you. Goodbye.” Et Fin.

Andrew Forell

Burial — Claustro/State Forest (Hyperdub) 

Claustro / State Forest by Burial

William Bevan AKA Burial changed the face of electronica with the release of his eponymous debut album in 2006. His take on dubstep, jungle and ambient continues to influence producers, and his releases are highly anticipated. This first release since 2017 distills the elements that have enthralled and intrigued since the debut. A-side “Claustro” returns to Burial’s roots in jungle and rave. Vinyl crackle coats a four-to-the-floor shuffle and a vocal sample repeats in glorious swells of billowing, cloud-like sounds. It’s exhilarating albeit tinged with Burial’s signature yearning melancholy before it drops, dissolves into twinkling stars “Are you ready?” repeats and then “This song goes out to that boy.” before it kicks back in with an almost cheesy refrain “I got my eye on you, tonight.” which in turn fades back to crackle. “State Forest” is a completely different beast. A rich ambient narrative rich in atmospherics, found sounds and keening waves of synths creeping through a desolate landscape of shadow and dread. The funereal pace unfolds with miniscule details — broken twigs underfoot, drips of rain, quiet exhalations — then sudden silence. Burial places the listener in this environment, observant if not omnipotent or omnipresent, like the narrator of a classic Antinovel. Yet “State Forest” is not alienating or discursive. It shows rather than explains — a direct experience like a Beckett tale. It is his most effective piece of music since “Come Down to Us” and its obliqueness is the key to its power.  

Andrew Forell

Cy Dune — Desert (Lightning)

Akron/Family blended so many influences during their ten-year run that they avoided easy classification. With the collaborative nature of the group and its members switching instruments, it was hard to know what came from who, or whether the whole thing was just a bit of folky synergy. Then the band split up, and the years passed. Dana Janssen created Dana Buoy, an unexpected electropop duo more suited for clubs than for Akron/Family's wildernesses. Seth Olinsky, after a couple quick release years ago, emerges now as Cy Dune, with a sound much more in line with the Akron/Family aesthetic.

On Desert, Olinksy's songwriting and guitar playing provide the center of the album, but only to set up the weirdness that surrounds them. The bluesy stomp of “When You Pass Me” puts Cy Dune in the roots tradition, but the jazz influences remain strong enough that it's no surprise that bassist William Parker shows up. “Desert 2” offers chamber oddity, more a sketch than a song, but then “Desert 3” steps into the garage for some rock. Across this short album, Olinsky crams in a five-year hiatus's worth of ideas. The freak-folk of “It Is the Is” closes with some dissonance, a hint of a jazz, and a happy reminder that Cy Dune's desert archives are only beginning to open up.

Justin Cober-Lake

  Angharad Davies / Rie Nakajima / Alice Purton — Dethick (Another Timbre)

What is a score? Sometimes it is a series of staffs marked on lined paper. Sometimes it is a set of images, which may be followed according to varying degrees of specificity. Sometimes it mandates a piece of music down to the smallest detail, sometimes it offers suggestions, and sometimes it gets ignored. It’s common enough for improvisers to select partners based on their musical personalities rather than the instruments they play, so one might say that the selection is a compositional act. In this situation violinist Angharad Davies, cellist Alice Purton and sound artist Rie Nakajima (she plays kinetic devices and found objects) chose to play together for a couple days in a small church in Dethick, England. The choice to play together, the instruments they brought, the chapel’s accouterments and acoustics — that’s the score. The CD’s ten pieces sound like artifacts of a search for possibilities. How close to the language of chamber music, the shared vernacular of the two string players should they hew? How do things sound when you shake them? What does this organ sound like? What will these stone walls and stained glass windows do to the sounds? And what will one player do in the face of each other’s actions? Decisions in the face of puzzlement; that’s how these three women played this score.

Bill Meyer

 Dehd — Water

Water by DEHD

Dehd’s Water is spare and sharp, with ambling jangles of prickly guitar, a thud of bass, a shattering clank of snare on the upbeats. The Chicagoan trio — that’s Jason Balla (of Ne-Hi and Earring), Emily Kempf (of Vail and ex- of Lala Lala) and Eric McGrady — situate their songs within the tradition of scrubbed bare garage clangor, albeit with a rockabilly-ish twang sometimes flaring in the guitar lines. The one lavish, elaborate element is vocals, which twine and descant and swirl around each other, though never with undue precision. “Wild,” which leads off the disc, conjoins their various cracked and yearning voices in complicated points and counterparts, sometimes in lush, romantic sustained notes, others in percussive, time-keeping chants. “Lucky” starts in single-voiced sincerity and erupts into massive, girl-group sha-la-la-las (though some of them sung by men). Balla and Kempf recorded these songs while breaking up as a couple; they currently tour them as exes, which must lend the tunes a bit of extra ragged edge. Perhaps that’s why songs like “On My Side” are so fetching, sung with shredded hurt and blistered melody, but reaching for sweetness and finding it.

Jennifer Kelly

 DJ Lag and Okzharp — Steamrooms EP (Hyperdub)

Steam Rooms EP by DJ Lag and OKZharp

Durban-based South African Gqom producer DJ Lag teams with London’s Okzharp on the raw, percussion-heavy EP Steamrooms, their first collaboration for Hyperdub. The word Gqom, an onomatopoeia based on the Zulu word for ricochet, is said to mimic the sound of hitting a drum. Steamrooms contains none of the joyful lightness one expects from South African house. This is strictly a woozy, dangerous, disorientating amalgamation of heavy militaristic drums, Zulu chants and stabbing synths tempered somewhat by Okzharp’s grimy London influence. The effect is late-night sweaty club as the drugs are wearing off ad euphoria slips into something sinister and unhinged, but it’s undeniably exciting. I can’t go on; I must go on. Steamrooms’ four tracks exhort you to move till you drop. “Nyusa” encapsulates the atmosphere, shrouded in hiss, a funky unadorned synth riff clangs over an exhausted chant from a breathless dancer and drums thud beneath. The end of the night if not the world.

Andrew Forell

  Fetid — Steeping Corporeal Mess (20 Buck Spin)

Steeping Corporeal Mess by Fetid

This new record from Seattle death metal band Fetid may be the essential corrective to our national imaginary’s notion of that city as a monolithic site of liberal social policy, coffee “drinks” with lots of soy and greenwashed, vaguely cosmopolitan modes of cultural production. How many of us remember that Sir Mix-a-Lot, he of boundless enthusiasm for humanity’s anterior, is a Seattle native? Fetid share his interest in the undersides of bodies, and of things. There’s a decidedly intestinal — if not rectal — vibe to the unpleasant cover art for Steeping Corporeal Mess, and songs like “Dripping Subtepidity” and “Reeking Within” indicate a willingness to palpate beneath the Pacific Northwest’s famously moist terrain, to squish and squelch away in its rot and lukewarm organic goo. For a certain kind of listener, this may be the most fun you’ll have with a record this spring. For sure it’ll make you remember why David Lynch chose Washington state for Twin Peaks: who can forget the scene when Agent Cooper slides his long tweezers under Laura Palmer’s fingernail, to pull out a letter “R”? Or how long he has to dig around under there for it?

 Jonathan Shaw

 The French Tips — It's the Tips (Self Released)

It's the Tips by The French Tips

First: if The French Tips come to town, go. They recently toured with fellow Boiseans Built to Spill and blew them off the stage. As for the self-titled, self-released souvenir I took home: it’s got three great songs, (the first three, conveniently) five that are never worse than good, no duds and a lot of potential. It’s an excellent EP padded into honorable debut. The French Tips’ sound is indebted to, among others, Sleater-Kinney and Savages, but their guileless commitment to community, manifested in onstage instrument switches, shared vocal duties, their embrace of disco beats and a fat, confident, bottom end warms up their post-punk sonics considerably. The disco influence is as much spiritual as it is rhythmic: despite their righteous skronk und drang, despite oceanic guitar and bass which rage and release, surge and ebb, flash and hide, this is dance music, music to help you exorcise the bullshit. The French Tips is a bit green, but should they wish to pursue it, this is a band that deserves a record deal. Thesis statement: “Me and my witches about to burn it down”. I hope they do.

Isaac Olson  

 Friendship — Undercurrent (Southern Lord)

Undercurrent by Friendship

In this period of endless sub-sub-genres and hybrid forms in heavy music, it’s refreshing to hear a band with a sound that’s so straightforward. Friendship play hardcore: fast, vicious, intense songs that establish a riff and stick with it. Song titles say a lot: “Punishment,” “Lack,” “Garbage,” “Wrecker.” And so on. They’re succinct. There’s usually a breakdown section. There’s a bunch of d-beat songs. If you average the track lengths, you get almost exactly two minutes. It’s all really loud. They probably play really loud when you see them live. They can probably clear the room pretty quickly. It’s sort of fun that these guys call their band “Friendship.” It’s a good record to play when the neighbors put on Fox News. It’s a good way to say, “I don’t want to be your friend.”

Jonathan Shaw

Froth — Duress (Wichita)

Duress by Froth

It’s been a million years, it seems, since we were captivated by the “Yanni/Laurel” debate, a single murmured phrase that sounded like different things to different people. It was like that baked late-night meandering discussion about whether what I see as red is the same as yours come to life, and it vanished into the ravenous maw of internet culture. Except that Froth, an L.A. band currently on its fourth album, made a song about it, “Laurel,” full of clashing guitars and slow unspooling anarchy and whispery narratives. It could be the softest heavy rocker ever or the loudest twee fuzzed bedroom pop, depending on how you hear it. There’s a constant buzz at the bottom of all Froth’s songs, broken more often than not, by a reach for radiant melody. Froth makes an altogether engaging racket that borrows sleepily from Teenaged Fanclubs, in a fuzz-needled daze from MBV. “77,” the second single throws off the anorak for a denatured krautish groove, while “John Peel Slowly,” an instrumental, sketches a dream-landscape with loose-stringed bass, piano and space noises. Make your own sense of it, though. What you hear is largely up to you.

Jennifer Kelly

 Burton Greene / Damon Smith / Ra Kalam Bob Moses — Life’s Intense Mystery CD (Astral Spirits)

Life's Intense Mystery by Greene / Smith / Moses

If you can translate words into vectors, the name of this album tells you a lot about the forces at work. While pianist Burton Greene and drummer Ra Kalam Bob Moses were born over a decade apart, both were touched by the 1960s’ cosmic spirit. And when you put Patty Waters’ preferred pianist on the same stage with Weasel Walter’s most enduring bassist, intensity is on the agenda. But if you had to boil this music down to one image, it would be the symbol for yin and yang. Opposing forces often complement each other. When the pianist mugs a bit on “Kid Play,” the bass goes with the ferocity of a bull that just figured out that the fight is rigged; and when Moses and Smith dance light and lithe on “Perc-Waves,” Greene deploys some more percussion that asserts an unbudging center of gravity. And if you want to ignore all the metaphors, you can just let yourself fall into the force of this music’s mercurial flow.

Bill Meyer

 Invasive Species — Adapter (Baggage Claim)

Adapter by Invasive Species

You know the story; the drummer takes his solo, and the audience heads out for a beer or a piss. Invasive Species’ LP suggests that the problem isn’t drum music, it’s just that you’ve been listening to the wrong drummers and maybe there aren’t enough of them. Kevin Corcoran and Jon Bafus have been playing together for nine years, performing mostly within the city limits of Sacramento, California. Separately, their affiliations range encompass prog bands, Asian fusion ambient music and improvised exchanges with members of the ROVA Saxophone Quartet. Together, they play music that is concerned less with genre than with the possibilities of two augmented drum kits. Grooves collide and mesh, textures interweave and pull tight, meters multiply and never do these combinations seem designed to show off either musician’s prodigious chops. Rather, they show what a marvelous brain massage intuitively organized beats can provide.

Bill Meyer

  Tyler Keen / Jacob Wick — S-T (Silt Editions)

 Tyler Keen and Jacob Wick may employ different means, but their sounds make sense embedded on either side of a short strip of tape. Both men make noise that gets more complicated the closer you listen to it, and neither particularly needs volume to get noisy. Keen starts out with a blast, but once that subsides unintelligible walkie-talkie chatter, sputtering static, and the sounds of a cassette being snapped into a player pass before your ears. This is restless stuff, paced for the days when you haven’t been able to refill your Adderall RX and can’t be bothered to wait. Wick plays trumpet, probably muted by things they don’t tell you about in jazz school and definitely filtered through the sounds of room and non-invisible recording gear. Fueled by circular breathing that sustains a rarely broken stream of air, Wick’s horn rasps and hisses. Imagine that the sounds of a moth made of steel wool masticating its way through a warehouse full of old army blankets have been transmitted down a gutter and thence onto tape, and you just might imagine the sounds of Wick’s side of this cassette.

This is the second release by Silt Editions, a label with no web footprint aside from an email address (silteditions@gmail.com). At press time, there were still a few copies in various distributors’ stocks. Happy hunting.

Bill Meyer

  Rob Noyes — “You Are Tired” / “Nightmare Study” (Market Square Records)

You Are Tired b/w Nightmare Study by Rob Noyes

There’s no one way to do things, but the 45 rpm single seems tailor-made for playing late at night. “Just one more,” you tell yourself, fishing old records from the shelf and sitting companionably alongside the memories they conjure out of the commingling of sound, mind and the sensate experience of dust transferring from the sleeve to your fingers. “Well, maybe another one.” Rob Noyes is on to your game, and the tune on A-side of the Massachusetts-based 12-string guitar player’s latest record sees through your self-delusion and tells you like it really is. The chiming melody is as ingratiating as a late-night tug on the arm from a loved one. “Aren’t you going to come to bed?” But you’re on a roll, so you flip the record, expecting to hear another cantering tune. That’s when Noyes pulls you down the rabbit hole and into a state of consciousness that the sleep-deprived know only too well. Noyes has mastered a technique that makes him sound like a tape playing backwards even though he’s actually strumming in real time. It’s a neat trick, but it serves a function beyond showing Noyes’ imagination and technical acumen. By plunging the listener into a state of blurry disorientation, it confronts them with the next-day consequences of playing records late into the night.

Bill Meyer

  Pelican — Nighttime Stories (Southern Lord)

Nighttime Stories by Pelican

Pelican’s sixth full-length starts in a pensive mode, an acoustic guitar ushering in “WST.” The guitar belonged to guitarist Dallas Thomas’ lately deceased father, and it sets a somber tone. Death haunts these bludgeoning, moody grooves, giving Nighttime Stories a heaviness that can’t be ascribed purely to guitar tone. Later, in the crushing stomp of “Cold Hope,” Pelican grinds relentlessly, the drums scattershot volleys of explosive angst. “Arteries of Blacktop” is likewise weighted and slow, a massive bass churn slugging it out with viscous sheets of amplified guitar sheen. Yet there’s a great deal of epic, serene gorgeousness, too — in the minor key strumming of “Full Moon, Black Water,” the mathy, knotty acrobatic riffs of “Abyssal Plain,” the slow building drone of “It Stared at Me.” The album title commemorates a friend of the band, Jody Minnoch, who died unexpectedly of heart problems in 2014; he’d meant to use the phrase for a Tusk album, but passed before he could do so. The title track glowers with volcanic life force. Hip deep in mourning and existential query, it celebrates a muscular, triumphant still-here-ness.

Jennifer Kelly

 Spiral Wave Nomads — Spiral Wave Nomads (Feeding Tube / Twin Lakes)

Spiral Wave Nomads by Spiral Wave Nomads

Spiral Wave Nomads is a two man, two state band. Eric Hardiman (guitars, bass, sitar) lives in upstate New York, and drummer Michael Kiefer lives in Connecticut. This means that distances must be traveled if the two of them are to meet face to face, which is how substantial parts of this LP of cosmic instrumentals was made. And what better thing to do as you cross the verdant hills of the Northeastern USA than jam some tunes? Drifting alone to these ascending guitar lines and undulating percussive surges, it’s easy to imagine one or the other Nomad rounding some valley road and flashing on Popol Vuh’s Aguirre. “Was that a fly fisherman standing in the river, or did I see some conquistador on a raft, hollering at the monkeys?” Drift and drive a little longer and they might marvel at the play of striating light across the clouds and associating to some past pleasantly dreamy experiences involving a CD player loaded with Neu and Jimi Hendrix. All of which is a fanciful way to say that these guys sound like they have done their space rock homework, and they put their knowledge to good use on this LP. So don’t throw away the download code; you might want to program your own rural adventure with these tones.

Bill Meyer 

 Chad Taylor — Myths and Morals (Eyes & Ears)

Myths and Morals by Chad Taylor

One day at the end of last summer, Chad Taylor showed what it takes to be an MVP. Over the course of one long, humid Sunday afternoon on a semi-shaded stage at the Chicago Jazz Festival, he played three consecutive sets with three different bands. He sustained the set-length dynamics of Jaime Branch’s Fly or Die, swung muscularly with the Jason Stein Quartet, and managed the mercurial flow of the Eric Revis Quartet. He might have soaked through a shirt, but he never dropped a beat, nor did he ever seem less than tuned in to the particular requirements of those three quite different ensembles.

Myths and Morals most closely corresponds to another of Taylor’s projects, the Chicago Underground Duo. While his equipment is restricted to drum kit and mbira (thumb piano), his compositional imagination is wide open. These pieces may tarry for a moment on some texture or pattern, but for the most part they are studies in constant development. Precision and restraint yield surprise and mystery; the music is so involving and complete that it’s easy to forget that you’re listening to solo percussion.

Bill Meyer

 Chris Welcome and His Orchestra — Beyond All Things (Gauci Music) 

Beyond All Things by Chris Welcome & His Orchestra

A free jazz octet might sound like caviar soup: too much of an indulgent thing. Chris Welcome makes it work here, harnessing the noisy tendencies of this roomful of younger New York players with some light-touch compositional structure and a willingness to swing. In under half an hour, we go from a free-time fanfare highlighting the gestural playing of trumpeter Jaimie Branch and tenorist Sam Weinberg through to a medium-firm groove laid down by bassist Shayna Dulberger and drummer Mike Pride, over which cornetist Kirk Knuffke blows with a coolness so confident that it sounds like the swing feel of the composition was summoned by his playing, not the other way around. Minutes later, that groove gets harder and altoist Anthony Ware delivers a fiery solo while the rest of the horns chatter in the background like they’re doing avant-garde Dixieland (an approach perhaps being alluded to by the appellation “and His Orchestra”). Welcome himself mostly hides behind the sonic bushes, his heavily effected guitar and synthesizer offering eerie interjections and a short woozy solo halfway through the piece. He’s a virtuoso guitarist, but here he gets to be a virtuoso organizer, savvy enough to know the amount of organization called for.

Ben Remsen

[maximumbob-universe]

Pumped by his  Christmas special comeback, Elvis headed to American Studios in Memphis in 1969 to cut some records.  The king was inspired, as was producer Chips Moman, who relished the idea of working with Elvis.  Presley was getting over a bronchial infection when he hit the studio, giving his voice a husky quality unusual for him.  Rather than delaying the sessions, he dove right in, anxious to lay down some tracks.  The pickers on the sessions were the cream of Memphis studio hands, who were used to working with pop and soul performers, which really changed the overall Presley sound.  The resultant album “From Elvis in Memphis” is a masterstroke, the first lightning in a bottle moment for the singer since his first post army sessions nine years prior.  As usual, Elvis tore through the song sheets, knocking out enough material for a couple of albums and a slew of singles.  The difference here is the overall musical approach.  For one thing, this is not a rock record.  Here we have the man who gave rock a voice making a consummate blue eyed soul album.  There are numerous country songs here, but they are all done R&B style.  Eddy Arnold’s “I’ll Hold You in My Heart” sounds less like the lament of a lonely man, and more like a tortured soul in need.  Hank Snow’s “I’m Movin’ On” has a touch of steel guitar, but it driven home by a punchy horn section.  "Only the Strong Survive" is straight soul, sung by a man who just loved the original record by Jerry Butler.  Every cut on the album shows a man engaged, ready to leave behind his tacky, movie soundtrack days.  The only dated item is the last cut.  "In the Ghetto" was a song of social consciousness that was all the rage in 1969, and gave Presley his first substantial hit in 6 years.  The marathon sessions also produced some non album singles.  "Suspicious Minds" would become the big man’s last number one hit, and his first since 1963.  The comeback continued for another few years before his eventual demise would set it, but on this album Elvis Presley proved he was indeed a giant in the music world, and an excited public was glad to have him back.  

[greenskygoldheart]

Fitting A 42 Inch LCD TV

Get An Amazing Deal On A 42 inch LCD TV

An ever increasing number of individuals are searching for good arrangements on the best 42 inch LCD TV fluid gem show televisions (LCD) are relatively more slender and considerably lighter than CRT televisions. These days, you can without much of a stretch get LCD TVs as indicated by your need of screen size which fluctuates between 14" to 70". The most recent LCD TV's have a dynamic lightning control highlight which consequently changes the screens splendor for that impeccable picture. Besides, with these TV's you will never feel disturbance in your eyes. In the event that you will overview on web and stores you can without much of a stretch locate the least expensive 42 inch LCD TV in many brands. Here is a rundown of couple of least expensive 42 inch LCD TV's

Samsung PN42C450 Plasma: this plasma TV of 42" has all the preeminent components of a HDTV. It even accompanies extraordinary value bundle. It offers highlights like incredible determination, great picture, 2 HDMI inputs, a USB port, SRS sound handling. The main disadvantage might be the moderate speed of the pictures amid amusement mode. In this way, it is commented as the best 42 inch LCD TV with moderate 720p plasma line bolster.

LG Electronics 42PG25 HDTV: this is one of the best 42 inch LCD TV's. LG 42PG25 brags extremely forcing highlights which make it worth its cost. Despite the fact that this TV used to battle with quick movement video yet every defect appears to be unimportant before the gorgeous pictures it conveys. Also, it has obviously outlined on screen presentations and menu choices. Be that as it may, it got low score on movement pictures however the jury gave it the best score for it's pictures. Consequently, it is the least expensive 42 inch TV with alluring stand that even improves its allure more.

Vizio SV420XVT: in the event that you are hunting down the least expensive 42 inch LCD TV then you may stop your inquiry here. Vizio HDTV has an incredible cost with awesome picture quality. The cons are that it doesn't have a USB port or SD card opening and even the menu doesn't have brisk route settings.

LG Electronics 42LG60: another name given to this HDTV is "red". It is guaranteed to be the best 42 inch LCD TV with fake calfskin remote controlling elements. It has a splendid on-screen route menu with staggering general interest. The LG's sensors of this TV measure the brilliance as well as the shading and difference. In conclusion, you may discover the value somewhat high yet it's justified, despite all the trouble, the menu alternatives and picture prevalence. Also, after you get it you won't be baffled.

Westinghouse TX-42F43OS: this is the brand which is known to deliver the least expensive 42 inch TV' Westinghouse HDTV's may discard a couple propelled brilliant elements yet general its execution is practically identical to LG 42LG60. It even backings extraordinary speaker quality. On the off chance that you aren't a nit-picker for style then you can clearly go for this one.

An ever increasing number of individuals are searching for good arrangements on the best 42 inch LCD TV fluid precious stone show televisions, (LCD) are similarly more slender and considerably lighter than CRT televisions. These days, you can without much of a stretch get LCD TVs as indicated by your need of screen size which fluctuates between 14" to 70". The most recent LCD TV's have a dynamic lightning control include which naturally alters the screens splendor for that impeccable picture. Besides, with these TV's you will never feel bothering in your eyes. In the event that you will study on the web and stores you can without much of a stretch locate the least expensive 42 inch LCD TV in many brands. Here is a rundown of a couple of least expensive 42 inch LCD TV's

Samsung PN42C450 Plasma: this plasma TV is 42" and has all the incomparable components of a HDTV. It even accompanies an awesome sticker price. It offers highlights like awesome determination, astounding picture, 2 HDMI inputs, a USB port, SRS sound handling. The main disadvantage might be the moderate speed of the pictures amid amusement mode. Along these lines, it is commented as the best 42 inch LCD TV with reasonable 720p plasma line bolster.

LG Electronics 42PG25 HDTV: this is one of the best 42 inch LCD TV's. LG 42PG25 gloats exceptionally forcing highlights which make it worth its cost. In spite of the fact that this TV used to battle with quick movement video yet every defect appears to be unimportant before the gorgeous pictures it conveys. In addition, it has obviously outlined on screen showcases and menu alternatives. In any case, it got low score on movement pictures yet the jury gave it the best score for it's pictures. Thus, it is the least expensive 42 inch TV with an alluring stand that even improves its allure more.

Vizio SV420XVT: on the off chance that you are looking for the least expensive 42 inch LCD TV then you may stop your pursuit here. Vizio HDTV has an incredible cost with awesome picture quality. The cons are that it doesn't have a USB port or SD card opening and even the menu doesn't have fast route settings.

LG Electronics 42LG60: another name given to this HDTV is "red". It is guaranteed to be the best 42 inch LCD TV with artificial cowhide remote controlling elements. It has a splendid on-screen route menu with dazzling general interest. The LG's sensors of this TV measure the splendor as well as the shading and difference. In conclusion, you may discover the value somewhat high however it's justified, despite all the trouble, the menu choices and picture predominance is basically stunning. Besides, after you get it you won't be frustrated.

Westinghouse TX-42F43OS: this is the brand which is known to create the least expensive 42 inch TV' Westinghouse HDTV's may overlook a couple propelled astounding elements yet general its execution is equivalent to the LG 42LG60. It even backings incredible speaker quality. On the off chance that you aren't a nit-picker for style then you can doubtlessly go for this one.

A Flat 42 inch LCD TV mounted on the divider is an eye-getting sight. Alongside enhanced picture and sound quality a level screen LCD or plasma television likewise builds the tasteful temperament of any room. In the meantime, control links and wiring dangling around demolish the photo of flawlessness that a Flat screen TV conveys.

This article portrays how you can conceal wires and links while fitting a divider mounted level screen LCD or plasma television. This article likewise records various choices which you can guarantee everything seems flawless and clean. A basic arrangement could be to shroud the wires behind furniture for example divider cupboards and shades, while a more lasting choice is to cover the wires inside the dividers at the back of the level screen TV divider mount.

The last choice needs prior electrical plugs particularly if the dividers are strong. In case of dry or wooden segment dividers, a smidgen of penetrating and slicing empowers you to shroud the links successfully while fitting your 42 inch LCD TV divider mount.

A Flat 42 inch LCD TV mounted on the divider is an eye-getting sight. Alongside enhanced picture and sound quality a level screen LCD or plasma television additionally expands the tasteful inclination of any room. In the meantime, control links and wiring dangling around destroy the photo of flawlessness that a Flat screen TV conveys.

This article portrays how you can shroud wires and links while fitting a divider mounted level screen LCD or plasma television. This article likewise records various choices which you can guarantee everything seems perfect and clean. A straightforward arrangement could be to shroud the wires behind furniture for example divider cupboards and window ornaments, while a more perpetual alternative is to cover the wires inside the dividers at the back of the level screen TV divider mount.

The last choice needs prior electrical plugs particularly if the dividers are strong. In case of dry or wooden parcel dividers, a tiny bit of boring and slicing empowers you to shroud the links successfully while fitting your 42 inch LCD TV divider mount.

[so-why-walrus]

MY FAVOURITE SONGS:

It will make sense only if you're watching my videos. Especially the last one. Mainstream: The Beatles – I’m the Walrus, Across the Universe, Happiness is the Warm Gun, Blue Jay Way, Here There and Everywhere, 8 Days a Week, In My Life, A Day in Life, Eleanor Rigby, Here comes the Sun, Dear Prudence, Paperback Writer, While My Guitar Gently Weeps; Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody, Fat Bottomed Girls, I’m Going Slightly Mad, Another One Bites the Dust, I Want to Break Free, Don’t Stop Me Now, Invisible Man; Red Hot Chili Peppers – Fortune Faded, Dani California, Desecration Smile, Soul to Squeeze, Strip My Mind, Suck My Kiss, Aeroplane, Monarchy of Roses, Torture Me, Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Road Trippin’, Dark Necessities, Give it Away, Scar Tissue; Arctic Monkeys – Brianstorm, R U Mine, Teddy Picker, Crying Lightning, 505, D is for Dangerous, Pretty Visitors, Balaclava, I Bet that You Look Good on the Dancefloor; Kiss – I was Made for Loving You, Detroit Rock City, Love gun, Shout it out loud; Oasis – Wonderwall, Supersonic, Don’t Look Back in Anger, Live Forever, Champagne Supernova, Whatever; Kasabian – Eez-eh, Pistols at Dawn, Bumblebee, Fire, Club Foot, Velociraptor! Re-wired; Rammstein – Sonne, Keine Lust, Mein Land, Rosenrot, Amerika, Ich Tu Dir Weh; Almost Mainstream: The Last Shadow Puppets – Calm Like You, Separate and Ever Deadly, Standing Next to Me, Miracle Aligner, Bad Habits, Dracula Teeth, Used to be my Girl, She Does the Woods. Pattern; Blossoms – Cut Me I’ll Bleed, Smashed Pianos, Blown Rose, Charlemagne; Melanie Martinez – Alphabet Boy, Soap, Mad Hatter, Cake, Tag You’re It, Milk and Cookies, Pacify Her, Teddy Bear; That Poppy – Lowlife, Altar, Money, Everybody Wants to be Poppy; Die Antwoord – Baby’s on Fire, Evil Boy, Ugly Boy, Fatty Boom Boom, I Fink U Freeky, Banana Brain, $copie, Fish Paste, Cookie Thumper; Stromae - Tous Les Mêmes, Papaoutai, Carmen, quand c'est ? ; Miles Kane – Taking Over, Closer, Give Up, Inhaler, Better Than That, Don’t Forget Who You Are, Telepathy, My Fantasy, First of My Kind; We Are Scientist – Buckle, I Don’t Bite, Classic Love, In My Head, Great Escape, Inaction; Ivy Levan – Biscuit, Hot Damn, Money, Hang Forever, I Don’t Wanna Wake Up; Alexandra Savior – M.T.M.E., Shades, Mystery Girl; Cute Whore – White Icing, Cake Friendly Nice, 70’s Porn Music, Cult Leader, My Jungle; Covers: Pomlamoose – Single Ladies, Uptown Funk, Favourite Things, Telephone, Beat it, Mrs. Robinson, Come Together, Like a Prayer; Dodie Clark – Into You, I Feel Fine, Here Comes the Sun, Crazy Toxic; Tessa Violet - I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song), Hey There, Delilah; Tessa Violet & Dodie Clark – All Star; 'OTHER': Glee Cast – Loser, Like a Prayer, Somebody Loves You, Shout, Don’t Speak, Rumor Has It/ Someone Like You, Don’t Stop Believing, Good Vibrations, Gold Digger, Uptown Girl, Brave, Nutbush City Limits, Dream On, The Scientist, Daydream Believer, My Sharona, Rock Lobster, Love Shack, Tightrope, Gloria, Nasty Boys/Rhythm Nation, Cough Syrup; Songs from musicals: Wicked – Defying Gravity, Popular, For Good, What is this Feeling?; Rocky Horror Picture Show – Science Fiction/Double Feature, Time Warp, Eddie, Sweet Transvestite…okay, I have to admit. I love ALL songs from this show…literally…ALL. The Book of Mormon – Hello, Hasa Diga Eebowai, I Believe, Spooky Mormon Hell Dream; Chicago – All that Jazz, Cell Block Tango, Mr. Cellophane; Gypsy – Some People, Rose’s Turn; Funny Girl – Don’t Rain on My Parade, The Greatest Star; Marry Poppins – Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, A Spoonful of Sugar; Chim Chim Cheer-e; Singing in the Rain – Make ‘Em Laugh, Singing in the Rain; Rent – Tango Maureen, La Vie Bohem, Seasons of Love, Take Me or Leave Me, Light My Candle; Hairspray – You Can’t Stop the Beat, Nicest Kids in Town; The Sounds of Music – My Favourite Things, The Sounds of Music; Hamilton – Alexander Hamilton, Washington on your Side; Hair – I Got Life, Hair; Songs That I just enjoy listening: The 1975 – Girls, Somebody Else; R.E.M. – Loosing My Religion; Scissor Sisters – I Can’t Decide, I Don’t Feel Like Dancing, Let’s Have a Kiki. Filthy/Gorgeous; Eminem – Without Me, The Real Slim Shady, We Made You, Berzerk; Lady Gaga – Judas, Perfect Illusion, Born This Way, Applause; You and I; Dead or Alive – You Spin Me Right Round (Like a Record); Capital Cities – Kangaroo Court; Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Downtown, Thrift Shop; Robbie Williams – Rock DJ; Gym Glass Hero – Cupid’s Chokehold; Supertramp – Breakfast in America; The Clash – Should I Stay or Should I Go; Straight To Hell, London Calling; Lily Allen – Smile, Fuck You; Blackstreet ft. Dr. Dre – No Diggity; Adele – Send My Love; Mika – We Are Golden, Lolipop, Grace Kelly; Lorde – Royals; Kanye West – Black Skinhead, Gold Digger; Seafret – Oceans; Sia – The Greatest, Cheap Thrills; Nine Inch Nails – Closer; M.I.A. – Paper Planes; Billy Joel – Piano Man, Only The Good Die Young, Uptown Girl; Franz Ferdinand – What She Came For, Take Me Out; Madonna – Vogue; Elton John – Tiny Dancer, I’m Still Standing, Your Song; Rockwell - Somebody’s Watching Me; Duran Duran – Hungry Lika a Wolf; David Bowie – Fashion; Run-DMC – It’s Tricky; Green Day – Basket Case, Blood Sex Booze; Tool – Sober; and a lot more. It changes every year/month/day/minute Link to the video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTXBtxnoC3U&feature=youtu.be

[enforcecoveragegroup]

NY Workers Comp Rates for Class Code 7601 Telephone, Telegraph or Fire Alarm Line Construction and Drivers

NY Workers Comp Rates for Class Code 7601 Telephone, Telegraph, Fire Alarm Construction

Description: Code 7601 covers contractors engaged in telephone, telegraph or fire alarm line construction and drivers.  Type of work covered are clearing of right-of-ways; driving; erecting poles; cross-arms and insulators; stringing overhead lines or lead sheath cables used for multiple circuits; and laying underground cables.  The Code applies to all work normal and incidental to the construction of such lines when undertaken by an individual employer whether performed by dedicated crew of employees or employees who interchange between operations.

Materials Used: all types of wire, brush and tree clearing equipment, and digging or trenching equipment.

Pricing: Solid companies with a good loss history can obtain better than average pricing on NY Workers Comp Rates for Class Code 7601 for telephone & fire alarm line construction

TELEPHONE COMPANIES Category: Service Businesses

SIC CODE: 4813 Telephone Communications, Except Radiotelephone 4812 Radiotelephone Communications 4822 Telegraph and Other Message Communications 4899 Communications Services, Not Elsewhere Classified

NAICS CODE: 517210 Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (Except Satellites) 517410 Satellite Telecommunications 517110 Wired Telecommunications Carriers

Suggested ISO General Liability Code: 99600, 99614

Suggested Workers Compensation Code: 7600, 8901

Description of operations: Telecommunication companies provide the wiring, cabling, equipment, and ongoing maintenance for services to residences and commercial enterprises. These companies may offer automated answering systems, cable access, internet access, and local, long-distance, and international telephone service, special communications devices for customers with physical disabilities, telegraphs, and wireless communications. Service may be provided using overhead lines, underground utility cables, fiber-optic, microwave, or satellite systems.

Property exposures are high due to the high concentration of electronic equipment on premises. Ignition sources include electrical wiring, heating and air conditioning systems, and overheating of equipment. All of these require ongoing maintenance. Adequate fire detection and suppression equipment is recommended. Power surge equipment is needed to prevent lightning and other power losses. Smoke and water damage, even from a small fire, can result in a major loss without extensive contingency planning. Switching stations should be protected and security provided. If maintenance and fueling of service vehicles is done on premises, all flammables must be stored away from heated areas in a fireproof cabinet. Welding and soldering should be done in a well-ventilated area that is free of combustible materials. Communications equipment may be targets for theft. Appropriate security controls should be taken including physical barriers to prevent entrance to the premises after hours and an alarm system that reports directly to a central station or the police department. Telecommunication companies have very high exposure to business income loss as any power outage affects service to residential and business customers. Extra expenses may be high, as repairs must be made quickly to reduce downtime to dependent customers.

Equipment breakdown exposure includes breakdown losses to telecommunication devices, electrical control panels and other apparatus. All equipment must be inspected and maintained on a regular basis. Back-up generators should be available. Crime exposure is from computer fraud and employee dishonesty. The exposure increases without thorough background checks of employees. Billing, ordering, and disbursement should be under separate supervisors. Reconciliation and audits should be routine. Computer fraud potential can be high as many customers pay by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT). Adequate security is required to prevent unauthorized access to customer information.

Inland marine exposure is from accounts receivable as the company regularly bills customers for service, computers, radio and television floater (including towers), tools and equipment, and valuable papers and records for customers’ and suppliers’ information. The company is likely to have extensive communications systems, including computers, which are very expensive and must be backed up regularly. Computer systems must have adequate security features to prevent unauthorized access due to industrial espionage or by hackers. Communications towers are often in remote areas, and should be fenced to prevent access by unauthorized persons. Towers are susceptible to loss by high winds, lightning, icing, and airplanes. Protective features such as guy wires, lighting and de-icing equipment, are needed. Service technicians carry tools and equipment to customers’ premises for installation and repair. Vehicles should be kept locked at all times. Duplicates of records must be made often and stored off site. Storage on premises should consist of fireproof cabinets. There may be a contractors’ equipment exposure if the company installs its own underground cables.

Premises liability exposure at the main office location is usually light as communication with customers is done by mail or electronically. Off-site premises exposures are heavy due to the running of lines or cables, both above ground and below ground. Company vehicles may disrupt normal traffic flow, requiring adequate notice to motorists to prevent accidents. Technicians may damage customers’ premises when installing lines and cables within buildings. Excavation and maintenance of underground lines could cause damage to the property of others. Towers pose an attractive nuisance to children and teenagers and should be fenced to prevent unauthorized access. Terrorism is a potential threat to public services. There must be adequate security to deter unauthorized access to any part of the company’s premises. Despite the lack of scientific evidence, some cellular service providers have been sued on the allegation that repeated exposure to electromagnetic radiation causes injuries to people or animals. Personal injury exposures may result from failing to adequately secure customer information. Complaints by customers to the FCC regarding “slamming” or “cramming” offenses may result in high defense costs.

Completed operations exposures can be high if equipment is not properly installed. Loss of communications service could result in loss of earnings to businesses, particularly those who derive the bulk of their income from online sales. Automobile exposure may be high. If the company does its own repairs, vehicles are on the road on both routine and emergency basis. The vehicles must be out 24 hours per day, sometimes on rough terrain in inclement weather. Cable and the equipment used to install it are awkward to transport. Secure tying down is vital to prevent heavy damage to other vehicles. Vehicles may be parked along roads, disrupting regular traffic. Proper signage is required to warn drivers. All drivers must be licensed with acceptable MVRs. Regular training should be provided in driving under difficult situations. All vehicles must be well maintained with documentation kept in a central location. If vehicles are provided to employees, there should be written procedures in place regarding personal use by employees and their family members.

Workers compensation exposures are very high. Working with power lines can result in electrical shocks. There should be adequate shutoff and lockout procedures to make sure the wiring is not live.

Falls can occur from ladders, scaffolds or cherry pickers, utility poles or towers. Adequate personal protective equipment is required. Failure to adequately warn motorists of road hazards can result in a worker being hit by a motor vehicle. Laying of underground cable can result in back sprains and strains from dragging heavy cables, or exposure to collapse hazards. Prolonged exposure to electromagnetic microwave or cellular transmissions has been linked to occupational disease. Workers who visit customers’ premises may be attacked by dogs or other animals. In the office where most work is done on computers, potential injuries include eyestrain, neck strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and similar cumulative trauma injuries that can be addressed through ergonomically designed workstations.

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