The Long and Short Words of Josh Preston

Is that a melodica in your pocket...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 20:17:00 +0000

Photo I took of a marching band in Brugges

Hey y'all! Sorry for the lack of updates. I'm living in the land of Facebook all the time now and playing electric guitar, melodica and glockenspiel with Nathan Griffin and Adam Burrows on a near constant basis these days. Please follow these fine gentlemen on Facebook by clicking on their names below. Here are some of their upcoming shows:

09.21.11 - 8pm
With Adam Burrows @ The Basement
1604 8th Ave. S, Nashville, TN (United States)
http://www.thebasementnashville.com
Ages: All Ages
Other Artist: Lance Whalen

09.22.11 - 6pm
With Adam Burrows @ Frist Center for the Visual Arts
Frist Lobby 919 Broadway Nashville, TN 37203 , Nashville, TN (United States)
http://www.fristcenter.org
615-244-3340
Ages: All Ages
Other Artist: Ronny Criss

09.24.11 - 1pm
With Nathan Griffin @ Thompson's Station Fall Festival

Thompson's Station Park
1513 Thompson's Station Road West
Thompson's Station, TN 37179

09.25.11 - 1pm
With Nathan Griffin @ American Pickers & Antique Archeology
1300 Clinton St., Suite 130 (Marathon Village), Nashville, TN 37203
http://antiquearchaeology.com/antique_arhaeology_nashville_tn.html
Ages: All Ages
Description:
Unplugged performance

10.02.11 - 2pm

With Adam Burrows @ American Pickers & Antique Archeology
1300 Clinton St., Suite 130 (Marathon Village), Nashville, TN 37203
http://antiquearchaeology.com/antique_arhaeology_nashville_tn.html
Ages: All Ages
Description:
Unplugged performance

It's been a long time since I rock and rolled..

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:19:00 +0000

Photo by Weldon Godfrey

Well, not really but it's certainly been a long time since my last post. I've certainly been wearing my producer/sideman/record label hat much more as of late. It's fits quite nicely I might add. I also got new headphones but that's neither here nor there.

I'm not about to get all mushy but I'd sincerely like to thank all of the folks that have "Liked" my Facebook page as of late. I'd also like to urge you to like some of the artist I've been working with over the past year or so. In addition to producing and engineering records for these guys, I've managed to shamelessly weasel various bits of my guitar playing here and there on these albums. So in wrapping up this little plug, please check these guys out because they absolutely deserve to be heard (and you'll get a free mp3 from each of them when you click on the links below).

Like Adam Burrows on Facebook

Like Joel Meeks on Facebook

Like Nathan Griffin on Facebook

Here are some of the shows I'll be playing in the coming months. I've managed to squeeze one solo show in the bunch but I hope get more on the books in the coming months.

Upcoming Dates:

Thursday, August 18, 2011
Nathan Griffin @ RAW:Nashville presents FUSION @ Mercy Lounge / Cannery Ballroom
1 Cannery Row, Nashville, TN (United States) - Map
Set: 8:00 PM
21+
Tickets: $10
Buy Now

Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Adam Burrows @ 2$ Tuesdays @ The 5 Spot
1006 Forrest Ave., Nashville, TN (United States) - Map
Set: 8:00 PM
All Ages

Thursday, August 25, 2011
Nathan Griffin @ Shakespeare In The Park (Opening Set) @ Centennial Band Shell @ Centennial Park
2600 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN (United States) - Map
Set: 6:30 PM
All Ages
Tickets: Free!

Friday, August 26, 2011
Josh Preston @ Shakespeare In The Park (Opening Set) @ Centennial Band Shell @ Centennial Park
2600 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN (United States) - Map
Set: 6:30 PM
All Ages
Tickets: Free!

Saturday, August 27, 2011
Adam Burrows @ SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK (Pre-Show Entertainment) @ Centennial Park
2600 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN 37203 (United States) - Map
(615) 862-8442
Set: 6:30 PM
All Ages

Thursday, September 15, 2011
James David Wolf @ Shakespeare In The Park (Opening Set) @ Centennial Band Shell @ Centennial Park
2600 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN (United States) - Map

Thanks again everyone for your ears and your support. I hope to see you soon!

Josh Preston = Thespian

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:40:00 +0000

That's right folks. My acting debut. Look out Peter Sellers! Bean and I created a video for James David Wolf's song "Obliviously Yours" from his album Special.
You can grab a download of this song for FREE by "Liking" his Facebook page.
It's off to Brussels, Bruges and Amsterdam for me in roughly 48 hours. I'll be posting stories and pics from my adventure so check back here.

New Album by Adam Burrows!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 31 May 2011 18:07:00 +0000

I'm incredibly excited to relay the announcement of the forthcoming album by singer/songwriter Adam Burrows entitled Tall Tales. To celebrate this new release, he's giving away a free download of the track "Camden" if you "Like" Adam Burrows on Facebook. To get this free download, click HERE!

I've spent the last year co-producing and engineering this album and I honestly can't wait for folks to hear it. I played some guitar and other random things on this album as well. Adam's writing is incredible and if you guys dig what I do, I know you're going to absolutely love Adam's music. If you like the free download, keep checking back for special pre-release announcements (the actual release date is July 26th) and please share this link with your friends.

Tracklist:

1. Just Another Adam
2. Follow Her Around
3. Moments Like Those
4. San Diego Sally
5. Camden (free download!)
6. Me & Olivia
7. One Dimensional
8. Tall Tale Tuesday
9. Recluse
10. Snapshot
11. Alone

A Most Pleasant Apocalypse

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 21 May 2011 14:10:00 +0000

<p>&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://joshpreston.bandcamp.com/track/a-most-pleasant-apocalypse"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;A Most Pleasant Apocalypse by Josh Preston&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;</p>

Josh Preston - A Most Pleasant Apocalypse

Without knowing it, I wrote a theme song about this very day. Maybe I'll change my name to Folkstradamus. While you're waiting for the world to end, enjoy this little ditty. Lyrics below:

The last thing you'll hear....

lyrics

I wouldn't miss this for the world

But I might be a little late
I have a hard time getting out of bed these days
You probably noticed

Thanks for saving me a seat
I'm so happy I am able to sit comfortably
I'll try not to move and if I do I'm truly sorry
Please excuse me

The lights start to dim and the apocalypse begins
Hell will make a cameo appearance
What you did was bad but what your neighbors did was worse
Now we're all swimming towards the end of the world

Went once or twice to the DMV
This is really nothing compared to that
The headless horseman don't even need a license
And their f'ing headless

Fire and brimstone are raining down
I needed to go and get new wipers anyway
This used car looked like new now it's a flaming ball of goo
I'm concerned if this is covered by my insurance
Cause all I have is minimum coverage

The lights start to dim and the apocalypse begins
Hell will make a cameo appearance
What you did was bad but what your neighbors did was worse
Now we're all swimming towards the end of the world

Bring extra floaties...you'll probably need them

What Happens Next?: Thoughts on the AmazonMP3 Cloud Player and Amazon Cloud Drive

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:24:00 +0000

In the time I've made a living in the music business (10+ years), I've come to recognize patterns of behavior that the music industry seem to constantly adhere to in the face of technological advances. As my specialty is royalties, I suppose this makes sense: Spending hours pouring over reports looking for pennies has presumably sharpened my skills in pattern recognition. There is one pattern however that constantly presents itself without fail: The music industry's complete inability to ask the very simple question:

What happens next?

The major story in the last few days is the launch of Amazon's Cloud Player and Cloud Drive. In a nutshell, this service allows people to store music they purchased (or otherwise obtained) "in the cloud" and they can playback said music from the web or via an Android app.

Many labels are pissed about Amazon's new offering and there are rumblings of litigation.

The grievance of many labels is two-fold: First, they had their feelings hurt because Amazon didn't tell them this was happening when it launched. Hurt feelings are almost always cause for litigation...

Second, they want somebody - and it doesn't matter who - to pay them every time a customer streams a song from the cloud.

"But didn't the person using the cloud service purchase the music and should therefore have the ability to play it however and wherever they like," you ask?

Well yes, but labels are going to argue that "technically" the cloud from which the consumers are accessing their content doesn't belong to them and therefore does not constitute "personal use".

Ok, so for the sake of argument and - as completely asinine as the "personal use" argument might seem to the layperson - let's assume that streaming music from the cloud (music the customer purchased) is deemed illegal.

What happens next?

Well, Amazon is also one of the single largest retailers of physical CDs in the world.

Let that sink in for a moment.

I'll wait.

Taking this into account, if Amazon's Cloud Player / Cloud Drive service was deemed illegal and forced to shut down, what would stop Amazon from telling the labels that they no longer want to sell CDs? Amazon could make up any excuse they wanted (i.e. overhead is too expensive for physical storage, lack of consumer interest, we don't want to rip off our customers by selling products whose time has clearly passed, etc.). In reality, if Amazon pulled the plug on CD sales, nearly every label would have to pack up shop based on their current business models.

But, as history has shown us, labels have to sue somebody for something. That's what the big labels have spent the majority of their time doing since the dawn of the digital era instead of doing anything innovative or creative but I digress.

Ok, take a drastic leap of faith and assume the music industry doesn't file an injunction to have the service shut down. They instead spin their litigious web in another form: File suit against Amazon to obtain customer information under the assumption that customers have uploaded content they obtained illegally.

Great.

So the labels file suit against Amazon which will be drawn out for a minimum of three years.

What happens next?

If the labels lose, they'll have blown a metric shit-ton of money they really didn't have to begin with, stock-holders will give up entirely and everybody loses.

But suppose after years of litigation and having spent a fortune on suing Amazon - instead of financing artist development (what's that?) - judgement is awarded in the favor of the labels and they obtain the customer data they were seeking.

What's happens next?

Well, they could fire off another wave of lawsuits (if they have any money left after suing Amazon) against the individuals that are suspected of storing music they obtained illegally. For those of you that are unaware, they've been down that road and have collectively lost their asses for the past ten years in trying to sue fans. But that doesn't matter, they keep suing fans. The definition of insanity is….

However, imagine a worse scenario: Imagine Amazon was forced to turn over customer data regardless of whether or not the content a customer uploaded was illegal.

How many of those paying customers do you think would ever buy something from Amazon again if their personal data was handed over the the music industry?

Not one.

And if Amazon was forced into that outcome, could the same thing happen to Apple or Google with their respective music/cloud services?

Who knows but it's an interesting thought.

In addition to completely killing Amazon's music sales customer base in one fell swoop, if the Cloud Service is deemed illegal and is shut down, the only message that will be conveyed to consumers is this: You can only listen to the music you purchased in the manner we (the labels) dictate.

So what happens next?

Well, hopefully labels will let Amazon proceed with their cloud service without so much as a peep but history tells us that is highly unlikely and there's already stirring in the hen house.

In the unlikely event that the labels simply move forward without issue, what could they do in addition to allowing Amazon to proceed?

Well, label subsidiaries in the US could quit screwing around and license their content to Spotify for a US launch and scream from the hills that everyone should check out their service in hopes that steady and rapid growth in the streaming sector will at least slow the rapid decline of music revenues from physical and digital sales.

Additionally - and this might scare the crap out of people - they might even consider instantly ceasing all litigation against fans, disbanding the RIAA and begin a campaign of public apology to their artists and the fans that bought records. In addition, if they didn't hold back any licensing opportunities, and released an album globally instead of staggering releases by territory, they could simply begin a campaign of encouraging people to consume music: Wherever and however they wanted. Because when seamless and affordable options are everywhere (from freemium to premium) and the music people want is available on all mediums simultaneously, the desire for people to steal it will eventually subside. When it's available, there's no need to steal it.

Side note: In the near future however, labels are really going to shit when some kid creates an application that takes the data from a users cloud library and when an album has finished playing, Pandora kicks on and plays similar artists…

From the Vault: Adam Burrows, Sleeveless Meeks & Josh Preston on WRFL

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 15:59:00 +0000

On March 12, 2010, Adam Burrows, Joel Meeks p/k/a Sleeveless Meeks and Josh Preston performed at Southgate House in Newport, KY and on the way, they stopped by WRFL Radio Free Lexington to chat with James Brown, play some tunes, and spin some records by other Me and the Machine artists.

Adam Burrows, Sleeveless Meeks and Josh Preston play WRFL Radio Free Lexington (mp3 - 112.6 MB)

Playlist:
Adam Burrows - "Coffee In The Morning" (Live)
Josh Preston - "Temptation" (Live)
Sleeveless Meeks - "Up My Sleeves" (Live)
Sleeveless Meeks & The Right to Bare Arms - "Feeling Fine" (from their s/t album)
Josh Preston - "Etchings" (from Exit Sounds)
Adam Burrows - "Tall Tale Tuesday" (Live)
Josh Preston - "Our Ghosts" (Live)
Sleeveless Meeks - "Romulous Wayne" (Live)
Adam Burrows - "Girl Who Cries" (from Never One For Silence)
The New Whole Usuals - "Wake Up" (from Martin Moeh)
Sleeveless Meeks & The Right to Bare Arms - "Bored" (from their s/t album)
Stillhouse Hollow - "Miss Meg" (from Dakota)

Middle Years

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 19:38:00 +0000

Well color me inspired. Before I went to bed last night, I began writing a poem around 10pm and I finished it just after waking from a dream around 4am. After a thorough listen to the new Radiohead record, I decided to set it to music. Here is a link to a free download of the fruits of my labor. Enjoy!

Josh Preston's Landmarks Available Today Worldwide!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 14:24:00 +0000

The title track "Landmarks" is available for free on AmazonMP3! Below are links to the EP on some of our favorite stores:

Mog (Subscription Required)

Rdio (Subscription Required)

Also, don't forget to "Like" Josh Preston on Facebook!

LIVE on WDVX!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 14:30:00 +0000

Hey Folks!!

Today is going to be a very exciting day for yours truly! It will mark the release of my new EP Landmarks as well as a live performance on Knoxville's WDVX @ noon EST (or 12:30 EST as the playing order hasn't been finalized).

The EP is available exclusively through my Bandcamp page until February when it will be released worldwide on iTunes and all of your other favorite digital music outlets. Not only will it be available for instant digital download in any format you'd like TODAY but I'll also begin shipping physical CDs for those of you that like to hold music in your hand and smell the plastic. Ok, that's a bit strange but I actually love the way new CDs smell. Too much sharing...

Thanks so much to all of you that have previewed this EP on my Facebook page and if you're so inclined don't forget to become a fan!

I'll be posting throughout the day on Twitter about my travels to Knoxville.

See ya soon!
Josh

Preview my new EP!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 00:20:00 +0000

Photograph/Cover Art by Heather Love

At long last, my new EP Landmarks can be previewed on my Facebook artist page! This 6 song EP includes the following songs:

1. Landmarks
2. Empty Driveways
3. Actress
4. The Only Town I Know Without A Name
5. Our Ghosts
6. Stages

This EP will be on sale on December 10th, 2010 for friends and fans via Bandcamp. This date coincides with my live performance on WDVX in Knoxville as part of their Blue Plate Special series. You can listen to this performance live on wdvx.com at Noon EST.

Also, you're probably reading this post on my new website! We've added a new tab called "Musings" where I post my poetry and short stories from time to time.

I've got a bunch on new shows on the books and more to follow. I'll be traveling North for the holidays and will be playing a bunch of shows along the way. I certainly hope to see you! On a related note, I am looking for a place to play in both Washington, D.C. and Western Mass (Springfield, North Hampton -ish areas). If you have any recommendations, please post on my Facebook wall!

Enjoy the new songs and thanks for listening!
Josh

Time To Check-In

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 18:36:00 +0000

Photo by Mark Vann

I noticed things were getting a bit ghost-like over here so I decided to check-in! I've been in the studio nearly every night for the past six months producing/engineering records for some of the Me and the Machine artists. Namely Adam Burrows, Nathan Griffin, Sleeveless Meeks and the Right to Bare Arms and yours truly. While I'm neither an engineer or a producer by trade, these records are sounding great! We'll be wrapping up over the next few months for early 2011 releases.

I've also been tracking my EP, which by all accounts, I should have a box set of material in the time it has taken me to record this thing. Regardless, the tracking phase is done and I'll be finalizing it just in time to travel up the coast in December for a bunch of shows! Portland, ME has been booked and I'm working on a show in Lexington, KY, Washington, DC, NYC and somewhere in MA. I'll be posting updates here but you can also always check my tour page for the most recent additions.

Last but certainly not least, please toss a "Like" my way if you have not already. The button should be appearing below.

Newly Added Shows!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:08:00 +0000

In between hunting dinosaurs, I've added a few new shows. I'll be performing this Saturday, October 7th @ Ugly Mugs in East Nashville. I'm hitting the stage at exactly 7pm.

In addition to that show, I'll be hosting an evening of music @ The Bunganut Pig in Franklin, TN on October 20th. The show starts at 7pm and will feature performances by: Adam Burrows, Joel Meeks and What Patch.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Shakespeare In The Park

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:05:00 +0000

Josh Preston will be performing an opening set on Friday, August 27th @ 6:30pm at Shakespeare In The Park (Map) in Nashville. This year's show is Love's Labor's Lost.

All of the pre-show entertainment this weekend at Shakespeare In The Park will feature Me and the Machine artists. Here are the details:

8/26/10 - Nathan Griffin of Stillhouse Hollow  
8/27/10 - Josh Preston  
8/28/10 - Adam Burrows
8/29/10 - The New Whole Usuals  
(All Set Times are 6:30pm)

Come early, bring a friend and enjoy an incredible evening in the park!

DATE CHANGE for NYC Show!!! Saturday, August 21st @ 8PM

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:29:00 +0000

I just received word from the venue that this show has been changed to Saturday, August 21st @ 8pm due to a scheduling conflict. I'm sorry for the inconvenience and I hope to see you!

The Underground Lounge, NYC (8/20/10)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:47:00 +0000

Greetings! I'll be performing at The Underground Lounge in NYC on August 20th! It's been forever since I've been back to the city and I'm really looking forward to this show!! Hope to see you there!! If I missed you, please RSVP on the Facebook Event Page.

MATM Studios Session w/ Adam Burrows & Steve Wolfe - Pics by Mark Vann

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Brilliant evening in the studio last night w/ Adam Burrows and Steve Wolfe. Steve played percussion on a few tracks for Adam's forthcoming EP. Mark Vann popped by and grabbed a few shots of the recording process. I put on my invisible engineering cap and tried to capture it all.

Special CD Release Party

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:45:00 +0000

You're invited to the CD release party for James David Wolf's Special tonight (7/29/10) @ Douglas Corner in Nashville, TN. The show starts at 8 PM and there is no cover. The show will also feature solo performances by Josh Preston, Adam Burrows and Nathan Griffin from Stillhouse Hollow.

Roque Bluffs Historical Society Benefit Concert

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:47:00 +0000

For Immediate Release

JOSH PRESTON TO HOST ROQUE BLUFFS HISTORICAL SOCIETY BENEFIT

Nashville, TN - On Monday, July, 19th at 7 PM, Josh Preston will host a concert at the Roque Bluffs Community Chapel (near the beach/state park) to raise funds for the Roque Bluffs Historical Society. The concert will feature a performance by Nashville-based singer/songwriter Adam Burrows. Burrows, originally from Ohio, plays modern folk and folk-rock music. His unique finger-picking guitar style provides a complex but relaxing background for his stories about love, loss, life and redemption. To hear Adam Burrows, visit: adamburrows.com

Additionally, the concert will feature Duane Ingalls. Ingalls is a musician & educator in Downeast Maine and his formative experiences include theatre & music work in New Hampshire, California and Massachusetts. For more information about Duane Ingalls, visit: facebook.com/duane.ingalls

Roque Bluffs native Josh Preston will also perform with longtime friend, Machiasport native and Mountain Valley High School Music Director, Mike Prescott. Upon graduation from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, Preston moved to Brooklyn, NY and 5 years later to Nashville, TN. Throughout this time, he proceeded to build a career in the music business as an executive and as a performer. To hear Josh Preston, visit: joshpreston.com

The evening will consist of 30 minutes sets by each performer. There will be refreshments and an opportunity to speak with the artists after the concert. Doors will open at 6:30 PM and there is a recommended donation of $5. For more, visit http://bit.ly/bHdYL7 (cap sensitive)

My iPhone Called Its Own Time of Death

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:32:00 +0000

On June 22nd, when Google announced that it had opened up Google Voice to everyone, I decided to sign up for an account. I opted to simply use the voicemail feature for now as I typically see my emails before I see voicemails (strange, I know). I had no idea what an amazing product it would turn out to be.

This morning, Bean threw laundry in the wash not realizing my iPhone was in the pocket of my jeans. She called my phone from her phone trying to locate it. After realizing the error, she quickly ran to check the washing machine and the screen of my very wet iPhone was flashing off and on. Not good by all accounts.

We threw the phone and a bunch of rice in a ziplock bag in hopes that it would dry out. After holding the bag of phone/rice in the car on the way to work, I noticed that the rice was starting to jam up the headphone jack and the USB connection so I shock the rice out and just held it. Oh, how softly I held it. I got to work and removed the SIM card as it was soaked.

I flipped on my computer and opened my email. I noticed a had an email from Google Voice saying I had a voicemail. I clicked over to listen to it. In frantically trying to locate my phone, Bean forgot to end her call so the final minutes of my iPhone were recorded and then emailed to me. The last words my phone heard was Bean saying, "You might want to let it dry out for awhile."

With Google Voice, you can also save voicemails as mp3s. As such, here's the Death of my iPhone (mp3).

Pretending to be an engineer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 May 2010 22:20:00 +0000

Sorry for not typing more recently. Things are beginning to return to normal in my hood and I've been in the studio non-stop as of late recording both my stuff and stuff for other folks. New tunes soon if all goes according to plan. Just a quick update for now but more soon.
BTW, Mark Vann took this photo. He's awesome.

Discovering my inner hippie & what to actually do in a flood.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 May 2010 06:14:00 +0000

This rant/narrative is only a snapshot of what is happening around me at this moment.

I'll give you an ever so brief back story and then we'll get to it.

I'm fine.

Now to the important stuff.

Bean (my wife Lisa) and I live in the Riverwalk community in the Bellevue area of Nashville. In our community alone, at least 150 homes "suffered significant structural damage". The communities next to ours suffered loses of around 250 homes according to what our neighbors have told us.

Bean and I went to help people with whatever they needed this evening when we arrived back home from work. Full disclosure: I've never really done this sort of thing in my life. In helping, we discovered that all people affected by this flood throughout the state should undeniably have access to the following items a/k/a List Of Basic Items We Need Now:

Portable cell phone towers - Our community is in a valley between two cell repeaters. Both repeaters were knocked out; leaving cell service very spotty and unreliable. This service is absolutely essential so people affected by these floods can learn about meetings and get updates from friends and fellow community members regarding clean-up and updates regarding the availability of basic services. This applies to all affected areas. We did notice that the most consistent form of communication we had during this time was via text message. So I urge community leaders to start their text message lists and use that as one of the methods to spread information on a permanent basis.

Note to Mobile Service Providers: I'm going to humorously but wishfully declare that whoever makes it to the tops of these hills first can put up their logo next to the tower but only until the cleanup is over. You'll probably have customers for life and have an incredibly loyal grassroots word-of-mouth campaign via the people you helped out. Again, just a thought. Oh yeah, had out your cheapest phones to people who need them. There are freakish amounts of them sitting around being unused.

Note to Community Leaders: Please assume people have no way to communicate with one another aside from postings at the entrances of the communities and via announcements from emergency personnel. Continually assuming people have the internet is continually pissing them off.

Generator Trucks - I go to concerts. I know they exist. This particular area needs about 8 of them immediately.

Flood Lights (to accompany the Generator Trucks) - At this moment, helicopters are flying overhead shining their spotlights on these communities. I know this is seen as an effective way to ward off potential looting and I'm sure it is somewhat effective. More effective however would be be the use of medium wattage flood lights (less than a night game at a baseball stadium, but more than a street light) on the street corners so the folks that have been working all day long to salvage their belongs can at least get a somewhat restful night sleep instead of feeling like their in a police state. A car or two patrolling the area and some flood lights will serve the same means and allow these folks to rest comfortably at night. It would also afford them extra time to clean up.

Mold Fungicides - People need to be made aware that they must immediately throw things away or at the very least, get all wet items out of your house, including carpets and drywall. We tried to research mold fungicides but nobody was laying claim to the best product for the job. I'm a bit shocked that Dow Chemical hasn't figured this out. Maybe they have and we couldn't find it.

FEMA, from now on, whenever there is a flood, this must be made perfectly clear. No excuses. This must be stressed repeatedly. Throw wet stuff away.

Portable showers - The Nashville area is and should absolutely continue to conserve water. HOWEVER, people that are in the process of cleaning their houses and have been exposed to the flood waters, which carry who knows what kinds of contaminants, should have immediate access to portable showers AND should be able to shower for at least 10 minutes. Not only will it allow these people to be clean but it will help prevent the spread of disease. A shower of that length uses less than 50 gallons of water. Here's how it breaks down:

One 18-wheeler water truck can hold 30 tons of water which equals 8000 gallons. That works out to about 160 showers per truck.

We need 2 18-wheeler water trucks per day starting right now.

For the showers themselves: Royal Restrooms, Mobile Restroom Trailer Rentals, Mesa Waste Services, etc. if you are not underwater, come help us out and maybe the people smarter than I can figure out a way to take some of our community funds and pay you back. Get a sponsor of say Fructis or Head & Shoulders to provide supplies and help pick up the cost. Or FEMA will pay you back. It will be paid back, by us, one way or another.

Paper Shredder Trucks - Even though most of the paperwork that people are throwing away is wet, it still contains important personal information that should be properly destroyed. Just a suggestion, sponsorship of these shredder trucks should be provided by any bank or credit issuer that received bailout funds from the government. The bank/credit issuer would be able to write down their potential fraudulent risk assessments (a completely made-up term. I know nothing about banking but I think I'm close.) and the customer (or future customer) could rest easily knowing their credit identity was safe.

Refrigeration Trucks - 6 trucks would be a good start (Budweiser, cough). People will need a place to store their food for the next few weeks because anyone that was affected by this flood probably does not have access to refrigeration and the ice in the cooler isn't cutting it in 80+ degree heat.

Large Tents - It's hot out here and people are going to suffer health problems if they stay in this heat without a cool place to recover. This tent will also be a great place to share information. The tents also need a designated area for people to charge their cell phones.

Gas Grills - Along with refrigerators, stoves are also no longer in working condition. If cleaning utensils are also provided; people can share gas grills if placed strategically throughout the community.

People - We need volunteers to help with the cleanup. We also need volunteers to check on people, help keep their spirits up and make sure they have as much support as possible. People supporting people goes a long way in the recovery process.

With all of that said, the overwhelming thing I heard tonight was not about the material items that people lost. All of that stuff was trivial to both the person throwing it away and the to person to which the items belonged. The most overwhelming thing I heard was "that because of this flood, I met my neighbors for the first time and I've lived here for ___ years". Even if you're not affected by these floods and you are reading this: know who your neighbors are. You don't have to hang out with them all the time. Just meet them, and wave hello when you see them, you know, be a neighbor.

Rebuilding a community really has nothing to do with structures.

Here's the video that partially inspired me to get out and help tonight.

Take care,
Josh

Bandcamp + Me and the Machine Records = Awesome

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:00:00 +0000

As many of you know, I've been preaching the gospel of Bandcamp for some time. Recently, they allowed labels to create pages that contain their entire catalog. Not being one to sit on my hands (unless they are cold), I revised the Me and the Machine Records Bandcamp page to showcase all of our albums. If you haven't heard what we're cooking up @ Me and the Machine, you're totally missing out. Pop over and give our records a listen. My hands are now cold so I must cease typing.

Show @ Douglas Corner THIS THURSDAY

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:22:00 +0000

Greetings everyone! I'll be opening the evening this Thursday night @ Douglas Corner (Nashville, TN). I'll take the stage at 8pm and What Patch (featuring members of Stillhouse Hollow) will follow me. They will, in turn, be followed by Duncan May & The Resonators. It will be a fine evening of booze and song so pop by!!

March 24th UPDATE

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:08:00 +0000

Devin Williams is now in the 10pm slot. I'm still playing at 8pm. Come out, drink, listen.