ANTLERS, Okla. (KNWA/KFTA) The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI)announced on Wednesday that it has linked the suspect in a double shooting in Sequoyah County on Saturday night to a stolen vehicle from an Oklahoma City carjacking earlier that same day.

According to a release from the department, the OSBI Latent Evidence unit recovered evidence from the silver Nissan, founded abandoned in Antlers on Sunday, that places Lee King, 27, inside the vehicle.

King is suspected of shooting two Good Samaritans, identified as John Derek Riggs and Jake Myers, who picked him up and took him to the Loves Travel Stop near Vian, where they were seen purchasing a gas can and gasoline before leaving in the victims car, according to OSBI.

The two victims were found minutes later on Interstate 40 near mile marker 293 with gunshot wounds.

King was last known to be in the Antlers, Oklahoma area on Sunday morning. An Antlers officer attempted to pull him over for a traffic violation, but King led the officer to a dead-end road where he ditched the car and disappeared into a heavily wooded area.

He was last seen at around 9:30 on Sunday morning at an Antlers thrift store.

Riggs and Myers remain hospitalized in critical but stable condition, OSBI said.

King is known to have connections to the Shreveport, Louisiana, and Houston, Texas areas.

He is a 27-year-old black man with a neck tattoo in the shape of the state of Louisiana, with LA in the center.

King is considered armed and dangerous and the public should not engage or approach him, according to OSBI.

If you see him, please call 911 or the OSBI at (800) 522-8017 or tips@osbi.ok.gov immediately.

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Stolen vehicle linked to Sequoyah County double-shooting suspect - KNWA

It was another fantastic weekend of music in Medicine Park over the Independence Day holiday. With an electric fierceness from the Main Stage and the eclectic cornucopia of sounds from the side stages, a walk in the park meant you got a full dose of the 9th Annual Rock in the Park Music Festival.

Event coordinator Rodney Whaley was pleased as punch with its kickoff. The nights double-dose of rock featured Echo 21 and the closer, Another Pink in the Floyd. He said Hitchin Post Park was electrified, or more like electrifried by the nights performances end.

Echo 21 wowed everyone, he said.

Under the tree-canopied audience and performers, with lasers lights, smoke machines and no mirrors, Another Pink in the Floyd found its way to the Dark Side of the Moon and back over a ferociously authentic three hour set. Whaley said it was above and beyond last years already called historic, standing room only set at the fest.

Throughout the town on Saturday and Sunday, the sponsored stages at Santas Snack Shack at Bath Lake and Nice Ice/American Legends Tattoo Stage provided music from noon until night. From the Lightfoot Family Singers near the swimming area to Brad Good, Richard Clift Jr., Cade Roth and so many more near the fire station, music filled the air.

Whaley credited the businesses for seeing the potential during the side stage inauguration at the Roots Ball in May. They took it upon themselves to make it happen and to see the potential to create that vibe from South By Southwest in Austin about 25 years ago. Thats what Whaley wanted and hopes to see grow and flourish with the Blues Ball to close out the summer season.

Always steady at the soundboard, Jim McLinden kept the system running to perfection through the next two full days of performances on the Main Stage. Backstage, the interaction between a mingling of the band members of the following acts provided insight into the familial connection between musicians.

Johnny Mack (Jernigan) opened his acoustic performance with moments as electric as any amp-plugged sonics. It would have to be with RDO Smokewagon to follow. After exploding onto Medicine Park stage to open the Roots Ball, Ryan Oldham and company continue to build their reputation through memorable performances that leave a mark.

With the Wight Lighters closing out the night, including the 9:30 p.m. fireworks show intermission, it was up to Gannon Fremin & CCRev to spark their own explosives beforehand. These young guys are a Southwest Oklahoma red dirt rock and roll panzer division. Enough so, Whaley said they were invited back for another fiery set at 5 p.m. Then they headed over for a 4th of July concert at Lake Lawtonkas Schoolhouse Slough.

Drummer Tyler McCartney said this is the payoff from the live music shutdown over the pandemic. It was the proper tribute for an aspiring rock god.

Im loving playing music, he said. It probably makes it more special each time I get on stage.

And thats what Sunday was about with a pair of tribute acts to a pair of rock and roll deities. Even if you didnt make it there in person, theres a lot of Facebook live video from the days performances.

Louisianas spicy contribution to the Elvis-universe is Jelvis. As video from his performance showed, he came to rock, to roll and to leave it all out there to kick off the days music with The King, baby.

The grand finale brought Next Halen to the stage. Following the Van Halen (and not Hagar) model of this indelible 1980s rock and roll machine, the band put out and shouted out loud enough everyone heard Jamies Cryin. And at its close, you can be sure there was an Eruption from the audience.

You can rock and you can roll all you want. But when you want to do it right, do it in Medicine Park.

Its been six years.

Six very long years.

But when the first new song from Allusion comes out like Dropping Out has, you understand why they did. Heres a sneak preview: https://www.facebook.com/allusionokla/posts/1966549743498016.

For six years, the bands 2015 EP, Land of Sleep has remained in slot two of my Hondas multi-disc CD player. For six years, my ear has come back to crave it at least weekly and, for many weeks at a time, only. All I can say is, Its about time. I can also say, Man, did that pay off.

They took the time to hone and refine their strengths into the fullest potential in this over-5-minute tonal wonderland. Opening with the sound of rainfall and Tyler Farmers hypnotically spiraling guitar, the fuzzy pummel of Pete Skulskis bass line sets a stage. Its here where singer Seth Andrus takes his stage with vocals carrying nuance and unbridled support of the lyrics point. If I could only find the truth, Id hide it from you ... This hook is masterful in execution.

Ive heard snips of snares and other bits of the rest of the recording during various stages over the past year. Produced by fellow band/blend member Brandon Cramer at 1121 Recordings in Lawton and mixed/mastered by Mychal Soto at Oklahoma Citys Slamnasium, theres nothing produced as clean as this since WiseSpoken III by Takeez at Fyu-Chur Recordings. They each punch differently but no less powerfully.

Ill be hanging with these guys this weekend to hear the rest of the collection, find out its title and torment them for insights into the songs, the recording process and in surviving steadily as a band without the rushed pace of their youth. Youll get the scoop in next weeks edition.

Looks like Ill have a fresh CD to log into the ol multi-disc player in the car real soon.

Although the Todays Best Soundemonium! radio show is no more, our social media presence remains so you can keep up with whats happening and whats next.

Remember that all #VirtualSoundemoniumFest performances from the COVID-19 shutdown are archived on the column/radio shows Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/steveoandthescribe/.

And, hey, if you have a song you want us to check out, email us: soundemonium@gmail.com.

Visit, like (love) and follow our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/steveoandthescribe/.

Soundemonium Musaic Lawton music archive homepage: Scott Rains https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPw__GedGPOUD-wROFcuZ8w.

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Rock in the Park offered sonic fireworks | Photo Galleries | swoknews.com - The Lawton Constitution

Tom McCarthy cites Mediterranean noirs as the inspiration for Stillwater, but theres little of that mystique in this uneven 90s throwback, despite the mostly untapped potential of its atmospheric setting in the French port city of Marseille. Matt Damon gives a solid performance as an unemployed Oklahoma oil rig worker with a messy past, determined to do right by the daughter stuck in prison for a murder she claims she didnt commit. But that story is clunky, old-fashioned and predictable when its not implausible. In any case, its less involving than the shot at renewal the failed family man gets with a French single mother.

The latter role, Virginie, is played by Call My Agent! lead Camile Cottin in a quietly luminous performance, juggling French and English dialogue with the same relaxed warmth. As Damons Bill Baker grows closer to Virginie and her 9-year-old daughter Maya (Lilou Siauvaud, a charming natural), this reticent man who wears his disappointment like a heavy overcoat slowly opens up to the possibilities of a life he had thought off-limits. That thread taps into the same kind of sensitively observed cross-cultural connections McCarthy explored in The Visitor, which, along with The Station Agent, remains his most accomplished work as director regardless of that best picture Oscar for Spotlight.

Unfortunately, the A plot keeps dragging the movie down. Following its out of competition premiere in Cannes, this late July Focus release looks likely to make only a brief theatrical detour en route to streaming platforms.

Scripted by McCarthy and Marcus Hinchey with French writers Thomas Bidegain and No Debr, best known for their collaborations with Jacques Audiard, the screenplays earliest draft is from a decade ago and it does indeed play like something thats been gathering dust in a drawer. There are allusions to current-day red-state America in the blinkered worldview that is part of Bills baggage, but that contemporary veneer is undernourished and the storys political teeth have no bite.

Bills daughter Allison (Abigail Breslin) is five years into a nine-year sentence for the murder of Lina, the French Arab girlfriend she met while attending college in Marseille. Allisons mother committed suicide for reasons never revealed, and the declining health of the maternal grandmother who raised her (Deanna Dunagan) means she can no longer travel. So Bill flies to Marseille as often as he can, delivering supplies, picking up her laundry and praying for Allison even though her affection for him seems muted. He was a screw-up before going into recovery for alcohol and drugs, but we only ever get generic hints about the reasons for her coolness toward him.

When Allison learns new information about Linas murder, implicating a young man named Akim from the projects, she asks her dad to deliver a letter to her lawyer Leparq (Anne Le Ny), requesting that she have the case reopened. But Leparq declines, pointing out that hearsay is not considered evidence. So while Bill keeps this from Allison, he makes it his mission to find Akim and prove his worth to his daughter. This despite her having made clear in her letter to the lawyer that she considers her father incapable and untrustworthy.

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The language barrier and a lack of understanding of how the different social strata of Marseille work make his task a difficult one. But he gets help when he strikes up a friendship with theater actress Virginie, who has a habit of adopting causes.

Unfurling over a sluggish two hours plus, Stillwater is least convincing when McCarthy attempts to build suspense, with most of that work being done by Mychael Dannas score. The late plot twists become almost risible, once Akim (Idir Azougli) enters the picture.

Part of the problem also is that theres never much reason to invest in Allison, despite the heavy burden Bill clearly carries. Her case was big news at the time, and in a town where poverty and race draw sharp dividing lines, the sentiment of neither public nor press was much in favor of the American lesbian. Breslin has a few tender moments when she gets reacquainted with her father and his new adoptive family during a day release. But mostly, Allison remains remote as a character, especially when she blurts out heavy-handed lines like, Life is brutal. The fact that she might not be entirely blameless in Linas death should make her more interesting, not less.

Considering that Bidegain was a co-writer on Audiards great prison drama A Prophet, an enthralling representation of Muslim identity in a French microcosm, the race elements here are fairly basic. Liberal-minded Virginie bristles at the indiscriminate urge of many to put another Arab kid behind bars as they get closer to tracking down Akim, while for Bill, that kind of kneejerk racism is so familiar he barely notices it.

But those differences are also what makes the gradual transition from friendship to romance of Bill and Virginie so disarming. Hes a religious man who literally wears his patriotism on his sleeve in a bald eagle tattoo. Hes also the owner of not one but two guns, the idea of which Virginie finds incomprehensible. In one amusing scene, while her friend Nedjma (Naidra Ayadi) is helping them with some Instagram detective work, she asks Bill if he voted for Trump. He says only that he didnt vote because of his arrest record.

Damon finds understated humor in this uncultured man who is nudged for the first time in his life to see himself and by extension Allison as the outsiders, the way the rest of the world sees Americans. A telling moment in an early scene finds him in the back of a van with a tornado cleanup crew chattering away in Spanish, while he sits in absent silence. His time in Marseille shows in subtle ways that hes learning to see beyond otherness, and Damon never overplays that softening of Bills closed-off views.

The actors many scenes with young Siauvaud are quite lovely, avoiding cutesiness while gently showing Bills pleasure in getting to experience the kind of bonding he skipped with his own daughter. His awkward comments when Virginie invites him to watch a rehearsal of a play shes doing show how completely hes outside his comfort zone. (What am I gonna do in a fuckin theater? he asks Allison earlier, with blunt self-awareness.) But the melting of the distance between them is so well played by Damon and Cottin you keep wishing this was their story. A gorgeous interlude in which they dance to Sammi Smiths Help Me Make It Through the Night, with Maya demanding to get in on the act, further cements that desire.

Bill may have stayed on in Marseille to remain in Allisons life even after her rejection. But its the different version of himself he discovers there that provides the often clumsy Stillwater with some grace and heart.

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Matt Damon in Tom McCarthy's 'Stillwater': Film Review | Cannes 2021 The Hollywood Reporter - msnNOW

SILOAM SPRINGS, ARKANSAS: Two sisters who lost their father to the Covid-19 chose to pay tribute to him by getting inked with his final words. Anna Harp, 27, and Abrielle Clausing, 21, are the two sisters whose father Rudolph Clausing succumbed to the coronavirus leaving them, their mother, and their four other siblings grieving. The sisters described Rudolph as the hardest worker and the most selfless person" ever met.

Anna said, He was a friend to everyone. He always saw the best in everyone. We would be at the grocery store sitting out in the car and he would always walk outside talking to someone like he's known them forever. I've always admired that about him, that he so effortlessly could make someone smile.

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According to reports, Rudolph was already suffering from a hereditary lung disease, and just a few months before Thanksgiving, he got infected with the Covid-19. My sister and I, for the whole year leading up to when he got COVID, we were just obsessive about his health. It was our worst nightmare come true, Anna stated. For weeks, Rudolph had to frequently get admitted to the hospital as he struggled with the deadly virus. However, one night in January, his situation began to worsen and the family had to rush him to the hospital.

Once he was back in, it was just like, endless, like no good news, basically, like he wasn't recovering. It just seemed like, his lungs were just tired and they couldn't work anymore, Anna said. And, eventually, she, her sister, and their mother had to bid goodbye to Rudolph, who breathed his last on January 13. They also found a handwritten note near his bed that stated, It has been such a good life.

Anna noted: He's such a selfless person to be thinking about other people in the last moments of his life. He thought to write this note to us, so that we knew that he had a good life, and he was at peace with the life that he had. That just shows like the type of person he was.

Rudolphs death reportedly left a big void in the sisters life and they decided to pay him tribute by getting tattoos of his final words. The sisters went to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to a tattoo artist -- Dustin Cleveland to get themselves inked. It was just really important to us because we just have so much love for him. This was the only way we could think to show it and just have this reminder everyday that he did live such a good life, Anna added.

Anna shared the video of her and her sister getting inked on her TikTok account. She also shared the same on Instagram and received a lot of praise from people online. It's crazy because after something like this happens you just feel so isolated because you're only seeing people online that are like living their normal lives now, but I'm never going to be able to go back to a normal life. Seeing all those comments you realize you're not alone in this, Anna said.

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2 Arkansas daughters tattoo final words of their father who succumbed to Covid-19 - MEAWW

TAHLEQUAH Oklahoma is becoming a hot spot for Hollywood filmmaking by showcasing various Native American-based television shows and movies that more accurately depict Native American life historically and currently.

Talent for these projects hail from various tribes throughout the state, including Cherokee Nation citizens Nathalie Standingcloud, of Tahlequah, and Winnie Guess Perdue, of Muskogee.

Standingcloud has been acting since she was 6 years old, with her first appearance in an independent film called Standingcloud, that was loosely written about her mother.

It was written and directed by my aunt Kimberly Norris Guerrero, who has been my mentor and inspiration, Standingcloud said. I love being able to help tell Native stories and history through film and theater.

Standingcloud is a tattoo artist by trade but has always been interested in film.

I used to make short YouTube videos in high school, but I want to write and direct my own professional feature film one day. Cartoon animation is also something Im interested in as an artist, she said.

She plays a feisty optometry receptionist in Reservation Dogs, a new comedy series on the FX network created by Indigenous filmmakers Taika Waititi (Maori) and Sterlin Harjo (Seminole/Muscogee). The show follows four Native teens in rural Oklahoma and is set to premier Aug. 9.

I received an audition from my agent, Standingcloud said. Ive also known writer/director Sterlin Harjo for some time now. Ive performed alongside him at live 1491s comedy shows. Before that I was in a few 1491s YouTube videos and was an extra in his film Mekko.

A casting agent for the Killers of the Flower Moon movie contacted Perdue, who is known as one of the first female traditional fancy and hoop dancers. She initially thought it was a prank but soon realized she was being sought for a part in the movie.

Killers of the Flower Moon is a major motion picture produced by actor Leonardo DiCaprio and director Martin Scorsese, and is based on a non-fiction book by author David Grann. It is about the real-life murders of Osage Nation people in the 1920s for their wealth.

Perdues role in the film is that of a wealthy Osage woman. She said she was amazed at the attention to detail of the period-style clothing.

The attention to detail was amazing as selections were made, discussed and finalized to include appropriate petticoats, lace up high heeled shoes, skirts, blouses, jackets, hats, jewelry, gloves and handbags, she said.

Perdue said this is another form of storytelling for her, as she has been sharing her stories and culture since childhood with her father George Guess.

I expect the filmmakers to remain true to the Osage history as the recount the events of this most alarming time, she said. I highly respect the leadership of the Osage Nation as they have successfully been involved in this project from the beginning.

Standingcloud said it is important for Native people to have modern and authentic representation in these types of projects.

Real Native people dont need to paint their skin or wear wigs to be Native, she said. We have a special kind of humor and even more special connection to each other as Native people. Im very excited for everyone to see it, and Im honored to have been able to be a part of it.

Jennifer Loren, CN Film Office and original content director, shared Standingcloud and Perdues sentiments about the need for accurate representation in filmmaking.

The significant need for diversity, inclusion and accurate representation of Native identity within film and television has been prevalent since the industries earliest years, Loren said. Indigenous communities need and deserve to see positive and authentic representations of ourselves, our people and our narratives in the media.

She said Cherokee people have long been known for story-telling abilities. We are extremely proud to see Cherokee Nation citizens recognized and included in major projects, such as Killers of the Flower Moon, Reservation Dogs and many more to come.

She said it is important that Cherokees and all Native people create messages and content that accurately depicts their people and stories.

The Cherokee Nation Film Office is working diligently to engage, support and increase Native talent within these industries, Loren said. Through partnerships, educational opportunities, and our first of a kind Native American talent and crew directory which has already supported several Native film and TV projects, we are excited to continue our mission of increasing the presence of Native Americans in every level of film and television, while creating opportunities for economic development and jobs in the Cherokee Nation.

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Standingcloud, Perdue appear in Oklahoma-based productions | Movies & Television | cherokeephoenix.org - Cherokee Phoenix

A Georgia man who authorities say faked his own death to avoid criminal charges after he attacked his wife with a hatchet was arrested in Oklahoma nearly 1,000 miles away after six years on the lam.

The Oklahoma City Police Department on Friday confirmed that 37-year-old Christopher Tomberlin was taken into custody without incident following a multi-week joint investigation by the OKCPD Violent Crimes Apprehension Team and members of the U.S. Marshals Service Metro Fugitive Task Force. According to an OKCPD press release, there was an outstanding warrant for Tomberlin in Bib County, Ga., stemming from a violent domestic dispute incident involving a deadly weapon.

Tomberlin in 2015 allegedly threatened to kill his wife immediately before biting her hand and then launching a hatchet at her, The Macon Telegraph reported at the time. The warrant reportedly said that the hatchet missed Tomberlins wife and became lodged in a door inside the couples home. Bib County sheriffs deputies arrested the defendant on family violence charges of aggravated assault, battery, and terroristic threats, but the defendant faked his own death and fled the state after being released, authorities said.

Andrew Joseph, the Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Oklahoma, on Friday told The Daily Mailthat Tomberlin had been living in Oklahoma for at least the past two years using multiple aliases to prevent being detected until an anonymous caller tipped off authorities as to his whereabouts.

That tip from a caller had information that indicated that Mr. Tomberlin was alive and residing in the Oklahoma City metro area, Joseph said. Authorities had previously believed that Tomberlin was actually dead.

He also noted that Tomberlin, who had been running a freelance tattoo shop from his home, appeared surprised when authorities showed up on his doorstep.

Analysts from our Criminal Intelligence Unit worked diligently, and were able to piece together Tomberlins latest steps, leading officers to the area of SW 77th and Douglas where today, he was taken into custody without incident, OKCPD said. Great work by everyone involved in getting this dangerous man off the streets!

John Wilson, one of Tomberlins neighbors for the last two years, told local NBC affiliate KFOR that he was really surprised to learn of his neighbors past, adding that he seemed like a decent guy.

Tomberlin is currently being detained in Oklahoma City but will be extradited to Georgia in the near future. He was booked on Thursday at 5:04 p.m. and is merely listed in jail records as being a fugitive from justice. Law&Crime reached out to the Bibb County Probation Office regarding the specific charges Tomberlin might face, but we did not immediately hear back.

[image via OKCPD]

Have a tip we should know? [emailprotected]

The rest is here:

Police Catch Man Suspected of Faking His Own Death, Spending Six Years on the Run from Attempted Murder Charge - Law & Crime

Ho, ho, ho! Its the perfect day to share the presence of some of the best from the Southwest Oklahoma music scene for the year 2020. Or, at least, my choices for the Local Best of 2020.

In a year chock full of obstacles and heaping doses of weird, its caused our local music community to find new ways to be heard. With live stages few and far between, often it was inside the recording studio where voices were best heard.

Maybe the pandemic threat opened doors to creativity because this year, Ive got to give it up to a pair of disparate artists for local music MVP honors. As always, go to the online edition of the column and click on the links to hear the music easily.

First off, Im giving all of the praise to Takeez (Meals) for unleashing a full-length 13 track masterpiece with the long-awaited sHoRtYdEuCe album. Its my overall Album of the Year. This cat hit on all cylinders in 2020. First, he knocked socks off with his pre-album release of On Tucc and then dropped the jaw to the floor with the albums first track, Blaxploitation. It fuses all the finest elements of early-1970s soul and funk with the deep voiced wordsmithery hes known for. His track Ginger Tea Boogie featuring SAMO is among my favorite songs of the year list and shows that this MC can croon with the best of em https://youtu.be/bF33kEoKgbw.

If this isnt enough, Takeez unleashed The Elements EP later in the year and he kept putting fire into the local music sonic soundscape. In four tracks, he made as much of a statement as a lesser artist presenting a double album. But its the track Smoke thats most relevant with a burst of verse for the tumultuous year weve survived so far. Its in my top three songs of the year. Its not something you dance to, its a song to be imbibed and taken in. This is poise and power packed with passion. Check it and the other three tracks https://shortydeuce.bandcamp.com/album/the-elements-ep.

Gannon Freemin & CCRev is taking the Co-MVP spot for their two stellar EPs. Leading off with the acoustic showcase of Fremins one-of-a-kind voice that carries as much attitude as altitude, Shelter Sessions revealed the strength of rock solid songwriting stripped down to its bones. Accompanied by lead guitarist Travis Julians feel-flavored fretwork, this five song collection offered a much needed shot to kick off summer.

The EPs closing track, Idle Hands caps off this collection with poignant proof that Fremins hands are far from idle. Raw and with his heart opened for the world to see, this singer/songwriter shines https://youtu.be/AOnk08T3tEM.

The electrified release Okie Thump showed Fremin and his bandmates in the best light you can get without it being from a stage. Red dirt, rock and roll, punk rock attitude and old school country chops converge with this collection and proves that theyre onto something good, as evidenced on the punchy Rose Tattoo. But its another song that, at first, seems deceptive from its title with its acoustic lead in but dives into its core. In keeping with the theme of co-honors, Rock & Roll is another close choice for track of the year https://youtu.be/8ccac0nAcQY.

Stash Hileman earned Rookie of the Year honors for his solo Millenial Trash album. This 11 song collection offers bite size punk rock thats as catchy as it gets and is well-played and performed. A one-man recording team with this collection, he did a great job with the home production and the performance. His track Void is as good of a punk song as Ive heard in ages https://youtu.be/Hc6ZR1fzHeI.

Stash stopped into Studio Blanket/Tent Fort and got over any nerves he may have had to floor Steve-O and the columnist during a taping of the columns former radio show earlier this year with the albums closing track and another of the years favorites, Already Gone https://youtu.be/85AGSvyOFO4.

I know the absence of live music has hit this guy as hard as anyone. Along with plans for a potential Nacho Cart show, another project of his called Dissocial Fury has me excited for 2021.

Although the Railhead stage has remained quiet through the pandemic, music by bands that will be gracing its stages upon live musics return has made 2020 a good one for local heavy rock.

Chasing the Coyote appeared from the ether and dropped its self-titled debut EP. A really strong production and execution from this Tipton-based trio helps give it that extra punch. Check out a highlight song, Medicine Man https://youtu.be/PhSqFuZKCR4.

A common link between the next three bands releases is Brandon Cramer at 1121 Recordings here in Lawton and Slamnasium in Oklahoma City and helmed by former Lawtonian Mychal Soto. They are pushing some of the cleanest sounding heavy music in the world and making our bands push their limits to create something beyond the pale.

Take the already solid to the bone Drop Dead Dammit. Live and on stage, Leather Apron is a big hitter https://youtu.be/lFC0vcSg6p0.

But following the duos production and editing, this power-trio hit a new level. The follow up material to be included on their upcoming re-release of their self-titled debut EP is absolutely fierce.

Some of the most violently powerful heavy music has been churning out from Sotos band Strangled. The intensity of their music, coupled with their primal videos creates an effect that is beyond fair description. Its meant to be felt as with the video for Defect https://youtu.be/q5cfEgpwCE4.

When it comes with the long-awaited and highly anticipated debut release by local metal supergroup Desecration Conflict, lets just say it was worth the wait. You have to be ready for something this intense and groundbreaking when it erupts from the local scene. A labored process of recording paid off for this band. Theyve been working to this moment for a long time and the product shows the dedications pay-off. Easily the top Heavy Song of the Year is their introduction first heard on the columns late-radio show called Grotesque https://youtu.be/vAtUg9twddE.

It looks like its a twofer for Jared Rosin & The Shuffle. After winning acclaim for last years Song of the Year with The Valley, Rosin and Zach Holliday came through in the clutch when asked for a theme song for the columnist and Gary Reddins true crime podcast, Redder Dirt: An OK Crime Cast.

Little Crime on the Prairie knocked it out of the park during the first listen of the rough acoustic origins. This completed recording is stellar and one of my favorite things of 2020. I cant thank these gents enough for making such a gem after being given only a title to work with. I hope you check it out https://jaredrosin.bandcamp.com/track/little-crime-on-the-prairie.

More 2020 highlights in next weeks column!

For this weeks Songs for the Sequestration, its time to channel my Secret Santa side and share some of my favorite rock and roll Christmas songs. Hope you check them out while roasting chestnuts on an open fire or something like that.

Nathaniel Rateliff and Elle King combined to write and perform my new favorite rockin Christmas song to remember called Xmas to Forget https://youtu.be/t2p2o9vTsLQ.

Oklahomas Flaming Lips classic Christmas at the Zoo shares the tale of freeing the animals on this day of giving and love. As their songwriting tends to do, it explores other places https://youtu.be/Y3mRC-foSZs.

Of course, you gotta have the Boss included when it comes to Christmas songs. At least, when it comes to this classic from Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. With his singular voice and one of the greatest bands in rock and roll history, Merry Christmas, Baby is one of the great songs no matter the season https://youtu.be/GzV8OGocMS8.

The final Christmas wish wrapped in song comes from the essential punk rock band of all time, the Ramones. Merry Christmas (I Dont Want To Fight Tonight) is not only a beautiful song that carries the soul and sweetness that makes this band stand above and beyond so many, it also contains a message I hope we all take to heart today https://youtu.be/KIhIBFPtnoc.

Although the Todays Best Soundemonium! radio show is no more, our social media presence remains so you can keep up with whats happening and whats next.

Remember that all #VirtualSoundemoniumFest performances from the COVID-19 shutdown are archived on the column/radio shows Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/steveoandthescribe/.

And, hey, if you have a song you want us to check out, email us: soundemonium@gmail.com.

Visit, like (love) and follow our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/steveoandthescribe/.

Soundemonium Musaic Lawton music archive homepage: Scott Rains https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPw__GedGPOUD-wROFcuZ8w.

See the original post here:

2020's Southwest Oklahoma MVPs and songs of the year highlighted - The Lawton Constitution

By Leah Asmelash, Nakia McNabb and Amanda Watts | CNN

While health officials agree face masks help prevent the spread of Covid-19, state and local governments have varied widely on implementation of mask rules. Now, President-elect Joe Biden wants to change that.

Bidens office has released plans that his administration intends to implement in the beginning of his term, and one is a national mask mandate by working with governors and mayors.

Most states already have some type of mask mandate, but some have no statewide rule either leaving it as a recommendation or giving the authority to local officials.

Here are the states with no statewide mask requirement.

Alaska

Alaska does not require the use of masks, limit group size or business operations. All the state does is encourage Alaskans to do their part to limit the spread of Covid-19, recommending that residents practice social distancing and wear a mask, without any mandate.

The mayor of Anchorage, though, has signed an order requiring people to wear face coverings in public.

Arizona

Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican, allows individual counties to mandate a mask, but does not have a statewide initiative. Scottsdale was the first to make masks mandatory starting June 19. Other major municipalities with requirements include Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff.

Florida

There is no statewide mask requirement, yet some local municipalities have their own mandates.

Georgia

Statewide, masks are required for some essential employees, including restaurants and personal care services employees.

Meanwhile, several counties and cities have mask mandates.

Idaho

The state does not have a statewide requirement, but several local municipalities do, including Boise.

Mississippi

On September 4, Gov. Tate Reeves, a Republican, lifted the state face covering requirement.

Just over a month later and amid rising case numbers, Reeves signed an executive order requiring face coverings in counties with higher Covid-19 case numbers. The Safe Recovery executive order is in effect through December 11 and includes 22 of the states 82 counties.

Missouri

The state does not have a statewide requirement, but several local municipalities do.

Nebraska

There is no statewide mandate, but clients and staff in barbershops, salons, tattoo parlors and massage parlors must wear masks, as part of the current Directed Health Measure requirements.

Oklahoma

The city council in Oklahoma City voted in a special meeting in July to approve an emergency public safety ordinance requiring face coverings in indoor public places throughout Oklahoma City.

South Carolina

Several counties and cities, including Charleston and Columbia, have mask mandates.

South Dakota

Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, has taken a hands-off approach to Covid-19. In October, she wrote in an op-ed that the government should not mandate a mask requirement.

As Ive said before, if folks want to wear a mask, they should be free to do so, she wrote. Similarly, those who dont want to wear a mask shouldnt be shamed into wearing one.

South Dakota is second only to North Dakota in the number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people.

Tennessee

Though there is no statewide mandate, Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, signed an executive order granting the mayors in 89 counties the authority to issue mask requirements.

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Most U.S. states now require face masks to reduce the spread of Covid-19. These 12 are the ones that dont - The Mercury News