ARVD Discovered in Other Family Members

As of this Thanksgiving, my dad's brother, my uncle, received the news that he also has ARVD.  However, it is possible to carry the gene but not be affected by the disease, which in his case is the situation.  That's good news for him, meaning he won't need a defibrillator, just annual check-ups with a cardiologist.  The bad news is that his daughter, my cousin, is likely a carrier of the disease and is probably affected by it.  She has already had one major unexplained syncope episode (passing out), and all the signs of that day point to her having ARVD.  My uncle will not be telling her until after the holidays as she just moved into a new house in West Chester, New York with her two baby boys.  I believe one is about 4 and the other one just over a year old. This means, if she does in fact have the disease, then it is very possible that at least one of her sons if not both also carry the disease, which is a very hard situation to handle.  She probably won't be tested for another couple of months, and the test results take 8 weeks, so we won't know for sure if she carries the disease or not until probably April or May of next year.  If her test comes back positive then her kids will also need to be tested and if they are confirmed to carry the disease it will be very sad news.  It is much harder to make decisions and to know whether the disease is actually affecting a child or not at such a young age.  They will have to get numerous tests done, and be watched over very carefully, but we will hope for the best.  Children with ARVD that are affected with this disease have had defibrillators put in them at very young ages and I would hate that for my little cousins.  And I would hate for any sports or physical activities to be limited for them as well.  I have opened up a whole Pandora like box within my family and it certainly doesn't feel good, it raises many more questions and fears, but as of now we can only hold out hope as a family that if anything, if they carry the disease they will not be affected by it.  I would absolutely hate to see any other family member have to go through what I've been through.  Although each case is different, and mine was exasperated by my kidney disease, ARVD is a hell of a heart disease to manage, with absolutely no cure.  The ARVD journey is certainly not over for this family or for myself.  So as of now that's three of us with ARVD, myself, my father, and my uncle.  Next on the list is to get through the holidays, break the news to my cousin, get her tested, and wait for the results, and then I will be back with another update.
Thanks for all the continued love and support!
Happy Holidays!

Southern Ground

It has now been a full year since my emergency hospital visit in South Lake Tahoe requiring me to be zapped a few times to keep me alive.  Like I mentioned in the previous post, I have been feeling much more stable, and haven't had any cardiac episodes since my last surgery in July.  I have spent the past couple months taking advantage of my new health by visiting friends and attending multiple concerts. My last trip, that I just returned from, was a trip to Charleston where I stayed with my brother for a few nights so I could attend the Southern Ground Music & Food Festival at the Blackbaud soccer stadium.  I went primarily to see one of my favorite singer/songwriters, Brett Dennen.  I wanted to see him in Athens,GA a couple weeks prior but he happened to be playing the same night as the Fleet Foxes, whom I had already bought tickets for.  So, I discovered Brett Dennen was playing in Charleston and was accompanied by a few other bands that I'm a pretty big fan of, such as The Wood Brothers (from Martin, Medeski, and Wood), Fitz and The Tantrums, and Blind Pilot.  Also playing was a reggae band called Steel Pulse, five other smaller bands, Train, and the Zac Brown Band.  However, I did not stay for Train and the Zac Brown Band.  I had already been there for eight hours, and it went from an empty stadium all day to a packed house right before Train took the stage.  The doors opened at 11 but most people didn't show till a little after 5 (they missed some great music).  I had also already seen Zac Brown Band perform when he played for free in Five Points in Columbia.  The day was perfect, weather and all, and I was able to see the bands I desired amongst a small crowd, so I decided to call it quits and spend the rest of the night with my brother.  All in all, the trip was wonderful. I was able to stop in Columbia for a couple nights and see some friends, I got to hang out with my brother for a few days, I saw some great musicians, ate some delicious food, and soaked up some warm rays, and caught a beautiful sunset on the Ashley River.   I still have more shows coming up this month. Todd Snider in Asheville, Lykke Li in Asheville, and String Cheese in Atlanta.  I can't wait.  Good Times now and Good Times ahead!!!

Below are some pictures and videos of my weekend in Chucktown.

This is the wing on the right side of the stage for VIP's who were served food during the performances by top chefs. Sadly, no one showed up until the end of the day when Train was about to perform.                                               

This is the VIP section, that allows people to be close to the stage.  I was standing behind the gate, they used to keep us non-special people out of that area.  As you can see, there was hardly anyone there all day, but by nightfall, the VIP pit was filled as well as the wings of the stage.

This was the gate that kept us out,  it may seem deceptive, but I was behind this gate.  The stage also had a long catwalk protruding from it, that many of the artists kept making fun of.  You can see it in the left of the picture.

Just hanging out, listening to the Wood Brothers.  I couldn't believe people would pay hundreds of dollars for the VIP tickets and choose not to show up all day.  They had no idea what amazing music they were missing.

This is towards the end of Fitz and The Tantrums.  Train would be getting on stage about 40 min after this picture was taken. 

Fitz and The Tantrums put on a good show as I knew they would, but they pissed the Charlestonians off when they called the city Charlotte twice.  But the crowd sucked anyways, they wouldn't dance, clap, or anything.  The lead singer started calling people out individually which was hilarious.  They were not the only band to get annoyed at the lack of enthusiasm amongst the crowd.

All these people magically showed up right before Train was about to hit the Stage.  This field was empty about 45 minutes earlier.

I had to move into the bleachers because the bass for Steel Pulse and Fitz and The Tantrums was too much for me.  I could literally feel the bass pulsing within me, and I was afraid it might set off my defibrillator.  So I played it safe.  I've been to many shows, but I have never heard bass as loud as this, ever.

This is Fitz meeting and greeting people after his performance.  I think he did it because he pissed off the crowd thinking he was in Charlotte. He was the only one to do this. 

The following pictures captured my last night in Charleston.  My brother lives right beside the Ashley River, and this dock that lies on his street is open to the public.  There, you can catch pretty consistent gorgeous sunsets.  And that's exactly what I did.

Below are videos of the three artists I mainly wanted to see at the festival.  They are in the order in which they appeared.  Each act was followed by a smaller band on a smaller stage that performed for 30 minutes each, while the main acts each played for an hour.  The videos are not entire recordings of their songs, but long enough for you to hear their sound.  If you like them, make sure to check out better quality videos on YouTube.

The Wood Brothers

Brett Dennen 

"Blessed"

Fitz and The Tantrums

"MoneyGrabber"

Leaps and Bounds

Since mid-September I have taken huge leaps and bounds in my recovery process due to the fact that my health has returned enough to start getting me out of the house and enjoying some of what life has to offer.  Just in this past month, I managed to travel across the states solo, attend a couple different concerts, hike up and down stairs, carry around heavy objects, and go apple picking in the mountains.  These various activities act as stepping stones toward a healthy recovery. Some small and others more significant, but regardless of  the size of the step, each one is an attempt at regaining some kind of normalcy and confidence back into my daily life, and so far so good.

First of all, apple picking and climbing stairs may not seem like much to most , but it's quite a big deal for me. The reason why is because the orchard sits in the mountains, which requires a good bit of walking through fluctuating hills while carrying large weighted bulky pales of apples.  In the past 11 months, my total mileage walked probably does not exceed three or four.  Of course this is just a guesstimate, but when it comes to physical activity, including walking and even climbing stairs, I truly have done little to none in the past year.  I even have to take a ramp or elevator when accessible otherwise I get out of breath and overcome with anxiety, although, ever since my last ablation my heart has remained stable enough allowing me to walk about a bit more, and even lug some things around (groceries, luggage, apples, etc.).  So since I have been feeling stronger and healthier, I decided to set out on my first cross-country trip by myself, followed by a couple of concerts when I returned. So far I have had no incidences and therefore I have been somewhat successful in regaining some of my confidence.

The biggest milestone of my recovery so far was the decision to actually go through with the cross-country vacation out to Glacier National Park in Montana.  The purpose of the trip was to gain back some of my confidence, prove that I had the health in me to start traveling again, and to visit all my wonderful friends while relaxing in the crisp fall mountain air of East Glacier.  I chose to fly out of Atlanta,GA because the airport offered the cheapest fares and I got to stay with one of my best friends for a few nights. Three nights were spent down in Atlanta before I departed, but only one night before I had a total nervous breakdown.

See, my friend (Jonathan) lives on the second floor of an apartment building.  Prior to this visit, I had only walked up a flight of stairs a handful of times in the past year, and one of those times,  I almost went into cardiac arrest and died down in South Lake Tahoe.   Needless to say, I lost my breath reaching the top of the stairs triggering some strong and noticeable PVC's (skipped heartbeats), although I don't think the hot and humid weather helped much.  The PVC's elevated my anxiety levels a great deal and got me over thinking, scared, panicked and ready to call an end to my trip, which hadn't even really begun yet.   So I cried and cried some more, and started playing the 'What If' game with myself.   I was afraid if I was having bad PVC's walking up steps in Atlanta, what would walking up steps in 4000ft+ elevation going to do for me, what if I go into v-tach, what if I get shocked and the nearest cardiac care is 90 minutes away?  Those thoughts raced a mile a minute in my head, so I made a few phone calls to get others' opinions and advice.  I proceeded to call my mom, my brother, as well as my friends in Glacier.  And the following day I talked to the doctors at Johns Hopkins and some other friends online and the conversations were unanimous, I must go, and so I did.

I talked about the decision with doctors and discussed the possibility of getting shocked.  They helped calm my nerves a bit and reassured me if my device did fire that means it's doing its' job and saving my life, and yes it will hurt, and yes it will be scary and emotionally draining, but it will save me from a far worse outcome.  Luckily, I never was shocked.  Other than my usual PVC's and constant anxiety, the trip was very relaxing.  It was medicine for my emotional health. This trip not only boosted my confidence but it restored my mental stability, it restored who I am, my personality.  It was good to socialize with friends and just be silly and laugh, and it was equally good to sit in silence and stare at the mountains, and soak up the fresh crisp cool air while reading a book.  I'm just so lucky that I have friends that support me, and let me visit them and annoy them.  It was a much needed vacation, and I had a wonderful time.

One week after returning to Greenville, I headed back down to Atlanta for a small show at a restaurant/bar called The Earl.  This was my first concert in 11 months, my first concert since my ICD (defibrillator), and my first concert since being officially diagnosed.  The artists put on an amazing show, yet I wasn't able to fully immerse myself in the music as I usually might.  Patrons showed up primarily for the last band, Shovels and Rope (Cary Ann Hearst & Michael Trent), which is an extremely high-energy duet with beautiful vocals, similar to The White Stripes. However, I did not make the trip to Atlanta solely for Shovels and Rope, I was also there to see the opening act, Big Tree; an up and coming folk band that is fastly gaining popularity amongst college students.  They have wonderful harmonies and an organic sound and look to them.  But, I had a problem,  as much as the crowd seemed into the band, no one was dancing.  They made this apparent by giving the band a loud round of applause at the end of each song while remaining very statuesque during the entire set. I don't know if I was more pissed because I couldn't dance or because no one else was.  Even the headlining act kept raving about how good Big Tree was, and it was definitely dancing music, so why was no one dancing?

The crowd needed a catalyst, someone with no cares or worries to lead them up to the front of the stage, and all I wanted that night was to be that catalyst.  I wanted to walk right up to the edge of the stage and start rocking out with my hippie skirt in hopes that the rest of the crowd would follow, but sadly I was unable to do so.  I had the inability to do so because of the lack of confidence and trust not only in my device but also in my heart..  And hearing stories of other patients getting zapped while dancing admittedly doesn't help me get back out on the dance floor any sooner.  But a switch must have been flipped somewhere in the bar because as soon as Shovels and Rope started playing their first tune, the crowd rushed the stage and started grooving to the music, singing along.  The crowd was at least 6 rows deep, so I grabbed a chair and sat against a wall right by the corner of the stage with a great view, but it certainly put a cramp in my style. My personality is not to alienate myself by sitting off in a corner watching everyone else have a wild time.  As much of you already know, I am quite the extrovert.  I like to be in the center of the fun, especially at a concert; front row, dancing with wild abandonment, connecting with the music, and so far it's been about the opposite of that.

Two weeks after my second trip to Atlanta, I went and saw Fleet Foxes in Asheville, NC.  Before the show began, I met a super cool chick from Ohio,but as soon as the music started she was up on her feet dancing, but not me, nope.  I didn't have the energy, nor the confidence in my device to dance. I know she was thinking I was totally lame for not dancing, but what was I to do?  I did however manage to stand-up for the encore and jive with the music a bit, but at the cost of some high anxiety.   I find it interesting to think what others perceive of me in those situations.  Here is a healthy looking twenty-something sitting by herself.  Why isn't she dancing?  Why is she just sitting there, she's not even drinking?  See, it's a bit of a conundrum and an annoying one at that. Everyone tells me how healthy and good I look but my insides tell a different story, I just wish people could hear or see that story.  My looks are misleading everyone!

Despite a few minor glitches here and there, my recent activities have helped me start feeling like myself again. On the other hand, they have also helped me realize, although the thought was always in the back of my mind, that my life is categorically changed forever.  No longer will I be able to participate in many of the things I love.   No more hiking or climbing or dancing or even sports for that matter. I will never again be able to go for a run, or a swim workout, or play a game of ultimate or basketball.  I guess I'm still having a hard time grasping the fact that I will never  be able to exercise again, EXERCISE; what a primal and necessary function of life.  This Earth and our lives on this earth are so physical, that being active is such an innate part of us all. It is not only hard to come to terms with being disabled and inert, but hard to actually resist the urge to participate in the aforementioned activities. I've also realized my late nights and bar stays and party plans are pretty much extinct as well.  It's just too hard to hang around people raging while I sit idly by.

Another realization I have made in the past couple months is how much more of a humble person this disease has made me.  I have always been a 'Do It Yourself' kind of gal, always trying to avoid asking for help, believing I know the answers to everything, but this disease has made me completely change my way of thinking.  Obviously I don't have all the answers, but what's more is that I have learned that it is ok to rely on others, to ask others for a helping hand.  At first, I felt like asking for help made me some what of a weaker person, but surviving everything I've gone through, I know that I am a very strong person, emotionally and physically.  Even though I am strong, I still need to learn that it's okay to break down and cry once in a while, that part I still have trouble with.  Crying also makes me feel weak and I feel as though it gives others the perception that I am unable to handle my struggles. But I can,  I can handle my situation, it's just an emotional one.

Like I said, I am in the process of rebuilding my confidence.  I have two more concerts coming up.  I probably still won't be dancing but I will be enjoying myself, because I'm alive and I'm doing well.  I've matured a lot in this past year. I've been forced to grow up much sooner than I expected.  But, life can't be predicted, that is unless you have a deck of tarot cards, that's why plans are best when they are not made.  You just got to learn to roll with the punches and remember that it could ALWAYS be worse.   And we all need to learn to love and be thankful for what we got and stop worrying so much about what we don't have in order to start living life.  I hope you enjoy the music videos below, and you should definitely check out their other videos on YouTube.

Peace and Love Ya'll

Shovels and Rope 
(taped from inside the very modest tour van)

Big Tree  

(YouTube Channel: BigTreeSings)

On The Road to Recovery

Well before I delve into my surgeries and update you on my health, I want to begin by sharing something I wrote a couple of months ago about my experience of getting shocked, and the mental anguish that accompanied it..  The first half of this post gives a good insight into the daily struggle people go through that have been shocked living with a defibrillator.  The second half talks about my surgeries and my recovery.

PART I:
At the beginning of May, my defibrillator went off and shocked me two times leading to a four night stay in the  hospital.  This was the second time I had been shocked by my device, the first set of shocks occurred in late March.  However, this second time, I was just lying in bed around 11pm, painting my sunglasses getting ready to fall asleep, when suddenly I felt my breath taken away from me.  I said to myself, "That doesn't feel right." and then a couple minutes later BAM!  I was shocked. Now the usual comparison to being shocked is like being kicked in the chest by a mule, but I would much rather be kicked in the chest by a donkey than be shocked.  Being shocked is more like being electrocuted, it's like lightning going off inside your body.  It's a very loud popping sound accompanied by a white light that comes over you and the whole effect makes you scream.  Needless to say it is very painful and unnerving.  Ten minutes after the first shock, BAM, I got shocked again. And then another ten minutes passed before EMS finally arrived and transported me to the hospital.  The bad thing about that, is our house is a good thirty minutes away from the hospital, and this didn't constitute as an emergency so we had to abide by the speed limits and stop lights.  During the ride I kept having spurts of V-Tach, and each time I felt as though I was going to be shocked again.  I was scared out of my mind.  So much so that when I was admitted into the hospital and my vitals were being checked, I screamed when my blood pressure cuff began to inflate thinking I was about to get shocked again.  Any sudden sounds, sudden movements were causing me to jump, to be scared, so they eventually gave me a shot of Adevane, which is an anti-anxiety drug, stronger than Xanax, that is fast acting; and it indeed calmed me down.

In March, when my defibrillator went off for the first time, I was shocked four times, but I handled the situation amazingly well.   This time was different, this time I was shocked at night, in the safe haven of my bed.  I was shocked when I was at my calmest, just about ready to call it a night.  The first time I was shocked, I was hanging out with friends in the middle of the afternoon, therefore, I found reason behind the shock, whereas this time I was doing absolutely nothing, there was no reasoning, so I thought.  That is why this past episode of being shock has been a much more tumultuous time, because I was shocked doing nothing. And so now I feel like I will be shocked at any point in time.  It's very hard to think about, the powerlessness and the pain.  There is an electronic device inside my chest wired to my heart and if for some reason my heart beats faster than a certain programmed number then I will receive a horrible shock to my body.

But we now know the cause of the shocks was due to critically low potassium, which in turn is due to a genetic kidney disorder that I have had since birth, but only now discovered.  My kidneys are unable to store potassium and magnesium on their own, and those two elements are such a crucial part to keeping a heart ticking normally.  The kidney disorder combined with my heart disease makes for a double whammy.  I must say it's a relief to have this finally figured out, albeit it's a little disappointing this was not spotted years or even months earlier, and it is also disappointing that I will have to take large doses of medicine perpetually to keep my kidneys functioning.  Also, there is no home test to check your potassium levels similar to a diabetic even though the technology is out there, so I will constantly have to have my blood checked.  If my potassium becomes too high or too low, I have the risk of being shocked again, and that scares me.


Everyday brews a mental struggle, wondering what will trigger the device and when the next time the device will activate. The unknown is unbelievably frightful, not knowing when the shocks will begin or end.  Being shocked is always on my mind, and when I go to sleep, the night that I was shocked  replays over and over in my mind. Every night I lay awake, scared of a device implanted inside my chest, scared of its' capabilities.   The fact that it can shock me while I am dormant upon my bed now haunts me.  At night, when it's quiet and dark and I'm about to fall asleep, my brain seems to speak very loudly in those times and it is those times where I feel each and every heart beat with great intensity.   With every skipped heartbeat comes a triggered memory of being shocked, which then increases the anxiety to maximum levels, which increases the adrenaline levels, which increases the heart rate.  It's an evil little circle that I haven't quite been able to escape.   I try to think about other things, read books, listen to music, watch t.v., and for instance, write this passage in hopes of uncaging some of the grief that lingers. At the end of the day though, I need to be able to trust the device, to trust it will act appropriately, and act only when needed.  But what I really need to do, is find a way to unleash the grip that fear has on me, so I can start mentally living again.  So I can feel free again.

The past two months, I not only had to deal with my heart disease but also the malfunction of my gallbladder and its' painful side effects.  The pain eventually changed my diet into a soup and cereal diet with some baked chicken here and there.  The symptoms ranged from intense sharp stomach pains, cold sweats, sharp shooting pains throughout my chest and back and the worst of all, it made my heart feel as though it was palpitating, causing extra anxiety.  At times, I was unable to differentiate between the heart palpitations of my heart disease or if it was simply a symptom of the gallbladder.  My gallbladder episodes started to scare me so much that I would start to shake, fearing I would receive a shock from my device.  That's how much, I live in fear of this damn thing, but I need not to.  I need to trust that it's doing its job, that it will only go off when my heart rate reaches a certain number.  I need to believe that I can live my life without fear of being shocked.  I have to somehow break free from the fear, but that I found has been that hardest part of this long journey of mine.  I've never really had any fears, at least ones that I was confronted with, but this one sure has been a ball and chain on my mind and emotions as well as my way of living.  Once I find a way to rid myself of the fear, I feel I will be free again, and back to a stronger emotional state.  I'm walking on eggshells right now, everyday, every minute, I feel as though I'm a ticking time bomb and at any point in time....zap...I'll be shocked again, and that is where all the fear lies, the fear lies in the future, the unexpected, the remembrance.  But I have still held my head up high, I have still laughed and smiled, I have still kept my mind active and my spirit high, I will always remain positive, for there is no other way, now if only I could stay healthy, where there is a will there is not always a way.

PART II:
This will hopefully be one of my last health updates for some time, as I am now healing from two successful surgeries regarding my heart and removal of my gallbladder.  On July 6th, I underwent major heart surgery that proved to be a success as of now. Johns Hopkins, the ARVD Gods, have only been practicing this type of procedure for four years and have only had 25 patients undergo the surgery.  They have also only followed the outcomes of the surgery for the past two years, so due to how new the surgery is and the few number of patients who have had the treatment, the long term outlook is unknown.  Some have been shocked since their procedure and others have not, and some have returned to exercise against doctors orders and been shocked.  So for now my heart is ticking by itself and I am no longer on my anti-arrhythmic drugs, which is a huge step forward.  Ridding myself of the anti-arrhythmics have caused me to feel much healthier, I have an abundance of energy that I have been void of for the past nine months and I feel my head is now clear compared to as before it felt as though there was a pile of bricks in place of my brain.

The surgery successfully burned/killed off the cells on the outside of my heart that were causing the tachycardia, the racing of my heart.  The surgery lasted ten hours, one of their longest but that is because there were so many problematic cells around my heart.  There were three major cluster of cells causing my arrhythmia's, but one in particular was centered around my major artery.  Due to the severe risk of burning the artery causing a heart attack or worst, the cells on the outside of the heart had to be burned from the inside, which was a very long process.  Now that the cells have been killed, there is no chance they will grow back. Once they are gone, they are indeed gone.  The main concern now is the growth and development of the dysplasia/cardiomyopathy, the scarring of the right and left ventricle. It has potential to grow over the years, and it most certainly will grow if I participate in any kind of exercise.  As with this disease, when the heart expands and contracts, my heart does not always contract.  It stays expanded causing the scarring, and within the scarring the electrical circuits of the heart get trapped causing tachycardia.  So I will always have to have quarterly and annual tests to keep track of my heart rhythms and my dysplasia.  But for now I continue to take one day at a time, and am very lucky that the surgery worked. Not only am I lucky but I am thankful to the wonderful doctors at Johns Hopkins who are more than dedicated to each patient with this disease and I am very thankful to be off my anti-arrythmics.  Anti-arrhythmics are some of the strongest, most brutal, most side effect causing drugs out there, and I feel almost like my old self being off of them.

 Even though I am very thankful to be off my anti-arrhythmics, I am still rather anxious at the same time, mainly because I am scared about getting shocked more so than anything. It is pretty amazing to go from taking a high dose of medicine four times a day just to keep your heart ticking somewhat normal, to the next day having your heart tick by itself with no heart medicine.  Besides the anxiety, my recovery was a little rough. The worst pain was caused by my eyes, one of my corneas ended up becoming scratched causing severe intense pain for almost two days.  My eyes were tapped shut and therefore stopped producing tears during the surgery but they were not expecting the procedure to last ten hours and did not plan on my eyes to be a problem.  Because of the lack of moisture my eyelids ended cutting my eyes causing severe pain.  I also suffered from pericarditis, which is intense chest pain caused from the burning of the outside lining of the heart.  That finally went away after about three weeks.  Between the pain in my eye and the pain in my chest I was being given an IV of morphine every three hours on the dot.  Even with all the morphine I was receiving I was still in immense pain the day after surgery, the morphine was also causing me to have a migraine.  But throughout the day I kept my eyes closed and tried to sleep away the day.

After two nights in the hospital, I was on my way home, but the journey was not quite over.  On top of the pain I was having from the surgery, I was experiencing horrible symptoms from an ill-working gallbladder.  So one week after my heart surgery, out came by gallbladder.  The recovery from that was also very painful and lasted about two weeks, but my insides feel 100% better.  So I am happy to say each day I feel healthier and I feel stronger, and I am just relieved both surgeries went well and that I am now starting to feel like myself again.

I had my one month check up of my heart and so far everything looks good.  My doctor doesn't want me to start going on walks until winter, when the heat passes, so until then I will work on the hardest struggle of my journey so far, building my confidence, and to do that I will just have to take one day at a time.  Confidence is the most important aspect to my recovery, both physically and mentally,  and I am fully aware that I cannot live in fear of this device any longer. And with that said, my plan for now is to enjoy and celebrate the present, and just take it hour by hour, day by day.  So for now I bide my time with different hobbies of cooking, making jewelry, growing chia pets, attempting to sew, reading, playing guitar, watching movies, and spending quality time with my family.  Without the support of my family and all of my friends, this journey would have been much much harder. I just hope one day, I will be able to rejoin my loving free-spirited friends of the west coast! Thanks to all!


MUCH LOVE!!!!

New Music: Americana Edition

This edition of new music features bands that blend the lines between the musical genres of bluegrass, folk, americana, blues, roots, and a hint on New Orleans style jazz and big band.  It highlights string music as well as songwriting and vocal harmonies.  I will start with one of my favorite albums of the group of artists, and that comes from the hilarious Steve Martin and the talented Steep Canyon Rangers, called Rare Bird Alert.  All of these wonderful musicians are featured on iTunes and have their own MySpace page. And remember, you can also check out all their songs and music videos through MusicTonic.Com, which is a website that I love.


Featured:

Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers: Steve Martin is of course very well known, but not very well known for his musical talents.  This album is well-constructed from start to finish. There’s definitely no shortage of toe-tapping, knee-slapping, spoon-playing, traditional bluegrass excellence on Rare Bird Alert. The title track and “Northern Lights” are gems that even the longest listening bluegrass veteran has to appreciate. Tracks like “The Great Remember (For Nancy)” and “More Bad Weather on the Way” are gentle and intimate at times, quick and affecting at others, and remind one of everything from Bill Monroe to the Flecktones. Alongside such oddities as the mountain gospel goof-off “Atheists Ain’t Got No Songs” and a remake of the 1978 novelty hit “King Tut,” Steve and the Steep Canyon Rangers also offer kick-grass progressive and traditional instrumentals and simple, lovely melodies on “You” (featuring the Dixie Chicks) and the silly but sweet “Best Love,” earnestly sung by Paul McCartney.  The following video is a highlight of the band at Austin City Limits performing my favorite song off the album.

"Atheist Don't Have No Songs"

New Music I Found:
Sarah Jarosz: A bluegrass, multi-instumentalist, singer and songwriter.  Her approach to acoustic music is invigorating; she gives equal attention to playing, singing, and writing, choosing songs that embrace both old timey and modern sounds.  She has the capability of playing 8 different instruments and wrote all but two of her songs on her latest album.   She also included two instrumental songs to showcase her talents as a musician and not just a singer, and one of the songs was nominated for a Grammy. As far back as junior high, she was taken with Gillian Welch’s old-timey compositions and Shawn Colvin’s neo-folk confessions. “I have been so influenced by both of those styles of writing,” The bulk of the recording of the last album was done in Nashville with some of the acoustic world’s finest pickers and singers, including Béla Fleck, Jerry Douglas,  Edgar Meyer, Viktor Krauss, Vince Gill and Darrell Scott among others. She is heavily influenced by the music of Radiohead, the writing of Edgar Allan Poe, Bob Dylan, Bill Withers, Tom Waits, Alison Krauss, Gnarles Barkley, and many others. She has also shared the stage with Punch Brothers and Mumford & Sons numerous times and did an amazing live performance on Austin City Limits.
Songs: Run Away, Annabelle Lee, Come On Up to the House, Peace, Tell Me True

Kelleigh McKenzie: Armed with a banjo, guitar and amplified stompbox, Oregonian-turned-New Yorker Kelleigh McKenzie has a way of mixing folk, blues, old-time and rock into a music all her own. With a whimsical voice and soaring melodies, she takes the well-worn roads of Americana to unexpected places, thumping and plucking out original tales that veer effortlessly from a graceful social consciousness to lusty romps and sinister seductions.
Songs: Call It A Day, 2017, The Bus Song, Eleanor Rigby

Adam Hurt: His music is instrumental, and he can be considered a banjo virtuoso.   At age 27, Adam has already placed in or won most of the major old-time banjo competitions including Clifftop, Mount Airy, and Galax, and won the state banjo championships of Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio, as well as the state fiddle championships of Virginia and Maryland. A respected performer and teacher of traditional music, Adam has played at the Kennedy Center and conducted banjo workshops at the Swannanoa Gathering, the Augusta Heritage Center, and Appalshop, among other venues around the country and abroad.
Songs: John Riley The Shepherd, Indian Nation, Fortune, Say Old Man. I Want Your Daughter, Garfield's Blackberry Blossom, Old Dangerfield

Megan Jean & KFB: A duo based out of Charleston,SC is comprised of many sounds including bluegrass, jazz, and new orleans big band with a blend of gypsy, circus, americana, and the avant-garde creating a kind of dark tone to their overall sound. To accompany the music is a sort of Andrew Bird/Regina Spektor esque type singing.With Megan Jean on guitar, washboard, and stompbox, and her husband Byrne Klay on upright bass and banjo, Megan Jean and the KFB play a unique brand of gypsy-tinged Americana with hints of rockabilly and Delta blues on their new 11-song collection. Megan Jean's deep voice and Klay's bass work are the highlights here.  
Songs:  Red Red, Cemetery Man, Pretty With The Lights Off, Demons

The Stairwell Sisters: 5 women, all singers, and each being able to play multiple instruments all including guitar, tiple, harmonica, fiddle, cello, banjo, clogging, dobro, slide, guitar, and bass. Bay Area string band the Stairwell Sisters, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary, mixes old-time and original tunes, although its new single is a more rootsy version of Bruce Springsteen's "Youngstown." San Francisco’s all-gal old-time teardown, play a deep and rowdy repertoire of timeless tunes plus a solid standing of smart, original material that is winning praise on a national level.  They crank out acoustic, old-time string music with a punk-rock intensity.  The Stairwell Sisters make such heartfelt and skillfully played music that boundaries dissolve beneath the chugging force of old-time fiddle and banjo, the whomp of bass and guitar, the grit of the slide guitar, and the tight, closely interwoven harmonies.
Songs: David and Goliath, Sleep When You're Dead, Youngstown Little Moses, Weary Weary World

Red June: Their sound touches on bluegrass, roots rock, and traditional country music with powerful harmonies, innovative songwriting and expert musicianship. A trio composed of two guys and one girl writes songs that seem to tell a story while making them very relateable at the same time.  They have shared the stage with countless bluegrass and Americana greats such as James Taylor, Sam Bush, Joe Craven, Jim Lauderdale, Del McCoury, Alice Gerrard, Jim Shumate and B.B. King.
Songs: San Juan Hill, Phoenix, Run Boy Run, Biscuits & Honey

Carolina Chocolate Drops:  This striking North Carolina trio brings a modern sizzle to the legacy of classic African American stringbands and were the first black string band to play at the Grand Ole Opry.  They blend together the sounds of blues, jazz, and old time roots music with a mix of technical strings to produce a sound that revitalizes one that has been lost. Their repertoire is centered around the traditional music of the early twentieth century but also includes original material  as well as a show-stopping cover of Blu Cantrell’s 2001 single “Hit ‘Em Up Style.”   The Carolina Chocolate Drops honed their skills under the tutelage of octogenarian fiddler Joe Thompson, a North Carolinian said to be the last black traditional string band player.  Thompson, who grew up playing at barn dances, “frolics” and corn shuckings, wound up performing in venues across the country, including Carnegie Hall. If you like Old Crow Medicine Show, Avett Brothers, Langhorne Slim, Abigail Washburne check them out.
Songs: Hit 'Em Up Style, Knockin', City of Refuge, Why Don't You Do Right, Escoutas, Kissin' and Cussin', Snowden's Jig

Red Heart the Ticker: This is a husband and wife duo from Marlboro, Vermont. Their music, often compared to Will Oldham, Gillian Welch, and Iron and Wine, is, in many ways, a reconciliation between their verging musical tastes: Robin’s penchant for tradition influenced sixties folk and twangy, old-fashioned country music, (Dave Van Ronk, Loretta Lynn) and Tyler’s love of jazz fusion and esoteric sixties rock (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Leonard Cohen). This musical terrain, rich with tight vocal harmonies, glockenspiel’s, dreamy guitar licks, banjoes, and hand claps, is both atmospheric and image rich. They definitely fall into the Folk category with their soft vocal harmonies, both female and male vocalists,  accompanied with soft strings. The female vocals sound a little similar to Alison Krauss and Emmylou Harris.
Songs: Ballad of J. Murphy, Snakeskin, Head of a Lion, Racing Stripe Winter, I Lift That Boombox: Parts a and B, 

Jillian Edwards: A young and new up comer that classifies herself in the mixed genre of acoustic/folk/indie. She is a singer songwriter with a voice that has a very light and easy going quality to it that is also filled with a bubbly personality with a slight country twang that goes well with her acoustic guitar. Her six string work is more picking than strumming and does not over power her already soft vocals. For a few songs, she has a simple drum kit backing her up. She is probably the most underground artist of this bunch.
Songs: Nonfiction Love Song, July&June, Go Together


Beta Radio: Beta Radio is the Wilmington, North Carolina Americana/Folk duo of Ben Mabry (Vocals, Guitar, and Glockenspiel) and Brent Holloman (Guitar, Banjo, BG Vocals, Glockenspiel, and Piano). They have been playing music for over ten years but not until April of 2010 were they able to find their sound and therefor release their first album Seven Sisters.When you leave the album, the minimalistic arrangements and the sincerity of the lyrics stay with you and call you back for another listen. The duo list their musical influences to include, Iron & Wine, Sufjan Stevens, Avett Brothers, Nick Drake, Bon Iver, and Fleet Foxes.
Songs: Either Way, Highlight On The Hill, Brother.Sister, Darden Road


Bon Iver: Bon Iver is a band founded in 2007 by American indie folk singer-songwriter  Justin Vernon. Three other regulars of the band include Sean Carey (drums, vocals, piano), Michael Noyce (vocals, baritone guitar, guitar), and Matthew McCaughan (bass, drums, vocals). On his newest album being released, he adds others to the band in order to showcase the sounds of his influencers; and thus on the track "Beth/Rest" and throughout the album, we hear the pedal steel of Greg Leisz (Lucinda Williams, Bill Frisell), the uniquely layered low end of Colin Stetson's (Tom Waits, Arcade Fire) saxophones, the riffing of Mike Lewis' (Happy Apple, Andrew Bird) altos and tenors, and the lush horns of C.J. Camerieri (Rufus Wainwright, Sufjan Stevens). For this album Vernon promised, “silky electric guitars, beautifully intricate keys, and subtle horn and string sections.”  His first album had a much more novice, poetic, solitudal sound to it but was still well recieved. He is similar to Fleet Foxes, Iron & Wine, and Ray LaMontagne.
Songs: Skinny Love, Come Talk To Me, Calgary


I'm Still Really Diggin'
Rising Appalachia:

New Albums
Xavier Rudd- Koonyum Sun
Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues
Emmylou Harris- Hard Bargain
Alison Krauss- Paper Airplane

A Blur of a New Life

I wrote this a couple weeks into spring, when everything was in full bloom.  I was driving back from a doctor's appointment and the day was perfect.  It was hovering just above 70, the sun was shining with just a cloud or two in the sky, and the landscape was full of color. Purples, yellows, whites, pinks, reds, and greens.  I thought what a perfect day it would be to go run through a field, but I couldn't.  It saddened me that I couldn't go for a run, or any activity of the like and fully embrace the day, and that I couldn't truly enjoy what spring had to offer my beautiful city.  No, instead I was stuck in my car, at my house, on my porch.  This was the first time I was not able to enjoy life like I really wanted to.  It's like when your stuck at home with the flu and all your friends are out playing, well this flu has lasted for over 6 months. And my friends, well, they have been from the west coast to the east coast and back to the west coast in just that amount of time. They're livin' the life, not me.  But spring has now passed, and it is now hot has Hell outside, so my temporary depression has faded as the heat is just too much for me to bare.  But man, that spring was down right beautiful this year!  I wrote this literally while driving home from the appointment, but I only wrote down the words at a red light. I would have forgotten them otherwise.  I have added a few words here and there, but for the most part this is a poem that came to me while driving on a perfect spring day. And if it seems sporadic at times, that is because I chose not to overdo the editing.  I feel as if I have captured the feelings and emotions I was having on that perfect spring day and I did not want to lose any of the authenticity of it through the use of editing.  And since I wrote it, I thought I might as well share it with all of you, why not, right.



A Blur of a New Life
in this new life i begin to walk through it with a veil over my head
i sit there wondering
where do i go? what do i do?
there is a blur, a cloud, that not even the strongest rainstorm could wash away
wounded, waiting for a new show
no boundaries to explore, no limits to push
feeling lifeless and washed ashore

i want more out of this life i'm living

i want to get in my car and have my wheels turn me back into a free soul
as spring warms and my body hardens
i feel i will soon be swimming amongst the clouds
to almost die just to be saved by the power of man
if it was up to the natural world, six feet under, i would be
but i'm here, with a blur of a new life

New Music Part Deux

So I've decided to share new music I find with whomever decides to read my blog. You may or may not like any of the bands, and you may only like one out of the many I post.  But if you have the time, they are all worth checking out. I have an eclectic taste in music, so most people should be able to find at least one musician they find interesting on here. There will be more postings to come showcasing underground artists, new or old, because good music deserves to be heard and shared around the world.  

 I also want to share with others a website that is very useful in viewing who these bands are, called MusicTonic.com. It is like Pandora, YouTube, and Grooveshark all rolled in to one with added features that makes browsing very convenient and discovering new music and catching videos very easy. So check it out,  Musictonic.com. Jukesy,com is also convenient in viewing videos of artists and catching all of their songs and even discovering new music, but MusicTonic is a better version of that.

NEW MUSIC I FOUND:

I will begin with my favorite discovery of the past month, and that goes to an older gentleman who has spent  the past four decades trying to make it in the music biz, and finally his soul has been heard.  Enjoy!

Charles Bradley: At the age of 63, and battling the music industry for a greater portion of his life, Bradley has finally been able to release his first album. It revives the soul of America, allowing you to genuinely fell his emotions, which emanate through the songs, and many of them you can feel true heartache and struggle.  Bradley's voice is bluesy and gritty yet soulful and funky. And he’s got that scream, oh that scream; a yell which is much like that of James Brown. He is a man that has been through some hard times. He spent his whole life trying to make it and he spills it all out in the track “Why is it So Hard?”. As he sings the chorus “Why is it so hard to make it in America?” his voice wails, as if he is on the verge of breaking down. Every soothing note he sings just warms each beat of your heart. All his trials and tribulations erupt together on the last track “Heartaches and Pain”. Life is hard, and we feel it in his voice, yet the track feels oddly optimistic about it all.

Songs: The World, Why Is It So Hard, How Long, No Time For Dreaming

The Sheepdogs: A new age 60s/70s rock and roll band.  Taking their cues from the Allman  Brothers, Creedence, Humble Pie, Guess Who and the Stones, these prairie boys have a sound that is completely faithful to their 70s rock roots, while remaining thoroughly original and fresh. Powerful vocals, a twin guitar attack, stacked harmonies, moody keys and steady grooves all blend together to form an engaging batch of originals. They bring back true 70's rock here in 2011.    

Songs: I Don't Know, I Don't Get By

Patrick Sweany: On a given night (or on a given album) he'll swing through blues, folk, soul, bluegrass, maybe some classic 50s rock, or a punk speedball. He's a musical omnivore, devouring every popular music sound of the last 70 years, and mixing them all together seamlessly into his own stew. He has a good raspy blues voice, mixed with a grungy rock & roll style of the Black Keys. Guitar influences were Leadbelly and Lightnin' Hopkins where as his vocal influences came from the likes of Ray Charles. Similar Artists are Dan Auerbach, The Raconteurs and The White Stripes.  

Songs: Them Shoes, Rising Tide, Sleeping Bag

The Black Angels: 

The group name is derived from a song by The Velvet Underground who is a major influence for the band. The sound of the band is  wonderfully 

dark, mesmerizing psychedelic rock music, and one of their secrets is vocalist Alex Maas, who sounds a bit like the devil trying to be coy.

Major influences which can be heard in their sound include The Doors, Pink Floyd, Joy Division, Verve, The Raveonettes, and more. Similar Artist that are current include Dan Auerbach, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and The Warlocks

Songs: Young Men Dead, Better Off Alone, Entrance Song, Telephone, Bad Vibrations

The Romany Rye: The band could be categorized as indie folk-rock and draws comparisons to the likes of Neil Young, My Morning Jacket, and Ryan Adams. Kings of Leon guitarist Matthew Followill, whose band has its early roots in country rock, as well as Matt Costa, dubbed them a band to watch in 2010. They have a similar Guitar/Rock style of The Black Keys, accompanied by Lyrical similarities of The Bright Eyes.

Songs: Love Song, Black Hair, Long Way Down 

Grouplove: Grouplove is a Los Angeles quintet who brings out the feeling of the California Sun and just released their first self-titled EP at the end of this past January.  Whether the band’s honey-hearted, sugar-coated indie-bop-pop will work across an album-length release remains to be seen, but this set is a nugget of golden pleasure, petite, but perfectly proportioned.  They are very colorful with their stage designs, outfits, happy beats, and in their voices. They have a very buoyant and gleeful sound. Similar Artists include Foster the People, Phoenix, MGMT, Vampire Weekend, and The Kooks.

Songs: Gold Coast, Naked People, Colours 

Lykke Li: I meant to add this artists to my first post of "Discovering New Music", because her latest album is worth listening to.  The arrangements are driven by syncopated handclaps and off-kilter drums, but now, voice creaking with heartache, she sounds like she's casting dark spells rather than serenading daydreams. Li dips into garage rock and wintry folk, but her guiding spirit seems to be Phil Spector, and she laces the music with booming percussion and girl-group-style romantic melodrama.  I think the syncopated handclaps with her unique  voice is what captured me, but she is also an amazing performer along the likes of Florence + The Machine. Similar Artists: Florence + The Machine, Oh Land, Edward Sharp + The Magnetic Zeros, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Xx

Songs: Youth Knows No Pain, Get Some  

Blockhead: Is a down-tempo hip hop producer with a jazz electronic vibe to him. Mainly instrumental tracks but mixes in a few voices samples here and there. He weaves between horns and acoustic guitars while adding classical vocals over skittish boom-bap drums . He even finds time to throw in a body-winding bassline, the kind that could’ve easily found itself on the soundtrack to a 70s feature film.  Has worked with Atmosphere and Aesop Rock Similar Artists: Boombox, RJD2, Wax Tailor

Songs: The Music Scene, The Art of Walking, Music by Cavelight 

Mod Sun: Stands for Movement On Dreams. Stand Under None. He is a 24yr old rapper who started off by playing the drums at 14. He has created a new genre he refers to as hippy-hop. He's kind of a skater version of Asher Roth who looks like Shaun White but has faster rhymes. He writes all of his own rhymes, and produces all of his own beats. You can download 3 of his early albums for free off his website, and I actually find them to be better than the last two albums that are for purchase. 

Just go to http://modsunmusic.com/category/media/music/free-mixtapes/  

Songs: Thought You Should Know, Paradisity, No Girlfriend, Party In The U.S.A. 

Appalachia Rising: 

Rising Appalachia is a genre-bending force of sound that uses vocal harmony, lyrical prowess and diverse artistic collaborations to defy cultural clichés and ignite a musical revolution.The two 'frontmen' are 2 sisters, Leah & Chloe, who harmonize well with each other and carry a lot of soul in their voices.  They are true musicians that bring energy to the stage.  But I wouldn't consider this solely in the genre of bluegrass because the songs aren't very fast like traditional bluegrass songs and they have a lot of depth to them.  One plays guitar and violin and they both can play banjo and tambourine. The band features a stand up bass, two kick drums accompanied with an array of hand drums, and occasional horns. One of their drummers can beatbox as well but in general the overall feel is very simple and focuses on the harmonized vocals of the two sisters. The lyrics and sound of the song can also be very poetic. 

Songs: Rise, Oh Death, Nobody's Home, Sandanski

Yael Naim: Influenced by Norah Jones and Joni Mitchell, she has a soft voice, and piano is key in most of her songs.  You can feel a heavy Jazz influence, and she in fact does a good jazz rendition of britney spears' 'Toxic'. 'New Soul' his her top hit that has even been featured in an apple commercial, that of course is the most poppy of all her songs.  She has a very soft voice but it can be strong at times with the right lyrics and that is why I thinks she is most similar to Fiona Apple.  Other similar artists include Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Baraeilles and Feist.

Songs: Go to the River, Stupid Goal, Far Far

von Thord: von Thord is a Swedish two man band playing non-genre‐bound string beat. With only cello and bass, von Thord still sounds like a full 5‐man band. Playing beaty music impossible to put into a genre, they always leave their audience breathless and longing for more. If you like bluegrass or jazz, then this is a band for you The music is classical, jazz, rock or world music, but all at the same time in a wild mix  They use their instruments in a way most did not know was possible . The cello and double bass combination cannot be smoother. The boys pluck their strings like slap bassists. They tap their instruments like percussionists. They slide like blues guitarists. They rock it like electric guitarists. The cello has never sounded so unlike a cello! The bass never sounded this good! 

Songs: Wedding Night, Smoke on the Water

Keep an eye out for:
2Cellos: 2Cellos are Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser. With over 5 million hits on YouTube, their passionate, dueling cellos version of Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" has taken the world by storm. They will be touring with Elton John this summer, and will be releasing their first EP consisting of hot covers.  They are extremely talented and you should look for their album come the end of June. 
 http://www.myplaydirect.com/2cellos/details/25779402
http://www.2cellos.com/tour

Odd Future: a.k.a ODWGKTA:  This is a bizarre rap group composed of 3 separate rap groups and 11 total different artists.  They are very outspoken with their lyrics, on-stage performance, and videos.  They are on the rise and I suggest you check out their website, it is pretty entertaining.   http://www.oddfuture.com/

New Albums:
Raphael Saadiq- Stone Rollin'
Brett Dennen- Loverboy