Music

I'm always on the lookout for REAL music. I know I use the term loosely. I'm just frustrated with the crap on the radio. Occasionally I happen by some amazing stuff. I wish I knew how to influence the music industry so we could all discover new artists more easily. I thought I'd do my part by adding some of the lesser-known folks I've found and LOVE to this blog. Of course I'll never remember them all now - but I thought I'd share a few today and then try to remember to add more down the line. I'll also share some of the ways I've found these folks so that maybe you all can find some new favorites of your own using these techniques. I realize not everyone has the same taste in music, so you may not like who I've listed here, but I hope that you'll see some interesting influences, hear some sounds you may not have realized existed, and hopefully spark you to find some of your own new favorites. 

Here are a few of my current favorites (some have not had new music in a while, but that doesn't seem to matter)

Esthero (Type her name into youtube. The vidoes are mostly montages, but her sound is moving and even heart-stopping nonetheless)

Thievery Corporation (specific favorite song at the moment = "Lebanese Blonde")

Handsome Boy Modeling School

The Black Keys (A little more well-known, but amazing!)

Otep (Only if you can stand a little metal. Current favorite song = "Head")

John Lee Hooker. Absolutely amazing. And if you're really feeling the Delta Blues sound while listening - type "Hooker 'N Heat" into youtube and listen to all you see. I get chills listening to most of them.

So, as you can see, I use You Tube a lot to find new music. If you know of something you really love the sound of, find that on you youtube. Then on the right hand side there will be suggestions. Sometimes they have similar sounds and can lead you to new things. You do not have to be a member of youtube to listen and watch videos.

Another easy way to find some new artists is by using www.amazon.com. You can type in another song or artist you like, click on one of the albums, then listen to samples of each song on the album. On the same page, scroll down some and you'll find a section that says "Customers who bought this item also bought:". There will be several other albums and artists listed there that are usually similar in feel. You can then click on those albums and listen to those song samples. You don't have to be signed up to amazon.com to use this method.

And finally, probably the best way I've found new music is through pandora. I'm sure almost everyone I know already knows about pandora. Just in case you don't, make sure you sign up for a free account at www.pandora.com. You can create 'channels'. I have a channel for each genre that I like. Make sure to listen as much as you can for a few weeks at least in order to build the stations that fit your preferences. The best way to find the perfect fit for you is by putting in some sample songs that you know you like. Pandora will base what it plays next off of what you put in. Some stuff will be perfect. Some will not. You really must use the 'thumbs up' and 'thumbs down' in order to make Pandora learn exactly what you like. For me, it took several months of occasional thumbs up and thumbs down to finally get it to a point where it's playing 99% stuff I love - and a LOT of it is artists you will not hear on the radio.

So go ahead..if you're a music lover like I am, start exploring some new, amazing artists that you may have never heard of before. Just because they're not on the radio doesn't meant they're not perfect for you.

Relapse

No, not like the Eminem album. Though that is a good album. No, I'm talking about a bit of a relapse in all these lovely changes I'd been making these last few months. You know how when one bad thing happens, it seems that at least 2 more bad things happen right away? In fact, I think one of my first blogs was about bad things coming in threes. Well, it just happened again these last couple of weeks. I have a bit of an anxiety issue. So while I can cope on good days, I just can't control it on bad days.

Remember that nice hypnotherapy I did to stop biting my fingernails? Ah, it worked like a charm! And it was such a relief. And I wasn't embarrassed anymore. Let's just say I relapsed. And here's why...

First, my grandmother starting losing it. Okay, she's been losing it for a while now. But now it's bad. And that upset my mom a lot. It's hard for her to deal with it. I won't elaborate much, because my mom wouldn't want me to. So anyway, Nana had to be moved to a different facility.

The week mom was trying to figure that all out, we found out my mother in law needed a pacemaker. This, after only a year and a half or so after bypass surgery. So you see the pattern forming...right?

A few days before we were headed to my mom's to help move Nana, my truck started having trouble. I'd taken it in for an oil change. I picked it up later that day and went to Target on my lunch break. When I came back out to the parking lot, my car wouldn't start. It didn't even try. It was dead as a doornail. (whatever that means.) So I was then stranded in the Target parking lot in 100 degree heat, trying to find someone to help me. Finally a kind gentleman got me jumpstarted - after about an hour and a half of being out there. I went directly to Napa to buy a new battery. Took it home, hubby replaced the battery. Turned the key. Nothing. So after several expletives, we jumpstarted it again and I took it back to the shop I'd had it at for the oil change. They called me the next day and told me it was the alternator. They replaced it. It wouldn't start. They replaced it again. Wouldn't start. Oh, they tell me, it's the computer. We can't help you. You need to take it to the Isuzu dealership. And there's no Isuzu dealership in Richmond anymore. And yes, they charged me for the oil change, the labor for putting the alternator(s) in, and for charging up the battery so I could drive it off their lot. Oh and we'd bought the second alternator ourselves because it was cheaper that way. And Napa won't take it back. So now we're like $500 into repairs with no repairs completed. And the car's worth about $1500 on a trade in. And the computer repair could be $1000. So. Yeah.

Luckily within a week, a friend of mine found a buyer for the broken Trooper. Its out of my hair now. Though we're a car short. Perfect timing that we needed to go to mom's that next weekend to help with Nana - because we were able to borrow their extra car.

And we've spent two weekends traveling. I'm tired. And it's not over. But one good piece of news...my mother in law had the pacemaker put in late last week and she's doing fine. She may be back to work in a week, even!

So. Lessons learned that I'd like to pass on to you. Number 1: Old people will develop dementia eventually. Buy a self help book to learn how to cope. Number 2: Heart problems suck. Take care of yourself. Number 3: Always have an extra car if you can afford it - because when one dies, it will probably die without warning. Number 4: If you're going to give me bad news, please first wrap my fingers in plaster of paris so I won't chew my nails down to the cuticle. Thanks.

Yes, I'm going to try the hypnotherapy again. Soon.

Summer's ending

Even if we don't want to admit it, summer is ending soon. I must say, after such a record breaking heat, I'm ready for it.

I'll keep drinking sangrias and wearing flip flops until I can't stand it though.

Other than that, I'm sort of looking forward to football, fall blooming plants, Halloween, wearing sweaters, and of course, then the holiday season. Problem is, my wallet isn't ready for that part yet.

On another note, I bought a dress last weekend. I know, it's a shocker. Try to control yourselves. I'm going to a wedding...so it had to happen. I was at Nordstroms for over an hour. The sweet saleslady helped me the best she could. Try as she might, she couldn't make my knees less fat though. She also couldn't make me less pasty white. Both of those things led me to hate all the dresses on me. In the end I found one that looks great on my upper half. My knees are still ugly. I'll do squats and lunges for the next 4 days straight. Maybe that'll help. Oh and I bought some self tanner. Now, if you see me out in the dress, please remember I'm sensitive. One joke limit per person. Thankyouverymuch.