2023 Albums of the Year

Weird year. Weird list. TOP ALBUMSBlur – The Ballad of DarrenGorillaz – Cracker IslandPeter Gabriel – I/O RUNNER UPSWilco – CousinMetric – Formentera IIGrian Chatten – Chaos for the FlyPaul Simon – 7 Psalms I EXPECTED BETTERGaz Coombes – Turn the Car AroundThe National – Frankenstein and Laugh TrackIggy Pop – Every LoserU2 – Songs…

2022 Albums of the Year

Back by popular demand, the albums of my year. Twenty-twenty-two was a doozy of a year, but at least there were some great tunes by some of my favorite bands to help get me through. Nothing beats the shot of adrenaline when a song connects. If you know me, you know it’s my drug. Here’s…

2020 Albums of the Year

After a year that was the most unpredictable in my lifetime and continues to be up until these final moments, I’ve compiled my list of best albums of 2020.  The last time I ever felt the way I did this year must have been sometime in my teens.  Probably around 15 when everything seemed out…

3-2-1 Ribs!

I got a small Traeger smoker/gril a couple of years ago. I threw out my gas grill when I got it and haven’t looked back. I regularly make chickens, brats, tri tip, burgers and steaks on it. I love it. I’m by no means a BBQ purist. I just want my food to come out…

Cinque Torri – Italy

Another day in the Dolomites. What an underrated place. We took the kids up to the top of the mountain after taking about a half-mile car ride up on the one lane road. Don’t do that. Plop down the cash for the ski lift a few clicks up the road, enjoy the view and have…

Neuschwanstein

The NH family just tore a mile uphill to the Neuschwanstein Castle near Füssen, Germany. We’ve seen it before but never like this. Few tourists were on the bridge overlooking the castle. Truly magnificent and a once in a lifetime experience. At least from this vantage point. Next up, the Dolomites…

Albums of the Year – 2017 – Part 2 (The Middle)

These are the albums in the middle of the pack. Some of these have the ability to move to the front depending on the day, the mood or other factors. But they rarely stay there, pulled back by the areas where they miss the mark. None of them are bad – they’re just not as…

Albums of the Year – 2016 – Part 3

6,5,4,3,2,1, go! 6. Primal Scream – Chaosmosis “More Light” was the dark, brooding, brass knuckle side of Primal Scream.  Chaosmosis is the Technicolor, grooving, silk shirt wearing side.  It’s fun, dancy and easy to take for granted from your first listen.  From the first track, in fact.  “Trippin’ on Your Love” is laced with Haim…

Albums of the Year – 2016 – Part 2

Let’s get right into 12-7, shall we? 12. Car Seat Headrest – Teens of Denial This band had me at “I’m so sick of, fill in the blank”.  This sounds like just the type of thing to cleanse the lacquer sheen off of pop music.  It’s the Ramones if they had written songs over 3…

Albums of the Year – 2016 – Part 1

This has been an incredible and eventful year for music.  We’ve lost several superstars including one of the greatest musical personalities of all time in David Bowie.  In positive news, my childhood hero, Sting, has come back to the pop music scene after a decade in the lute filled wilderness.  Out of nowhere, Iggy Pop’s…

The XX– Forum Karlin, Prague, November 29, 2016

The XX show last night a Prague’s Forum Karlin blew the pants off the one a few years back at the big room at the Lucerna downtown.  The Lucerna show was fine performance and setlist wise but the sound was horrible.  At that show, there were none of the gut-rattling low frequency elements of the…

Cast Iron Chocolate Chip Cookie

Yesterday was Mrs. NH’s birthday.  I’m not much of a baker so I always hate baking cakes or something for her birthday.  I always end up looking like some jerk out of a sitcom with flour all over my shirt and face. Well, the same thing happened this year (thanks to Little NH2 TURNING THE…

Foals – Metronome Festival, Prague, June 26, 2016

I have just wrapped up one of the best weekends of my life.  Two great musical acts played literally in my back yard and I was able to take my kids, both under the age of 10, to see them for free.  And we freaking pogoed! In case you missed my previous post, Saturday’s show…

Gorillaz – ‘Demon Days’ Vinyl Review

The news of all of the recent deaths of rock ‘n rollers has had me examining my own mortality lately.  It’s also made me try to not get too caught up in the daily badness that confronts me at the office.  Of course, my favorite way to sort things out at the end of the…

On Bowie

I’ll preface this by saying that somehow, I don’t consider myself a huge David Bowie fan even though I still have nearly all of his albums on vinyl and find myself coming back to his catalog regularly. I don’t consider myself a huge David Bowie fan but I vividly remember practicing my trombone, probably between 5th…