The First Quarter of 2013 in Music

14 Jun

Almost exactly three months ago I posted this article with a list of twenty albums in alphabetical order which I had purchased in the first quarter of 2013.  The intent was to have the article out by mid-April.  In classic SHH fashion I decided that it would be better to do a review of twenty albums Continue reading

Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel

30 May

Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel

Full disclosure: I love Jameson.  I began a long love affair with whiskey during my college years.  I had a hard time getting drunk drinking beer because I had a lot of tummy trouble at the time and the carbonation made it difficult to drink large amounts without blowing chunks.  Whiskey has been a close friend of mine ever since. Continue reading

Catgentlemen, Memes and Powee the Frumpy Cat

29 May

Everyone knows at least one Cat Lady.  You know the type: totally obsessed with their feline companion(s), constantly showing pictures of their cat(s) to strangers, 10+ nicknames for their pet, fleeces covered in dander, bedrooms that smell like urine, shredded furniture, serious Continue reading

The Joy Formidable at Upstate Concert Hall (4/14/2013)

2 May

The Joy Formidable TicketIt’s only a few weeks late!

Since the old Northern Lights venue in Clifton Park, NY has changed hands and been renamed The Upstate Concert Hall the shows have gotten a lot better.  1) It seems as though they have finally put some capable person in charge of the acoustics so that they don’t sound absolutely awful at every show, and 2) They actually attract acts worth seeing; there are still bullshit stoner cover bands which wrangle the desperate, scene-less 40&50-somethings, but NYC’s A$AP Rocky was in Upstate New York a few months back, Foals play there this coming Monday and Wales’ The Joy Formidable Continue reading

Dirty Projectors at Skidmore College (4/13/2013)

23 Apr

Dirty Projectors Ticket

I was thrilled when I heard that Dirty Projectors would be playing at Skidmore College in Saratoga, NY, a mere 30 minute drive.  I had been to the venue before some years ago for a Wilco show.  It’s a gymnasium but the acoustics are surprisingly sharp.

My girlfriend, two friends and I arrived unfashionably early Continue reading

Record Store Day 2013

20 Apr

Record Store Day 2013

Photo by Nicki Bertsch

April 20th is a day that is (in)famous for a number of reasons.  It’s Hitler’s birthday.  It’s the anniversary date of the Columbine school shooting.  Pot-smokers celebrate 4/20 by getting rather ripped.  Today the nation celebrated the capture of the Chechnyan bomber who had terrorized Boston, MA since Monday.  And, on a sunnier note, April 20th, 2013 marked the sixth annual Record Store Day, a day of frivolous spending for audiophiles. Continue reading

Hook – Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division

18 Apr

Unknown Pleasures Inside Joy Division

Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division by Peter Hook (2013)

This is a book that I was so excited about that I pre-ordered it twice (a drunken oversight as the book’s publication was backed out a few months).  Not only was there a new back-story to one of my all-time favorite bands, it was told by the band’s bassist.   Continue reading

Al Di Meola and Gonzalo Rubalcaba at The Egg (4/7/2013)

16 Apr

Al Di Meola Ticket & LP

Above:  My ticket to the show atop Al Di Meola’s 1976 debut Land of the Midnight Sun.

I have to say that I’m glad that I subscribed to The Egg’s email list some months ago because I’m not sure that I would have heard about this show otherwise. Last Sunday night two legends of jazz in Al Di Meola and Gonzalo Rubalcaba played at the Swyer Theatre within The Egg. Continue reading

St. Patrick’s Day: Stereotype Perpetuation and Green Sexism

20 Mar

Shamrock

I know that it’s belated, but I did want to wish you readers a happy St. Patrick’s Day!

I don’t have anything against the holiday per se.  I very much enjoy pounding corned beef and cabbage.  I love spending time with family.  My paternal grandmother’s birthday often times fell on St. Patrick’s Day.  BUT, I had the great displeasure of spending this past St. Patrick’s Day weekend Continue reading

Guided by Voices – The Bears for Lunch

5 Mar

The-Bears-for-Lunch-album-art This was supposed to be published 12/14/2013 and then it wasn’t.

Though Guided by Voices didn’t have any big winners this year, they would definitely be up for a Most Productive of 2012 nomination.  The Bears for Lunch was the third LP released this year Continue reading