Summer 2024
Sabbatical Life
It’s been a great couple years, and music continues to play a vital role in my life. Funny enough, someone I just met for the first time last week told me they went on my website & loved the playlist before we jumped on our call. I told them I’d been working on another one, which captures music that’s inspiring me today. So here we go, a new playlist for summer, 2024. Enjoy- KK
White Horse Chris Stapleton album: Higher
I’ve been a fan of Stapleton for a number of years, and finally got to see him live in Charlottesville at John Paul Jones arena in October of 2023. And that guy puts on an absolutely epic show. He came out & blew the roof off the place with this song as the opener. For two hours, he & his band shredded guitar, belted lyrics & kept all of us on our feet. Ok, well since we were in the GA pit on the floor, being on our feet was a necessity. But seriously, if you even like Stapleton a little bit, go see him live. He is a top 10 performer who leaves everything he has on the stage every night. I can’t wait to see him again. Since this song kicked off his show, it kicks off my playlist.
lyrics that speak to me: This love is gettin' kind of dangerous, Feels like it's a loaded gun; My-my, it's turning like a cloud of dust, My heart always wants to run.
Dark Matter Pearl Jam album: Dark Matter
So all y’all know I’m a huge Eddie Vedder & Pearl Jam fan. And while I had high hopes for this album, it has wildly exceeded my expectations. Shout out to Producer Andrew Watt (who Eddie met years ago & let produce his supergroup album The Earthlings during COVID)…somehow the 33-year old (!!!) guy who grew up a rabid Pearl Jam fan now has become the producer who does the new Rolling Stones album & then rolls right into Dark Matter with Pearl Jam. Needless to say, if you aren’t dialed in to Andrew Watt & what he’s up to, I recommend you go check him out. As for this album, PJ has done something really hard – gone back to their roots (tracks that sound like their 1st & 2nd albums), brought fresh new sounds into the world AND channeled the competing forces of darkness & hope that seem to be in perpetual conflict. If you have time google ‘superposition’ and enjoy reading about how a quantum system can be in multiple states until it is measured (source: TechTarget.com). PJ is suggesting we can live in light & darkness, and yet the album builds to gratitude and hope by the end. I got to see them in concert in Vegas in May and the show blew my mind. It was a dream setlist, and the new songs sounded like they’d be part of the repertoire for years. I am counting the days until I see them again at Fenway, this time with Erin & some close friends in September. This track feels like it could be added to Vs. (1993) or Yield (1998) and it would fit right in…except for the heavy nature of the lyrics. On this album I feel like it’s the song that features every band member’s strengths the best. Bonus points if anyone knows who King Diamond might be. PJ challenges all of us to meet this moment & persevere. We can do it.
lyrics that speak to me: Steal the lights from our eyes, Drain the blood from my heart We're in all of this dark matter; Take the breaths from my chest, Break the thoughts in our minds; We're losing time, dark matter
Looping Charlotte Cardin album: 99 Nights
To celebrate our 25th Anniversary, I got tickets for Erin & I to go to a music, wine & food festival on Prince Edward Island – Sommo Fest, in July, 2023. If you ever get the chance…you must GO! Two days of music on multiple stages, amazing food & wine to be had, great chill vibes of PEI & our neighbors to the north. And headliners last summe included Maggie Rogers, Vance Joy and Mumford & Sons. And yet as fun as it was to sing along with all of the artists whose tracks we knew, I was blown away by some new faces I’d never heard before…led by Charlotte Cardin. A Canadian, the energy she brought to stage was soulful, sexy & sleek…she had the audience on a string for her entire set. I am so hyped to see her be successful. This was my favorite song from her set, and as it suggests, voices (this song!) can get in your head & just stay on repeat. That happens to me a lot & most of the time those voices are positive, but not always. Here’s hoping we all keep the inner monologue rattling around our brains giving us positive reinforcement, not giving us reasons why we might be scared, nervous or anxious.
lyrics that speak to me: Voice-voice-voices in my head, Keep looping and it's endless; Looping and it's endless, Looping, looping, looping, looping.
Something in the Orange Zach Brown album: Something in the Orange
I really admire how Zach Brown is pulling fans from ‘70’s & ‘80’s singer songwriters (Springsteen), from present-day country stars (Rhett) & from people who think he might be the only in his genre. I love this track because it tells a story that I can just picture seeing, being a part of or hearing about from a friend. Seems so relatable, and while it’s about somebody seeking redemption, I try to find the positive of someone holding out hope & extending their hand asking for another chance.
lyrics that speak to me: Your voice only trembles when you try to speak, Take me back to us dancin', this wood used to creak.
Nightflyer Allison Russell album: Outside Child
So at Sommo Fest, the second best new artist for us was Allison Russell…totally different than Charlotte Cardin, and yet Russell touched us in a way that was unlike most artists I’ve ever seen. She was part activist, part songwriter, part lounge singer, part virtuoso musician…and 100% badass. Whether it was when she was playing clarinet or story-telling about her challenging upbringing as a foster child who faced unspeakable hardship as a young person…she brought hope to the stage, gave all of us chills and left us wishing her set was twice as long. If you have never heard of her, please…please…go check her out & get on board as her star is shining really brightly & will be for years to come. There is so much hope, positivity & beauty in her as a person and her art. Put your hands together for Allisson Russell.
lyrics that speak to me: Now I feel everything good Lord, What the hell could they bring to stop me Lord? Nothing from the earth, nothing from the sea, Not a God almighty thing.
Grace Marcus Mumford album: self-titled
We’ve been Mumford fans for over a decade. And yet when Marcus dropped his first solo album during COVID-19, we were hyped to hear him bring new beats, new lyrics & new stories. And I wasn’t really prepared for the darkness and depth of this album. But as a Mumford fan, when they take you to a dark place they are always bringing you closer to the light. And he does that on this album too. In many of the tracks he unpacks a bunch of childhood trauma for the first time publicly, including sexual abuse, that he endured as a young person. And yet on this track, he kind of steps up to being an adult who can do hard things, even if he has no idea how. I admire him for this, and on this track, love how he believes that when we can offload the heavy stuff we carry around, we can move forward lighter, more confident & more hopeful…even when we don’t have everything figured out yet.
lyrics that speak to me: And yeah, see, there will come a time, When it won't feel just like living it over and over with the weight of the shadow on your shoulders, And I hear there's healing just around this corner
If We Were Vampires Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit album: The Nashville Sound
So I wasn’t a huge Isbell fan, but I had always admired him from afar. Then my brother told me that Isbell was coming to Red Rocks this summer, and he wanted to take me & a friend for my birthday. I said “HELL YES” and couldn’t wait to see this guy. And wow, it makes sense why so many bands admire him, so many artists around the world call him a friend & why REM would ask him to give the induction speech when they entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Isbell is a force of nature as a song-writer, and maybe even better as a virtuoso guitar player. This track he sings with his now ex-wife, Amanda Shires. And this concert, where Shires opened for him only weeks after their public split, was unique on so many levels. It’s gotta be real, real, real weird to be on tour with the person you just broke up with, who you once wrote songs with & played together with in a band. But they’re doing it. And when Shires opened for him at Red Rocks, she was a total badass who electrified the crowd. Credit to both of them for figuring how to make it work, especially in an area when lots of bands & artists (looking at you, JLo) are canceling shows for any number of reasons. Isbell & Shires are still out there grinding & making beautiful music, just further apart than they were when they wrote & sang this track for this album as a married couple.
lyrics that speak to me: Maybe time running out is a gift, I'll work hard 'til the end of my shift; And give you every second I can find, And hope it isn't me who's left behind
Stick Season Noah Kahan album: Stick Season
Raise a glass to every New England singer songwriter who dreamed of playing local gigs & then one day selling out stadiums. Because Noah Kahan is that guy. And I love this song & feel like it could’ve been written at any time in the past fifty years, maybe except for the lyric about COVID. But this guy is so humble, seems to be handling his global fame so well, and still seems like a guy I want to go have a beer with in a bar in Burlington, VT. I also admire how embraces his Jewish dad, Christian mom & his own struggles with mental health. I root for him and people like him, and hope he keeps making music people want to voraciously consume. And when he was announced as the Sommo Fest headliner this year, I really, really wanted to go see him up there. But alas the dates don’t work.
lyrics that speak to me: And I love Vermont, but it's the season of the sticks, And I saw your mom, she forgot that I existed, And it's half my fault, but I just like to play the victim, I'll drink alcohol 'til my friends come home for Christmas
Ain’t No Man The Avett Brothers album: The Avett Brothers
So, funny thing happened – after my brother bought the tickets for us to go see Jason Isbell at Red Rocks in May (many, many months ago)…his favorite band Dawes was announced as the opener for The Avett Brothers at Red Rocks in July. So he was like – dude, are we going back to Red Rocks in July? And of course the answer was “HELL YEAH”. So we did, with Robin & Erin this time. And lemme tell you, while I was excited to see Dawes this time, and they did not disappoint…The Avett Brothers are a VIBE! Prior to the show I only knew a dozen of their songs. They got to play 3 nights at Red Rocks this year, and I am real excited for seeing them to become an annual summer tradition going forward. Part religious revival, part bluegrass backyard picnic, part guitar festival…and just a goddam great time. Count me among the converted, The Avett Brothers are a can’t miss show, a band with so much talent & even more positive energy they bring into the world. If this is the first time you’re encountering them, I’m thrilled to be the one to introduce you.
lyrics that speak to me: There ain't nobody here, Who can cause me pain or raise my fears; 'Cause I got only love to share, If you're looking for a truth, I'm proof you'll find it there
Georgia Peach Quinn XCII album: The People’s Champ
So I have to thank my oldest daughter Maggie for introducing me to Quinn…apparently he was a big deal on college campuses over the past many years. Not somebody who had ever really entered my orbit. And then Maggie had an extra ticket for a show at Red Rocks last summer, and asked if I wanted to go. A little life advice to all you parents out there – if you ever get that invite, the answer is YES no matter if you had other plans, have never heard of the band or both. JUST GO. I did, and while I’ve seen a bunch of live music, one of my favorite experiences is catching an artist on the rise, with a rabid fanbase & with a venue where all of their talent can be effectively put on display…and that’s exactly what I got at this show. Imagine 9,500 fans of Quinn bouncing with arms raised in unison singing along to this track, and that’s what I got to experience with Maggie. A night I won’t soon forget. And Quinn’s story as an everyday dude from Detroit who is a grinder just trying to make music people like rising to superstardom is a guy I root for.
lyrics that speak to me: none, this song ain’t about the lyrics, it’s about the vibe
Dance the Night Away Van Halen album: Van Halen II
So many of the songs on this playlist are less than 10 years old, I had to throw it back to a classic. And Van Halen seems like a perfect choice for a few reasons – sadly, Eddie passed away in 2020. And in the years since, members of the band and fans have been trying to determine what might happen next with the archive and the music. Good news for Van Halen fans – Sammy Hagar has put a tour together, and the virtuoso guitarist Joe Satriani has agreed to go deep and do the best he can to play Eddie’s part in the band. So I hope this tour can put to rest some of the petty disputes that caused friction in the band over the past 40 years, and instead lets everyone enjoy, maybe for the last time, the magic that is a live Van Halen show. Some familiar faces (Hagar, Michael Anthony) along with some new ones (Jason Bonham on drums, Satriani on lead guitar)…and my hope is they stay true to the essence of the band. Still on the fence about going to see the show but as it gets closer, feeling like I might just have to shell out to add this to my list of other Van Halen shows I enjoyed (1991 Worcester Centrum, 2004 in Greensboro, NC).
lyrics that speak to me: Have you seen her, so fine and pretty? Fooled me with her style and ease
I Ain’t Worried One Republic album: Artificial Paradise
While this album was just released on July 12, 2024, this song has more than 2 billion downloads as a result of it being included on the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack in 2022. Great movie, by the way. But Ryan Tedder is one of the most generational songwriters in the world, and I love the vibe of this song. He had a seemingly impossible task – create an iconic song that they could use for a(nother) volleyball scene that stands alone, connects with the first movie & yet is unique & modern. And he delivered in a huge way with this track. As I continue in this sabbatical, I genuinely am not worried about a lot…and seem to have offloaded a bunch of the anxiety, stress & weight that I carried during my twenty years at Danaher. Don’t get me wrong, I’m really excited to keep putting wins on the board in a bunch of different ways. But the freedom to paint on this very different canvas feels really, really good. We saw One Republic in Colorado Springs in August open up the brand new Ford Amphitheater…they put on such an amazing live show. And that’s a great venue I highly recommend! Roll down your car windows & turn up the volume.
lyrics that speak to me: But I ain't worried 'bout it right now (right now); Keeping dreams alive, 1999, heroes, I ain't worried 'bout it right now (right now); Swimmin' in the floods, dancing on the clouds below
When My Time Comes Dawes album: North Hills
If you’re still reading this and maybe read the liner notes to my first playlist, you’ll know Dawes is the favorite band of my brother & his wife. And I’m early in my journey with them, having just seen them live for the first time last week. AND that said…I’m a huge fan. These guys do it their way, with fresh lyrics, great musical talent & a hugely devoted fanbase. Kind of feel like they may break through in the next couple years, even if they’ve been grinding for over a decade already. From the show, while the music was awesome, seeing Taylor Goldsmith & his wife (Mandy Moore – yeah, that Mandy Moore) parent on stage was pretty awesome. Mandy kept the kids (twins 3-year olds) occupied during their set, and then one of them sprinted to Taylor as he left the stage & jumped into his arms. My kinda people. And this band makes incredible music.
lyrics that speak to me: So I took what I wanted, And put it out of my reach, I wanted to pay for my successes, With all my defeats
Houdini Eminem album: The Death of Slim Shady (forthcoming, no release date yet)
Come on, Slim Shady dropping rhymes overtop of Steve Miller’s Abracadabra makes this a track I have to include. I realize Eminem isn’t everyone’s taste. If anyone wants to try & enlighten me about rap lyrics and the risks they bring to society, save it – I’m fine & we’ll agree to disagree. And I can’t possibly explain everything happening in this song. I get the arrows he slings at Dre & Megan Thee Stallion, and I like the David Blaine / Houdini / magic vibe that courses through it. Then I get really excited when I realize this song is the first rack released from an upcoming album titled The Death of Slim Shady: Coup de Grace. Feel like the guy from 8 mile in Detroit who has earned more than $400M in his career is going out on his own terms. And if this is the first course on the menu that will be his album, count me in for dinner. I really enjoyed Revival (2017) and think he has been building up to this for a while. I didn’t realize he went so far as to publish a fake obituary in the Detroit Free Press earlier this summer. From that: “Ultimately, the very things that seemed to be the tools he [Slim Shady] used became calling cards that defined an existence that could only come to a sudden and horrific end. His complex and tortured existence has come to a close, and the legacy he leaves behind is no closer to resolution than the manner in which this character departed this world. May he truly find the peace in an afterlife that he could not find on Earth.”
lyrics that speak to me: like a motherfuckin’ hackey sack, I treat the whole world cause I got it at my feet
Overdrive Thomas Rhett album: About a Woman
So this is a gamble, since Overdrive was released just a few weeks ago. And every other track on this playlist are songs that I already have more soak time with. But I really, really like Thomas Rhett…and I love this song on my first & second listen. So TR gets the benefit of the doubt because he’s awesome, and I’m pretty sure this song is gonna be a mainstay for me for a while. This feels like an updated, TR version of the Bryan Adams’ classic Summer of ’69. So let’s see what happens…hope you enjoy it as much as I (think I) do.
lyrics that speak to me: Something pretty simple 'bout an eighteen Tennessee summer, 84 was the number that I wore under Friday lights, How could I forget that night?
Something Special Peal Jam album: Dark Matter
So Eddie Vedder’s daughter Olivia joined him on vocals for a movie soundtrack they did a couple years ago, which I recommend by the way (Flag Day). And those of us who follow Eddie know how important family is to him – immediate family, the band & his friends who count as extended family. That said, I was really surprised to hear this track when the album dropped. It’s a love song to his daughters, and as a proud girl dad, this almost brought me to tears when I heard it the first time. He talks of the heartbreak, love and joy involved in raising his daughters…and the importance of giving them room to fail, grow & fly. And it’s full of positive reinforcement & inspiration. So this one is included with much love and as a giant hug for Maggie & Sydney. I love you to the moon & back. You are two amazing, unique, gifted, strong, courageous young women. Stay humble, keep grinding, surround yourself with people you love who believe in you & the sky is the limit. Go be great!
lyrics that speak to me: and someday you May find yourself in the place that I now do, And someway you gonna have to let it go, And I got proof for my heart, It aches and breaks, but I believe in you; Oh, ain't it, oh, ain't it the truth? Mmm, remind yourself and find what makes you free, It's goal to go and time to find out what you seek
