Ten Albums, One Life - Carbon Leaf - Indian Summer
The next installment in my series “Ten Albums, One Life” is a very personal one. On December 18, 2014, I took my daughter Abby to her first Carbon Leaf concert. It was cold that night, but the temps were no match for what would warm us up inside The Birchmere. What we also didn’t realize was that seeing Carbon Leaf that year would become our annual tradition. Part of what helps with our excitement about going back year after year are the songs off of their fifth album, India
Jul 282 min read
Summer 2026
There’s something special about a summer mixtape. It's not just a collection of random songs, it’s a soundtrack for long evenings on the deck, backyard barbecues with friends, open windows on a late-night drive, and those moments when the sun hangs around just a little longer. And with the temperature hitting triple digits, I thought it was the right time to put out a hot playlist, mixing some familiar favorites with overlooked gems that deserve another listen. Maybe these so
Jul 112 min read
Fall Into The Music
It’s July 1999 and I’m on my lunch break in Washington, DC. Just up the road, about a 10 minute walk is a mall. Not THE National Mall, I’m talking about an actual mall. Since it’s in the city, it isn’t huge, but it’s got a nice selection of stores including Tower Records. I’d spend a lot of lunch hours there, discovering new music and spending way more than I should have on my paycheck. However, nearby was a store where I also discovered a ton of new music. The Gap. Yes, whil
Jun 291 min read
The Rising in D.C.
Almost two weeks ago, I finally experienced something I'd been meaning to do for years: see Bruce Springsteen in concert. I’ve been a huge fan for decades, but somehow never made it to one of his shows. There were plenty of expectations and I can easily say that the reality exceeded all of them. From the moment Bruce and the E Street Band took the stage at Nats Park, it felt less like a concert and more like a gathering of thousands of people connected by the same songs, stor
Jun 92 min read
It’s 1991 - What’s In The Rotation?
One of my favorite parts of working at my college radio station (WVYC in York, Pennsylvania), was serving as music director. It was another level of discovering new music - It meant hours spent digging through new releases, contemplating what would go into our daily rotation, and chasing that rush of discovering an artist or track I knew had to be heard. I felt a real sense of responsibility in helping shape the station’s sound, but honestly, it was just fun. So every week, t
May 262 min read
Ten Albums, One Life - Billy Bragg - Talking with the Taxman About Poetry
The next installment in my series “Ten Albums, One Life” comes from my college years, when I was discovering new music on a daily basis. I met my friend Lauren (at the time, the station manager) freshman year when she introduced me to the album Talking with the Taxman About Poetry by Billy Bragg. To paraphrase Natalie Portman from the movie Garden State, Lauren told me that “you gotta hear this album, it’ll change your life, I swear”. And so it did. Billy Bragg, a British si
May 202 min read
My Guy
On April 28, 2008, I became a father for the second time when my son Nate was born. Today, he turns 18. Eighteen feels different. It’s not just another birthday—it’s a marker. A moment where you look at this kid who once needed help tying his shoes and realize he’s getting ready to step out into the world on his own. Somewhere between then and now, the years sped up. I’m still trying to figure out how. He’s been a great kid. The kind of son I’m proud of not just for what he d
Apr 281 min read
