Richard + Tyler

2025

Pictured: lacrosse match, Debbie’s birthday, day in Charlotte with family, Luna and the new Switch 2, trip to Atlantic beach (including some professional shots!), World Cup match, our anniversary on the lake, The Cowboy Carter Tour in Atlanta, home gym fun, visit with the Hills, game night, and a Kesha concert in Charlotte.

Rosalía’s LUX is easily my favorite album released in 2025, and it’s not even close. It is truly one of the best albums I have ever heard. She completely sidelined the mainstream pop stuff to deliver this four-part, full-scale classical project. The entire thing was recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, which tells you how serious she was about the production. It’s an ambitious concept album where she sings in 13 languages about female saints and transformation. It’s demanding, dense, and genuinely brilliant. If you want an album that actually pushes boundaries instead of just repeating formulas, this is the one to check out. It’s a statement.

This isn't just another dance-pop record by Lady Gaga, it’s a maximalist, industrial-pop masterpiece that brings back the weird, aggressive energy of early Gaga but with way more maturity and a better grasp on her sound. It’s completely genre-bending including ’90s alternative, electro-grunge, funky basslines, and Bowie, Prince, and Michael Jackson influenced hooks and melodies all smashed together into something that is pure, high-octane chaos. Every song feels like a fully formed idea with incredible A-list production. Seeing her bring the whole thing to life at Madison Square Garden was a moment I will never forget. That concert was less a show and more a full-on gothic pop opera—the costumes, the story, the sheer theatrical scale of it. It proved the album isn't just great music, it's the core of her identity as an artist. MAYHEM is Lady Gaga back at her creative, fearless peak.

Richard’s Favorite Music

Faun's HEX is just an etheral, spooky in the pagan folk genre. It's my favorite album this year because the whole thing is so deeply researched and genuinely mystical. The core concept is brilliant. It focuses on witches, healers, and wise people from different cultures, treating them with the respect and power they deserve. The music itself is a perfect blend of ancient and modern including bagpipes and flutes right alongside synthesizers and modern beats. It makes the traditional sound feel immediate and powerful. Songs like "Nimue” (with Chelsea Wolfe) and “Black Eyed Dog” are heavy, hypnotic, and totally transportive. They’ve perfected the sound where every song feels like a ritual or a forgotten chant. If you want music that's atmospheric, smart, and puts you right in the middle of a medieval forest, HEX is the one. It’s a serious sonic journey, not just background music.

This album is exactly what I needed this year. This is Dropkick Murphys in full-on, angry, Celtic-punk combat mode, and it’s incredible. The whole album is a rallying cry for the working class, it’s basically an hour-long, bagpipe-fueled protest against greedy billionaires and lying politicians. It doesn't pull any punches, and that urgency is what makes it so good. My favorite song "Who'll Stand With Us?" is an immediate, fist-in-the-air anthem, but then you get songs with real heart, like the tribute to Ken Casey's grandfather, "Chesterfields and Aftershave." It’s a complete statement that proves this band is more committed than ever to the people and the message. It's Dropkicks at their political, loud, and most essential.

Richard’s Other Favorites

Our Favorite Books

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Apple Music

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Richard + Tyler

2025

Rosalía’s LUX is easily my favorite album released in 2025, and it’s not even close. It is truly one of the best albums I have ever heard. She completely sidelined the mainstream pop stuff to deliver this four-part, full-scale classical project. The entire thing was recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, which tells you how serious she was about the production. It’s an ambitious concept album where she sings in 13 languages about female saints and transformation. It’s demanding, dense, and genuinely brilliant. If you want an album that actually pushes boundaries instead of just repeating formulas, this is the one to check out. It’s a statement.

This isn't just another dance-pop record by Lady Gaga, it’s a maximalist, industrial-pop masterpiece that brings back the weird, aggressive energy of early Gaga but with way more maturity and a better grasp on her sound. It’s completely genre-bending including ’90s alternative, electro-grunge, funky basslines, and Bowie, Prince, and Michael Jackson influenced hooks and melodies all smashed together into something that is pure, high-octane chaos. Every song feels like a fully formed idea with incredible A-list production. Seeing her bring the whole thing to life at Madison Square Garden was a moment I will never forget. That concert was less a show and more a full-on gothic pop opera—the costumes, the story, the sheer theatrical scale of it. It proved the album isn't just great music, it's the core of her identity as an artist. MAYHEM is Lady Gaga back at her creative, fearless peak.

Faun's HEX is an ethereal and spooky pagan folk work that is perfect for those mystical nights. It's my favorite album this year because the whole thing elicits a magical connection to the universe. The core concept is brilliant. It focuses on witches, healers, and wise people from different cultures. The music itself is a perfect blend of ancient and modern including bagpipes and flutes right alongside synthesizers and modern beats. It makes the traditional sound feel immediate and powerful. Songs like "Nimue” (with Chelsea Wolfe) and “Black Eyed Dog” are heavy, hypnotic, and totally transportive. They’ve perfected the sound where every song feels like a ritual or a forgotten chant. If you want music that's atmospheric, smart, and puts you right in the middle of a medieval forest, HEX is the one. It’s a serious sonic journey, not just background music.

This album is exactly what I needed this year. This is Dropkick Murphys in full-on, angry, Celtic-punk combat mode, and it’s incredible. The whole album is a rallying cry for the working class, it’s basically an hour-long, bagpipe-fueled protest against greedy billionaires and lying politicians. It doesn't pull any punches, and that urgency is what makes it so good. My favorite song "Who'll Stand With Us?" is an immediate, fist-in-the-air anthem, but then you get songs with real heart, like the tribute to Ken Casey's grandfather, "Chesterfields and Aftershave." It’s a complete statement that proves this band is more committed than ever to the people and the message. It's Dropkicks at their political, loud, and most essential.

Apple Music

Spotify