Michigan drummer and t0p-10-list extraordinaire Aaron Quillen submitted this awesome post on what got him through 2011. You can peep more of his lists and general thoughts at his blog, Emotional Drumming.
I’m saving my exclusively music-oriented year-end lists for my own blog, but Erik asked me if I would be interested in submitting something listy to Summer Teen, via Facebook, and I believe I responded with an enthusiastic, “HELL YES.”
2009 and 2010 were rough years on me, but 2011 was mostly quite good. I’ve decided to spend some time dwelling on the things I got excited about this year, and here I go sharing them with you.
My Job
In August 2010, I started temping at Mott Children’s Hospital (part of the University of Michigan Health System) as a clerk, or a Patient Services Assistant, if you want to get fancy. In August 2011, I was finally hired on as a permanent employee.
While clerk is a shitty title (and a relatively lowly job) I fucking love it. I work at one of two main desks on a rehab unit where I page doctors, order equipment and supplies, answer phones and patient call boxes, and best of all, interact with some absolutely amazing people. Basically, I get to hang out for eight hours with a bunch of cute nurses who are all married.
In all seriousness, it is a rewarding, fun, and sometimes ridiculously stressful job, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Especially now that we’ve moved into a very attractive brand new building, and my nurses love the shit out of me.
Major League Baseball
Professional football is my favorite sport, but in 2011, baseball came really close to overcoming it. I am a huge nerd, and baseball is THE nerd’s sport, with all those subtle strategies and complex statistics.
Even before the Detroit Tigers started looking like a legit World Series contender, I was shocked at how much fun I was having watching and mostly following the major leagues this year. Even if the Wild Card races didn’t get any fun until the final week of the season and the playoffs ended in tragedy (the St. Louis Cardinals being crowned champions), at least we had Justin Verlander’s outright dominance (and well-deserved Cy Young/MVP combo), two pitchers to win their respective league triple crowns (Verlander and Clayton Kershaw) and Ryan Braun’s gaudy, albeit well-rounded numbers (I’m hoping hard that this recent PED bullshit ends up being a farce).
With what will be the triumphant return (and eventual monumental legacy) of Stephen Strasburg, here’s hoping 2012 is even better!
Fleetwood Mac
I started getting into Fleetwood Mac during the summer of 2009 with 1977′s Rumours. My love for this sexy, mega-popular adult pop group has steadily intensified since then, coming to a head when I started getting into their 80s records this year.
Mirage (1982) and Tango in the Night (1987) have helped the group to become pretty much my third favorite band of all time. Go ahead and laugh at me now, but don’t come crying to me when you get your shit together and realize that the Mac are THE REAL DEAL.
Getting Back Into Guitar Rock
I like synthy, samply Pitchfork music like Animal Collective as much as the next guy, but I realize most of it is bullshit, and guitars reign supreme. Between finally getting into bands like Archers of Loaf and The Bats and how awesome 2011 records by Fucked Up and Algernon Cadwallader are, my love for guitar-centric music was invigorated this year. The guitar really is the best instrument.
Aside from the drumkit, of course.
The February 19 Dismemberment Plan Reunion Show in Chicago, and the Hope of a New Record That Came With It
I finally got to see The Dismemberment Plan live in concert in Chicago back in February, and unsurprisingly it was one of the greatest sets I’ve ever seen in my life. Due to a conversation I had with bassist Eric Axelson after the show, I was led to believe that there is a VERY SLIGHT chance of maybe The Dismemberment Plan recording and releasing a new record?
Axelson was extremely vague about the details, and I don’t blame him, but I can’t help but get my hopes up, because both my brain and heart are telling me that this would very much rule.
Better Can’t Make Your Life Better by Lilys and They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons by Swirlies
Two records from 1996 that blew my mind toward the end of 2011.
On Better Can’t Make Your Life Better, Lilys play 60s British Invasion rock akin to an overtly brainy Kinks. The melodies are insane and the structures of the songs are so wonderfully complex.
Swirlies’ They Spent Their Wild Youthful Days in the Glittering World of the Salons is essentially an upbeat shoegaze record with mostly badass drums, awesome guitars and nice boy/girl vocals.
I really love these records.
Captured Tracks Records
Thanks to my favorite album of 2010, Wild Nothing’s Gemini, and this year’s releases by Minks, Beach Fossils and Craft Spells, Captured Tracks has quickly become one of my favorite record labels.
If you like The Smiths, The Cure, New Order or Cocteau Twins and are not offended by blatant homages, chances are you will love all of these bands like I do.
Jonathan Franzen
In 2011, I read both of Franzen’s ultimately critically acclaimed novels, The Corrections (2001) and Freedom (2010), and holy shit, were they good. If you like to chuckle a little, but mainly get really depressed and spiteful towards every character in a book, then read this shit. I’m serious. In both, I hated pretty much every single character, but in some inexplicable way, these novels are two of the absolute most gorgeous I’ve ever read. It helps that Franzen is a complete master of the modern English language.
The Conclusion of the Harry Potter Film Series
Yes, I’ve read all the books. Twice even. But, going to the theater all alone to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Pt. 2 three months after it was originally released is an experience I would wish on everybody (even if it was only the third or fourth best in the entire series, film-wise).
I almost cried at, like, ten different parts of the movie. I’m a weakling.
Becoming Somewhat of a Recluse
In August, I finally moved out of the artsy, some would say pretentious or elitist Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area to the much quieter and douchier suburban town of Plymouth. Most of my time off work is spent either at band practice, playing a show, or mostly in my bedroom.
The amount of which I hang out with my friends has decreased substantially (a lot of that has to do with working 3:30 p.m. to midnight, and, also, my core group of friends, who all live in Ypsilanti, never leave Ypsilanti). I am truly enjoying this more reclusive life. I am listening to more music and reading more books. This will probably only last another year or so at most, before I’m ready to dust off my social skills and move back to Ann Arbor.
