Ok everyone else makes lists,
top ten albums
# Sigur Ros-Takk- Best album for the drive to lake michigan or on the run in the snow.
# AC Newman- the slow wonder- best bubblegum pop ever. I can almost taste the bubble gum flavor, (is it a flavor)
# Decemberists- Picaresque-songs about vengeful mariners tend to get ranked higher around here. Never mind the literati rock star thing, this album rocks.
# Sufjan Stevens- illinoise- this falls second to Michigan in my book, but very very good still. His songwriting reminds me of what I want my short story writing to be, if I had the time.
# New Pornographers-Twin Cinemas- The best show i missed this year. I love my sister in law, but f%#king weddings kill my ability to see shows. This is a great energetic band. And also AC Newman is in it!
# Andrew Bird- and the Mysterious Production of Eggs- flat out, measuring cups and MX Missiles are two of the best songs ever. I love the imagery of someone trying to find out if love, or a woman is MX missile proof.
# Wolf Parade- Apologies to the Queen Mary-Just got this, but it is noisy, rocking good.
# Damien Rice (O)- the best in the soundtrack to your life. Every song sounds like a soundtrack credits closer where you imagine yourself crying because so and so left so and so, and that one guy’s mother died. Oh yeah that meant a lot to me…
# Stars-Set Yourself on fire- The tag line when there’s nothing left to burn you have to set yourself on fire is pretty evocative. We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it.
# Franz Ferdinand-Ok 80’s guitar rock can come back, some of the tunes wear. but jacquelyne pretty well rocks.
I think top 8 moments for this year are mostly paddling related.
# Getting new job in Kalamazoo was pretty high! I may bitch a lot about working 14 hour days, but it’s only because commuting to Detroit made me want to buy a pistol. I am back where I belong, con mia famiglia….
# The first time I got a flat spin on a 6 foot wave was also pretty sweet.
# Surfing in the dark on the day the edmund fitzgerald went down.
# Seeing Doug Van Doren on TITS 2! I felt like MY aims and ambitions were validated by having Justine attach a camera to Doug’s Valkyrie. Doug is undoubtedly one of THE best paddlers I’ve ever met, a terrific human being. To see him paddling the crystal blue in the manitou straits on my TV is straight up a win for the Great Lake state, so F!#$ You Florida!
# Running 7 Miles for the first time since June. An hour of bliss with a headlight on CR 374 with vineyards to the right and left, and harvest rain coming down.
# Gabriel Surfing for the first time! Seeing a boy instinctively low brace on a wave made my year.
# Isabella scoring 5 goals in one game. My little michael owen.
#. Laura quitting her job. Oddly enough has been pretty great.
Keith, you have great taste in music! I’ll have to check out the few artists on your list that I’m not familiar with. Nice seeing you (as well as Derrick and Doug) on TITS2. I got a laugh out of Doug’s medical glove hand roll. 🙂