Favorite New Technology: Spotify

If you aren’t already on there, stop reading this, move out from under whatever rock you are living under, and sign up. It’s well worth the time. Then share your favorite playlist with me. Because sharing is caring.

Honorable Mention: iPhone 4S. It’s certainly not revolutionary, but Siri is plenty of fun. The combo reminder/location services tool is uber-useful. The 1080p video camera should help me add more videos to the blog in 2012… If I post more than once every 8 months.

Favorite TV Show: Breaking Bad. NetFlix subscribers rejoice. Yes, I’m late to the game. Yes, believe all the hype. We’re still catching up on season four, but have been absolutely hooked since the first episode. I have no idea what I will do with my free nights when this is over. The Wire, I suppose.

Honorable Mention: Archer (consistently gets me laughing on many levels), American Horror Story (although I have no idea where they are headed for season two!).

Favorite Album: Only Son – Searchlight. Yes, this is out of left field. No, you shouldn’t have heard of it. Chances are, you won’t like it as much as I did, but it is simply classic pop music, and I heart Only Son. Check it out on Spotify: Only Son – Searchlight

Honorable Mention: Death Cab For Cutie – Codes and Keys, Mayer Hawthorne – How Do You Do. I want to list Radiohead – King of Limbs and Wilco – The Whole Love here, but I still don’t care enough about the albums yet. I guarantee I will love both albums in a year or two, but I’m not there yet.

This is completely cheating, because they didn’t put out an album this year, but they were new to me in 2011, so I have to mention that I am in love with the entire catalog from the Alternate Routes. Part Ryan Adams, part Josh Rouse, part country, part awesome. And while I’m cheating, the albums/artists I listed to most in 2011 include: Phantogram, Ra Ra Riot and Miike Snow, who all had amazing albums come out in 2010.

Favorite Song: Metronomy – She Wants. Eerily reminiscent of Faith-era Cure, which is probably why I love it. Fun video to boot.

Honorable Mention: Big Mama’s Gonna Whip Us Good – The Features, Metronomy – She Wants, M83 – Midnight City, Cults – Abducted, Washed Out – Eyes Be Closed.

Biggest Let Down Album: Feist – Metals. What a heaping shitbomb of awful.

Most Overrated: Bon Iver. I. Just. Don’t. Get. It.

Here’s a great resource for more cool music from 2011:

http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/8727-the-top-50-albums-of-2011/

http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/8726-the-top-100-tracks-of-2011/

And a playlist for it on Spotify: Pitchfork Top 100 tracks 2011

Favorite Movie: 13 Assassins. I’m a sucker for samurai films, and this one was done perfectly. I’d place the 40 minute fight scene at the end up against any action scene in cinematic history. It’s that fun.

Honorable Mention: The Guard, Press Pause Play, Moneyball, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Worst Movie: The Tree of Life. Hands down the worst movie I’ve ever seen. This is saying something, because I’ve seen Troll 2 (which doesn’t even have a troll in the film), the Blair Witch Project, and Encino Man. If Feist had’ve done the soundtrack, the world just might have imploded.

Honorable Mention: Hangover II. Have you seen the first Hangover? Then you have already seen Hangover II. Nothing to see here people, move along.

Favorite Concert: Ra Ra Riot – The Earl.

Honorable Mention: The Features (the Earl), Ghostland Observatory (Masquerade), The Eels/Submarines (Variety Playhouse),

Year of travel in review: Since the last post, work has sent me to Seattle, San Diego, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Detroit, New York City, Dallas, Houston, and Washington DC. In the near future, I wouldn’t be surprised if I also hit Boston and Chicago. Of course, work didn’t stop my personal travel plans, which means that I found a way to sneak to Cincinnati, Las Vegas, Serenbe, Seagrove Beach (Destin), Hilton Head, Malibu, Los Angeles, Amelia Island FL and Birmingham. The old Lou might have checked in on Facebook at each of those stops… but I’m trying to be less braggadocio in 2011. Instead, you get to read about it on my me-centric blog. Ah well.

Favorite Real Band Name: Awesome 80’s Women. Yes, they are all bearded men. And yes, their new album is called E Pluribus Awesome.

Honorable Mention: Guyliner. You can’t make this stuff up.

Favorite Kentucky Moment: Jorts on Sullinger.

Honorable Mention: Continued recruiting dominance (Poythress, Goodwin, possibly Muhammad), beating UNC in the Elite 8, beating UNC again this year in thrilling fashion, and beating Louisville despite 742 fouls.

Favorite Development: Meeting my girlfriend Erin. I find something new that I love about her every day, and I can’t wait to spend my future with her. She’s amazing, she makes me happy, she completes me, and I can’t wait to introduce her to all those who haven’t yet had the opportunity to meet her.

What were your favorite moments in 2011?

Here’s to an amazing 2012! Lou’s New Year’s Resolutions and upcoming Lou! Challenges are forthcoming.