Top 10 Records of 2011

Welcome to Anthems and Atleticos Top 10 Records of 2011 list, a collection of my favorite records from the year in music.

Click here for a playlist featuring select tracks from my top records of the year on Spotify

Honorable Mentions

• Washed Out- Within and Without
• The Black Keys- El Camino
• Adele- 21
• Holy Ghost!- Holy Ghost!

10. Real Estate- Days

 

Sun soaked and laid back, Real Estate’s Days is a fantastic reminder that bands don’t always need to resort to extremes to produce great music.  This is an easy record to enjoy, giving you the sense that it was effortlessly made to perfectly accompany those windows-down, sunglasses-on, stress-free moments of summer.  But don’t let the simplicity fool you, Real Estate has it all figured out on their sophomore offering- they’ve distilled a formula that’s as classic as it is refreshing. Listen to "It's Real":

Real Estate - It's Real 

9. Radiohead- King of Limbs

Radiohead is about the closest thing to an automatic qualifier as you’ll ever see on any year end list, mine included.  While King of Limbs isn’t even close to being one of their best albums, Radiohead is still leading a game that most bands don’t event know how to play.  Everything they do moves the needle forward, from how they record and release music to how they package it (KOL could make this list on they way it looks alone).  It’s a small sample size at just over 37 minutes in total length, but that’s plenty of time for Radiohead to remind you that they’re in a league all by themselves. Listen to "Lotus Flower":

 

Lotus Flower - Radiohead 

8. SBTRKT- SBTRKT

Beat-maker/producer Aaron Jerome’s sound may be as difficult to describe as his alias is to pronounce (It’s ‘subtract’, for all you vowel lovers out there). This record can be categorized as anything from post-dubstep to electronic pop, and each guest vocalist gets their own music styling to sing over.  Jerome’s Young Turks label mate Sampha deftly croons on a majority of the tracks, but the standout moment here is easily the mesmerizing lurch of “Wildfire” featuring Little Dragon’s Yukimi Nagano.  If songs this perfect are what SBTRKT is pushing out on a debut record, it’s easy to see how his sound (however defined) will be a major influence in years to come. Listen to "Wildfire":

 
SBTRKT - Wildfire 

What Sports Teams Can Learn From Tech Companies

(From "The Carter Files" on GameOps.com, originally posted on 9.26.11)

One of the greatest strengths of the sports industry is the willingness of its professionals to share best practices, ideas and concepts.  Despite competition on the field, sports marketers are usually eager to lend a hand to a counterpart with another team.  The common goal of succeeding in a heavily nuanced profession, with the same pervasive challenges and obstacles present in every game and market, bring sports minds together.  

While sports marketers may be well on top of what’s going on around their league, sometime the laser focus on what will and won’t work within sports prevents a full appreciation of other industries.  Maybe it’s the pressure of the season, the demands of the multiple hats that most must wear, or even a lack of desire to expand our business approach beyond the realm of what we have come to know best.  Whatever the reason, it’s just as important to understand the successes and failures of companies in other trades as it is to stay current on sports business trends.    The more influences you are exposed to, the more diverse your business knowledge is, the more curious you are, the more valuable you’ll be.

Tech companies are among the easiest to learn from, since their entrepreneurial philosophies often mean they aren’t afraid to push the envelope and test the boundaries of traditional business practices. Though seemingly disparate on the surface, the sports and technology industries actually have a lot in common.  Both essentially aim to connect people, be it through a ballgame or a social network.  Both are often entertaining diversions, making daily life more enjoyable by providing an escape or a simpler way of doing something.   They are both dynamic, constantly changing industries where creativity thrives. 

From Google’s renowned corporate culture to Apple’s unique ability to hype a product launch, sports teams need only look to the biggest names in the industry for inspiration.  Here is a closer look at three of those companies and what can be learned from them.

Facebook

500 million active users and growing.  In the United States alone, users spent 41.1 million minutes on Facebook in August- almost 10% of all time spent anywhere online during the month.  The numbers are so ridiculous they’re almost impossible to comprehend at times.  Everyone would love to have that kind of customer base, right? Well imagine what it’s like when you want to make changes when you’ve got that kind of following.  Facebook just rolled out some layout alterations and announced more major profile updates that are on the way.  The response was as predictable as it was immediate.  People naturally resist change, but people vehemently resist changes on Facebook.  No matter the irony of people complaining about Facebook via Facebook, the site has become so entrenched in our lives that even the simplest of adjustments sends folks into a tizzy.  

Battling the Dog Days of Summer: Midseason Motivators

(From "The Carter Files" on GameOps.com, originally posted 7.1.11)

Everyone who has ever worked in sports knows the feeling. In every league, you reach the halfway point of a season where it seems like you have to dig a little deeper to make great things happen. Baseball offers the best description of that grind, where the expression “dog days of summer” succinctly explains the daily difficulty in maintaining a high level of performance amidst a marathon-like season.

For teams and players, the All Star Game in July is a symbolic break in the monotony. It’s a chance to take stock of stats and standings; it’s a moment to regroup before it’s too late. A few weeks later, the trade deadline offers teams a literal injection of fresh blood for the stretch run. For those in the business office though, the midseason pick me-up isn’t going to come from a new starting pitcher or a left handed bat off the bench. Sports marketers, like players on the field, need to consistently produce results and provide compelling reasons for fan support no matter how exhausting the season may be.

During those dog days, finding motivation to come up with fresh ideas can be tough. Naturally, it’s harder to get amped for a Tuesday game in July than it is for Opening Day. The ability to discover the motivation to continually try and improve marketing efforts can be what separates a good operation from great ones. Managers need to lead by example and find ways to energize their crew and keep morale high, while every staffer must take personal responsibility for finishing the season as strong as they started it.

Here are some quick midseason motivators to help encourage staff energy and spur efforts to continue producing at a high level.

Take a Staff Trip to Another Stadium

After a long homestand, hanging out with coworkers may be the last thing on your mind. However, taking a staff trip to a rival ballpark or stadium can provide a fun, camaraderie building experience. Even if it’s just a handful of people, this will give you a chance to let loose while also gaining more appreciation for the hard work put into running a sports team. Take notes on things the other team does well and borrow some ideas. It’s equally important to remind each other of the things you might do better than your rival. You’ll never know what you do well or where you can improve unless you have an actual basis for comparison. Most folks working in sports are incredibly competitive and a visit to another ballpark can easily spark a desire to one-up the team down the highway.

Utilize Social Networks to Help Generate Ideas

Even the most creative minds in the business hit mental roadblocks. Sometimes the ideas just don’t flow, no matter how many brainstorming sessions you have. During those times, the best answers usually come from the people you are trying to persuade- the fans. The most effective and personal way of conversing with your fans on a wide scale is through the use of social media, which makes it easy for them to suggest things they’d like to see happen. Whether it is asking their opinion on ways to improve partially-formed new promotions or taking polls on the most popular mascot skit or soliciting feedback on concession items, social media gives you the ability to immediately refocus efforts where they matter most. Also, hosting live social media events (tweetups, social media seating sections) at games is a great way to bring the most active members of the online community in direct contact with your team. It bumps up the pressure to be on point when you know you’ll have people critiquing every aspect of your operation for online consumption. The jolt of excitement these types of events bring can be a welcome change during midseason doldrums.