If the World Doesn't End...

We're going to hear some pretty cool records next year. Oh man, is it December already? I better start thinking about my end of the year list! OK, so I already have the top 10 in my head for sure, and I'll be agonizing over the rest of that list for a week, but that's looking backwards. This week, we look forwards. 

To be honest, it's going to be pretty close to impossible to top 2011. I haven't been so constantly excited about music for an entire year since probably 2003. I mean, every single Tuesday I felt like a kid on Christmas. I feel like I've had my headphones on 6-8 hours a day all year, and I know there's still so much cool stuff I never even got to. It looks like 2012 is going to be another great year, though, so what am I most excited for in the coming months?

Reunions are fun! As blink-182 proved last year, reunions don't have to be cheesy or forced; bands can take some time off, come back and put out something worthwhile. In the golden days of my youth, Drive-Thru Records was the home of the best pop punk on the planet. The label and many of its bands have since fallen by the wayside, but next year we'll get new music from two of Drive-Thru's former stars, The Early November and The Starting Line. Even though The Starting Line made their reformation public earlier (the band played shows sporadically all year), it looks like we'll get a new Early November album first, as that band already has a new home (Rise Records, who are also putting out a new Hot Water Music album in the Spring) and a tentative release season (Spring '12). Fear not, TSL fans; lead singer Kenny Vasoli told Alternative Press a few weeks ago that several songs have already been written.

Hot Rod Circuit are back together! The band just released a 7" on Run For Cover Records and played a short reunion run. I saw their "last" show my freshman year of college, and it was a pretty emotional evening. Glad to see one of the most important bands of my youth back in action.

Also, judging from the recent twitter action and the announcement of a couple Midwestern tour dates, it looks like emo stalwarts The Promise Ring are together again. Hopefully, we get some new material out of them as well. In other old school emo news, Chris Carrabba is in the studio with the newly reformed original lineup of Further Seems Forever. Get ready.

Michigan bros Cheap Girls have enlisted Against Me! frontman Tom Gabel to produce their upcoming third album. Sweet!

Guitarist Alain Johannes told antiquiet.com that his band Queens of the Stone Age have been pulling late nights in the studio piecing together a new album.

The list goes on and on; just from what I can remember off the top of my head, Every Time I Die, P.O.S., the Red Chord, Rancid, Motion City Soundtrack, Brand New, Daytrader, Such Gold, Norma Jean, the Gaslight Anthem, Converge and Say Anything all have 2012 efforts in various stages of completion. Not to mention, there will be a full length OFWGKTA crew album, and we get to hear what Brit-punks Gallows sound like with Wade Macneil (formerly of Alexisonfire) singing. What! I mean, in January alone, we get new albums from Anthony Green, Lamb of God, Hit the Lights and Kid Cudi's rock oriented side project WZRD. Yes!

Of course, with the good comes the bad. In 2011, we had to say goodbye to Thursday, Thrice, the Riot Before, Grown Ups, the Sainte Catherines, the Bled, Alexisonfire and Killing the Dream. At least Disturbed is on hiatus.

What are you excited for in 2012? What were your favorite albums of 2011? Email me at brking@plymouth.edu to tip me off on stuff to look for next year and anything I might not have heard this year that I should include in next week's list. Let's correspond. See you next week!