My Picks for the Top Ten Albums of 2011:

In my opinion, this was a pretty weak year for music overall. There was only one album I’d consider truly great; however, here are twenty albums, every one of which is worthy of a good listen or ten.

1. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (As I predicted back in March. A masterpiece.)
2. Foster The People - Torches (I had no idea they’d become such a pop hit, but don’t let their success fool you - this album is solid.)
3. Battles - Gloss Drop (Contains my most-listened to song of 2011.)
4. tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l (Her first great album - always a great performer.)
5. They Might Be Giants - Join Us (Another late-career gem from TMBG.)
6. The Decemberists - The King is Dead (My least favorite Decemberists album is still a great one.)
7. Dale Earnhart, Jr. Jr. - It’s A Corporate World (I’m tired of liking bands with shitty names. Damn this album for being so good.)
8. CAKE - Showroom of Compassion (A return to form for one of the best 90’s bands.)
9. Yacht - Shangri-La (First great album from Yacht.)
10. Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What (Paul Simon proved he wasn’t done in 1986, and again in 2011.)

Ten Runners Up (Listed Alphabetically)

• The Black Keys – El Camino
• Cults - Cults
• Dawes - Nothing Is Wrong
• Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
• Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes
• Middle Brother - Middle Brother
• My Morning Jacket - Circuital
• The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong
• St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
• Wilco - The Whole Love

No offense, Bon Iver, but you and I both know “a cabin in the woods” is another word for “your parents’ summer home.”