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.
- Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues(As I predicted back in March. A masterpiece.)
- 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.)
- Battles - Gloss Drop (Contains my most-listened to song of 2011.)
- tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l (Her first great album - always a great performer.)
- They Might Be Giants - Join Us (Another late-career gem from TMBG.)
- The Decemberists - The King is Dead (My least favorite Decemberists album is still a great one.)
- 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.)
- CAKE - Showroom of Compassion (A return to form for one of the best 90’s bands.)
- Yacht - Shangri-La (First great album from Yacht.)
- 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
