December 29, 2011

My Top 11 Albums of 2011

I pretty much ignored music most of the year. I find I do that more that I'm married and alone a lot less and tend to really only enjoy music if I can really listen to it. So here's what I think made me the happiest this year where music is concerned. Enjoy

Nine Types of Light - TV on the Radio
From release day until October 3rd, this was in my car's CD player. Actually, I think it's still in there.
Recommended track: "Second Song"

No Color - The Dodos
I smile from ear to ear every single time I listen to this. Every time.
Recommended tracks: "Black Night" and "Don't Stop"

The Rip Tide - Beirut
Unique without being different for different's sake. A better use of accordion I have not heard.
Recommended track: "Vagabond"

Circuital - My Morning Jacket
Got back to what made me fall in love with them in the first place.
Recommended track: "Wonderful (The Way I Feel)"

Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
For the smelly, hacky-sack playing hippy in all of us.
Recommended track: "Someone You'd Admire"

Bon Iver - Bon Iver
They're just great, aren't they?
Recommended track: "Holocene"

The Year of Hibernation - Youth Lagoon
Far away, earnest and melancholy, reaching out to you from inside a winter dream.
Recommended track: "Cannons"

Days - Real Estate
Dreamy floating tune after dreamy floaty tune.
Recommended track: "Wonder Years"

Kaput - Destroyer
Some people may not enjoy Daniel Bejar outside of New Pornographers but I've became an even bigger fan when I heard the album Destroyer's Rubies for the first time.
Recommended track: "Chinatown"

Tomboy - Panda Bear
Loops and reverb and happiness and sadness and echo and loops and it just puts me in the zone.
Recommended track: "You Can Count On Me"

Torches - Foster the People
It's not perfect but I have a lot of fun with it when I'm in the right mood.
Recommended track: "Houdini"

Honorable Mention:

Collapse Into Now - R.E.M.
I'll miss you Michael, Mike, Bill, and Peter.

What were your favorites?

3 comments:

Collin Barkdull said...

1. Sarah Jarosz -- Follow Me Down (Favorite artist I discovered this year)
2. Wilco -- The Whole Love
3. Gillian Welch -- The Harrow & The Harvest
4. The Decemberists -- The King is Dead
5. Punch Brothers -- Antifogmatic
6. The Wailin' Jennys -- Bright Morning Stars
7. Chris Thile & Michael Daves -- Sleep With One Eye Open
8. Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan, Chris Thile -- The Goat Rodeo Sessions
(9&10 didn't come out in 2011 but were purchased this year, but they're so good they are worth mentioning)
9. Jackson Browne -- Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1&2 (Live)
10. Crooked Still -- Some Strange Country

Collin Barkdull said...

Oh! And here are some recommended tracks:
1. Sarah Jarosz -- "Annabelle Lee", "My Muse", "The Tourist"
2. Wilco -- "Sunloathe", "One Sunday Morning"
3. Gillian Welch -- "Tennessee", "Hard Times"
4. The Decemberists -- "Down By the Water", "Don't Carry it All"
5. Punch Brothers -- "Rye Whiskey", "Packt Like Sardines in a Crush'd tin Box"
6. The Wailin' Jennys -- "Storm Comin' "Cherry Blossom Love"
7. Chris Thile & Michael Daves -- "20/20 Vision", "Rain and Snow"
8. Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan, Chris Thile -- "Here and Heaven", "Attaboy"
9. Jackson Browne -- "These Days", "The Barricades of Heaven"
10. Crooked Still -- "Half of What We Know", "You Got the Silver"

Unknown said...

Thanks, Collin. I think Wilco and Decemberists would have made my list if I did a top 20 for sure.

I'll have to check the other stuff out!