2011 Top Album Lists
 

The annual ritual of comparing copious amounts of music to each other in a ridiculously short period of time.


Here's mine:
2011 - Rate Your Music

Bitch about it or share yours or something.

A little bit too early for this perhaps ;)

Here a rough list of mine (so far and subject to change)
2011 - Rate Your Music

Still over two months to go, I'm sure there will be a few good releases between now and the new year.

Seems a bit early as there's nearly 1/4 of the year left, but:

2011 Year In - Rate Your Music

I can't really resist.

http://rateyourmusic.com/list/Loaths...2011__so_far_/

I've grabbed quite a lot of albums this year, but these are the ones that have really stood out for me.

I'm just gonna post my actual list, don't have RYM

1. Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver
2. Bill Callahan - Apocalypse
3. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
4. Team Me - To the Treetops!
5. Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys!
6. Radiohead - The King of Limbs
7. Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
8. The Low Anthem - Smart Flesh
9. Phaedra - The Sea
10. The Decemberists - The King is Dead
11. Josh T. Pearson - Last of the Country Gentlemen
12. My Morning Jacket - Circuital
13. Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts
14. Emmy the Great - Virtue
15. Gillian Welch - The Harrow and the Harvest
16. Greg Brown - Freak Flag
17. Kaizers Orchestra - Violeta Violeta Vol. 1
18. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
19. Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know
20. Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi - Rome
21. Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer
22. Parts & Labour - Constant Future
23. Deer Tick - Divine Providence
24. Tôg - Drøm
25. The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar

Lots of good EPs as well...

I guess it is early but I start talking about year lists in January.

Generally speaking, I don't think this year's been that great. I've only got 3 or 4 releases on my list that I think are genuinely great, then a bunch of pretty good and alright stuff.

This year's been decent enough I guess, it's been kind of on par with last year and not quite as good as 2009. My top 6 albums I think are great but I might grow to really like some of the others over time. I think some of the big releases this year like the Radiohead and Fleet Foxes albums have been disappointing.

I think it's a been a good year. I think my top 50 is solid and the bottom half should get filled out during the next two months.

I also really liked the new Fleet Foxes more than there older stuff.

I enjoyed Fleet Foxes' debut at the time and their Sun Giant EP but there's something about Helplessness Blues that just doesn't click with me. It just doesn't seem as interesting as their debut and perhaps, dare I say it, doesn't seem as authentic. It's almost like they're trying too hard to be folky and bucolic and I don't really buy it this time around.

I really enjoyed your list last year, swim, thanks for posting.

Not sure how I'm going to rank everything yet, but some standout albums this year, for me, have been:

F*cked Up "David Comes To Life"
Tyler, The Creator "Goblin"
Touche Amore "Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me"
Snowman "Absence"
Fleet Foxes "Helplessness Blues"

A bunch of others that I remember liking need revisiting.

Refreshing list Pete, especially coming after the three ultra hipsters before you ;)

Top 25 of 2011 thus far

Been a pretty underwhelming year so far, excluding these albums.

Ultra hipster? :laughing:

I suppose if I deny that, it's a sign of guilt?

Your list is private.

So it was.

Actually my list is pretty predictable if you are somewhat familiar with my tastes. The list is largely metal, two hip hop albums that I've talked about on this forum, my Steven Wilson fanboyism shining through when I chose Blackfield's album over his solo work, and a little unknown Canadian band to show my support. Actually the only artists on my list who I wasn't familiar with until this year was Kendrick Lamar and Tim Hecker. Still I'll take the kind words none the less.


It also makes me happy that two other people have listed *Shels' Plains of the Purple Buffalo but riddle me this, WHERE THE HELL WHERE YOU WHEN I WAS TRYING TO GET A DISCUSSION GOING ON THEM BACK IN JULY WHEN THE ALBUM DROPPED! For the amount of post-rock love on this forum, I was pretty disappointed that only one or two people showed any interest.

The three of us posted a list before everyone else did ;)

2011 - Rate Your Music

its really a list of what i've bought/download and listened to so far this year....theres no order....i'll make a list towards the end of the year of stand out albums

Bon Iver - Bon Iver
M83 - Hurry up, we're dreaming
Tuneyards - Whokill
Cut Copy - Zonoscope
Panda Bear - Tomboy

I posted about their debut album Sea of the Dying Dhow which came out in 2007 and got no response ages back so don't fret about it!

mine has coldplay

._.

Part and parcel of being on musicbanter I'm afraid, the amount of bands I've been hugely passionate about that have gained zero response...

Oh sweet a new Liquid Sound Company album out! Thanks for the heads up!

Your list has made me realise how much I'm yet to to listen to this year. I didn't even know The Ladybug Transistor had a new album out. And that Hateful Abandon album is a 2011 release?!

Imma try compose a list myself later in the year. This is actually the first year I've bought new albums (yeah, I know it's pretty sad). Mostly mainstream albums I've picked from RYM's top 100 list.

Anyway, a probable list would include (in no specific order):

Shabazz Palaces - Black Up (love this one)
Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact (and this one)
Radiohead - The King of Limbs
Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver
Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Tom Waits - Bad As Me
Sivert Høyem - Long Slow Distance
Bernhoft - Solidarity Breaks

and it is very yummy :)....if you have not already you should look into Seven That Spells....really good fuzzed out acid rock

honestly i feel its been a pretty good year....lots of great psychedelic rock

I know of them, right on. I'll check it out later. I'm still excited about more Liquid Sound Company, which I just got a hold of.

1. The Psychic Paramount- II
2. St. Vincent- Strange Mercy
3. Shabazz Palaces- Black Up
4. Trash Talk- Awake EP
5. Panda Bear- Tomboy
6. Iceage- New Brigade
7. Tim Hecker- Ravedeath, 1972
8. Action Bronson- Dr. Lecter
9. Radiohead- The King of Limbs
10. Bon Iver- Bon Iver

Not a whole lot of amazing albums this year. KoL making it into my top ten is proof of that.

I like a few songs from Das Racist's Relax.

RYM says I've listened to 102 releases this year.

1. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
2. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
3. Radiohead -The King of Limbs
4. Amon Tobin - Isam
5. Mastodon - The Hunter
6. Panda Bear - Tomboy
7. Anthrax - Worship Music
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You
9. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
10. Danny Brown - XXX

These are my top 10. It was a pretty good year. Kind of disapointed by some of my favorite artists releases this year. I really wish King of Limbs would've made it to the top, but it fell a bit to short of my expectations from a band that releases very consistant material. And I'm sure "I'm With You" would've been higher if John would've stuck with the band. Shabazz Palaces is my favorite though. Mixing dub step with hip hop and making it work is an incredible feat. Such a chill album.

The only album that came out this year that I really got into is Ulver's 'War of the Roses'. I really need to get hooked into the grapevine...

Also Unexpects 'Fables of a Sleepless Empire' which is a complete masterpiece, really.

How can it be almost the end of the year already?! This year flew by...

I've done some 2011 listening since I last posted and I must give a nod to Devin Townsend's Deconstruction. Not really my type of music initially but it was done so well I couldn't help but get into it.

Mr. Big's newest album What If? surprised the hell out of me. I think it's a safe bet for being near the top of my list for the year.

Puscifer was better than their older efforts, but still is only honorable mention worthy...

The new Dream Theater album kicked ass pretty much.

Next, I'm going to see what Jane's Addiction's newest is about, and since he's been advertising so much on my facebook news feed... checking out Wayne Static's Pighammer...

I think Primus' Green Naugahyde is still in my #1 spot...

Freestyle Fellowship's The Promise *might* be top 3 for me. I just grabbed it and its so fresh. They're on 20th anniversary now I think (at least) so it's nice to see this new album not sound like its 91 still... Kept me interested all the way through...

Albums basically starts with:



Which brings me right to Myka 9's newest, "Mykology". Very enjoyable album, although the last couple tracks lost the momentum built a bit. Still very pleased with this album. It's an improvement on the last record, which was the concept-y album 1969 (which I enjoyed...)

And Skali Unexpects 'Fables of a Sleepless Empire' is a complete masterpiece, really. :hphones: I enjoyed it thoroughly... Nice find.

Mastodon's The Hunter was pretty well done, as well. I liked it a bit more than some of their earliest work, but I still really prefer Crack the Skye...

And I think I was expecting too much from Shabazz Palaces, but it was worth the listen.

Still didn't check Jane's Addiction. I roll my eyes at myself every time I suggest grabbing Wayne Static's Pighammer...

We'll see...

You should check out "In A Flesh Aquarium" which is also pretty awesome.

Haven't acquired many 2011 albums, but I like these three:

The Raveonettes - Ravens in the Grave
The Kills - Blood Pressures
The Horrors - Skying

When get Tom Waits' new that will probably be included too.

Here's mine in alphabetical order and as usual it will be NEXT year when I find a boatload of releases from this year that I would have put on the list as I am usually about 6 months behind with new releases.


Amplifier - The Octopus. A huge sprawling double album (always use sprawling when it comes to describing double albums) that doesn't always work but it it as inventive as it it is technically proficient. Based around crunchy guitar riffs admittedly but it follows none of the cliches of the genre and encompasses many moods and sounds.


Anthrax - Worship Music. The first with vocalist Belladonna in nearly 20 years and it's a revelation. A healthy nod to classic Thrash but still contemporary enough to kick the kiddies who grunt and groan through cliched riffs and bland faceless monotony. Plus you have the best rhythm guitarist in Thrash too.


Atmosphere - The Family Sign. This may well be too bland for many Hip Hop fans as Atmosphere continue their marriage of personal/ socially conscious lyrics with actual tunes that wouldn't be out of place on a Pop album and that is fine by me. I am an old bastard so many themes on the album appeal to me and beside "your eyes go black when you open your mouth" is a brilliant line.


Basement Freaks - Something Freaky. I like music that is fun. It's not all serious **** and how alternative an artist can be all the time. It's no secret that I love big ass funky beats and I am easily pleased if someone does it right and Basement Freaks does just that.


Fink - Perfect Darkness. It's no secret that I love this guy and he is so criminally overlooked both here and abroad but maybe just maybe this could be the album that garners more attention as it's wider in scope, less lyrically insular and much more brooding than his previous work. I absolutely adore his guitar sound too.


Hateful Abandon - Move. Bob has declared this one of his albums of the year after the recco from me so it can't be that bad can it? A duo that have created a behemoth of dark brooding intensity and skeletal song frameworks that one listen is nowhere near enough. Godflesh meets Killing Joke in the playground. Phenomenal.


Magnum - The Visitation. 30 years later and still banging out classy melodic Rock. Say no more really as most of you don't really like this sort of thing which is understandable.


John Martyn - Heaven and Earth. A posthumous release gathered from unfinished material from the great man. There is some average stuff on here but as a whole it is a fitting tribute to the cantankerous old bastard (R.I.P)


More to come. Brain hurts.

In no particular order and I'll try and add some vids later:

Jimmy Cliff - Sacred Fire EP
Nick 13 - Nick 13
Sungrazer - Mirador
Mars Red Sky - Mars Red Sky
Radio Moscow - The Great Escape of Leslie Magnafuzz

My favourite album for 2011 was Suck It and See by The Arctic Monkeys. TBH I really haven't got many new albums this year though.