An on-running list of WLFY's Top 50 Albums Of 2011. Click on the album art to purchase.
This is the last update of 2011. In mid December Hank and I will both publish our top 25 albums, top 10 EPs, and top 20 tracks. Our album picks will be combined based on a point scale for ranking to determine WLFY's top 10 albums.
01.) Nerves Junior - As Bright As Your Night Light
02.) The Antlers - Burst Apart
03.) Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
04.) Atlas Sound - Parallax
05.) Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
06.) Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck
07.) Other Lives - Tamer Animals
08.) Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
09.) Bonnie Prince Billy - Wolfroy Goes To Town
10.) The Deloreans - American Craze
11.) Beach Fossils - What A Pleasure
12.) ARMS - Summer Skills
13.) Caveman - Coco Beware
14.) Bill Callahan - Apocalypse
15.) Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer
16.) Mother Mother - Eureka
17.) tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L
18.) Unknown Mortal Orchestra
19.) Tom Waits - Bad As Me
20.) Alabama Shakes - Alabama Shakes EP
21.) Wild Flag - Wild Flag
22.) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical
23.) Glen Campbell - Ghost On The Canvas
24.) Matthew Friedberger - Solos
25.) Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Tape Club
26.) Beirut - The Rip Tide
27.) Tom Vek - Leisure Seizure
28.) Cults - Cults
29.) The ACBs - Stona Rosa
30.) Deerhoof - Deerhoof vs. Evil
31.) Marissa Nadler - Marissa Nadler
32.) Ty Segall - Goodbye Bread
33.) Radical Dads - Mega Rama
34.) Braids - Native Speaker
35.) Cut Copy - Zonoscope
36.) White Fence - Is Growing Faith
37.) Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic
38.) Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
39.) Conveyor - Sun Ray EP
40.) Destroyer - Kaputt
41.) Starfucker - Reptillians
42.) Fucked Up - David Comes To Life
43.) Fruit Bats - Tripper
44.) Angel Olsen - Strange Cacti
45.) Wilco - The Whole Love
46.) The Glass Canoe - Chimera
47.) Battles - Gloss Drop
48.) Youth Lagoon - The Year Of Hibernation
49.) The Henry Clay People - This Is a Desert EP
50.) Generationals - Actor - Caster
Honorable Mention
Airlines - Visions EP
Alden Penner - Odes To The House
Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two
Ben Sollee - Inclusions
Black Lips - Arabia Mountain
Body Parts - On Purpose
Evening Man - The Last Night
Javelin - Canyon Candy
Marvelous Toy - Moving
Megafaun - Megafaun
My Morning Jacket - Circuital
Reptar - Oblangle Fizz, Y'all
The Seedy Seeds - Verb Noun
Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde
Tapes N' Tapes - Outside
TV On The Radio - Nine Types Of Light
Woods - Sun And Shade
I'm surprised Outside, the new one from Tapes 'n Tapes, isn't on here yet. You should give it a listen if you haven't yet. I like it better than the four you have up there so far, even though those four are some good ones.
ReplyDeleteI dunno if you've heard the stream of The Rural Alberta Advantage's 'Departing' yet, but it definitely deserves a spot on there come March 1st.
ReplyDeletehttp://soundcloud.com/mercerm/sets/pianissimo-possibile/
ReplyDeleteI still have Destroyer's "Kaputt" in my number one spot, followed by James Blake's self-titled, PJ Harvey's "Let England Shake", Papercuts' "Fading Parade", Radiohead's "The King of Limbs". That's my top five thus far!
ReplyDeleteFloating Action
ReplyDeleteBreakfast In Fur
Middle Brother
Toro Y Moi
Yuck and Loch Lomond have put out great albums this month. Also, Dumbo Get Mad, definitely check it out if you haven't yet.
ReplyDeleteThat Guards EP... I like it, I like it alot.
ReplyDeleteMy albums of 2011 are:
ReplyDelete1.- Destroyer- Kaputt
2.- Smith Westerns- Dye it Blonde
3.- Delicate Steve- Wondervisions
4.- Papercuts- Fading Parade
5.- James Blake´s self titled
You may review Delicate Steve´s Wondervisions man. Is so good, it´s new, kind of Dirty Projectors-Dan Deacon-Dodos
"dumbo gets mad" needs to find its onto this list!
ReplyDeleteGreat list. I love starting these lists early, makes it fun when new albums come out and trying to place them compared to others. For what it is worth here is my top 5 albums so far.
ReplyDelete1 - Radiohead - The King of Limbs
2 - Frankie & The Heartstrings - Hunger
3 - Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972
4 - Elbow - Build A Rocket Boys!
5 - PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGood list.
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely give these a listen if you haven't already:
Howth
The Head and The Heart
Wires Under Tension
Low
Wolf Ram Heart
I've got a full list of my favorites so far as well:
http://meccalecca.com/blog/?page_id=8048
Radiohead - king of limbs
ReplyDeletePanda bear - tomboy
New animal - new animal
Destroyer - kaputt
James Blake
Fleet foxes - helplessness blues (I know ita not "out" yet, but it's great)
Grails - Deep Politics
ReplyDeleteBoris w/ Merzbow - Klatter
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Tune-Yards - w h o k i l l
Panda Bear - Tomboy
The Strokes - Angles
Toro y Moi - Underneath the Pine
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring for My Halo
Puro Instinct - Headbangers In Ecstasy
balkans
ReplyDeletejames pants
new animal
dumbo gets mad
destroyer
deerhoof
tune-yards
bass drum of death
http://chromewavesradio.com
I just wanted to say thanks for introducing me to Mother Mother. They are one of my most listened to bands of 2011 thus far. And I agree with you choice of Beach Fossils EP. That has also been a great listen for me. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% with Burst Apart taking the number one spot. Amazing, beautiful, stunning album.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite so far Wye Oak - Civilian. By far!
ReplyDeleteKurt Vile - smoke ring for a halo
ReplyDeletenicolas jaar - space is only noise
Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972
take care, take care, take care!!!!!!!! must be up there!
ReplyDeletealso deep politics by grails. and tunnel blanket by this will destroy you. <.<
Cults' debut recording is not self-titled. Its called "In the Name Of" and is set to be released on Columbia records. Should be an excellent listen, as "The Curse" and "Go Outside" were among my favorite tracks of 2010.
ReplyDelete@Lukas The Cults is definitely S/T. "In The Name Of" is the co-label putting out the record with Columbia...it's Lilly Allen's record.
ReplyDeleteI understand that this list is an extension of your taste, and I fully respect your opinion/stance on the order and picks of this list. With that said, I have some questions and constructive criticism. I could be wrong, but I feel like you're placing some albums above other albums that are clearly more superior, just to be different and to spite what the general consensus is on those albums. My initial reaction after reading this list was more or less skeptical as to what this list was actually reflecting (what you truly think vs. what will make you appear unique and set apart from others). If you made a list knowing no one would read it, I am certain it'd be ordered differently (ex: fleet foxes wouldn't be underneath tUnE-yArDs)
ReplyDeleteAgain, if I'm wrong I'm sorry...just felt like I needed to express this.
@anonymous. just because an album receives more popular critical acclaim than another doesn't mean that it's automatically going to place higher on every individual person's list. that is why people have opinions and why things like this are subjective. i personally think the fleet foxes album is good, but is it as great as everyone else is saying?...i say 'no.' it's a rehash of the same melodies and sounds from the first record. it's definitely a pleasant listen, but it wouldn't even place in my personal top 20 for the year so far.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous Thanks for your concern, but this list is a true reflection of my taste and current rankings of albums from 2011. Right now, I really do think the Tune-Yards is better than the Fleet Foxes record.
ReplyDeleteThis list will constantly be shuffled, add upon, etc throughout the year. If the Fleet Foxes grows on me and I'll move it up. I do like the record, that's why it's so high. The implication that I'm trying to be different is nuts and unfounded. There are no facts in art. It is not a fact that the Fleet Foxes record is better than Tune-Yards.
I understand that this list is an extension of your taste, and I fully respect your opinion/stance on the order and picks of this list. With that said, I have some questions and constructive criticism. I could be wrong, but I feel like you're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air"
ReplyDeleteI whisteled for a cab and when it came near
the license plate said fresh and it had dice in the mirror
if anything I could say that this cab was rare
but I thought, "NAW FORGET IT YO HOME TO BEL AIR!"
I pulled up to the house about 7 or 8
and I yelled to the cab, "YO HOME SMELL YA LATA!"
I looked at my kingdom I was finally there
to sit on my throne as the prince of Bel Air
what happened to kiss other clean (iron and wine)?
ReplyDeleteMountain Goats and Tune-Yards are good.
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorites this year:
Cold War Kids - Mine is Yours
Social Distortion - Hard Times & Nursery Rhymes
The Streets - Computers and Blues
Twilight Singers - Dynamite Steps
Dropkick Murphys - Going Out in Style
Hotels & Highways - Lost River
Foo Fighters - Wasted Light
The Vaccines - What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?
Dirty Gold - Roar EP
In no real order:
ReplyDeleteYacht, Planningtorock, 123, Peter Bjorn & John, White Denim, Smith Westerns, Big KRIT.
Explosions in the Sky new album blew me away. It will be in my top picks at the end of the year - and near the top.
ReplyDeleteI really like that Chimera by The Glass Canoe is on this list. Quite an unheard of band that deserves a lot more attention.
ReplyDeletesome other albums that deserve merit:
ReplyDeletebon iver - s/t
j mascis - several shades of why
john maus - we must become...
junior boys - it's all true
kurt vile - smoke ring for my halo
panda bear - tomboy
pictureplane - thee physical
thurston moore - demolished thought
washed out - within and without
keep it up zach!
No James Vincent McMorrow?
ReplyDeleteNo James Vincent McMorrow?
ReplyDeletei know i left a comment in july but with time comes more releases. new suggestions include:
ReplyDeletejens lekman-an argument with myself
m83-hurry up, we're dreaming
richard buckner-our blood
selebrities-delusions
the war on drugs-slave ambient (top 5 for me)
War on Drugs
ReplyDeleteOne Trick Pony
Manhattan Murder Mystery
After the Brooklyn show I can't even listen to Nerves Jr. anymore
Bodies of Water - Twist Again
ReplyDeleteRoommate - Guilty Rainbow
Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting
House of Wolves - Fold In the Wind
My Brightest Diamond - All Things Will Unwind
Son Lux - We Are Rising
blog on, guys.
I'm surprised no one's mentioned The Coasts. Solid debut album that's gotten plenty of buzz. Definitely should make top 25.
ReplyDelete"The Mistress" - Yellow Ostrich
ReplyDeleteSnowmine - Laminate Pet Animal
ReplyDeleteThe Coasts - The Coasts
Uniform Motion - One Frame Per Second
Those are some pretty good albums. Not sure if they'd even make it on the list but they are definitely worth checking out
Rosebuds- Loud Planes Fly Low
ReplyDeleteThee Oh Sees - Carrion Crawler/The Dream
ReplyDeleteI feel like St. Vincent's "Strange Mercy" at least deserves an honorable mention.
ReplyDeleteAlso White Denim's "D".
And it may not be your cup of tea, but The Middle East's "I Want That You Are Always Happy" is gorgeous.
Top notch list though.
Some albums I really enjoyed this year:
ReplyDeleteBill Baird - Goodbye Vibrations
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Dodos - No Color
Loney Dear - Hall Music
David Bazan - Strange Negotiations
The Rapture - In the Grace of Your Love
Release the Sunbird - Come back to Us
Most of my favorites are already on your list, but I thought all the above were pretty impressive as well.
@mewsikboy
The Coasts aren't getting near enough love for their debut album. Also, where's Gillian Welch? Other than that, though, solid list.
ReplyDeleteDamn fine list, lots of titles in common with mine
ReplyDeleteHere's my twenty:
http://active-listener.blogspot.com/2011/12/active-listeners-top-twenty-albums-of.html
two radiohead albums in the top five? strange...
ReplyDelete