Post your favorite albums of 2011 list

[mvd]

I thought it was a good year with next year likely to be even better with releases by A Fine Frenzy, Michelle Branch, Ingrid Michaelson, The Veronicas, and hopefully U2 and The Pierces' US release of their 2011 album that I have not heard. I still have yet to hear quite a few albums and could definitely change this in late Dec. or January. But here's what I have right now, since there are no UPCOMING CDs in December that I want:

Top 20 -

The Decemberists - The King Is Dead
Eisley - The Valley
Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
Christina Perri - lovestrong.
Kate Voegele - Gravity Happens
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Kina Grannis - Stairwells
Stevie Nicks - In Your Dreams
Fountains Of Wayne - Sky Full Of Holes
Lights - Siberia
Vanessa Carlton - Rabbits On The Run
Laura Stevenson & Cans - Sit Resist
Tristen - Charlatans At The Garden Gate
R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now
The Stinkin' Pinkos - Songs to Offend Everyone
The Cars - Move Like This
Indigo Girls - Beauty Queen Sister
Wilco - The Whole Love
Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What
The Bangles - Sweetheart Of The Sun

A few of the honorable mentions:

Kelly Clarkson - Stronger
Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time
Adele - 21
The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know

So what are your favorites?

[cbdo2007]

1. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

Best album by anyone in years.

[mvd]

2. Good choice

It's my favorite by them since There Is Nothing Left To Lose.

[Initech]

6. Love that album. Saw the Foos live this year. Really enjoyed the show.

[cbdo2007]

8. Yep, they put on an excellent show. Dave Grohl is the ultimate rock star!!

My favorite part is when he plays the acoustic songs at the beginning of the encore.

[Initech]

13. They played a good 3+ hours when I saw them.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

26. Hell yes. Amazing album.

ALSO:

Glen Campbell - Ghost On The Canvas
Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events
Bill Frisell - All We Are Saying
Derek Sherinian - Oceana
Steve Hackett - Beyond The Shrouded Horizon
Beady Eye - Different Gear Still Speeding
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Black Country Communion II
Nirvana - Nevermind Super Deluxe
The Beach Boys - Smile Sessions
Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning

[Initech]

48. Awesome - don't see too many Steve Wilson fans around.

That guy is a machine - he made a new Blackfield album that's amazing, toured with Blackfield (saw them - great show) and there's a new PT album next year supposedly.

[OswegoAtheist]

3. Florence + the Machine - Ceremonials

"Drive" - Motion Picture Soundtrack
The Roots - Undun
Adele - 21

I agree with The Decemberists as well.

Oswego "NOT the Kanye/Jay-Z album" Atheist

[mvd]

5. I've only heard samples of the Florence And The Machine. So far I like it..

more than her last one. I'll consider it when I can buy albums again.

[Initech]

4. My favorites:

Last edited Fri Dec 16, 2011, 12:59 AM - Edit history (2)

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Steven Wilson - Grace For Drowning
Symphony X - Iconoclast
Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn Of Events
TV On The Radio - Nine Types Of Light
The Black Keys - El Camino
The Roots - Undun
Weird Al Yankovic - Alpocalypse
Blackfield - Welcome To My DNA
Mastodon - The Hunter
Jane's Addiction - The Great Escape Artist
Flogging Molly - Speed Of Darkness
Opeth - Heritage
Beastie Boys. - Hot Sauce Committee PT. 2
Rise Against - Endgame
Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You
Trent Reznor / Atticus Ross - OST: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
The Lonely Island - Turtleneck & Chain
Graveyard - Hisingen Blues

[LynneSin]

7. Many top albums have been listed so far my favorite include

Wilco - The Whole Love
The Roots - undun
Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee 2
Black Keys - El Camino
Foster the People - Torches
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light

[Bennyboy]

9. Carolyn Wonderland: PEACE MEAL....

Excellent album. Seriously Great singer and guitar player and generally one of the bestest people ever.

[geardaddy]

10. Here's one I can think of:

Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More

[mvd]

12. Thanks! That's one that may..

fit my music taste.

[Loge23]

11. Mission Bell

Just barely this year - released back in Jan, 2011.
Terrific collection from Amos Lee.

[dawg]

14. Yes - Fly From Here

Radiohead - The King of Limbs

What can I say? I only bought two new albums this year. The Yes album was the better of the two.

[sweetloukillbot]

16. I was pleasantly surprised by the Yes album.

I kind of resent how they went about it, but it is their strongest album since Talk or maybe even 90125.

[NRaleighLiberal]

15. Some of mine - TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light...

Last edited Fri Dec 16, 2011, 01:24 AM - Edit history (1)

Gillian Welch - The Harrow and the Harvest (we got to see her perform live...superb)
Radiohead - King of Limbs
Marcin Wasilewski - Faithful (jazz - ECM label)
Enrico Rava - Tribe (jazz - ECM label)
Mahler Symphones 5 and 9 (Gergiev - classical)
Mahler Symphony 2 (Rattle - classical)
Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys

I didn't listen to a ton of new music this year....

We also got to see Arcade Fire live in Charlottesville. Just a remarkable concert!

[EastTennesseeDem]

31. Arcade Fire puts on one hell of a show don't they?

I saw them play at the Ryman in the summer of '10. It was right after they hit number one, and the arena was full to bursting. I will never forget that.

[NRaleighLiberal]

38. One of the best concerts I've been to - so much positive energy.

I came to them late - first got into Funeral and Neon Bible two years ago. The Suburbs blows me completely away in its entirety. Makes me exhilarated - and actually just a bit sad - like lost innocence. What will they possibly do next?

[Initech]

47. I saw them when I went to Coachella a couple years ago.

It was right after Neon Bible came out, I was drunk as hell but I remember really enjoying the show.

I want to see them live again.

[sweetloukillbot]

17. In no particular order...

The Decemberists - King Is Dead
Opeth - Heritage
Radiohead - King of Limbs
Wilco - The Whole Love
Tom Waits - Bad As Me
Gillian Welch - The Harrow and the Harvest
Wild Flag - s/t
Toro Y Moi - Underneath the Pine
St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
The Roots - Undun
The Black Keys - El Camino
King Creosote and John Hopkins - Diamond Mine
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Bon Iver - s/t
Yuck - s/t
Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts
Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow
Mastodon - The Hunter
Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events

And for rereleases -
The Beach Boys - Smile
The Rolling Stones - Some Girls
Nirvana - Nevermind
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here

[radiclib]

18. I whittled my list down to five essentials

Tom Waits-BAD AS ME
Tedeschi Trucks Band-REVELATOR
Gillian Welch-THE HARROW AND THE HARVEST
Bruce Cockburn-SMALL SOURCE OF COMFORT
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit-HERE WE REST

Coming in January and NOT to be missed-

Kathleen Edwards-VOYAGEUR

[mvd]

21. I should like Kathleen's CD a lot

Thanks for the reminder.

[blue_onyx]

19. I have two

Britney Spears: Femme Fatale
Kelly Clarkson: Stronger

[mvd]

20. Hi, blue_onyx

The Kelly Clarkson has grown on me; I love it but not quite as much as her last 3 CDs. The verses seem very familiar all the time, which is one complaint. Britney's album is good but I like that one a little less than I did. The Michelle Branch CD should finally be out next year. "Happen To Call" is a free download right now at her site.

[blue_onyx]

35. Hi mvd

I love Kelly's CD. I guess I rank "Stronger" in the middle of all her CDs:

1. Breakaway
2. My December
3. Stronger
4. Thankful
5. All I Ever Wanted

There aren't really any bad songs on the new CD. My favorites are:

1. You Love Me
2. Dark Side
3. What Doesn't Kill you
4. Honestly
5. I Forgive You

I was bummed that Michelle Branch's CD got pushed back again. It feels like it will never come out. Well, I guess it gives me something to look forward to in 2012.

[mvd]

37. Many of the new Michelle songs sound like The Spirit Room, and we'd both like for it to be similar

I like every style she does, though.

Have a good holiday season.

[blue_onyx]

45. Yes

I love the Spirit Room and would love for her new CD to sound similar. I like "Sooner or Later" but some of her other more country songs I didn't enjoy. Although I've been into pop country a lot more recently. Probably my favorite song this year (even though is was released last year) is "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry.

I hope you have a good holiday season too

[bif]

22. Mine...

Kate Bush-"50 words for snow"
Peter Gabriel-"Scratch my back"
Atlas Sound-"Parallax"
Elbow "Build a Rocket Boys!"
Jonsi-"Go"
Ryan Adams "Ashes & Fire"
Tuneyards
Beirut- "The Rip Tide"
Sarah Jarosz "Follow Me Down"

[mvd]

23. Hi, bif

I am keeping that Sarah Jarosz album in mind for when I get more money. I could check out Ryan Adams, too. Any others there I might love?

[bif]

34. A bunch of other stuff

I'll have to PM you (if DU3 has that function). Do you use youtube to check out artists? Be sure to check out "With Love" by Elbow. Total earworm. All the cd's I listed I think are worth owning.

[mvd]

36. Yes, I do use it sometimes

Many of my suggestions are in this thread, but I have more. Thanks for the recommendations - not sure if PM is working yet.

Have a good holiday season, and we'll PM soon.

[fishwax]

24. The Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck

[progressoid]

25. In addition to many already listed above...

Here is PASTE magazine's list of 2011 fifty best:
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2011/11/the-50-best-albums-of-2011.html

And another best of list compiled by a few thousand people:
http://www.besteveralbums.com/yearstats.php?y=2011

[Indepatriot]

27. Justin Townes Earle

Harlem River Blues....Steve's boy is the Real Deal

[Loge23]

33. Good call - excellent record! (eom)

[AngryOldDem]

28. The Black Keys -- El Camino n/t

[wysimdnwyg]

32. +1

Very good record

[AlbertCat]

29. My favorite album from 2011 is...

Retrospect Ensemble: Bach, Easter Oratorio & Ascension Oratorio... on the Linn Records label.

Amazing 300 year old music that moves.... even though I'm not at all religious nor do I understand German.

Who else on anybody's long lists of faves does that?


I also really liked

The Black Angels, "Phosphene Dream".... but that might have come out in 2010

[EastTennesseeDem]

30. "Bon Iver, Bon Iver" is my number 1

I've played the hell out of some others though...2 thru 6 probably in this order:

The Antlers - Burst Apart
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Black Keys - El Camino
Radiohead - King of Limbs
Bright Eyes - The People's Key

[mvd]

39. Is the Radiohead similar to their recent ones?

It's another album I haven't gotten around to yet.

I really like seeing lists from regular listeners because professional critics' lists usually have a lot of stuff I have no interest in.

[Broken_Hero]

40. Hmm, the ones that stick out to me

Christina Perri-Love Strong

Adele-21

Foo Fighters-Wasting Light

Five Finger Death Punch-American Capitalist

[Broken_Hero]

52. And another one...

Songs of Anarchy, from the tv show Sons of Anarchy soundtrack...came out the other day, picked it up last night, its damn good. Katey Segals version of Bird on a Wire is amazing.

[stockholmer]

41. random alt pop stuff, ranked for 2011, with Spotify links

#1: JOSEF & ERIKA - Floods (Sweden)

http://open.spotify.com/album/0evOTMikOAhNzkRKBI73hb

#2: FLEET FOXES - Helplessness Blues (USA)

http://open.spotify.com/album/20RJRsAPD9Yx3Nols5cAGR

#3: EDDA MAGNASON - Goods (Sweden)

http://open.spotify.com/album/6aclqYRwdoKSnzLzizzrLE

#4: I BREAK HORSES - Hearts (Sweden)

http://open.spotify.com/album/0bQ1hqNyIVDTPyPHSG8FCb

#5: LYKKE LI - Wounded Rhymes (Sweden)

http://open.spotify.com/album/2HlEeBj6JSl0Eji4VRHWbX

#6: THE ANTLERS - Burst Apart (USA)

http://open.spotify.com/album/7pM6qdR5bSsg0Xis5aKGIY

#7: SKRIET - Det Beslutande Organet (Sweden)

http://open.spotify.com/album/3H2WwXXWkvM5AYe4BFdkoo

#8: MIRRORS - Lights and Offerings (UK)

http://open.spotify.com/album/4XngDVc2Rlb1KKUFB8gh2I

#9: TAPE - Revelationes (Sweden)

http://open.spotify.com/album/2xof3dAXkFt6NCQU0JXDhV

#10: SÓLEY - We Sink (Iceland)

http://open.spotify.com/album/1uh3swPBiSYIzYqVg7H4b7

[druidity33]

42. Where's the BOOKMARK button?

There's a good list going here... i'd like to find it again.

[mvd]

43. I don't see it, but you can click on "add to journal" in the bottom right of the opening post of the

thread. It will then be in your journal for future reference.

[derby378]

44. I'm still playing catch-up

Most of my 2011 albums are either witch house or some form of ambient, but there's probably more than that.

[alarimer]

46. My favorites

The Decemberists, the King is Dead
Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
Ryan Adams, Ashes and Fire
Jeffrey Foucault, Horse Latitudes
My Morning Jacket, Circuital
The Civil Wars, Barton Hollow
Gillian Welch, The Harrow and the Harvest
The Gourds, Old Mad Joy
Frank Turner, England Keep My Bones
Ha Ha Tonka, Death of A Decade

[Loge23]

49. Can't leave out Lucinda

Lucinda Williams' "Blessed" got a ton of time on my player this past year.

[mvd]

50. And I heard some of the Veronica Falls album - and it sounds like good, catchy indie pop

I'm happy with my list as all on it are worthy, but i could re-evaluate since I haven't been able to buy many albums to catch up.

[Loge23]

51. Shout out for Nick Lowe!

"The Old Magic" came out in 2011 and is a little gem of a record from the imitiable Mr. Lowe.

[Bennyboy]

53. The Harrow and The Harvest...Gillian Welch (and Dave Rawlings)

Can't get enough of it. Song of the year too...