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Better late than never…
This past year has been particularly difficult, for me, to be rating and ranking albums. It’s almost not fair… I’ve mixed and matched and switched up and flip-flopped and changed my mind countless times over the last week or three.
There are so many fantastic albums and artists that come to mind and that deserve recognition (I could easily put out a top 50.) But, In my mind, these were the albums and artists that clearly stood out — a notch or two above all others.
In any case, at this moment in time, [Jan. 4, 2012 @ approx 4:00PM PST], this is what my Top 20 30 (because it was such a difficult year) looks like:
Pursesnatchers – A Pattern Language
The Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical
Generationals - Actor-Caster
Lanterns on the Lake – Gracious Tide, Take Me Home
Cults - Cults
EMA – Past Life Martyred Saints
M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
Handsome Furs – Sound Kapital
Voxhaul Broadcast - Timing Is Everything
Blind Pilot - We Are The Tide
Zola Jesus - Conatus
Yuck - Yuck
Beirut – The Rip Tide
I Break Horses - Hearts
Of Monsters and Men – My Head is an Animal
Warm Ghost - Narrows
Radical Face – The Family Tree, The Roots
Radiohead – The Kings of Limbs
The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar
We Were Promised Jetpacks - In the Pit of the Stomach
Veronica Falls – Veronica Falls
tUnE-YarDs - w h o k i l l
Wooden Shjips - West
Colleen Green - Cujo EP (yes an EP made the list)
Real Estate - Days
The Head and The Heart – The Head and The Heart
Wild Flag - Wild Flag
The Kills – Blood Pressure
***
Some Artists and Albums that didn’t break the Top 30 but that were really close are listed below. For whatever reason I didn’t listen to them enough, was preoccupied with something or other, or overwhelmed by all the other great albums, or perhaps they arrived late in the year… At another moment in time, like ten minutes from now, they may have cracked this fellas personal Top 30 list :)
The Drums - Portamento
The Moth and The Mirror – Honestly, This World
Wu Lyf – Go Tell Fire To The Mountain
The Black Keys - El Camino
Gardens & Villa – Gardens & Villa
Sisikyou – Keep Away The Dead
The Whiskey Saints - 24 Hours
Bass Drum of Death – GB City
St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
The Weeknd - House of Balloons
The Ambience Affair - Burials
Sea Pinks – Dead Seas
The Low Anthem – Smart Flesh
Tom Waits – Bad As Me
Gem Club - Breakers
The Antlers – Burst Apart
The Cave Singers – No Witch
Wye Oak – Civilians
The Raveonettes - Raven In The Grave
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
The Decemberists - The King Is Dead
My Morning Jacket - Circuital
Florence & The Machine - Ceremonials
Wilco - The Whole Love
Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch The Throne
Adele - 21
Atlas Sound - Parallax
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
The Roots - Undun
Wild Beasts - Smother
Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
The War On Drugs - Slave Ambient
Cut Copy - Zonoscope
Destroyer - Kaputt
***
2011 was an amazing year for music and indie music in particular. AND, I also think that, in many ways, this year was a year in which women (soloists or leads in a band) really made their mark. And, a fantastic mark at that.
As always, whilst compiling a “top ##” list, one is apt to overlook, or not have heard of, or been exposed to a particular band. I welcome any and all suggestions that you may have and ANY exposure to albums/artists that I may have missed.
Happy New Year everybody!
I find joy in music. I relish in sharing that joy. So, mostly music. Plus, whatever I'm into at the time.
Photography is not mine (unless stated). Click on images to go to the artists site. Click #tag to see more images or music from the tagged artist(s).
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