My top 10 albums from 2011

1.)
Kaputt - Destroyer


(Released in January, I didn’t find a better album all year. I love the laid-back, unhurried dream pop atmosphere. Pitchfork Media named it the second best album of 2011)
Favourite tracks:
Kaputt
Chinatown
Bay of Pigs (Detail)

...

2.)
Smoke Ring For My Halo - Kurt Vile


(Hit stores in March. My favourite folk album from 2011. I love his voice, lyrics, and guitar playing. Haunting and memorable)
Favourite tracks:
Baby’s Arms
Runner Ups
Jesus Fever

...

3.)
Drive (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)


(What can I say that hasn’t already been said? I have to admit the outbursts of violence put me off loving the movie, and I ended up only liking it. The soundtrack however I can’t get enough of, and the hazy dreamy tracks fit my taste perfectly)
Favourite tracks:
A Real Hero - College feat. Electric Youth
Under Your Spell - Desire
Nightcall – Kavinsky

...

4.)
Sea of Memories – Pallers


(Under the radar electronic album from Sweden. I feel these guys deserve more credit and attention than they're currently getting. You could argue the songs are a little similar, but the album is easy to listen to all the way through!)
Favourite tracks:
Humdrum
The Kiss
Another Heaven
Come Rain, Come Sunshine

...

5.)
English Riviera – Metronomy


(My 2nd favourite electronic album this year. Great sound, great beats, great videos)
Favourite tracks:
The Bay
The Look
She Wants

...

6.)
A Turn In The Dream Songs - Jeffrey Lewis


(American singer-songwriter. He’s a talented lyricist! You get the feeling he has really experienced what he‘s singing about, and a lot of effort has been put into each tune. He kind of jokes around on the LP how he ought to be more famous ( :
Favourite tracks:
Time Trades
Cult Boyfriend
How can it be
Krongu Green Slime
So What If I Couldn't Take It
Try It Again

...

7.)
Holy Ghost! - Holy Ghost!


(A pop album that is just so catchy that I love it to bits. And redemption for Michael McDonald after he was crucified by Judd Apatow)
Favourite tracks:
Wait and See
Some Children (feat. Michael Mcdonald)
Say My Name

...

8.)
Gentle Spirit - Jonathan Wilson


(A throwback to the Pink Floyd and Neil Young sound of the 1970s, Wilson's 2nd LP has a number of strong tracks. I'm surprised so few music sites are mentioning a truly under-appreciated album of 2011. I definitely want to find his debut album as soon as possible. Works best by listening to the LP in its entirety)
Favourite tracks:
Natural Rhapsody
Gentle Spirit

...

9.)
Making Mirrors – Gotye


(Up there for me with the very best pop/rock LPs released in 2011. I think the LP will sell very well, it hits US stores in January 2012)
Favourite tracks:
Giving Me A Chance
Dig your own hole
Somebody that I used to know
Smoke and Mirrors
Don't Worry We'll Be Watching You

...

10.)
Philharmonics - Agnes Obel


(Award winning Danish singer-songwriter. In my opinion among the best acoustic albums from 2011, instrumentation is reminiscent of Joanna Newsom.)
Favourite tracks:
Riverside
Avenue
Philharmonics
Brother Sparrow

...


Albums 11-
Towards the Sun - Alexi Murdoch (reissue)
An Argument With Myself - Jens Lekman
Magic - Sean Rowe (reissue)
Shapeshifting - Young Galaxy
Blouse - Blouse
A Creature I Don't Know - Laura Marling
A I A : Alien Observer – Grouper
All Eternals Deck - Mountain Goats
Ashes and Fire - Ryan Adams
Apocalypse - Bill Callahan
All Of It Was Mine - The Weather Station
Helplessness Blues - Fleet Foxes
Submarine - Alex Turner
Burst Apart - The Antlers
Knees, Feet & The Parts We Don't Speak Of - Ida Gard
Fathers Be Kind - Ivan and Alyosha
Hymns From Nineveh - Hymns from Nineveh
Southerner - Trent Dabbs
You Are All I See - Active Child
We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves – John Maus
Vanity Is Forever - Geoffrey O'Connor
Marissa Nadler - Marissa Nadler
Red Planet - Arborea
Nothing Is Wrong - Dawes
Move Like This - The Cars
The Deep Field - Joan As Police Woman
The King of Limbs - Radiohead
Grace for Drowning - Steven Wilson


Any thoughts on my top albums? Which of the LP's did you enjoy? Have I missed any great albums? Has 2011 been a good year for music in your opinion? Share your views in the comments below

11 comments:

  1. I haven't listened to over half of those, but I do agree with you on Kaputt, best album in a fairly weak in my opinion year in music.

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  2. I am surprised I haven't listened to most of these. I will agree that the Drive soundtrack is pretty badass though. I'll have to listen to the others that I'm not familiar with.

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  3. @Bonjour Tristesse: Kaputt is awesome, and Destroyer have been around for years without me knowing about it! I only followed music closely in 2010 and 2011, so I couldn't compare to previous years.

    @Eric: Love Drive, I'd like to see their music collection whoever put that soundtrack together ( : I recommend checking out the favourite tracks on my list, gives you an idea.
    I'm really behind in visiting and commenting on other blogs, hopefully in the next couple of days!

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  4. It's great to see Kaputt on there. It was my #4 album of the year and was a big surprise for me. I also like that Kurt Vile album, which I just heard for the first time this week. The four opening songs on the Drive soundtrack are great, and I do like some of the score. I wouldn't list it as a top album, but I can't argue with it being up there. Nice list!

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  5. i absolutely loved kurt vile's album! i saw him opening for thurston moore last summer, before i even knew who he was, and he just blew me away. i haven't heard destroyer's album yet, but i've been meaning to get around to it!

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  6. Your taste in music is so different from mine. Out of your list I only know the Drive soundtrack. All the other ones I have never heard of. I guess I'm becoming an old man ;)

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  7. @Dan Heaton: Since Kaputt is my no 1, I feel a bit embarrassed that I am so uninformed about Destroyer's back catalogue. I'll check your top 5 albums list shortly. Thanks for the comment, and the follow!

    @William Brower: Yes, that Kurt Vile album instantly made me a fan.
    Can't say Sonic Youth are my taste, but I liked Thurston Moore's new folk album, I even shared a couple tracks on my top folk songs from 2011 list. Kaputt is amazing, I urge you to check it out soon ( :

    @Nostra: Hmm, now you've made me curious ( : So what are your favorite albums of 2011 ?

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  8. Well my number one album of 2011 matches yours...first album I heard and best:)

    Destroyer's back catalogue was quite varied (with his same unique vocal style) and quite folky/baroque at times...he released the awesome Bay of Pigs EP about a year or so before Kaputt, which I'm guessing kickstarted the ideas for the album.

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  9. @Burning Reels: Kaputt is great, and first heard about Destroyer on your blog ( :
    Thanks for chipping in with the info, I'll listen to the old Destroyer records during 2012 if time allows. Was a bit underwhelmed the other day by Trouble In Dreams (2008), their eighth LP. The old suff I think will struggle to top Kaputt.

    I also just realized my top 10 album list comprises of 8 male singers, I kind of surprised myself on that statistic. It's just a coincidence this year I think, as I enjoy female vocalists equally as much.

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  10. Just a random coincidence I suppose - i'm still catching up on some 2011 stuff.

    I haven't heard too much beyond the last 2/3 albums either - the track European Oils is a cool song. It could well be difficult for him to ever top Kaputt but that's nothing to be ashamed about!

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  11. @Burning Reels: There sure were a lot of dream pop releases in 2011, and it doesn't look like stopping in 2012, so lots to enjoy ( :

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