20. Joan as Policewoman - The Deep Field

Given how many fans Cat Power has here, I'm always surprised that there isn't more interest in Joan As Policewoman. This is some sexy, sultry and soulful music. RIYL: Cat Power - The Greatest



19. Eddie Spaghetti - Sundowner

I always really enjoy it when Eddie Spaghetti goes country. Others don't seem to like this one that much. Maybe it's just so smack in the middle of my wheelhouse that I can't find the flaws.



18. Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out of this World Alive

This is probably his best album in awhile. I need to spend more time with it or it might be ranked higher.



17. Dave Alvin - Eleven Eleven

Some great songwriting and playing on here.



16. Marianne Faithfull - Horses and High Heels

Return to form after the weak "Easy Come, Easy Go" album.



15. Kimmie Rhodes - Dreams of Flying

She's one of the best female songwriters out there. I'm not sure why she doesn't get more attention.



14. Ry Cooder - Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down

Just as interesting as other recent work by him but much more immediately accessible.



13. Ron Sexsmith - Long Player Late Bloomer

Initially this was a little disappointing as there's really no one song that hooked me. Nonetheless, I found myself listening to this almost as much as anything from 2011 and will probably continue to listen to it after things I've ranked higher get lost in my collection.



12. Warren Zanes - I want to move out in the daylight

I still need to spend more time with this but it's another strong pop record.



11. Peter Bruntnell - Black Mountain UFO

The UK's answer to Joe Pernice - at least that's how I think of him. This is more poppy and less melancholy than his prior records. I prefer the others but there's a lot to like on this one too.



10. The Feelies - Here Before

I liked it immediately but it continued to grow on me. Bonus points for staying power.



9. Yep - Once

It says something that they could cover "Waterloo Sunset" in a way that doesn't make me long to hear the original. Great harmonies and melodies.



8. Emmylou Harris - Hard Bargain

I'm a big fan.



7. Joe Henry - Reverie

He's mining the same territory here as the previous albums so it doesn't have that newness to it. It's a great sound though.



6. Jason Isbell - Here We Rest

I wasn't really a fan of his prior albums but this one is really good. It's better than anything the DBTs have released since he left. Alabama Pines is one of the best songs of the year.



5. Laura Cantrell - Kitty Wells Dresses

An album I enjoy from start to finish and am a little sad when it ends.



4. The Booze - At Maximum Volume

Nothing original here but so well-done that you don't care. Party album of the year. That this is not top 3 for me is strong evidence for what a great year it was.



3. Garland Jeffreys - The King of In Between

Sure, the "Rock On" cover was ill-advised. The rest is so great though that it more than makes up for it.



2. Norman Blake - Green Light on the Southern

Another great bluegrass record and his best album in awhile.



1. Daniel Romano - Sleep Beneath the Willow

I probably don't need to pimp this anymore than I already have. Love it just as much as when I first discovered it.

Honorable Mentions:

K.D. Lang, Gillian Welch, Luke Haines, Nick Lowe, Kevin Fowler, Tim Easton x2, John Doe, Archie Shepp & Joachim Kuhn, Robbie Robertson, Sonny Rollins

Random Comment: I usually don't have nearly this many female artists in my list. Good year for the women I guess.

I missed that Steve Earle album somehow. And the Garland Jeffries too.

You need that Garland Jeffreys.

OHG and I somehow forgot Nicolai Dunger. Add him to the honorable mentions.

want to hear: Garland Jeffreys, Warren Zanes, Joan as Policewoman, Steve Earle, Kimmie Rhodes (I've liked some of her other stuff), maybe The Feelies

I am a huge Peter Bruntnell fan, but that that his album this year was the weakest one he put out. I like that Sexsmith album quite a bit, but for whatever reason, have not been listening to it much.

That Feelies album is great! Pretty high on my list as well.

Absolutely no other overlap between us this year, but you know. Maybe I should check out this Daniel Romano guy.

I never got around to that Norman Blake thing, but I imagine it would have made my list somewhere. A few others that I probably should hear- Kimmie Rhodes and Laura Cantrell in particular.

Yes, you should. It's great.

BG did you hear that Matana Roberts album from this year? Coin Coin Chapter One.

It's kind of in the vein of '70s Archie Shepp stuff, I guess. Spiritual/political, sort of free. I don't know, I just started listening to it this week, but I may throw it into my list. It's a lot darker than, say, Build an Ark (doesn't get much sunnier than them, though), but I guess it could fall into the same broad category. A lot of spoken word stuff that I don't care so much about, but I like the music and overall sound a lot.

Nope, the Archie Shepp is (I think) the only 2011 jazz album I've heard. Thanks for the tip.

That Earle album is good and will appear on my list. I don't think I can get to 20 though.

I also missed the Earle, but props on Cooder and Isbell.

So I spent last night catching up on some things I hadn't gotten around to.



Zoe Muth & the Lost High Rollers - Starlight Hotel
The Weight - Nowhere Now

Shouldn't have done the list without hearing these. It's foolish to try to slot these without more listens but they both probably belong in my top ten. Weight fans - go get it. The usual obs into country (Tentoze, Derris, Bloor, GAR, Kingfish) should check out Zoe Muth.

Also gave first listens or in some cases partial listens to:





Centro matic - Candidate Waltz
Jimbo Mathus - Confederate Buddha
Glenn Tilbrook & the Co-operative
American Babies - Flawed Logic
Fred Eaglesmith - 6 volts

Centro matic and Jimbo Mathus are both good. I wouldn't say that they would be likely to crack my top 20 necessarily but they might with more listens. I didn't dislike the Glenn Tilbrook or American Babies but didn't hear anything that really hooked me in to either. They'll probably at least get a few more spins before I give up on them. Fred Eaglesmith was pretty mellow and completely impossible to judge based on one listen.

Still need to get around to hearing the 2011 releases from

Nils Lofgren
Destroyer
Bon Iver
Tom Waits
Tom Russell
Anal Major
Jeffrey Foucalt
Seu Jorge
Seun Kuti
Middle Brother
Buddy Miller
Marisa Monte
Hayes Carll
and a few others I'm forgetting



Realized I never responded to this. I agree it's his weakest but it still makes my top 20.

Thanks for the heads-up on this. Didn't realize they'd got their shit together to finally release it.

Me neither. Dern. Possible game changer.

We're slipping, Rads.

Someone post up a link, damnit.

Its on Spotify, i havent even looked for a link yet. But yes,plzpostplzthx

Solid list Bill. Our overlap is 25%.
There are definitely a few I need to check out....Joan the
Policeman, Dave Alvin, Laura Cantrell. Also, I had no idea Norman Blake even had a new record out.

Good to see Bruntnell on your list. It's certainly not his worst. The Peter Bruntnell Combination & Camelot In Smithereens hold that distinction.

Thank you for including the Yep record on your year-end.
Much appreciated.

That was sloppy wording on my part. I meant that I liked it least of the ones I have and have heard. I don't own and have never heard the other two you mentioned.