i have to say, i really like what YB had to say about these lists...sure i could come up with a more "interesting" list by slotting in some things that i'm sure not many here have heard, or different genres...but f that. these are the 20 albums i loved the most this year. and what a damn good year it was. in a just world, the top 3 here will be looked back upon as absolute classics 20 years on from now. but for now i'll settle with the fact that they are instant entries into my own personal listmania.

so anyways, without further ado, mom jeans:

1. fleet foxes - helplessness blues
2. bon iver - bon iver, bon iver
3. iron & wine - kiss each other clean
4. the war on drugs - slave ambient
5. wye oak - civilian
6. wilco - the whole love
7. jonathan wilson - gentle spirit
8. yuck - s/t
9. vetiver - the errant charm
10. dawes - nothing is wrong

11. real estate - days
12. aa bondy - believers
13. kurt vile - smoke ring for my halo
14. laura marling - a creature i don't know
15. the feelies - here before
16. elbow - build a rocket boys!
17. tinariwen - tassili - ooooh, interesting! not really, this one has nels cline, kip and tunde from tvotr AND the rebirth brass band on it...so it's safe
18. ryan adams - ashes & fire
19. alela diane - alela diane & the wild divine
20. charles bradley - no time for dreaming


in the "not bad, but you can do MUCH better" category:

my morning jacket - circuital
tvotr - nine types of light

also, there's a whole heap of great stuff that is probably interchangeable between that number 20 and 50...really strong year.





ok, now that's out of the way...here's a few that i really liked that i don't think get much (if any) love here:

the amazing - gentle stream - late year release that may have cracked top 20 for me had i had more time to spend with it. the second album from swedish band that features members of Dungen.


carter tanton - free clouds - a few of you might remember the short-lived band Tulsa and their excellent EP I Was Submerged? eh, probably not. anyways, this is the lead singer from that band. this tune in particular would have to be in the running for my personal favorite of the year


meg baird - seasons on earth - the only mention i can remember of her first album (which was also a top 5'er for me) was Kon complaining that he wanted to tear his eardrums out after giving it a listen. a ringing endorsement, i know. anyways, i love her - completely entranced by her vocals. you may recognize her from Espers - but again...probably not.


radio moscow - the great escape of leslie magnafuzz - if you can't get enough of that "black keys sound" (terrible i know)...slightly more psychedelic IMO. 3rd great album from these guys


steve kilbey & martin kennedy - white magic - another beautiful, atmospheric album from these two. if you know who either of them are, there is no reason you should not have this album


onward to 2012!

Looks similar to my playlist haha

I'd like to hear more about the theoretical underpinnings of the safe, boring and predictable.

I think I'll be spending more time with that Jonathan Wilson record in 2012.

Nice list. Wonder where the Bats and Kilgour panned out for you. The more I listen to that Kilgour the more I wish I had spent time with it.

that radio moscow track is pretty rad. i will have to check them out.

i like dawes & a.a. bondy.

That Carter Tanton is pretty good. Never warmed up to it majorly, maybe a few more listens will help. I'll drive around with it today.

for me, it's the evolution of "NPR musics" or "Dad Rock". i kinda chuckle about the whole thing really though. there is a radio station here, KBCO, that is just so stereotypical Boulder, Colorado. they run these adds where a random boulderite says something like "hey, i'm Mike...i like to telemark, rock climb and run marathons. i LOVE dave matthews, spearhead and john mayer. I AM KBCO"

i feel that i am the KBCO of obner.

i really liked The Bats...their best since Daddy's Highway imo. it wouldn't be that far off the top 20. i always like Kilgour, but like you...i just haven't spent enough time with it.



i think it suffers from having the best song first. the rest definitely reveals itself upon further listens. give it some time.

I like that Wye Oak album a lot.

My favorite "safe and boring" album of 2011!

we can at least hi-five to the EPIC FAIL that was the Jets season?

awesome.

i do love that album though. there are times i think it could be my favorite of the year - usually when i'm listening to it.

true.

elbow!!!!!!

Surprised to not see Seun Kuti on your list. Not that I'm recommending it. I downloaded it very early in the year and still haven't got around to giving it a first listen. For what it's worth though, it got good reviews so I was expecting you to have it somewhere on your list.

it is a great album, better than his first. i'm sure it has a spot somewhere between 21-50. when i have time, if not just for myself, i would like to try to flesh out my list to at least 50.