Best albums of 2011, part 2 (our top 25)

Previously, we posted our collective picks for albums 50 through 26. Today we bring you our top 25 albums for 2011.

25. Wye Oak - Civilian (2 votes, 93 points)

Singer Jenn Wasner has a smokey, emotive stoicism that leaves you feeling as though you were there when it all happened. The music doesn't let you down, but it's not upbeat by any stretch of the imagination. Still, one of my favorite albums of this year. Very much a "time and place" album. - RB

Jenn Wasner is a great songwriter, a great singer, and a great guitarist. The result is almost magical. And no, this isn't cheery listening, but "Holy Holy" and "Civilian" are epic tracks. - dw

24. James Blake - James Blake (3 votes, 97 points)

In a time when dubstep is becoming the new Autotune, James Blake manages to take it in a new, quieter direction. And he pretty well succeeds at it. - dw

Another album I should placed higher. Quickly becoming one of my current favorites. Haunting. Like the love child of Bon Iver and Crystal Castles. - GR

23. P.J. Harvey - Let England Shake (4 votes, 98 points)

I'm not a huge P.J. Harvey fan, but it was nice to hear from her again. This album is a sort of love letter from the artist to her homeland. - AC

Yes, it is a very British record from a mercurial woman who would make an entire album played on spoons and a washboard if she could. But like a good, old single malt, you have to know what you're drinking to appreciate, and if you know what you're drinking, you're going to know what's great and what's brown liquor. And you have to tolerate a certain amount of peat and smoke to understand what's great. Polly Jean Harvey makes albums about being British. And being British means confronting their recent wars, the grief over what was lost in the Great War and what has been lost in Iraq and Afghanistan, and really, what does being British mean? Her words are at times grotesque (Soliders falling like lumps of meat, e.g.), but every word is well-thought and well-crafted. Much as how The Suburbs was less about "here's what's wrong with the suburbs" and more about "these are stories from the suburbs," this is an album about being British, not about how horrible the British are. And in the hands of one of the greatest woman rockers in history, it's a beautiful declaration of ugly, lovely love for England. - dw

22. The Black Keys - El Camino (3 votes, 101 points)

Since our deadline to submit albums happened before this one was released, I didn't include El Camino in my list. Now I wish I had. It's a terrific, loose album -- the Black Keys unleashed. - AC

Gave it a listen. To borrow a roller derby reffing term, this would have had no impact on my list. - TN

I've been listening to The Black Keys since I was writing for Australian indie/punk rock magazine Blunt and was tasked with reviewing Thickfreakness and one of their shows in 2003. They've come a long way from recording lo-fi blues on a Tascam 388 and not being able to sell out a club with a capacity of 250. They were a revelation back then, and they're something I look forward to every couple of years now. This album is really solid, if a little watered-down from their previous offerings. Still one of the best of 2011. - GR

El Camino puts the pedal to the metal with the opening track Lonely Boy and never looks back. One of the best of 2011. - MG

Shoulda had it out two weeks earlier, fellas. - CD

I wish I'd been able to listen to this one before we put our lists together because I'm really enjoying it so far. It appears they've opted not to make the album available on streaming services, but this one is actually worth buying. - AW

21. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto (4 votes, 103 points)

Yes, it’s Coldplay, and I feel like I’m not supposed to like Coldplay. But Mylo Xyloto is pretty catchy from beginning to end. - AC

I wasn't thrilled with the first single, but the album is solid. -CD

It's so funny that Andy said he feels like he's not supposed to like Coldplay. That's exactly how I feel. Why is that? Whatever, I like this album a lot and included it in my top 10. - AW

20. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds (4 votes, 106 points)

The Oasis front man spreads his wings and flies solo. A nice effort. I was surprised to see it make the top 20 of our list. - AC

Me too. Really enjoyable listen. I feel like these guys should get together with Beady Eye and make a record together. -CD

Noel Gallagher's first solo effort since the demise of Oasis is surprisingly fun to listen to. Especially when compared to the atrocity that is Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye. Just goes to show that Noel was Oasis. - JG

19. The Drive By Truckers - Go-Go Boots (4 votes, 112 points)

I keep hoping that the Truckers will get it together and create an album as cohesive as their magnificent Southern Rock Opera. This isn’t it. It has its standout tunes, most notably the first track “I Do Believe” and “Everybody Needs Love,” but even for a die-hard DBT fan like me, some of the southern gothic shtick is starting to get old. - AC

Any album by the Athens, Ga. roots rockers is bound to contain wonderfully twisted storylines, cheating lovers and dead bodies. In that context, this album does not disappoint. - TN

18. TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light (4 votes, 115 points)

This one didn't make my personal top 50. Rather disappointing, I think. - AC

I didn't find it disappointing. Maybe a little overwrought, not as good as earlier works, but still a great piece of indie pop. - dw

Not their best, but even that's better than most everything else out there. - GR

17. Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch the Throne (4 votes, 123 points)

Everything about this album is "boys behaving badly and loving it." The beats are off the charts, the rhymes superfluous but fun. La Roux and Bon Iver (yes, that's him) check in and Frank Ocean is hip-hop's rookie of the year after contributing his vocals on the lead track "No Church In The Wild." - RB

This album would be so much better if Kanye never opened his mouth. - GR

16. Foster the People - Torches (3 votes, 131 points)

An album full of catchy tunes that just kept growing and growing on me, despite my best efforts to ignore it. The L.A. band’s “Pumped Up Kicks” has to be the earworm of the year. Every track on this album is catchy, and if you can get past the poppiness to tune in to the message of the lyrics, so much more the better. - AC

"Pumped Up Kicks" was the single of the summer. Other decent tracks, but just couldn't get into the whole album. - TN

This felt like a guilty pleasure. A lot of enjoyable songs, but it's more hooks than craft. The definitive party album of the year. - dw

This is a great album to play over and over when you're doing something tedious at work. I really like it, and I haven't gotten tired of it yet (which says something). - AW

Bonus: For those of you sick of "Pumped Up Kicks," try the acoustic version:



15. The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow (5 votes, 132 points)

They shift gears, play well off each others vocals and give the best country album of the year on Barton Hollow. Standout tracks for me include "Barton Hollow, I've Got This Friend and Girl With The Red Balloon." - RB

I did not like this album. I know they promote themselves as being a collaboration between two non-lovers, but maybe for as destructive band relationships can be (sometimes taking out a promising duo like Eastmountainsouth or ultimately leading to the end of the band like Sonic Youth), that relationship tension is what creates the interesting sound. The Civil Wars are uninteresting. - dw

Love. I don't even know what else to say. It's a beautiful album. - AW

14. Adele - 21 (6 votes, 136 points)

At the ripe old age of 21, Adele has become heiress to the jazz-pop singer throne vacated by Amy Winehouse. - AC

Heiress? She damn well stormed into the throne room and took the chair herself this year. After years of white British girls nibbling at the edges, Adele blows right past Amy and Joss Stone to get into the jazz/pop singer pantheon so dominated by Americans. And she's only 21. - dw

Absolutely stunning album. I hope Adele sticks around a lot longer than her predecessors. - GR

Adele just kept resurfacing this summer. I kept trying to avoid her and with each track -- from "Rumor Has It" to "Rolling In The Deep," she just kept showing up on my radar. - RB

While not my type of music, Adele has a voice that can't be denied. One of the few albums that my entire family enjoys. - MG

There's no denying that the girl's got a voice. It's so very refreshing to see a truly talented female artist getting recognition, one who doesn't need to be autotuned or choreographed. - AW

While Adele's incredible voice can't be denied, the songwriting on 21 is mediocre at best. I mean, there's only 1 song on the entire record! - JG

13. R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now (4 votes, 162 points)

How on earth did this make it only to the No. 13 spot on our list? Collapse Into Now was my pick for album of the year. Ah, well, that's consensus for you, I guess. Even before R.E.M. announced that they were breaking up for good, I had more or less christened this as my favorite album for 2011. R.E.M. has always been masterful at articulating self-aware alienation and putting it to music. With their previous release, 2008’s Accelerate, the band wavered a bit. But they returned to form with Collapse Into Now, their strongest release since Automatic for the People. There isn’t a weak track on the album. Favorite tracks: “Oh My Heart” (about post-Katrina New Orleans), “UBerlin” and “Every Day Is Yours To Win.” - AC

If this is how R.E.M. is going out, it's a good way to go. - dw

One of the most important bands in the history of American rock goes out on top. - MG

12. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (5 votes, 163 points)

I didn't enjoy this when I first heard it. Then I revisited and felt differently. There is no real parallel for what Fleet Foxes output these days. Emotive, ethereal and even serene...no sophomore slump from these guys. -RB

Unlike Ron, countless revisits didn't help me find much love for this album. A Brian Wilson-like tenor kicks off the opening track, “Montezuma,” and gives me some hope for this album. But despite strong lyrics and mellifluous, flowing tunes, there’s a little too much mellow and not enough flow for my liking. Helplessness Blues is too inconsistent to hold my interest for long. “Sim Sala Bim,” for instance, starts out quietly, and rather boringly, but then transitions quickly into a mandolin jam fit for Led Zeppelin IV. Then the next track, “Battery Kinzie,” begins like a bad Simon and Garfunkel song. Too often, as with the experimental“The Shrine/An Argument,” the songs just fall apart. Still, tunes like the title track demonstrate Fleet Foxes have amazing talent. If they could just put it all together. - AC

I don't get it. Probably never will. - TN (Me too. -CD)

Man, so much hate for the Foxes. And yeah, maybe I'm biased by being a Seattleite, but seriously. Right after Fleet Foxes' eponymous album came out, I was at a Seattle bloggers event and talking music to, among many, No Depression and New York Times music writer Kim Ruehl. "I think Fleet Foxes sounds like the second coming of Fairport Convention," I said. Kim gave me this look like I'd just suggested that George W. Bush was the second coming of Abraham Lincoln. But Helplessness Blues, I think, reinforces that idea -- it really does sound like a throwback to those heady, glorious days of British folk in the early 70s, but with their own American twists. They're better than Mumford and Sons. I just wish the rest of the world (and the rest of the reviewers!) would finally acknowledge it. - dw

My top album this year. And I don't regret it. These guys are always shoehorned into the folk category, but I think that's underselling what they're doing. - GR

Yeah, never understood the hype around Fleet Foxes. Still don't think they're that original. - JG

11. Cults - Cults (4 votes, 170 points)

Usually when I play bands people haven't heard of, they complain. When I played Cults this summer, folks consistently asked me who they were. Upbeat, fun and containing a tinge of 60s pop flavor, Cults hit the scene with aplomb. - RB

A nice debut by Madeline Folin and Brian Oblivion. Jingly shoegaze pop that features sampled quotes from various cult figures and psycho killers. Nice relevant touch, no? - AC

10. My Morning Jacket - Circuital (7 votes, 171 points)

Jim James and company have finally put together an album that feels cohesive, even while showcasing the band's diversity of talents and stylings. - AC

To be brutally honest, this album bored me. I tried, I really tried to like it, but ultimately I gave up. - dw

I'm with Dylan. I suppose if I sat in a dark room with headphones and really dug in, but... nah. -CD

I'm a fan of My Morning Jacket, and while not their best album, I thought Circuital was good, and one of the better albums of the year. - JG

9. Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys (6 votes, 184 points)

Until this album, I was not much of a DCFC fan. But Codes and Keys has made me rethink my preconceptions. Some great lyrics on songs like writing and a tighter production than previous efforts. - AC

>This is a comfortable and tidy record, which is to say fairly uninteresting in Death Cab for Cutie terms. Is it wrong that I hope Ben Gibbard's breakup with Zooey Deschanel will bring the band back to better material? - TN

My list had a heavy Seattle/Northwest bias this year. But this album didn't make the cut. DCFC is repeating themselves of late, and like a photocopy that's been recopied over and over, they're losing definition. - dw

An average effort from DCFC. I gave it several listens when it came out, but only a couple of songs have stuck. - MG

I got this one from the library too, didn't like it, brought it back. My wife had the next hold on it; she loved it. Whatever. -CD

Sorry. Once again Gibbard & Co. leave me disappointed and wishing for the sounds of Photo Album or Something Like Airplanes. - JG

8. Ryan Adams - Ashes and Fire (6 votes, 191 points)

As far as Ryan Adams and I are concerned, the rawer his music the better. This album has some terrific tracks, typical of Adams’ superb songwriting style. But overall I think Ashes and Fire suffers from a bit too much production, and maybe too many guest appearances (like Norah Jones). Still, solid writing, with tracks like “Lucky Now” offering Adams’ fans a glimpse of the artist confronting his own mortality. - AC

It takes some getting used to, this happier and mellower Ryan Adams, but the outstanding songwriting and songcraft remain. "Lucky Now" is easily one of the top singles of the year. - TN

One reviewer called this album "Saturday morning housecleaning music." It's a nice sounding album, but it sounds like background music. And Ryan Adams shouldn't be background music. - dw

It's a pleasant listen and it's still unmistakably Ryan Adams. His mindset has changed, and I'm happy for him. I think there's a lot of fuel back in his tank, which can only be a good thing. Not oozing bare emotion like his past work, which is a bit of a let down, but it remains in my rotation. - GR

Ryan Adams is the kind of guy I should like, but I just can't seem to fit him into my groove anywhere. This album did nothing for me. - CD

I have a confession. I have never once listened to Ryan Adams. I couldn't even name a Ryan Adams song if you asked me to. I promise to check him out in 2012. - AW

Besides loving the story behind this album, this is the best record Ryan has written since Jacksonville City Nights. It proves that he is able to write good songs even when he isn't strung out of his mind on God-knows-what substance. Solid, not his best, but one of the better albums of the year. - JG

7. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (6 votes, 197 points)

This band, named for a galaxy (Messier 83), certainly produced one of the most out-of-this-world concept albums that I heard this year. The dreamscape mixes a range of influences, form the stylings of Peter Gabriel’s So to School of Seven Bells to classic Pink Floyd. And you never quite know where the dreamscape is going. For example, track 5 -- “Wait” -- starts off sounding like a commercial for Cialis but ends up sounding like a missing cut from Dark Side of the Moon. This album is uneven but beautiful. - AC

I liked this album, but to be honest, I'm still digesting it. I couldn't go without recognizing it, because it's very good. -RB

6. Gillian Welch - The Harrow and the Harvest (7 votes, 223 points)

Mellow and melodic, with that old-timey influence that Gillian Welch brings to all of her recordings. - AC

I can't believe how disappointed I am with this album after the eight year wait. It's dull and a little too lifeless. I won't say this is Gillian Welch's Duke Nukem Forever, but come on, Gillian, you're better than this! - dw

There is something about the combination of Gillian Welch's voice and acoustic guitars that I find haunting and memorable. I've been burning a lot of midnight oil to this one lately. - MG

5. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead (6 votes, 238 points)

Finally! The Decemberists drop the sea shanties (for the most part) and create a roots-rock album I can appreciate. Lots of Neil Young influence, and with R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck contributing his distinctive style to some of the best tracks (“Calamity Song,” “Rox in the Box”), The King Is Dead stands strong as one of the year’s best. - AC

R.E.M. released their best album in years. The Decemberists, however, released the best R.E.M. album in years. - dw

The King is Dead sounds exactly like it was ripped off of Damion Suomi's self-titled album of two years ago. Did I like it? Yes. But I loved Damion Suomi's album. Was I underwhelmed? TOTALLY. - JG

4. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials (6 votes, 248 points)

Florence Welch may have the most amazing pipes in the business today, as demonstrated on Florence + The Machine’s previous release, appropriately named Lungs. Florence can belt it out with the best of them (read: Adele) but can tone it down to a smooth, luxurious honeydripper voice, channeling Annie Lennox. On Ceremonials, she not only benefits from the backing of great musicians, but also from slick production. An outstanding album. - AC

The combination of Florence Welch's tour-de-force vocals and the imaginative arrangements on this set can be breathtaking. Captivating tracks such as "Only If For A Night," "Shake It Out" and "Never Let Me Go," among many others, show that Flo has leapt to the top ranks of female singer-songwriters on today's scene. - TN

Easily one of the best albums of the year. Just a joy to listen to. - RB

Florence Welch is the best female vocalist going, and that's saying something. A tour de force and one of the year's best. - MG

Nope. I don't get the hype. Horrible vibrato, ridiculously poor pitch, crappy production, and some of the most boring songwriting I've heard in a long while. - JG

3. Feist - Metals (7 votes, 250 points)

I've never had a Feist album where I could get more than one or two song to hold my attention at a time. Metals is easily her most accessible release to date. In the past, she's always demonstrated a vocal range that few can match and even a kind of soul that doesn't get invoked nearly enough in indie singer-songwriter tunes. Standout tracks include "The Bad In Each Other, The Circle Married The Line, Undiscovered First & How Come You Never Go There." - RB

Her follow-up to can't match the sterling standard set by "The Reminder," but listening to her voice deliciously treat words like cherished lovers is always a pleasure. - TN

Metals eschews some of the poppy hooks of The Reminder for something that sounds more parlor music. But it brings out an intimacy and a maturity in her voice and her lyrics in the process. And I'd agree with Ron on Feist having a kind of soul voice now, and I think it suits her well. A nice album for a cold, rainy Sunday afternoon. - dw

Feist makes me fall in love with female vocals (even more so than usual) every time I fire up this album. I made a playlist in iTunes of all the music I have with women on lead vocals just because this album made me want to consistently listen to more. I haven't felt this way about a vocalist since Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses, The Breeders, Belly). - GR

Feist has grown up and her sound has matured. This is a good thing and a great album. - MG

2. Wilco - The Whole Love (6 votes, 264 points)

After a couple of rootsy, meandering albums, Jeff Tweedy and company get experimental again, with shades of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot reverberating throughout The Whole Love. There are some bright spots here, but unlike that earlier effort, this one doesn’t quite gel. On The Whole Love, the band saved the best for last, the 12:04 anthem “Once Sunday Morning.” - AC

I'm thankful Wilco managed to wander back toward the era that saw it emerge from the Alt-Country pantheon and become the manic, vibrato-saturated, avante roots rock

A great album. The Art of Almost may be my favorite song of the year and the epic One Sunday Morning is a song I'll be playing until my dying days. - MG

What do you say? Better than Wilco The Album, not as good as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or A Ghost is Born, but definitely harkening back to their better stuff. Tweedy is hit or miss, but this album he hit. - JG

1. Bon Iver - Bon Iver (7 votes, 306 points)

I gotta admit, I wasn’t even planning to listen to this at first. I was so disappointed with Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, even though it was the darling of many music critics, that I had abandoned hope. But I gave Bon Iver a shot, and found this self-titled release to be the most majestic thing I’ve heard in a while. The ghost of Aaron Copland must have been guiding singer-songwriter Justin Vernon as he envisioned tracks like “Calgary” and “Holocene.” Bon Iver is a big album. This is not a disappointment. - AC

One of the interesting notes about Bon Iver is that while it got the most votes of all the reviewers, it failed to garner a single first place vote. It didn't finish first on my ballot (settling for third) because I felt the two albums ahead of it were better technically and more daring. That said... this is miles ahead of For Emma. I've gone back to Bon Iver over and over again all year long and found something new every time amid the melancholy. It's about the only album that makes me stop what I'm doing just to listen to it. Yes, "Beth/Rest" is the Howard Jones/Kenny G collaboration that thankfully has never happened, but the rest of the album is quiet genius. - dw

I expect this to be album of the year for most critics. The fact that our little band of eclectic higher ed music critics also voted it #1 is a testament to its wide ranging appeal. - MG

Weird. This doesn't sound anything like Bon Jovi at all. I'm going back and listening to "Slippery When Wet" instead. -CD

Best albums of 2011, part 1 (50-26)

The results are in, our lists are compiled, and we are ready to present to you our picks for our 50 favorite albums of 2011.

First, a bit about methodology. How did this list come about? First, we each compiled our own individual lists, then combined those lists and ranked our favorites and assigning a point value for each. Each number-one pick received 50 points, number two received 49, number three got 48, and so on down the line. Among our 11 judges this year, no album received votes from all 11, but four albums made it to the ballots of seven judges. Each of us submitted our choices for a minimum of 10 albums and a maximum of 50.

Here are albums 50 through 26. We will post the top 25 a bit later.

P.S. - A partial Spotify playlist of tunes from these albums is linked at the bottom.

50. Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (2 votes, 55 points)

Mogwai gets style points for the album title alone. - AC

This album was one of the first ones I really enjoyed this year. I'd never spent a lot of time with Mogwai before this LP, but it's just such a great background noise album. Certainly worth adding to your list if you're one of those "sit at your desk all-day" types. - RB

Ditto on AC's point. This was my favorite album title of the year. As for the music, Mogwai rarely misses a beat, and this is no exception. Incredible soundscapes and an uncanny ability to blend ambient/noise electronic with elements of post-hardcore. - GR

47 (tie). Danger Mouse & Danielle Luppi - Rome (2 votes, 56 points)

Danger Mouse seems on a concept album kick of late -- first the Dark Night Of The Soul recording with the late Mark Linkous, and now this piece, a kind of tribute to the spaghetti Western soundtrack (the same music that was the backbone of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy.") Ultimately, though, while it's nicely done, it's just not as emotionally satisfying as Dark Night Of The Soul was. - dw

This was one of my top albums this year. Danger Mouse has unquestionably sound musicianship, the concept for the album (spaghetti Western soundtracks) makes for a familiar feel with a unique palette, and multiple collaborations with both Jack White and Norah Jones? Come on. - GR

47 (tie). Social Distortion - Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes (2 votes, 56 points)

While this album sounded more like the Black Crowes than vintage Social D, it worked for me. This had a permanent home in my car CD changer this summer. - MG

Yeah, I can see the Black Crowes here a bit (and I type this just as "Jealous Again" comes in on the background), but it definitely still has the Social D punch. -CD

47 (tie). The Strokes - Angles (3 votes, 56 points)

It was good to hear a new release from these guys. But despite a few strong tracks, as a whole this album didn't hold together very well. - AC

And yet, it somehow made our top fifty while Butch Walker gets shafted. /shakes head sadly -CD

I put Angles in my top list as it was one of the few albums I listened to more than once this year. It's not great, but don't feel like 2011 had that much *great* new music. - JG

46. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy (2 votes, 58 points)

St. Vincent seems to be an acquired taste, and despite giving her 2007 release Marry Me several goes, it's a taste I just haven't acquired yet. - AC

Strange Mercy marks the moment when Annie Clark transitioned from being an ingenue singer/songwriter/guitarist into the best singer/songwriter/guitarist in indie rock, period. The songs are confessional, the guitar playing aggressive and soulful, and the singing, well, she still has one of the prettiest voices in hipsterdom. I was transfixed by this record from the first play. - dw

This album has been growing on me. There more I listen, the more I think I should have ranked it higher on my list. I can't help but hear some Flaming Lips influence in here, from the effects used to song construction. Doesn't sound like Coyne, and co. at all, but it has a pleasant degree of crushed psychedelic blues woven into the fabric. - GR

44 (tie). Blitzen Trapper - American Goldwing (2 votes, 59 points)

It's just good ol' fashioned hipster Americana. Enjoyable stuff. - RB

Blitzen Trapper goes more rootsy, and I like it. Great songwriting and just enough 70s Southern-rock guitar that some of the tracks would seem at home on the Dazed and Confused soundtrack. - MD

44 (tie). Fucked Up - David Comes to Life (2 votes, 59 points)

Fucked Up (along with The Menzingers, and the bevy of great folk-punk artists who are gaining steam) is saving punk rock. This is a must listen. - GR

Punk rock died after London Calling. #justsayin - AC

Yes, London Calling is as good as it gets. That being said, David Comes to Life continues the tradition of rock operas and pushes the envelope with a very listenable effort. - MG

43. Tom Morello (The Nightwatchman) - World Wide Rebel Songs (2 votes, 61 points)

This was an unexpected surprise for me. Here is a protest album in the spirit of the 60's and Morello is a much better vocalist than I expected. This was my soundtrack as I watched #OWS unfold this fall. - MG

I love Tom Morello's Nightwatchman stuff; this ramps it up a notch. Well done. -CD

42. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up (2 votes, 64 points)

The cognitive dissonance involved with a rap album on Sub Pop Records was enough for me to give this one a listen. One of the artists in this group was a member of the 90s jazz-rap group Digable Planets. Space-age beats are tight, the rhymes are generally on point. -RB

40 (tie). Cymbals Eat Guitar - Lenses Alien (2 votes, 65 points)

An album that seems to try to go in a lot of different directions. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Uneven but enjoyable, especially if you like a lead vocalist who sounds like a young Tom Petty with a head cold. - AC

I agree with Andrew in that this is uneven, but it's a somewhat enjoyable album to me and feels somewhat like a mix between Circa Survive and Thrice. - RB

40 (tie). Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What (2 votes, 65 points)

A terrific but uneven album by one of pop music’s greatest poet-philosophers. Still creative after all these years, Simon mixes international rhythms and ambient sounds into his well-crafted tunes. So Beautiful or So What stands on its own as a terrific work by someone who continues to create beautiful music. - AC

39. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes (2 votes, 66 points)

The latest Scandinavian pop sensation to catch on, this Swedish singer-songwriter’s haunting quality is worth more than a few listens. - AC

I didn't rate this, because I thought it came out last year. But I do enjoy Lykke Li's work. She's consistently raising her game and this LP is no exception. - RB

38. Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee, Part II (2 votes, 67 points)

It's the Beastie Boys. If they made the same record every year, I think I'd buy it. Fresh. - GR

This was number 2 on my list this year. Granted, there's a a bit of nostalgia in the pick -- the Beastie Boys were my first "real" concert when I was 9 years old -- but this is solid all the way through and my most listened to album of the year. To add to the awesomeness, the amazing short film for "Fight For Your Right (Revisited)" brings Will Ferrell with more cowbell. - MD

37. Noah and the Whale - Last Night on Earth (2 votes, 72 points)

I picked this up on a whim at the library; thought it looked interesting purely from the cover. I was really pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. -CD

36. The Antlers - Burst Apart (3 votes, 73 points)

Just an enjoyable set of tracks here. It's very understated and a different sounding output than their 2009 LP "Hospice." In the era of downloading just the tracks you like, you can turn this one and let it play all the way until the end. - RB

35. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost (3 votes, 74 points)

As a pure rock album, this might be my favorite of the year. - dw

A great album

34. WU LYF - Go Tell Fire To The Mountain (2 votes, 75 points)

I heard this late in my voting cycle, but mostly because I'd been avoiding it for months. It's hard to really peg, but I like the sound a lot. - RB

Who are these guys? Where did they come from? Are they a bunch of guys from Manchester who recorded this album in a church, or are they space aliens who heard Dave Mathews and thought, "Oh, we can do better than THAT" and broadcast it back to us? Regardless, this album is equally parts strange and beautiful. "We Bros" sounds like a frat anthem... if the frat you were in was Sigma Alpha Fleet Foxes. - dw

Count me among the Sigma Alpha Fleet Foxes pledges. - GR

33. Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin' (2 votes, 78 points)

A throwback to a different era of R&B music. The former Tony! Toni! Toné! member has done a heck of a job in the 2000s putting his own fingerprint on soul. Stone Rollin' is his best effort yet. - RB

I came on this one late, but I really liked this modern take on classic soul. - MD

32. Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones (2 votes, 82 points)

Tim Nekritz recommended I give this guy a listen. I’m happy that I did. - AC

My favorite discovery of the year also released what I consider 2011's best. Could be best described as a young Billy Bragg with a better voice. The simple-wisdom set opener "Eulogy," hometown paean "Wessex Boy" and rousing "I Still Believe" are among many standouts. The version with a half-dozen bonus tracks is worth it for the stunning "Balthazar, Impresario" alone. - TN

31. Dum Dum Girls - Only In Dreams (2 votes, 83 points)

On their second full-length release, the Dum Dum Girls dial down the noise to let lead singer Dee Dee Penny’s luxurious vocals break through. The result is a cleaner, more luxurious product. But the Girls still have plenty of kick -- evidenced from the opening track, “Always Looking” -- and enough reverb to keep them connected to their lo-fi roots. - AC

Andrew turned me on to this as I'd forgotten about it completely. This is just an entertaining rock and roll effort. In a world where we have no Sleater-Kinney, Dum Dum Girls gives us a good grrrl rock band to hang our caps on. - RB

OK, I'm a sucker for the retro-girl-band-rock sound, and few acts do it better. The Dum Dum Girls deliver the goods with "Bedroom Eyes," "In My Head," "Coming Down" and other tracks that shake, shimmer and shine. - TN

30. The Foo Fighters - Wasting Light (4 votes, 84 points)

I don't listen to much "modern rock" anymore, but I did give the new Foo Fighters album a spin and enjoyed it. - dw

They consistently put out solid radio rock. They did it again. I won't change the station in my car if a track from this album comes on. But that's probably because I'm lazy. - GR

Nothing earth-shattering here, and not necessarily their finest work, but it's solid. (Can't take the Lemmy tune, though.) -CD

29. Yuck - Yuck (3 votes, 87 points)

The spirit of Dinosaur Jr. lives on. - AC

It's as if the 90s never left. - RB

Don't get me wrong, I like Yuck's nostalgic throwback to the days I was a college student jamming to Teenage Fanclub, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr. It's as warm and comfortable as one of those flannel shirts I wore. But it feels too nostalgic. And it makes me feel damn old. It's dad-rock not because it's something your dad would like, it's dad-rock because I AM A DAD NOW. - dw

I didn't catch this one before I made my list. Wish I had. A throwback to the days when "alternative" rock was actually a legit sound. - GR

26 (tie). Radiohead - The King of Limbs (4 votes, 89 points)

Radiohead's name-your-own-price approach to their previous album, In Rainbows, spoiled me. I listened to a few cuts from this album, but didn't buy it. - AC

If you like Radiohead, worth a listen. - TN

Radiohead was overdue for a dud. - dw

A solid "meh." - GR

Boooooring. -CD

I bought the newspaper album edition and while The King of Limbs is no OK Computer or Amnesiac it's an interesting, experimental record. I still enjoyed it. - JG

26 (tie). Laura Marling - A Creature I Don't Know (2 votes, 89 points)

I'm really torn on Laura Marling. She's an immense talent, a once a generation folk singer. On the other hand, she still sounds 21 and immature, and she's still not fully translated that immense talent into what she could be. I hate to say she's the Ryan Adams of British music, but I have the same "this is good, now show me great" feeling about her albums. In fact, I wonder what it'd sound like to have them in the same room... oh wait, they have been! - dw

What Dylan fails to mention is that Ryan Adams feels it's the opposite. Disregarding the fact that DW says Ryan Adams is "good but not great" – okay, not disregarding it... Ryan Adams has the respect of a ridiculously large body of legendary musicians and producers, recorded with Elton John, produced a Willie Nelson album, has his music known all over the world even if people still ask "Bryan Adams???", and puts on one of the greatest live shows I've ever seen... has DW listened to Heartbreaker? Or Pneumonia? /rant – at 21 Laura Marling sounds a helluva lot more mature than someone like Adele, writing some of the most haunting heart wrenching songs I've heard from anyone at any age. So much so that Ryan Adams scrapped his nearly finished record to re-record Ashes & Fire because he didn't feel his songwriting compared to Marling's. If anything I would argue that Marling showed us great in 2010's I Speak Because I Can and this year she has given us really good. A Creature I Don't Know is a more than solid record with 3 or 4 pure gold songs like Sophia, Salinas, and All My Rage. If you don't appreciate folk, you won't appreciate this album. And though I don't believe it is her most exciting work, it was the best album – complete album – I heard this year. - JG

26 (tie). Ben Folds - The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective (2 votes, 89 points)

I don't count retrospectives on own my year-end list, but everything Ben does is solid. - TN

This went high on my list because there's a ton of value here, and a ton of stuff you haven't heard. Three-disc retrospective done right. -CD

I was so glad I wasn't alone in including this album. Sure, we've heard much of this before, but this is a great collection for Ben Folds fans. - AW

Spotify playlist

Tim Nekritz offers a Sweet 16.

Once again, friend and fellow music fan Andrew Careaga asked me to participate in his HigherEd Music Critics combined countdown this year. From my perspective, 2011 brought too many good albums for a Top 10, so I did a Sweet 16 instead.

16. Rachel Yamagata, "Chesapeake." I keep waiting for Yamagata's material to catch up with her voice, which is warm and sweet as honey. Still waiting, but it's not the worst wait in the world.

15. Death Cab for Cutie, "Codes and Keys." This is a comfortable and tidy record, which is to say fairly uninteresting in Death Cab for Cutie terms. Is it wrong to muse that Ben Gibbard's breakup with Zooey Deschanel may bring DCfC back to better material?

14, The Rural Alberta Advantage, "Departing." I generally liken them to a Canadian version of Neutral Milk Hotel, and while the RAA's second full-length album isn't as good as their debut "Hometowns," it's an intriguingly offbeat effort.

13. Drive-By Truckers, "Go Go Boots." Any album by the Athens, Ga. roots rockers is bound to contain wonderfully twisted storylines, cheating lovers and dead bodies. In that context, this album does not disappoint.

12. Ryan Adams, "Ashes and Fire." It takes some getting used to, this happier and mellower Ryan Adams, but the outstanding songwriting and songcraft remain. "Lucky Now" is easily one of the top singles of the year.

11. City and Colour, "Little Hell." With gems like "We Found Each Other in the Dark," "Grand Optimist" and "Northern Wind," singer/songwriter Dallas Green continues to excel.

10. Feist, "Metals." Her follow-up can't match the sterling standard set by "The Reminder," but listening to her voice deliciously treat words like cherished lovers is always a pleasure.

9. Mother Mother, "Eureka." This album from the quirky Canadian band features two superlative tracks -- "The Stand" and "Baby Don't Dance" -- plus enough other good songs to warrant attention.

8. Dum Dum Girls, "Only In Dreams." OK, I'm a sucker for the retro-girl-band-rock sound, and few acts do it better. The Dum Dum Girls deliver the goods with "Bedroom Eyes," "In My Head," "Coming Down" and other tracks that shake, shimmer and shine.

7. Big Talk, "Big Talk." As much as I love Brandon Flowers, this album by Killers drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. shows talent runs deep in the band. Big Talk delivers relentlessly Killeresque catchy riffs drawing influences ranging from Big Star to the Cars, pulsing through top tracks like "Katzenjammer," "Replica" and "Girl at Sunrise."

6. Colin Devlin, "Democracy of One." Whether in the Devlins or on his own, Colin Devlin offers lightly tinged Irish vocals and often deceptively dark lyrics over cinematic backdrops. "The Heart Won't Be Denied," "Raise the Dead" and the title track show this combination in fine form.

5. Matthew Good, "Lights of Endangered Species." One of Canada's best singer-songwriters never stands still, as this album injects strings and horn sections into his brooding, captivating material. He's done better albums, but songs like "Zero Orchestra," "Extraordinary Fades" and "Non Populus" lead a strong lineup.

4. The Damnwells, "No One Listens to the Band Anymore." I have a bias with this album, since I supported it via their Pledge Music fund drive, but the results speak for themselves. Not a bad track here, and in a fairer world, marvelous melodies like "Feast of Hearts," "Werewolves" and "The Monster" would easily merit plenty of radio airplay.

3. The Wiyos, "Twist." How can you NOT love a rocking retro-jazz/blues/Vaudeville album nodding to "The Wizard of Oz" and beginning with the lines "Last night my house came down on the witch/Now Munchkinland round here's got one less b*tch." The songwriting, musicality and atmosphere on this whole effort just deserve so much attention, and even admiration.

2. Florence + The Machines, "Ceremonials." The combination of Florence Welch's tour-de-force vocals and the imaginative arrangements on this set can be breathtaking. Captivating tracks such as "Only If For A Night," "Shake It Out" and "Never Let Me Go," among many others, show that Flo has leapt to the top ranks of female singer-songwriters on today's scene.

1. Frank Turner, "England Keep My Bones." My favorite discovery of the year also released what I consider 2011's best record. Could be best described as a young Billy Bragg with a better voice. The simple-wisdom set opener "Eulogy," hometown paean "Wessex Boy" and rousing "I Still Believe" are among many standouts. The version with a half-dozen bonus tracks is worth it for the stunning "Balthazar, Impresario" alone.

Top music news of 2011

Thinking back on the big music-related happenings of this year, five stories and trends seemed to take center-stage, at least from my perspective.

5. Amy Winehouse, RIP. The troubled “Rehab” singer’s death at age 27 (July 23, 2011) brought immediate comparisons to Janice Joplin, another soulful femme who died of a drug overdose at the same age. Whether the comparisons are fair or not, the news of another talented but troubled musician who left the stage too soon was tragic news for many music fans. But her music lives on, as a new album of unreleased material is coming out just in time for the holidays.



4. Enter the new divas. While Amy Winehouse’s death may have left a void for some music fans, 2011 saw many other female acts step up. Most visible was Adele, a crooner who drew inspiration from Winehouse’s jazzy style. Rihanna never left, and showed up in the oddest places, including a Coldplay track. Lykke Li brought a fresh new voice from Scandinavia, Fiest made a comeback and Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine) came on strong toward the end of the year.



3. R.E.M. calls it quits. “You mean they were still around?” So asked one Facebook friend in her status update upon hearing the news that, after 30 years, one of the greatest rock bands of my generation announced they were breaking up. Unlike many bands, however, Michael Stipe and company left on a high note, on the heels of one of the group’s strongest albums in years, Collapse Into Now.



2. Going Gaga -- for 99 cents. When Amazon decided to offer an mp3 version of Lady Gaga’s latest album, Born This Way, for 99 cents, they discovered that even their servers couldn’t handle the demand of Gaga’s little monsters. And curiosity seekers, like me, who decided it was worth a buck to download the album. But was it really worth the buck?



1. Get on my cloud. But which one? Cloud music services burgeoned in 2011. Amazon’s cloud music service, digital streaming service Spotify opening to the U.S. and the public launch of Google Music all could change the music game. Both Amazon and Google Music allow users to upload their own tunes to the cloud, while Spotify lets you play tunes from your hard drive while also accessing music from the cloudstream. Is cloud music the wave of the future? Some in the music business aren’t enamored of streaming services. One distributor, STHoldings, which represents 200 (mostly small) labels, recently announced it was withdrawing its entire catalog from Spotify, Napster, Rdio and similar services. But that may not mean much to Spotify, which announced today that it was launching a platform for third-party apps. That could be the biggest news of the year for the music business, and could also impact publishing and other sectors.

Oldies but Goodies: Five Albums You (Might) Have Missed The First Time

While I've been preening my list and checking it twice getting ready for this year's installment of Higher Ed Music Critics, I can honestly say I've spent more of 2011 listening to stuff released well before it than any other year in the past. There's no real rhyme or reason for this, it's just worked out that way.

I've decided to whet the thistle of your playlist appetite by digging into my virtual vault to pull out a few notable pieces that have gotten some playing time in the past year or so.

Black Tambourine (2010)

Black Tambourine were a twee-pop act that hailed from Maryland of all places, at a time when most indie pop acts were coming over from the UK. Slumberland Records released a compilation of their complete records with six more songs last year (hence the 2010) but these guys were a blip on the screen in the early 90s. Despite having a very short lifespan, they're considered one of the major influencers of a dozen or so major indie rock acts that you can hear today ranging from Vivian Girls to Frankie Rose & The Outs and one of my favorites of this year, Crystal Stilts.  

If you like indie pop, there are no words for me to describe how great this LP is. Just play it and it'll fill in the blanks for you.

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (1966)

I have a wistful memory of "oldies" music, because it reminds me of fishing trips with my grandfather growing up. He always had the oldies station playing and a few songs stayed in my memory over the years, most notable among these The Beach Boys tracks. I had no idea how good this album was or how "ahead of its time" it was when it released. Pet Sounds holds up extremely well over forty-five years later.

Madrugada - Industrial Silence (1999)

I don't know when I first ran into Madrugada, but I have to say they've lept to the top of my favorite bands list after spending some quality time over the past year with their catalog. Their debut LP, Industrial Silence is what I like to call "the best alternative album no one's ever heard." A band from Norway, these guys slipped under the radar in the pre-MP3 era and faded into obscurity before they could develop anything other than a underground fan base. But their sound is a kind of proto-grunge that sounds great.

Blacktop - I've Got A Baaad Feeling About This (The Complete Records) (2003)

Mick Collins is a Detroit scenester who has been putting out music for well over two decades with a bevy of bands most notably The Dirtbombs. Blacktop is one of his many short-lived side projects, but in my opinion is the absolute best. It's garage rock at its finest, recorded from 1994-96 during the band's short lifespan. It's upbeat, shake the sand out of your feet from the beach rock and roll that you don't hear people making much anymore. Much less from fifteen years ago never to be heard from. This stuff is the goods, no doubt.

Ultimate Spinach (1967)

I like contemporary psychedelic bands like Dead Meadow, The Black Angels, Tame Impala and Dungen, so it made sense at some point to go back and listen to older bands that I might have enjoyed from the actual era. I'm pretty sure that Ultimate Spinach was recommended to me by last.fm sometime last year and I dove in head first. It's not my favorite band of that era and it's a real headtrip, but it's pretty good stuff anyway.

So there you go. None of these were released in 2011, but they're all worth adding to your musical buffet of delights. Enjoy!

Ron Bronson has been in a perpetual state of redesign. He is currently the webmaster at Eastern Wyoming College. He blogs less frequently these days at edustir.com.

Personal Top 5 - Ron Bronson

My Top 50 albums list was comprised of a cacophony of genres, representative of how I listen to music most of the time. From classical to indie, folk to jazz, hip-hop to metal, 2010 offered up a delicious buffet of musical tastes and I choose to sample from all over the map. In the end, I had to choose five albums that stood out among the rest.

Here they are:

5. Curren$y - Pilot Talk

Quite possibly the hardest working man in hip-hop this year, New Orleans native Curren$y finally hit the mainstream in 2010 releasing Pilot Talk in July and Pilot Talk II in late November. (Pitchfork gave both albums over an 8.) He rhymes a lot about what you'd consider usual rap fare -- girls, cars and his consumption of a curious product sold in Colorado dispensaries -- but what makes this brilliant is his laid-back, workmen like approach to the craft.

This isn't radio-friendly music by any stretch and the tracks aren't rife with choruses that always make them memorable. Instead, it's got the feel and flow of a mixtape, but without the abruptness and is good enough to be background music. His wordplay is second-to-none and in contrast to say, Kanye West, his braggadocio is demonstrated through the work his does on tracks.

The best hip-hop album of the year, hands down.

Standout track: Curren$y (feat. Mos Def & Jay Electronica) - The Day

4. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

I debated this album and his September EP, Sometimes The Blues Are Just A Passing Bird, which might have been more complete than this album, but in the end decided to go with the full-length LP. The Tallest Man on Earth is the nom de guerre of Swedish musician Kristian Matsson and The Wild Hunt is his debut release.

The beauty of his music is it's complexity and it's simplicity -- at all once. Matsson manages to weave lush arrangements with the strum of his guitar and leave it at that. No drums or backup singers litter these tracks, so the first time you play it, it's as if he's sitting in your living room playing for you. He sounds as good on wax as he does in person (I saw him this past May) and does little to dissuade the notion that you're listening to his generation's up-and-coming troubadour.

Standout tracks include: King of Spain, The Wild Hunt, Troubles Will Be Gone

Watch: The Tallest Man on Earth -- NPR Tiny Desk Concert

3. Tides of Man - Dreamhouse

Easily the hardest choice I had to make. Why? Tides of Man make the transition into a band that sounds like Circa Survive melded with Coheed and Cambria on this album. In other words, the ultimate emo acquired taste LP. Either you'd love it or hate it. Well, I loved it.

Standout tracks: Echoes, A Faint Illusion, Statues

Listen: Tides of Man - Echoes

2. Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me

For years, I had friends who raved about Joanna Newsom. I couldn't spend much time with her though. But the first time I heard Have One On Me, I realized that she'd crossed over into one of my favorites. This LP is easily her most accessible -- despite 3 LPs -- and that says a lot when many of the songs go on for seven minutes or more. The lyrics alone could sell you, but she mixes it with flawless arrangements that rely less on her vaunted harp and instead, let her voice and piano do the talking.

From Have One On Me, Good Intentions Paving Company, Does Not Suffice to Easy, this album is an emotive masterpiece that will demand your attention. No, it might not convert the masses to Joanna fandom, but you can't help but hear it and appreciate the handiwork.

Listen: Joanna Newsom - Good Intentions Paving Company

1. Laura Veirs - July Flame

Another album of an artist I saw live in the past year. I first heard this album several weeks before it's release, at a Laura Veirs concert. I didn't like it, because it was extremely unfamiliar and I'd been pining for tracks like Spelunking, Don't Lose Yourself or Galaxies and for a while what I got were these songs I'd never heard. So I passed up a chance to get the album early, to have her autograph it or to pick it up on wax.

I waited for it to be released in January and immediately ate my words upon hearing it. It certainly lends itself better on LP, but live renditions since then still work. It's not much different than past Laura Veirs work, it's heavily reliant on her poetic folk lyricism. What makes this best, is how the entire album holds up with each song as memorable as the previous. It's beautiful, stoic and a perfect winter album.

Standout tracks: July Flame, I Can See Your Tracks, Where Are You Driving?, Carol Kaye

Listen: Laura Veirs - I Can See Your Tracks