What a fantastic year it has been for new album releases! Here are some end of year lists from us and some of our writers. Please add your list in the comments at the bottom of the page!
Chester Whelks Top 20 Albums (in no particular order)
1. Sun Araw – Ancient Romans
2. Times New Viking – Dancer Equired
3. Wet Hair – In Vogue Spirit
4. Mike Patton – The Solitude of Prime Numbers (ost)
5. Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow
6. Tom Waits – Bad As Me
7. Primus – Green Naugahyde
8. Messer Chups – Bermuda 66
9. Mogwai – Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
10. Deerhoof – Deerhoof Vs Evil
11. The Beach Boys – *SMiLE sessions
12. Bjork – Biophilia
13. Bill Callahan – Apocalypse
14. Jeff The Brotherhood – We Are The Champions
15. The Fall – Ersatz GB
16. Wooden Shjips – West
17. Metronomy – The English Riviera
18. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
19. Radiohead – King of Limbs
20. John Maus – We Must Become Pitless Censors of Ourselves
Ian Breen Top 10 Albums
1. Crash Of Rhinos – Distal
2. Future Islands – On The Water
3. Three Trapped Tigers – Route One Or Die
4. Tartar Lamb II – Polyimage Of Known Exits
5. Akron/Family – Akron/Family II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT
6. Deerhoof – Deerhoof Vs. Evil
7. Clams Casino – Instrumentals
8. Balam Acab – Wander/Wonder
9. Bjork – Biophilia
10. Will Haven – Voir Dire
Jeremy Indie Top 20 Albums
1. Portugal. The Man – In The Mountain, In The Cloud
2. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
3. Awolnation – Megalithic Symphony
4. Other Lives – Tamer Animals
5. Civil Wars – Barton Hollow
6. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
7. Adele – 21
8. Beirut – The Rip Tide
9. Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes
10. The Weeknd – House of Balloons
11. Black Keys – El Camino
12. Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know
13. Feist – Metals
14. Zola Jesus – Conatus
15. Wye Oak – Civilian
16. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
17. The Rosebuds – Loud Planes Fly Low
18. Cold War Kids – Mine is Yours
19. Boy and Bear – Moonfire
20. We Are Augustine – Rise, Ye Sunken Ships
Mike Dunbabin Top 20 Albums
1. Maria Minerva – Cabaret Cixous
2. Lady Gaga – Born This Way
3. James Pants – James Pants
4. Peaking Lights – 936
5. Weyes Blood & the Dark Juices – The Outside Room
6. John Maus – We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves
7. Sun Araw – Ancient Romans
8. Ford & Lopatin – Channel Pressure
9. P.J. Harvey – Let England Shake
10. Eternal Tapestry/Sun Araw -Night Gallery
11. Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact
12. Pastor T.L Barrett – Without A Sail (Re-issue)
13. Liz Green – Oh! Devotion
14. LA Vampires Goes Ital – Streetwise
15. GD & TOP – Knockout
16. Dylan Ettinger – New Age Outlaws
17. Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow
18. Dam Funk/Master Blazter – Direct To Disc
19. Panda Bear – Tomboy
20. Ali Renault – Ali Renault
Luke Bather Top 20 Albums
1. Andrew Jackson Jihad – Knife Man
2. Dad Rocks! – Mount Modern
3. The Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck
4. …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead – Tao Of The Dead
5. Brontide – Sans Souci
6. Lovecraft – Whistle and I’ll Come To You, My Lad
7. Other Lives – Tamer Animals
8. Touché Amoré – Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me
9. Hymns – Contrary Virtues
10. Giraffes? Giraffes! – Pink Magick
11. Shapes – Monotony Chic
12. Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean
13. Tyler, The Creator – Goblin
14. Jessie J – Who You Are
15. Childish Gambino – Camp
16. Love Among The Mannequins – Radial Images
17. Bastions – Hospital Corners
18. La Dispute – Wildlife
19. &U&I – Light Bearer
20. Burzum – Fallen
Chris Long Top 20 Albums
1. Loney Dear – Hall Music
2. SBTRKT – SBTRKT
3. The Amazing – Gentle Stream
4. Liz Green – O Devotion
5. Tyler, The Creator – Goblin
6. Bjork – Biophilia
7. Low – C’Mon
8. Little Roy – Battle For Seattle
9. Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat – Everything’s Getting Older
10. tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l
11. Toro Y Moi – Underneath The Pine
12. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light
13. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
14. J Mascis – Several Shades Of Why
15. Dutch Uncles – Cadenza
16. Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow
17. Help Stamp Out Loneliness – Help Stamp Out Loneliness
18. Cashier No 9 – To The Death of Fun
19. Vaporous Light – Vaporous Light
20. Elbow – Build A Rocket, Boys
Toby Potter Top 20 Albums
1. Crash Of Rhinos – Distal
2. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
3. Future Islands – On The Water
4. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
5. The War On Drugs – Slave Ambient
6. Real Estate – Days
7. Fucked Up – David Comes To Life
8. Wugazi – 13 Chambers
9. Shabazz Palaces – Black Up
10. Fruit Bats – Tripper
11. Bright Eyes – The People’s Key
12. Metronomy – The English Riviera
13. Yuck – Yuck
14. Other Lives – Tamer Animals
15. Chad VanGaalen – Diaper Island
16. Dutch Uncles – Cadenza
17. Manchester Orchestra – Simple Math
18. James Blake – James Blake
19. Chad Valley – Equatorial Ultravox
20. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Nice lists. Here’s mine: http://officesounds.tumblr.com/post/13779401640/g-top-10-lps-of-2011
I’m going to annoy everyone by offering my top TWELVE albums of 2011… (1 for every month! In no particular order…)
Metronomy – The English Riviera
Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi
Asobi Seksu – Fluorescence
The Fall – Ersatz GB
Tom Waits – Bad As Me
Baxter Dury – Happy Soup
tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l
PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
Matt Berry – Witchazel
Weird Al Yanovic – Alpocalypse
Kate Bush – 50 Words For Snow
Kimya Dawson – Thunder Thighs