Albums of the Year

[elizabethlsiegel]

I'm working on my big list! In an effort to not be super biased and pick the same bands that I've been listening to forever, I'm doing a top 50 list instead of the usual top 10 and in order to really feel like I'm doing this completely (I'm really obsessed with lists), I'm listening to as many albums from 2011 as I can. So that's what I'm doing today. Listening to music. All day.

Do you make end of the year music lists? What are your albums of the year?

[brightasyellow]

Unless one of my favorite bands releases a new album, I don't necessarily listen to a ton of the new stuff. I often listen to albums that I missed over the years or if I stumble across an artist/band that I love, I'll listen to the whole discography. Of the 2011 albums I've listened to this year, my favorite one is Love Notes/Letter Bombs by The Submarines (one of my favorite bands ever).

I also really enjoyed:
Hurry Up, We're Dreaming by M83
Bon Iver (self-titled)
Days by Real Estate

As a musical theatre geek, The Book of Mormon Original Broadway Cast Recording was fantastic.

[onsilver_stars]

Kanye - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Mother Mother - Eureka

The only two albums I was REALLY excited about that came out in 2011. I agree, most of what I listen to is previously recorded/old school. I was into Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Lupe's albums as well, but not to the point where I'd want to put them on a critical list of the best things that came out this year. I'm also a fussy old lady about music, and don't really get into new alternative rock/indie (my preferred music for actual listening, Top 40's is usually just what I run to) stuff until they've proved that they have staying power. It's far too volatile of a genre for me to buy a whole lot of new music.

[brightasyellow]

I'm an indie music lover, hands down. I think that because they're not mainstream, they tend to have more staying power because they don't rely on having "hits." I'm also one of those people that enjoys saying I saw a band when it first started;)

[onsilver_stars]

I'm an indie music lover, hands down. I think that because they're not mainstream, they tend to have more staying power because they don't rely on having "hits." I'm also one of those people that enjoys saying I saw a band when it first started;)

When they are good, their staying power is incredible. I just kinda found 2011 to be a boring year for indie- Not sure why, but 2010 just had all these amazing albums, and that was lacking for me this year. I just got burned out on being so excited by new music, and finding out a few months later that the band broke up. It's dumb, but I'm unable to embrace a band with one one album- I really need a discography sort of situation. One of the strengths of Deathcab or Bright Eyes is their huge catalog- I can always find SOMETHING that I need for the day.

[elizabethlsiegel]

There were a lot of good albums released this year. My pop-punk bias puts "Avalanche United" by I Am the Avalanche as my favorite of the year, but there were better albums put out, which is why I'm trying to really think about this critically.

[brightasyellow]

silver - I agree that last year was a pretty choice year for new releases. I get what you mean about needing a band with a discography, but they have to start with one album, you know? I was also really involved in the indie scene in LA and most of the members of those bands don't make their money off their music, which for some reason gives them more staying power. Also, the members of the different bands were often involved in a lot of different projects: Barbra Gruska is a perfect example. She has her own band (with her brother), The Belle Brigade, she played drums on Jenny Lewis' Acid Tongue tour and she plays drums for Obi Best. I loved the collaborative nature there. Okay, that was a total tangent.

[elizabethlsiegel]

Have you ladies ever listened to Kevin Devine? He has a tremendous discography. A lot of it is on Spotify. And he put out a new album this year that I like a lot.

[Oogolly]

Kevin Devine is awesome, although I don't have his most recent stuff I have his older albums, good stuff.

[xyz]

Hurry Up, We're Dreaming by M83

Agreed. Although it super trips me out whenever that Victoria's Secret commercial comes on.

Wild Flag - S/T
Hunx and his Punx - Too Young to be in Love

I may have more, I usually don't really pay attention to release dates so I have no idea what came out this year.