To be honest, it was quite difficult to decide on 10 full albums I really enjoyed listening to from start to finish. This could be the fault of BBC6 radio, and it’s persistent nature of turning an “OK” song into a real banger after playing it enough. It could also be the fault of so many let downs and gimmicks. Never in a single year have I looked forward to so many albums that panned out to be so disappointingly average. In a market so over saturated by bands trying to “out-cool” one another and being more conscious of what they wear than how well they play, it’s no wonder that some of names keep recurring year after year or that the best single tracks list was so much more enjoyable to assemble.

But this is it, I’ve done it. I’ve decided what 10 albums and 20 tracks have been the most enjoyable, the least pretentious and will hopefully be a memorable depiction of 2011 – five, ten and fifty years from now.

As for ranking, I must digress to the one brutal truth of end of year lists that my good friend Wes pointed out recently. Ranking is, in fact, arbitrary and simply a tool for building suspense in pinning down one’s judgement on any particular topic. So to avoid that (as you may not know who I am nor care about/for my taste in music), I’ve decided to post my lists chronologically. My hope is for you to have a listen to anything you’re not familiar with and ideally find something to enjoy. That’s why you’re here, right?

PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

MP3: Let England Shake

Secret Cities – Strange Hearts

MP3 – Always Friends

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

MP3 – The Shrine / An Argument

Amor De Dias – Street of the Love of Days

MP3: Bunhill Fields

Let’s Wrestle – Nursing Home

Bon Iver – Bon Iver, Bon Iver

MP3: Holocene

Eleanor Friedberger – Last Summer

MP3: I Won’t Fall Apart On You Tonight

Beirut – The Rip Tide

MP3: Santa Fe

Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know

Boddie Recording Company: Cleveland, Ohio – Numero Group Compilation

MP3: Jackie Russell – If You Don’t Want Me Let Me Be

My Top 20 Tracks Of 2011

PJ Harvey – MP3: The Last Living Rose (Let England Shake)

Bill Callahan – MP3: America! (Apocalypse)

Metronomy – MP3: The Look (The English Riviera)

tUnEyArDs – MP3: Bizness (w h o k i l l)

Eleanor Friedberger – MP3: My Mistakes (Last Summer)

Wild Beasts – MP3: Deeper (Smother)

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – MP3: How Can You Luv Me (Unknown Mortal Orchestra)

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – MP3: Senator (Mirror Traffic)

Bon Iver – MP3: Towers (Bon Iver, Bon Iver)

Little Dragon – MP3: Ritual Union (Ritual Union)

Laura Marling – MP3: Sophia (A Creature I Don’t Know)

Real Estate – MP3: It’s Real (Days)

The War On Drugs – MP3: Baby Missiles (Slave Ambient)

Race Horses – MP3: Benidorm

Girls – MP3: Honey Bunny (Father, Son, Holy Ghost)

Atlas Sound – MP3: Lightworks (Parallax)

Michael Kiwanuka – MP3: I’m Getting Ready (Tell Me A Tale)

The Black Keys – Video: Lonely Boy (El Camino)

DJ Shadow feat. Little Dragon – MP3: Scale it back (The Less You Know, The Better)

NZCA/Lines – NZCA/LINES – Okinawa Channels

I also never expected my favorite album to come from someone who held the spot previously, but the iTunes “most played” playlist doesn’t lie. It’s a divisive one, but people who like it really like it.

I picked 15 favorites and several honorable mentions, plus a Favorite Columbus Albums list below — separate but equal in enjoyment and quality. As usual, I limit my lists to albums, so some EPs and 7”s I liked (e.g. Envelope, Sundown, Malefactors of Great Wealth, Dolfish) aren’t listed.

That is all.

15. Wussy – Strawberry

MP3: Grand Champion Steer

As Chip said about Wussy’s Chuck Cleaver, “One wouldn’t expect the heavily tattooed Cincinnati songwriter to produce his best collection of songs this late in his already highly-prolific career, but that’s exactly what he’s done.”

14. TV on the Radio – Nine Types of Light

TV On The Radio – “Will Do” by Interscope Records

13. The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient

MP3: Come to the City

12. Tom Waits – Bad As Me

Tom Waits – Bad As Me by antirecords

I’ve never been a Tom Waits fanboy, but this record grabbed me and didn’t let go.

11. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

MP3: Helplessness Blues

10. Crooked Fingers – Breaks in the Armor

MP3: Typhoon

Best songs since Red Devil Dawn.

9. Southeast Engine – Canary

MP3: New Growth

8. Centro-matic – Candidate Waltz

MP3: Only in My Double Mind

7. David Bazan – Strange Negotiations

MP3: Wolves at the Door

6. A.A. Bondy – Believers

MP3: Surfer King

5. Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation

MP3: Cannons

4. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo

MP3: Jesus Fever

3. Bill Callahan – Apocalypse

MP3: Baby’s Breath

2. Gillian Welch – The Harrow & the Harvest

MP3: The Way It Goes

1. Bon Iver – Bon Iver

MP3: Holocene

By now, I know every moment on this album, but I’m still continually surprised by its beauty. Seeing Bon Iver in Philly would also make my Favorite Life Occurrences of 2011 list.

Honorable mention:
The Roots – Undun
The Black Keys – El Camino
Dawes – Nothing is Wrong
Joe Henry – Reverie
Ryan Adams – Ashes & Fire
Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck
Richard Buckner – Our Blood
Thurston Moore – Demolished Thoughts
J Mascis – Several Shades of Why
Tim Easton – Beat the Band/Since 1966 Vol. 1
Thao & Mirah – Thao & Mirah
Joseph Arthur – The Graduation Ceremony

Favorite 2011 Columbus albums:
1. The Black Swans – Don’t Blame the Stars
2. Lydia Loveless – Indestructible Machine
3. Times New Viking – Dancer Equired
4. Psandwich – Northren Psych
5. Saintseneca – Last
6. Blueprint – Adventures in Counter-Culture
7. Bicentennial Bear – Lost Summers
8. The Regionals – The Regionals
9. Psychedelic Horseshit – Laced
10. The Lindsay – Deep in the Queue

Honorable mention:
P. Blackk – Blackk Friday
Moon High – Six Suns
Shane Sweeney – The Finding Time
Tin Armor – Life of Abundance
Alyosha Het – The Purgatourist

Currently my favorite song on the new album. The Bon Iver show at the Tower Theatre in Philly will be tough to top this year.

2010 is the fifth anniversary of this festival founded by The National’s Bryce Dessner, who still serves as the artistic director. Pretty solid lineup this year. Here’s the details from the website:

The festival opens Tuesday, March 30th with arresting harpist and songwriter Joanna Newsom. Wednesday, March 31st, St. Vincent, led by composer, singer and guitar virtuoso Annie Clark, will present works from their widely acclaimed latest release, Actor, as well as new works venturing deeper into chamber arranging and composition. The same evening yMusic, will premiere the festival commission written by Clark. Inventive vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Justin Vernon, best known for his work with Bon Iver, presents a rare solo concert to close the festival April 1st. All concerts will be held at the beautiful and historic Memorial Hall. Tickets are on-sale now, via the web and by phone 1-800-838-3600. Single concert tickets are $20; a festival pass for all three concerts is $50.

Superfly Productions and A.C. Entertainment are proud to announce the initial lineup for the eighth annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. See the lineup below. The four-day camping and music festival will be held from June 11-14, 2009 on our beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. Prepare yourself for an amazing 4-day weekend with over 100 of your favorite bands, top comedians, art, activities, workshops, vendors and much more — all gathered on a rustic Tennessee farm and devoted to making this the best weekend of your life!

Tickets to the 2009 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival will go on sale this Saturday, February 7, at Noon Eastern time through Bonnaroo.com. For more information, go to our website.

GET YOUR TICKETS IN 5 EASY PAYMENTS OF $50.

That’s right kids. Get your GA tickets in 5 easy payments of $50.00 plus applicable fees or a pair of VIP tickets in 5 payments of $285.00 plus applicable fees. Visit the Payment Plan Ticketing page for more information.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
Phish (2 Shows)
Beastie Boys
Nine Inch Nails
David Byrne
Wilco
Al Green
Snoop Dogg
Elvis Costello Solo
Erykah Badu
Paul Oakenfold
Ben Harper and Relentless7
The Mars Volta
TV on the Radio
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Gov’t Mule
Andrew Bird
Band Of Horses
Merle Haggard
MGMT
moe.
The Decemberists
Girl Talk
Bon Iver
Béla Fleck & Toumani Diabate
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Galactic
The Del McCoury Band
of Montreal
Allen Toussaint
Coheed and Cambria
Booker T & the DBTs
David Grisman Quintet
Lucinda Williams
Animal Collective
Gomez
Neko Case
Down
Jenny Lewis
Santogold
Robert Earl Keen
Citizen Cope
Femi Kuti and the Positive Force
The Ting Tings
Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Kaki King
Grizzly Bear
King Sunny Adé
Okkervil River
St. Vincent
Zac Brown Band
Raphael Saadiq
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
Crystal Castles
Tift Merritt
Brett Dennen
Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue
Toubab Krewe
People Under the Stairs
Alejandro Escovedo
Vieux Farka Touré
Elvis Perkins In Dearland
Cherryholmes
Yeasayer
Todd Snider
Chairlift
Portugal. The Man.
The SteelDrivers
Midnite
The Knux
The Low Anthem
Delta Spirit
A.A. Bondy
The Lovell Sisters
Alberta Cross

MORE ARTISTS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON!