Second video after the jump.

My favorite albums of 2011 are filled with the usual suspects that I’ve come to love over the years (Wilco, The Decemberists), but this year, more than ever, are a bunch of bands that are completely new to me. Here’s a list, complete with MP3s, streams, videos, and whatever relevant links I could put together.

Bonus: Spotify playlist featuring all of the albums plus a few others that didn’t make the top 10 cut.

10. The War on Drugs, Slave Ambient

MP3: Come to the City

9. I Break Horses, Hearts

I Break Horses – Winter Beats by Bella Union

8. Alina Simone, Make Your Own Danger

MP3: Glitterati

7. Wild Flag, Wild Flag

MP3: Glass Tambourine

6. tUnE-yArDs, w h o k i l l

MP3: Bizness

5. Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne

Listen: Otis


4. Destroyer, Kaputt

Destroyer – Chinatown

3. The Decemberists, The King is Dead

The Decemberists — Down By The Water

2. Wilco, The Whole Love

Listen: “I Might”

1. Thurston Moore, Demolished Thoughts

MP3: Benediction

Thurston Moore’s most recent solo album is the one that I found myself returning to again and again throughout the year. It’s not the novelty of Thurston using acoustic instruments or playing solo, he’s done it before and always does it well. Instead, I think I have to give credit to Beck for helping produce an album that is warm, lush, enormous and small all at the same time. If Sonic Youth isn’t your thing, that’s okay (you ahole), you still owe it to yourself to give this album a listen.

The December Rule: The Black Keys’ new album might have made this list, but it came out to recently for me to give it a proper place. You may see it in my 2012 favorites, though.

CD101(@102.5)’s Brian Phillips and Watershed’s Colin Gawel have teamed up for “Reelin’ & Rockin’” at the Gateway Film Center. Basically, the third Wednesday of every month Gawel and Phillips will screen a classic rock ‘n roll documentary on the big screen. (The bar opens at 6 and the movie starts at 7.) It’s Gawel’s hope that the series turns into a “nerdy music gathering once a month with beer but no live music.”

Last month was Gimme Shelter, and Wednesday’s film is I am Trying to Break Your Heart, which documented the making of Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and all the problems the band had with its label, who, in the end (spoiler alert), ended up paying for the album twice.

Gawel also penned an essay at his site called “When Wilco stopped being a band and became a brand,” which is more of a tribute to and defense of Jay Bennett (the now deceased ex-Wilco member who’s a major part of the doc). It’s well-written and worth your time.

Check the Facebook page for more Reelin’ & Rockin’ info and to RSVP. Tickets are 5$ and all proceeds go to CD101 for the Kids.

Cuz it’s funny.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Wilco, “I Love My Label”

Lana Del Rey, “Video Games”

The Flaming Lips + Lightning Bolt, “I’m Working at NASA on Acid”

The band’s first album on their own record label should be released around September. Tentatively titled Get Well Soon Everybody. More details here.

Chicago’s rock ‘n’ roll shape-shifters Wilco have formed their own label, dBpm Records, whose releases will be distributed and marketed by eclectic Silver Lake independent Anti- Records. A full announcement is expected soon.

“This is an idea we’ve discussed for years,” Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy said via his publicist. “We really like doing things ourselves, so having our own label feels pretty natural to me. And, to be working with Anti- — a label that was started by a punk rock guy to sell his own records — seems like a perfect fit for us.” (full story)

PS – I think I’m gonna go to Solid Sound Festival this year.

I’m going to see Wilco Saturday in Montclair, NJ – the same theater I saw Streetfighter: The Movie.