It’s that time again. The end of the year when I go through all of the music that came out in 2011 and pick which ones made my list. This year, I actually assign numbers, leading up to my number one pick. I also have listed those that didn’t quite the make the top 10, those that I liked, but still growing on me, ones I’ve not had a chance to listen to much and a special mention for one of my favorite albums of the year.

And here we go….

10. We Were Promised Jetpacks “In the Pit of the Stomach”
    
    KevinIL turned me onto this band and as I recently blogged, this second album has some great tracks on it like “Circles and Squares” and “Sore Thumb” that have a great flow to them, and that bit of hard edge that puts this somewhat obscure band and album at the start of my best of 2011 list.
9. Neon Indian “Era Extraña”
   
   I saw this band live before I heard any of their studio songs. The raw energy of being in the audience and feeling their giant cloud of sound surround everyone in attendance, I had to hear more. So this year, they released this album of electronica that was immediately embraced. From “Fallout” to “Polish Girl” and every other track from this release is great from start to finish. It’s just that bit of different sound of synths that separates this band from the rest.
8. Red Hot Chili Peppers “I’m With You”
   
   Since Mother’s Milk was released in 1989, I’ve been an RHCP fan. I’ve stuck with them through the several exits of John Frusciante and the myriad of guitarists that came and went [a special nod to Dave Navarro, even though he wasn't the best fit]. So with this new album, comes a new axe man in Josh Klinghoffer. And he shines on tracks like the album opener “Monarchy Of Roses” to “Look Around,” proving that this band’s sound still has what it takes to make a rock record these days.
7. Grouplove “Never Trust A Happy Song”
   
   Another band I saw live this year, who were just a fun band to see. Add to that the radio play “Naked Kids” received, which is itself an addictive anthem that you chant while listening. And then there’s the iPod touch commercial that showcased another song “Tongue Tied” that easily gets committed to memory. The rest of the album doesn’t disappoint, either, for being a late entry to my playlist. Excited to see this band live again in 2012.
6. M83 “Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming”
   
   Who knew this band had five previous albums before this double disc release. Well, I obviously didn’t. But no matter since this new effort quickly grew on me. With songs like the big international hit “Midnight City” and the upbeat “Claudia Lewis”, the sounds are just stellar productions of greatness. Their creative mixes help cement this record as a favorite.
5. Fleet Foxes “Helplessness Blues”
   
   I initially panned this band as a bunch of throwback Beach Boys fans trying to recreate that magical sound from the mid 60′s ‘Pet Sounds’ era. Well, after many listens to their debut album, I became hooked. So when they released this second album, I wondered if it was just going to be a rehash of the same songs. Nope. Much more grander on the musical scale. Tracks like “Montezuma” and the most recent single “The Shrine / An Argument” proves they are not just retreading their sound.
4. The Airborne Toxic Event “All At Once”
   
   And adding another band to my list of ones I’ve seen live that find an incredible way of duplicating their in studio sound to the stage. The vocals of Mikel Jollet are amazing and his range on songs like “All At Once” and “Changing”, accompanied by a bevy of musical talent once again keep them on my top list for this year’s album release.
3. Adele “21″
   
   Normally it takes a lot for me to embrace a British solo female artist, like Lily Allen, who is one of my favorites. But I add Adele, who continues to impress me. This sophomore album scores big with a giant sound on songs like “He Won’t Go” and “Someone Like You.” She’s had her recent share of vocal issues which I hope she can recover from to make a huge comeback. For now and for most of this year, this album has continued on it’s path of greatness.
2. Foo Fighters “Wasting Light”
   
   So let’s get this one out of the way right now. Sybil, I know you are probably saying “What the fuck, Marty?” And yes, this album was amazing this year, even though it came in as my second favorite of 2011. And their live show in October made my top 10 list of all time best concerts I’ve attended in almost 30 years.

   But coming in second place means this seventh studio release by this band is no loser. On the contrary, this is the best rock album of the year. I can’t find a single track on this record that was bad. Loved the videos for “Rope” and “Walk” The intense guitar work in tracks like “A Matter Of Time” and “Bridge Burning.” The thundering bass and drums in “Back & Forth.” I can’t praise this album enough. While there are Foo records that I place higher in the Foo Chain, this is one of their best. And that says a lot for one made in Dave’s garage on all analog equipment. Rock on, Mr. Grohl.

1. Foster The People “Torches”
   
   I first heard the song “Pumped Up Kicks” in 2010 on SiriusXM’s Alt Nation channel. They played the song a lot. In fact, once it caught on, they played it too much. I had to back away from this song for a while because I really got tired of hearing this song.

   Fast forward to April 2011 when they were gearing up to release this debut album. I decided to pre-order the album from their web site, which came with an instant download of four of their songs, including the afore mentioned hit single. I found other songs that were more in tune to my ears. “Helena Beat” and “Houdini” were so much more. Then the album released, introducing me to other tracks like “Call It What You Want” and “Don’t Stop (Color On The Walls)”

   Then I saw them live and met them at an acoustic show and was really pumped up [natch] about this Los Angeles-based band. Sure, there were some comparisons to MGMT, but I heard a fun and new sound that had a throwback to the 80′s. And it’s all of these reasons why this album became my favorite for the year. I can’t wait to see them live again and to see what other music they will create in 2012.

Growing On Me

I like these albums. I really do. I call them all 10.5 on my 2011 list.

• Explosions In The Sky “Take Care, Take Care, Take Care”
  
  This instrumental only band has been a favorite of my daughters for a while. I listened to the song “Trembling Hands” and really, really liked it. Now the rest of album is growing on me, thanks to Spotify.
• Radiohead “The King of Limbs”
  
  I am an unapologetic fan of Radiohead. I loved “In Rainbows” when it came out in 2007. And I even talked about how this album might end up on my best of 2011 list. Well, I guess it did, but it’s just not growing on me like I thought it would to make the top 10.
• St. Vincent “Strange Mercy”
  
  To me, this is the definition of a hipster album. Lots of melancholy sounds and vocals. This is like a female version of The National, with a bit more upbeat sound thrown in for good measure. Regardless, the background sound tends to stay in the background.

Took It To 11

And I don’t mean that in the Spinal Tap interpretation. Not bad, not horrible… just not in the top 10 of my favorites.

• The Cars “Move Like This”
  
  After 24 years, The Cars came out with a new album. And for this Cars fan, it was highly anticipated. It’s good, but after listening to it for most of the year, I admit it didn’t have the staying power to make the top 10 list.
• Jane’s Addiction “The Great Escape Artist”
  
  It was hard to believe this was only their fourth studio album. And it was a good effort. But after many listens, it fell off my replay list quicker than I expected. Maybe I needed to see them live to reinvigorate my interest.

Queued Up

Albums that I have heard good feedback on or already have an invested interest in the band. Here’s my thoughts after a couple spins.

• KoRn “The Path Of Totality”
  
  I just barely got this album this last week. I have all other KoRn albums and while I prefer their sound from their first five releases, I’m actually not hating this completely new direction. There’s a core sound here, but it’s way more techno than you’d expect from this nu-metal band from Bakersfield, CA.
• Bon Iver “Bon Iver”
  
  Not really a fan, but I’ve heard really good things about this album. I’ve listened to it a few times on Spotify and it’s not bad. Perhaps a few more listens and I’ll learn to embrace it more.
• Yuck “Yuck”
  
  I saw this on many of the best of lists for this year and had heard the song “Get Away” and it’s catchy sound. The rest of the album is just as catchy. It’s got a slight Smashing Pumpkins feel to it, mixed with some indie guitars.

Special Mention: Pearl Jam “20″

While a favorite of mine, as evidenced by my glowing review of it, this album really belongs in a special place [saving the best for last, if you would like to look at this way] on this 2011 list.

• Pearl Jam “Twenty”
  
  What more can I say that I’ve not already said about this soundtrack to the Cameron Crowe-directed documentary. Just about every track is a pleasure to listen to for any long time Pearl Jam fan.

Any thoughts, favorites or omissions? Comment away

I will also include a few that I bought that missed the top ranking, as well as some that I still need to go out and get. The top entries are in the order of when they were released.

So with that, here’s my 2009 list:

• Lily Allen “It’s Not You, It’s Me”
  
  My daughter introduced me to Lily Allen, who I had heard of, but had never heard her music before. So I bought this sophomore release and was hooked. Of course, the two stand out tracks here are “The Fear” and “Fuck You”, which pretty much says to other young female artists to step it up a few notches if they want to have an outstanding album.
• Depeche Mode “Sounds Of The Universe”
  
  Most of you know I am a huge Depeche Mode fan. I’ve seen them multiple times in concert and there’s not that many songs or albums of theirs that I don’t like. This year’s release was a pretty strong effort by the band and songs like “Wrong” and “In Sympathy” made me love this band even more.
• Phoenix “Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”
  
  I was rather surprised that this was their fourth album. Where the hell have I been? Obviously not listening to this band. Tracks like “Lisztomania” and “1901″ only cement the love for playing this entire album from start to finish.
• Chickenfoot “Chickenfoot”
  
  I discovered this album early on in the year and I was instantly hooked. You take Sammy and Michael from Van Halen, add in Joe Satriani and Chad Smith to the mix and you have some kick ass tunes. “Soap On A Roap” and “Turnin’ Left” are just the tip of the iceberg for this hot new super group.
• Killswitch Engage “Killswitch Engage”
  
  One of the few metalcore bands that I really like released a new album this year. It’s self-titled [their second of their career... confusing to say the least] and it’s good… really good. Tracks like “Starting Over” and “The Forgotten” are melodic and hard-edged starting points to the greatness of the entire album.
• Pearl Jam “Backspacer”
  
  Pearl Jam was one of those bands that had to grow on me. But once they did, their grunge-like sound stuck. And while their self-titled release a few years ago wasn’t one of their better releases, they redeemed themselves with “Backspacer.” Stand out tracks like “The Fixer” and “Amongst The Waves” prove they still have got the musical touch.
• Alice In Chains “Black Gives Way To Blue”
  
  There has never been a band like Alice In Chains. So imagine my apprehension when they decide to release a new album with a new lead singer, William DuVall. Well, after many listens, this has proven to be really good. True Layne Staley fans may be bothered by him being replaced, but they should take a listen to songs like “Check My Brain” and “A Looking In View” and they may feel better about this return.
• Them Crooked Vultures “Them Crooked Vultures”
  
  Another super group? Did we really need another one? Before you shake your head in disagreement, you may want to listen to their debut album. Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and John Paul Jones [of Led Zeppelin] make this release a must listen. Songs like “New Fang” and “Mind Eraser, No Chaser” are just a couple of the 13 tracks that make this album rock.

Down A Few Rungs

And there were some albums that I bought that just didn’t grab me or they promised more than I thought they produced.

• U2 “No Line On The Horizon”
  
  U2 is one of my favorite bands and over their career, they have released some incredible albums. This was not one of them. Sure there were some catchy songs like “Get Your Boots On” and “Moment Of Surrender”, but overall, it was a snoozer for this fan.
• Muse “The Resistance”
  
  Muse have proven they are an incredibly talented band. Musically, they’ve released several albums that have been fan favorites. But there is something lacking in this latest release. Sure, their trademark sound is here, but there are many weak tracks on this album that just didn’t seem as strong as they could have been.
• Green Day “21st Century Breakdown”
  
  Green Day is one of those bands that I’ve always liked. And “American Idiot” was a great album and one that plays well from start to finish, telling a great story. But when you try to tell another story from start to finish on a new album, it may just start to feel the same. This album did just that. There were some great songs, but the melody sounded way too similar… almost like they were phoning it in. They did redeem themselves by being great in concert, though.
• Grizzly Bear “Veckatimest”
  
  I really did try to like this album. Lots of people loved it and praised it over and over. Even my daughter talked about how great it is. But I have to be honest that I didn’t completely fall in love with it, even after half a dozen listens. That doesn’t mean I hate it. On the contrary, but just not enough to make it a top candidate.

Albums I Need To Get Still

And there are a few releases that I need to pick up still, lauded by my daughter and others.

• Silversun Pickups “Swoon”
  
  I know my daughter has this album because she loves this band. I’ve heard a few songs from this album and liked them just as much as I did the tracks from their first release, “Carnavas.” Guess I need to get this latest release from my daughter.
• Passion Pit “Manners”
  
  I like some electronic dance music. LCD Soundsystem is one of my favorites. So after listening to several of the tracks on this album, I put it on my “must have” list. I still don’t have it, but I’m about to change that before the year ends.
• Cage The Elephant “Cage The Elephant”
  
  Grant Ruby, a friend and a DJ at local radio station 101.9 FM The End, has praised this album both on his blog and on the air. I’ve got one song “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” and I like it. Now I need to get the album to hear what other great songs I’ve been missing out on.
• Pet Shop Boys “Yes”
  
  I’ve been a fan of the Pet Shop Boys since their mid-80′s debut. I’ve had most of their albums over the years and they have never strayed from being great. Thanks to Dave from Blogography’s praise, this is an album that I will eventually own.
• White Rabbits “It’s Frightening”
  
  I really like the song “Percussion Gun” and have heard the rest of the album is just as good. I just need to go get the album and see for myself if the other tracks stand out just as great.

Best of Decade

There you have it – my 2009 list of albums that were great, not so great and ones I have yet to get. I also plan to do a best of decade list. That one is a bit more difficult to put together, but I’ll make sure it gets posted as soon I’m done.

So did I leave anything off? Put one on my list you think sucked? Comment away.