First up some Honorable Mentions:
Adele - 21
Alkaline Trio - Damnesia
The Blind Boys of Alabama - Take the High Road
Blink 182 - Neighborhoods
Boston Spaceships - Let It Bleed
Cage the Elephant - Thank You Happy Birthday
The Cars - Move Like This
Dan P and the Bricks - Watch Where You Walk
Mike Doughty - Yes and also Yes
Joe Ely - Satisfied at Last
Face to Face - Laugh Now, Laugh Later
Lupe Fiasco - Lasers
Flogging Molly - Speed of Darkness
Merle Haggard - Working in Tennessee
Ben Harper - Give Till It's Gone
Jay Z & Kanye West - Watch the Throne
Talib Kweli - Rainbow Gutters
Low Anthem - Smart Flesh
Nick Lowe - The Old Magic
David Lowery - The Palace Guards
New Found Glory - Radiosurgery
New York Dolls - Dancing Backwards in High Heels
Preservation Hall Jazz Band & Del McCoury Band - American Legacies
Rise Against - Endgame
Amanda Shires - Carrying Lightning
The Slackers - The Radio
Smith Westerns - Dye It Blonde
The Strokes - Angeles
Swingin' Utters - Here Under Protest
They Might Be Giants - Join Us
Teddy Thompson - Bella
Eddie Vedder - Uekele Songs
Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest
Wild Flag - Wild flag
Wugazi - 13 Chambers
Wye Oak - Civilian
Worst (or maybe Best) Album of the Year
Lou Reed and Metallica - Lulu
I would only recommend that a small handful of people actually listen to Lulu but as a statement of artistic integrity and a "I don't give a fuck" attitude, there is no better album to come out in quite a long time. While there are some good songs (mostly "Junior Dad") most of the album is going to come off to most people as an unlistenable mess of Reed's spoken words uncomfortably layered over Metallica's riffs that goes on for what seems like an eternity. This is pretty much how I feel about it as well but man do I respect these guys for doing what they wanted to do and not caring at all about the potential backlash of this (along with having no hope of commercial success). The chances I'll ever actually listen to this again by my own choice are really small but I still consider it a very interesting piece of work.
Albums Released Last Year That I Discovered in 2011
These three albums all would have made the top 50 if they were technically released in 2011, since they weren't here's a separate category.
Fitz & the Tantrums - Picking Up the Pieces
This isn't the greatest retro soul album to come out the last few years but's a pretty damn good one. The band has generated a lot of buzz in the last year and for good reason. "Moneygrabber," "Breakin' the Chains of Love" and the title cut are fantastic upbeat numbers and "Don't Gotta Work it Out" is a winning ballad. The remaining 6 songs aren't quite as strong but are more than mere filler.
The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band - The Wages
At first listen this blend of punk, old time jug music, and washboard ready rock is completely confusing. The Reverend himself was described to me as sounding like "a drunk guy singing through a tracheotomy hole" and is certainly not going to be for everyone. Over time though, The Wages is a very addicting album. There is certainly no one else I know of that sounds anything like this (they also released Charley Patton cover album this year but I have yet to listen to it).
The White Wires - LP II
The White Wires play poppy 60's style garage rock with a punk attitude as good as anyone in music today. Tracks like "Let's Go To the Beach, and "Be True To Your School (Till You Get Kicked Out)" may sound like kitschy throwbacks but they're intelligent and most importantly extremely catchy pop-rock. This album is full of goodness.
The Top 50 Albums of 2011
50. Childish Gambino - Camp
I have a lot of friends who will feel this is way too low for Donald Glover's rap side project to rank but even though I enjoy it, I just can't fully embrace it either. The subject matter alternates between so many random things and it's extremely hard to tell what is meant to be taken seriously and what's a total joke. I suspect that's kind of the point but for now 50 seems like a good spot for this.
49. Old Man Markley - Guts 'N' Teeth
Old Man Markley mixes bluegrass and punk as well as any non Duluth MN band in the world (not sure how many there actually are). It's nothing deep or even meaningful but it is a great deal of fun. Every track is a high energy sing-a-long that's bound to get stuck in your head.
48. Noise By Numbers - Over Leavitt
Noise By Numbers is probably my least favorite of the many bands Dan (Vapid) Schafer (Screeching Weasel, The Riverdales, The Methadones) has been involved in over the years but their second album is a nice step up from their debut featuring high quality pop-punk ("Lost My Way," "I Don't Think So," "Yeah Whatever," "Disappointed") as well as some less effective slower post-punk experiments. The overall result is a winning effort from one of the more underrated men in punk rock.
47. The Blind Shake - Seriousness
HOMER ALERT!! This Minneapolis band will probably never be as good in the studio as they are live but "Seriousness" is a 28 minute blast of high energy punk with a nod to psychedelic rock. If you ever get a chance to see them live, I highly recommend you do so but their second studio album (not counting collaborations with Michael Yonkers) is the next best thing.
46. Smoking Popes - Only a Test
This concept album about growing up "punk" isn't the best work that the Smoking Popes have ever done but it's full of the catchy pop-punk they've been known for. It's impossible to not sing along to tracks like "Punk Band," "Wish We Were" and "I've Got Mono" and even with a few failed experiments (specifically "Excuse Me Coach") Only a Test gets a above average grade.
45. Dropkick Murphy's - Going Out in Style
Bottom line here is that if you like the Dropkick Murphy's you'll like this album, if you don't you won't. Aside from a stab at holding a concept throughout, there's not much different here than what they've done in the past. It's still an enjoyable chunk of working class Irish punk and probably one of the bands most complete albums.
44. Mariachi El Bronx - II
The second album from the greatest "hardcore punk band mariachi side project" kicks off with one of the best songs of the year ("48 Roses") and is a total step up from their debut. This may seem like a joke band but the music is really good and it's certainly an original concept.
43. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Mirror Traffic
Mirror Traffic is Malkmus' most Pavementesque solo album to date and also probably the best. Whether it's the production by Beck or just a really good and eclectic set of songs, it holds together well with a solid mix of humor (highlighted by "Senator") throughout.
42. Tommy Stinson - One Man Mutiny
HOMER ALERT!!! Former Replacement and current Guns 'N' Roses bassist Tommy Stinson's second solo album is a solid batch of songs ranging from hard rock ("It's a Drag") to country ("Zero to Stupid") and features a song co-written by Paul Westerberg ("Match Made in Hell"). I'm likely overrating it but One Man Mutiny is a very good album.
41. North Mississippi Allstars - Keys to the Kingdom
The Dickinson Brothers tribute to their father (session musician and producer, Jim) is full of songs that examine death ("How I Wish My Train Would Come," "Hear The Hills") and heaven ("The Meeting," "Jellyrollin' All Over Heaven") in an honest and heartfelt way. Add in some blues rock levity ("Jumpercable Blues) and you have a album worthy of Jim's legacy.
40. The Jayhawks - Mockingbird Time
The first album for the reunited Mark Olsen, Gary Louris Jayhawks doesn't approach some of their past glories (Hollywood Town Hall, How the Green Grass Grows) but it shows they still haven't lost their gifts for solid songwriting and beautiful harmonies. Any album with tracks like "She Moves In So Many Ways" and "Stand Out in the Rain" is well worth exploring.
39. Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers - Unida Cantina
It may be a little too generic in places ("Love is the Road," "Go With the Flow") but Clyne's return to straight forward roots rock features enough good party songs ("All Over the Radio," "Heaven on a Paper Plate") and heartfelt mid-tempo work ("Play On") and ballads ("Marie") to be their best album in years.
38. Mike Watt - Hyphenated-Man
30 songs, 47 minutes. Mike Watt returns to early Minutemen song lengths in this pseudo-concept album describing 30 different types of man based off 300 year old dutch paintings. The songs range from hardcore punk to free jazz experiments and fly by ridiculously fast. Hyphenated-Man certainly won't be for everyone but it's surely one of the most interesting albums of the year.
37. Atmosphere - The Family Sign
The Family Sign is another solid album from these legends of Minneapolis hip-hop. Atmosphere is so consistent from album to album that it's hard to rank their work. Suffice to say tracks like "She's Enough," "The Last To Say" and "If You Can Save Me Now" are vintage atmosphere while "Ain't Nobody" continues with the more rock oriented songs they've been adding in recent years.
36. TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light
TV on the Radio didn't exactly go pop with Nine Types of Light but it is their most accessible album yet. The Prince influenced vocals are fairly straight forward and seductive and the production (while still very dense and layered) is not off putting at first listen. The result is TV on the Radio's most immediate album to date.
35. Lucinda Williams - Blessed
Lucinda's most rocking solo album to date is another fine set of songs dealing with love, loss and well Love again. The electric guitars are cranked up on "Buttercup" and "Seeing Black" but Williams hasn't lost her gift for confessional songwriting as "Born To Be Loved," "Kiss Like Your Kiss" and the title track indicate.
34. Fountains of Wayne - Sky Full of Holes
With song styles ranging from pure pop ("The Summer Place"), country ("Road Song"), rock ("Dip in the Ocean") and folk ("Richie and Reuben"), Fountains of Wayne deliver another extremely consistent set of story songs. There are hooks galore and top-notch harmonies throughout Sky Full of Holes as FOW deliver another winner.
33. Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive
Steve Earle has never been one to shy away from dark songs and I'll Never Get out of this World Alive is no different. It's a engrossing experience that's only slightly diminished by T-Bone Burnett's overproduction of what are very personal songs. The production flaws aren't enough to ruin Earle's songs and the final, uplifting "This City" sends a dark album out on a ray of hope.
32. Fucked Up - David Comes To Life
David Comes To Life is Fucked Up's biggest and most bombastic album yet. An 80 minute concept album about falling in and out of love and living life may seem like am indulgent chore to sit through (and at times it is, hence the slightly low rank for an album I love in doses) but Fucked Up's sound has always been huge and now they have a piece of work that fits that sound to a T.
31. Doomtree - No King's
Hip-Hop isn't a genre I'm completely comfortable writing about so it's hard to explain what I like most about No King's . I'll just say it's really good and leave it at that.
30. Chuck Ragan - Covering Ground
Ragan's most filled out solo album features guest appearances from Brian Fallon and Frank Turner (among others) who help bring Ragan's folk-punk to a new level. With Chuck's impassioned vocals and road weary lyrics supported by a full band (or at least fiddle and bass) on most tracks, the result is a powerful set of songs ready made for singing along and acoustically rocking out.
29. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones - The Magic of Youth
This album was pretty recently released and it's so exciting to have The Mighty Mighty Bosstones making new music again that it's possible I'm overrating The Magic of Youth. On the other hand, it's a whole lot of fun to listen to and that's a large part of what this type of music is all about. The Bosstones sound hasn't changed over the years but no one does melodic ska with metallic traces with more honesty and style than Dickey Barrett and the boys.
28. Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator
It would be easy to expect Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks "family" band to be a heavy blues affair but while Trucks guitar definitely gets put to use throughout, Revelator is a fairly laid back soulful album. Tedeschi's voice is the real star here on songs like "Come See About Me," "Bound for Glory" and "Midnight in Harlem" while the heavier vibe of "Don't Let Me Slide" and "Learn How To Love" showcase the 11 members gifts for tight grooves and instrumental prowess.
27. Social Distortion - Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes
Social Distortion channel the Stones more than ever before on "California (Hustle and Flow)" and "Can't Take It With You," go gangster on "Machine Gun Blues" and add in their typical heart on a sleeve punk ("Still Alive"). Throw in a few good ballads ("Bakersfield," "Diamond in the Rough") and you have a solid outing from this longtime Shaft Went to Africa favorite band.
26. Gregg Allman - Low Country Blues
Allman's best solo album since the 70's is a fine collection of old jazz and blues standards sung with conviction and passion by a man who's no stranger to overcoming hard times. T-Bone Burnett's production works very well here, adding haunting layers of reverb to give these songs an extra dimension. Allman is is fine voice throughout and absolutely kills it on "Little By Little," "Just Another Rider" and "Please Accept My Love."
Tomorrow: the top 25.
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