Yes, I’m fully aware that the last post on this blog was my 2010 Mixtape, meaning it’s been an entire year since I’ve made an update. Hopefully in 2012 I’ll find more time to post, but 2011 was full of traveling for work (Atlanta, Wilmington) and for fun (Europe), as well as buying a house, among other life stuff…so yeah, my time was limited. However, I did still listen to a lot of music, and far be it from me to keep my Top Albums rankings from my multitude dozens of fans. I can only imagine the backlash. So over the next few days I’ll be unveiling my rankings, although I’ll probably keep my writeups a bit shorter than usual and won’t stretch out these posts over a week and a half like I’ve done in the past. I’m only expecting to make about 5 or 6 posts for this years recap. And as usual, I’ll kick it off with a list of the albums I got in 2011, and thus, the albums that are eligible.
This past year I purchased, in some form, 74 albums…70 of which are eligible. I do not include EPs, Soundtracks, Live Albums, Holiday Albums, or B-Side/Rarity type releases as albums eligible for my list. The 70 albums in 2011 is the smallest amount of albums I’ve had eligible in quite some time, although it’s still probably more than I need, but I’m a music junkie and just can’t help myself. Of course, there’s plenty of albums that I never got around to procuring, so yes, there’s going to be very worthy albums that don’t make my list. Get over it. After the jump, you can see the list of all albums I purchased, in order of release date. Also, over to the right, you can see the schedule over the next few days as I continue the countdown. Enjoy, and thanks for indulging my, uhh, indulgence.
Tapes ‘n Tapes – Outside
The Decemberists – The King is Dead
Akron/Family – S/T II: The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT
Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde
Destroyer – Kaputt
Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean
The Get Up Kids – There Are Rules
Cut Copy – Zonoscope
James Blake – James Blake
PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
Yuck – Yuck
Bright Eyes – The People’s Key
Radiohead – The King of Limbs
The Rural Alberta Advantage – Departing
Eisley – The Valley
Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring For My Halo
Wye Oak – Civilian
The Dodos – No Color
The Strokes – Angles
The Mountain Goats – All Eternals Deck
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Belong
Maritime – Human Hearts
The Raveonettes – Raven in the Grave
Thursday – No Devolucion
TV On The Radio – Nine Types of Light
Panda Bear – Tomboy
tUnE-yArDs – W H O K I L L
Explosions In The Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues
Okkervil River – I Am Very Far
The Antlers – Burst Apart
EMA – Past Life Martyred Saints
Wild Beasts – Smother
The Felice Brothers – Celebration, Florida
Other Lives – Tamer Animals
Foster The People – Torches
David Bazan – Strange Negotiations
My Morning Jacket – Circuital
Death Cab for Cutie – Codes and Keys
Battles – Gloss Drop
Cults – Cults
Givers – In Light
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Handome Furs – Sound Kapital
Washed Out – Within and Without
Beirut – The Rip Tide
The War On Drugs – Slave Ambient
Maria Taylor – Overlook
Cymbals Eat Guitars – Lenses Alien
The Field – Looping State of Mind
The Rapture – In The Grace of Your Love
St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
Jay Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne
Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost
Mates of State – Mountaintops
Blind Pilot – We Are The Tide
Jens Lekman – An Argument With Myself*
Wilco – The Whole Love
Dum Dum Girls – Only In Dreams
Feist – Metals
We Were Promised Jetpacks – In The Pit Of The Stomach
Loney Dear – Hall Music
My Brightest Diamond – All Things Will Unwind
M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
Real Estate – Days
Coldplay – Mylo Xyloto
She & Him – A Very She & Him Christmas*
Surfer Blood – Tarot Clasics*
Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials
Phantogram – Nightlife*
Drake – Take Care
Los Campesinos! – Hello Sadness
The Black Keys – El Camino
*Not Eligible
A Round of Sound 