Top 10 Albums of 2011

The first thing I did when I started putting this post together, is that I looked back at my top 10 albums of 2010. I was curious to see if my choices still held up after a year. For the most part, I can still very much stand by my choices. Except, I think would now probably swap Stone Temple Pilots and Jakob Dylan for Against Me! and The Hold Steady. However, that’s in retrospect. I’ve decided that the list is reflective of where I was at that place in time, so I’m accepting it. Having said this, after much careful deliberation here is my list of my 10 favourite albums of 2011. This list was much more difficult than the last one for some reason, as there were many great records this year. At the end, I’ve actually included an additional 10 albums of which I felt at least deserved mention. Basically, these were all albums which were competing for the last spots in my final 10. Maybe that goes against the rules, but I don’t care. I’d also like to take this opportunity to call out a few artists whom had put out releases this year which I was looking forward to, but ultimately let me down. Radiohead, Rise Against, Flogging Molly, and Steve Earle. These were all disappointing releases from artists whom in the past have been pretty consistent in my listening rotation. Records from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and R.E.M. were also lackluster, but on course with their recent sub-par output. I’m not even going to bother calling out the Metallica/Lou Reed collaboration, because criticizing it would be the equivalent of pushing a crippled child down the stairs. There were also records that were pretty good but certainly not list-worthy, as with releases from Wilco and Mastodon. Further, I’ll also admit to feeling slightly guilty for not including any Canadian content in the top 10. The fact is that there was no formula to this list. These were my favourite records. Period. I couldn’t justify including an obligatory Canadian release if I just wasn’t feeling it. That being said, there were some strong Canadian albums. Hard Charger from Fredericton and Death Valley Driver from Charlottetown both released great records this year, and both Fucked Up and Protest The Hero at least creep into the honourable mention category. Anyway, I hope everyone who takes the time to read this will find something they can take away from it. Enjoy.




  1. Old Man Markley - Guts 'n Teeth
Just out of curiosity, I like to search the internet for other “best of” lists for the year. This album doesn’t appear on any of them. I must say that this band has got to be music’s best kept secret. Although this is perhaps a very unlikely formula for any kind of mainstream appreciation, this is not only the catchiest album of the year, but has some of the most urgent and inspiring lyrics since the last Joe Strummer record. This band of tattooed punks from southern California plays a very clean and pure sounding bluegrass, but with fierce punk rock energy and a penchant for quality songwriting. The vocals are very clear and prominent, with lots of sweet harmonies, and with a pure unadulterated passion. Despite the complete lack of electric instruments, the band presents their sound with a fervor that could rival the Ramones. This is the sound of a band giving a true testament of how music can be good for the soul. Being on the Fat Wreck label and having toured with the likes of Social Distortion, the punk ethos is not lost on the band, as they distill the vital qualities of traditional roots music all with a blazing punk intensity.


Song to check out: "Guts 'n Teeth"




   2. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
After a decade and a half of releasing pretty good albums, the Foo Fighters have finally created their true masterwork. An impressive culmination of everything the band has done, this is a thoroughly executed benchmark of modern rock music that shines all the way through. An FM radio programmer’s wet dream as the flow of the record feels like a greatest hits collection, with each track blowing the sonic spectrum wide open and commanding strict attention. This album is a melodic rock juggernaut which features a perfected formula of layered guitars, soaring choruses, and immediate hooks with complex, yet concise harmonic arrangements.


Song to check out: "Arlandria"



   3. Ghost - Opus Eponymous
If nothing else, this is likely the most terrifying album of the year. Here we have a Swedish metal band made up of a series of “nameless ghouls” fronted by an imposing figure in a Cardinal outfit and skull mask. The lyrics and imagery are so blatantly evil and Satanic, that you really don’t know whether or not to take them seriously. In fact, the whole mystique of it all makes the band that much more intriguing. Their sound is deeply infused with components of classic metal and 70’s era psychedelic rock with extremely hook-heavy choruses and clean vocals. The songs are cleverly and concisely constructed, and with brilliant embellishments of funeral organ and layered harmony vocals. In spite of lyrical themes of Satan worship and witchcraft, this is a surprisingly accessible album. Never before has music so evil and sinister been so damn catchy. Along with the heavy thematic elements, the music is so infectious that these insidious melodies will creep into your consciousness and haunt you in your sleep.

Song to check out: “Ritual”

**Sidenote: This album was released in 2010 in Europe, but wasn’t released in North America until January 2011, which is why I’m deeming it eligible for the 2011 list**



   4. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead
Temporarily abandoning their grandiose artistic ambitions, The Decemberists settle very nicely into a simple, straight ahead roots rock sound. With help from the sweet high-mountain harmonies of Appalachian songstress Gillian Welch, the band weaves a delightful tapestry of sound using more organic song structures and warm rustic tones. See my full review from 02/26 here.


Song to check out: "Rise To Me"



   5. The Horrible Crowes - Elsie
Side project for Gaslight Anthem front man Brian Fallon, has him exploring some slightly new territory with some dark soulful rhythms. Musical concepts which were vaguely hinted at on the last Gaslight record are further developed, and the result is an illustriously crafted collection of ominous slow-burning dirges that feature themes of hope and redemption. The songs are slow, sinister and carefully deliberated to create a dark ambience while showcasing Fallon’s character-driven vocal delivery through delicate and impassioned execution.

Song to check out: “Cherry Blossoms”



   6. Deer Tick - Divine Providence
If you can imagine a scenario where The Replacements hijack The Band’s performance in The Last Waltz, it may give you a vague idea of what this album sounds like. Reckless, sloppy and unhinged garage rock with tones of southern roots inflected twang. While their previous records adhered to a more typical alt-country form, this outing has them embracing their true live ethic. This album flows with brash impudence, drunken pomposity, and a perfectly rough-around-the-edges charm. It’s a beautiful, chaotic mess.

Song to check out: “The Bump”



   7. The Strokes - Angles
What I love most about this record is how accurately and vividly it truly captures a classic early 1980’s new wave vibe. This album speaks to the 8 year old me who used to wear a holographic iron-on Duran Duran T-Shirt. Everything from the vibrant cover art, to the authentic sounding FM pop-rock melodies feels like a precious junkyard of aesthetic artifacts from a Ric Ocasek garage sale. Expect a forthcoming box set edition to include a Coleco-Vision controller, a collectible sticker book devoted to Ziggy, and a Rubik’s Cube.

Song to check out: “Two Kinds of Happiness”



   8. Kvelertak
Blast beats, ghastly shrieks, blues-rock shuffles and honky-tonk piano. These are all things that appear on this album. Believe it or not, the band actually manages to blend it all together quite seamlessly. Here is a Norwegian metal band who are obviously influenced by their country’s known black metal scene, but has exploited the sound as only one of many elements to this bona fide rock and roll record. The term, “black and roll” has been used to describe their sound. Oh, and don’t bother trying to understand the lyrics. Not just because they’re undecipherable, but because they’re also all in Norwegian. Although, it probably isn’t hard to figure out what the song title “Blodtorst”
translates to. The band compounds a mercilessly brutal sonic experience that effortlessly fuses dirty blues rock grooves and garage punk rhythms all with a furious Norwegian metal twist.

Song to check out: “Fossegrim”


**Sidenote: This album was released in 2010 in Europe, but wasn’t released in North America until March 2011, which is why I’m deeming it eligible for the 2011 list**



   9. Chuck Ragan - Covering Ground
This is the third solo album from Hot Water Music’s Chuck Ragan. His raspy, weathered voice is the perfect instrument against the backdrop of acoustic guitars, fiddle, and pedal steel. His punk rock audacity is still prevalent in this collection of southern backwater folk anthems, which serves as his most accomplished solo effort yet. A guest appearance from Gaslight Anthem’s Brian Fallon provides only further validation of Ragan’s artistry.

Song to check out: “Right as Rain”



  10. Social Distortion - Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes
By Social Distortion’s standards, this record doesn’t really compete with the rest of their catalog. However, even a bad Social D album is still better than most albums. While the one glaring flaw is Mike Ness having flipped his lyric-writing on auto-pilot, most of the music still stands up as expected. Read my full review from 02/14 here.

Song to check out: “Diamond In The Rough”


Honourable Mentions: (in no particular order)
Frank Turner – England Keep My Bones
Thrice – Major/Minor
Havok – Time Is Up
Fucked Up – David Comes To Life
Protest The Hero – Scurrilous
Ryan Adams- Ashes and Fire
Adele- 21
PJ Harvey – Let England Shake
Dropkick Murphys- Going Out In Style
Tom Waits – Bad as Me