Each year, we’ve posted our top ten albums of the previous year. 2011 was an intriguing year.  The best albums were fantastic, but it felt like their was a dearth of great new bands.  Bands that put out great singles in 2010, tended to follow up with mediocre albums in 2011.  You’ll certainly want to check out our list of Top 10 EP’s of 2011, as we think there’s still a few bands with great promise on the horizon.  Thanks to the bands, the labels, the promoters and most of all….the readers. Over the next week, we’ll also be bringing you the top ten lists of some great musicians, writers and music industry folks for you to peruse. Check back soon!

This year we’re presenting individual lists from the three main contributors to the site. Each brings their own tastes and we hope you’ll enjoy them all.

Special thanks to our friends at Rdio, who’ve helped us to embed virtually every album on our top ten lists, so that you can listen to them in their entirety.   Enjoy!

Todd- Editor/Writer

01  We Are Augustines- Rise Ye Sunken Ships

02  The Duke Spirit- Bruiser

03  Apteka- Gargoyle Days

Striking Violet by apteka
Listen on Spotify: Apteka – Gargoyle Days

04  Adele- 21

05  Dum Dum Girls- Only In Dreams

06  Cerebral Ballzy- Cerebral Ballzy

07  The Black Keys- El Camino

08  Libyans- A Common Place

09  The Field- Looping State of Mind

10  Johnny Foreigner- Johhny Foreigner vs. Everything

Amy- Writer

01  Adele- 21

02  Lykke Li- Wounded Rhymes

03  Cults- Cults

04  Panda Bear- Tomboy

05  The Decemberists- The King Is Dead

06  The Antlers- Burst Apart

07  Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues

08  Jay-Z and Kanye West- Watch The Throne

09  Active Child- You Are All I See

10  EMA- Past Life Martyred Saints

Sania- Writer

01  The Horrors- Skying

02  Black Lips- Arabia Mountain

03  The Black Keys- El Camino

04  The Duke Spirit- Bruiser

05  Night Beats- Night Beats

Night Beats – Puppet On A String by BurgerRecords
Listen on Spotify: spotify:album:2bKHbnyTpfVWyQDen9Pgg0

06  Bass Drum of Death- GB City

07  Battles- Gloss Drop

08  Dirty Beaches- Badlands

Listen on Spotify: spotify:album:2vW79BiE5ngvlFe7JMcBAx

09  Psychic Ills- Hazed Dream

Listen on Spotify: spotify:track:0QncJR9cLt5SgFrq7qGxO9

10  Ringo Deathstarr- Colour Trip

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As we’ve watched others post their top 10′s of the decade, we’ve been a bit flummoxed. Other than the obvious Radiohead choice, we seem to disagree with the cool kids once again. We believe that faithful readers of this site will find our picks logical and a perfect fit for their own taste. There’s no politics in these picks, no succumbing to the arm-twisting of certain labels who are trying to grow the future of their brand…. I mean band. If you write great melodies and believe that emotion IS music, then you’re likely to find yourself on this list. And with that…. the top ten.

10) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- BRMC (2001)
Recommend Track: Whatever Happened To My Rock n Roll?
Why We Love It: While we loved the 90′s, it was clearly time to shake off the Pavement/Nirvana indie plaid. IBRMC used their first album to reintroduce the world to songs that didn’t follow the “loud/soft/loud” formula that bands like Smashing Pumpkins had run into the ground. They challenged listeners without the Strokes-like tendency to worry about their “look” more than their sound. A classic.

9) Bloc Party- Silent Alarm (2005)
Recommended Track: Like Eating Glass
Why We Love It: While the sound of this decade frequently became homogenized, Bloc Party were one of the few bands who people couldn’t emulate. With one of the best drummers in rock and guitar riffs that veered from Gang of Four genius to a sound unlike any other, they made a record that will stand the test of time for decades to come.

8)The Boxer Rebellion- Exits (2005)
Recommended Track: Watermelon
Why We Love It: On their first self-released album, The Boxer Rebellion were able to create sounds and emotions that took U2 decades and millions of dollars to put on record. Any band that can draw comparisons to The Verve and U2 without hesitation is likely to create the kind of masterpiece that this record was.

To read our interview with TBR, click here.

No songs available on Lala.com (for shame!), so here’s the video for Watermelon:

7) Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- Baby 81 (2007)
Recommended Track: Lien On Your Dreams
Why We Love It: Is it politically incorrect to say that this is our favorite Black Rebel Motorcycle Club record? While their contemporaries were busy spewing out the same style of music for the umpteeth time, BRMC added and edge and immediacy to this record that threatened to reach through the speakers and tear you apart. While you can argue with some of our selections, there is no reason why this album shouldn’t be in the top 10 of every music critic in the world.

6) The Duke Spirit- Cuts Across The Land (2004)
Recommended Track:
Why We Love It: On their first record, they took the concept of a Kim Deal-only Pixies record and created an album so unique and so magnificent that they created their own genre. Whether they intended this path is doubtful, but they became the most interesting band of the decade by making a sound that seemed unconcerned with their references and left music critics to spend the decade running to catch up. Expect them to be the band of the decade in the 2020 wrap-ups, as Spin and Rolling Stone finally catch on.

5) Calla- Strength In Numbers (2007)
Recommended Track: Bronson
Why We Love It: Perhaps it was their classification as slo-core that scared people away. By the time they released Strength In Numbers, they’d moved away from their beautiful codeine-like pace (which we loved) and produced a record that was jarring, yet mesmerizing. Vocalist/ guitarist Aurelio Valle has always had a knack for writing beautiful vocal melodies that linger over the cacophony of sound that he creates with the band. On this record, they reached perfection and left the world gasping for more.

To read our interview with Calla, click here.

4) Alberta Cross- Broken Side of Time (2009)
Recommended Track: ATX
Why We Love It: The critics don’t have a clue. Whether classifying them as “southern rock” or just failing to recognize the majesty of this record, they do a disservice to music listeners around the world. When I first heard this record, it moved me in a way I hadn’t been moved since the first time I heard The Verve’s “A Storm In Heaven”. Like that record, there are layers and layers of music to peel away on this record. Guitars, vocals, keyboards and drum rhythms combine to create what is easily the most beautiful record of the decade.

To read our interview with Alberta Cross, click here.

3) Radiohead- Kid A (2000)
Recommended Track: National Anthem
Why We Love It: A genius record, borne from their hatred of being… Radiohead. Thom Yorke has said that he’d “completely had it with melody. I just wanted rhythm.” Eschewing guitars and aiming to create an electronic record, they took a risk that could have ended them. Instead it gave them the courage to set the course they sailed for the remainder of the decade. You can argue with us over it’s place as the “best” Radiohead record of the decade, but you can’t argue it’s significance in their career path.

2) The Duke Spirit- Neptune (2008)
Recommended Track: Step and the Walk
Why We Love It: Clearly one of the most under-rated bands in the world. The Duke Spirit’s second record showed no signs of a sophomore slump. Liela Moss earns her reputation as one of the greatest singers in rock, but it’s her ability to control the push and pull of a song that sets her apart. Impossible to categorize, they write rock songs that are pure and honest with every member of the band adding their own aural treat for their listeners.

1) Interpol- Turn On The Bright Lights (2002)
Recommended Track: PDA
Why We Love It: Our favorite record of the decade, if for no other reason than it’s track by track consistency. While they’ve never shaken the Joy Division comparisons, Paul Banks writes vocal melodies which were never a strength of Ian Curtis. To be compared favorably to one of the greatest bands in history is nothing to be ashamed of. Nor should they be punished for the plethora of bands that tried to follow them down the path. Daniel Kessler’s guitar work, coupled with the best rhythm section of the decade created perfect songs for a perfect record.

View our picks for #31-40 here
View our picks for #21-30 here.
View our picks for #11-20 here.

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Here’s the list I published on January 1 of this year.

1) The Duke Spirit- Neptune (Both of their albums have been my number 1 for their respective year.  Clearly, the most under-rated band on the planet)

2) The Virgins- Self-Titled (Still a good pop record, but fading fast in my memory)

3) Darker My Love- 2 (Despite mailing it in when they were interviewed by me, this album still packs a wallop.)

4) Steve Malkmus- Real Emotional Trash (As with many Pavement records, it continues to grow on me.  Such a great songwriter.)

5 thru 10 were occupied by albums that I still like, but have quickly faded from my frequently played list: The Kooks (Konk), The Late Greats (Life Without Balloons), The Pigeon Detectives (Emergency), Fujiya & Miyagi (Lightbulbs), We Are Scientists (Brain Thrust Mastery), The Bronx (3)

So, with apologies to those I originally forgot, here’s the revised Best Albums of 2008…with a little perspective:

I’m efforting to post some videos that haven’t been shown here before.  With bands like TDS, it’s hard because we’ve written them up so many times.  But I’m pretty proud of these brand spankin new videos.

1) The Duke Spirit- Neptune

2) The Black Box Revelation- Set Your Head On Fire

3) The Black Keys- Attack and Release

4) Ida Maria- Fortress ‘Round My Heart

5) Darker My Love- 2

6) Jaydiohead- Jaydiohead: What?  I can’t put a mashup album on my list?  Well, this is the best mashup I’ve ever heard and deserves to be on this list.

7) Steve Malkmus- Real Emotional Trash

Division of Laura Lee- Violence Is Timeless

9) The Pigeon Detectives- Emergency

10) The Virgins- The Virgins

What do you think?  What albums did you miss the first time around in 2008, that you’re loving now?

I also like Gossip Girl.  Same reasons.  Rather than go for the top 40 hit d’jour, these shows took little known bands and used their songs effectively.  It made it edgy, yet fun at the same time.  I would argue that the O.C. started the trend of using small bands to move the message long before Apple and every other company started doing it via commercials.

So….this means that Josh Schwartz (who created both shows and Chuck) is our hero.  We pace the halls at night waiting for him to call us and ask our opinion on what bands to use in his next shows’. (I’d go “Slow Burning Crimes” by East Hundred.  I can see Lonely Boy walking down the street after his latest break-up with this as the soundtrack.  I’ll give you that one for free Josh.)

When I heard that Josh Schwartz had created a webisode series, I was intrigued.  Once I watched it, I was in love.  The show, Rockville, CA is set in a club and it’s characters are obsessed with music.  I likey.  Here’s whatcha get:

1)Episodes that average 5 minutes.  Easy, quick and entertaining.

2) The usual Schwartz wit.  The opening of the first show includes a rant on how fickle blogs are and how bands rise and fall in a heartbeat.

3) Great.  Music.  You’ll be scrambling to identify the background songs and because of the premise of the show, you get love bands.  Who? Among many, are TDOA favorites: The Kooks, The Duke Spirit, White Lies, Passion Pit, Kaiser Chiefs…..did you leave yet?  Are you watching it yet?  What are you waiting for?

http://www.thewb.com/shows/rockville-ca/

Our criteria:  1) Not a one-hit wonder.  They’ve got a 30 to 45 minute set at their disposal that’ll blow you away.

2) Great live band.  Either we’ve seen them personally or the weight of public opinion merits seeing this band live.  Their show at SXSW is going to be an “event”.

3) They’re on the cusp of something bigger.  This may be the last time you can see them in a smaller venue.

In no particular order:

An Horse

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

The Duke Spirit

White Lies

The Soft Pack

Minipop

Longview

Ida Maria

The Living Things

Division of Laura Lee

No videos this time.  We’ve done oodles of videos on each of these bands.  Time to get out there and see ‘em folks!

I’ve tried to do something that’ll seperate my list from the masses.  Not only have I posted one video for each of the albums, I’ve tried to steer clear of the “official” video.  This presented challenges since the “live” videos tend to have bad sound quality.  In almost every case I was able to come up with something that is a little special.  Enjoy!

…and with that, here’s the list:

1) The Duke Spirit- Neptune

2) The Virgins- The Virgins

3) Darker My Love- Darker My Love 2

4) Steve Malkmus & The Jicks- Real Emotional Trash

5) The Kooks- Konk

6) The Late Greats- Life Without Balloons

7) The Pigeon Detectives- Emergency

Fujiya & Miyagi- Lightbulbs

9) We Are Scientists- Brain Thrust Mastery

10) The Bronx- The Bronx 3