40. Iron & Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean
Iron & Wine has evolved considerably in a short nine years, but Sam Beam’s ability to rock out and folk out in the same breath is still going strong. In the bitter, January cold, Iron & Wine submitted us to a warm, summery walk through the countryside with opening track “Walking Far From Home.” With the slow building of the song and the mingling of the ethereal vocals, the song set the tone for the rest of the album, and suddenly, the frost melted from our noses and we were lying in the grass in early June, or walking through a street fair with a jazz band playing on the main stage. –Ciara Shook
39. Balance and Composure – Separation
Balance and Composure has grown exponentially since it released I Just Want to Be Pure in 2008. While the group was initially viewed as just another band reviving 1990s emo, they’ve since brought in elements of indie, grunge and straightforward rock. Seperation is an album that could easily feel disjointed, but it takes these steps deliberately. The result is a full-length that is well-balanced while displaying that the next album could be anything. –David Anthony
38. Wild Flag – Wild Flag
Take two parts Sleater-Kinney, one part Helium and add the Minders’ keyboards, and you get an indie-rock “super group” that actually lives up to that much-reviled label. More importantly, it not only lives up to, but also surprisingly exceeds all expectations. For those who have been oblivious to the buzz, the group features former Sleater-Kinney members guitarist Carrie Brownstein and drummer Janet Weiss. Also on guitar is Helium’s Mary Timony, and the band’s secret weapon is keyboardist Rebecca Cole from The Minders (affiliated with The Elephant Six Collective). The quartet channels their riot-girl passion into power pop paved by post punk, and every song here is a gem. While the concept of Wild Flag sounds like a marriage made in heaven, on record it’s even better. It’s a fun listen throughout. –Craig Bechtel
37. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch the Throne
It was easy for me to write this album off as meaningless, especially in the wake of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Plus, Jay-Z hasn’t really had anything important to say since retiring after The Black Album, and it seemed unlikely that an album titled Watch the Throne would change that. Indeed, this collaboration is predominantly the two mega-stars flaunting their wealth and basking in the excesses that come with their status, but what I failed to appreciate initially is that these guys are just having plain old fun this time around. I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen Hov and Yeezy smile like they did in the “Otis” video, and I can only imagine that that only captures part of the positive energy they had in the studio. After all their trials and subsequent successes, can we blame them for taking a victory lap? –Chris Favata
36. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo
There were a number of fantastic “chill out” records released in 2011: Real Estate’s Days, Atlas Sound’s Parallax or even BOAT’s Dress Like Your Idols. However, none could match the effortless riffing of Philly darling Kurt Vile, who’s second Matador Records LP, Smoke Ring for My Halo, was a breezy puff of stoner rock ‘n’ roll fit for long drives or even longer naps. Amid the acoustic guitars was a bit deeper of a well, a rootsy backstory that Vile would sometimes dip into to bring forth hallucinatory images, as in album standout, “Runner Ups.” More often than not, the album was about finding coziness in almost anything, be it a lover (“Baby’s Arms”) or your own solitude (“On Tour”). –Tyler Remmert
35. Rival Schools – Pedals
Of all the bands Walter Schreifels has been a member of, no two have sounded similar. They may have bared Schreifels distinctive knack for songwriting, but few would mistake Gorilla Biscuits for Quicksand. However, never has one Schreifels project sounded so different from itself. Where Rival Schools’ debut, United By Fate, bared the mark of propulsive post-hardcore, its 2011 sophomore album, Pedals, was post-hardcore for the dance-punk crowd. Awash in layered effects, dance beats and harmonies, Pedals sees Schreifels and crew craft an album full of powerful rock anthems and indie-based jaunts. It’s a listen that displays how far the group has come, and if a third album were to happen, it could sound nothing like Rival Schools. That, in itself, is exciting. –David Anthony
34. A$AP Rocky – LiveLoveA$AP
The moment I knew I loved A$AP Rocky was when I read a question in an interview about him becoming mainstream, to which he responded, “Now people are like, ‘Oh, shit. He’s really making moves. How much money he got?’ And it’s like, ‘Suck a dick.’” And, I mean, let’s be honest: show me an up-and-comer who turns down a $3 million RCA deal, and I will show you an absolute idiot. This kid deserves it. After producing two runaway internet hits (“Purple Swag” and “Pe$o”), Rocky absolutely kills it with his first full-length release. The entire album is about buzz—generating one and grooving on it—and that’s the feel you get from spinning it. It’s smooth and gets you vibing. Rocky’s ability to flow effortlessly over trippy, experimental beats, plus his Harlem $wag makes LiveLoveA$AP a standout in the 2011 hip-hop scene. –Christi Warren
33. Touché Amoré – Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me
On its sophomore full-length the Los Angeles band hits harder than ever before, while also making the heart-on-sleeve lyrics all the more gut-wrenching. There’s something about the way Jeremy Bolm screams about planning the soundtrack to his funeral on “Condolences” that expresses both loss and acceptance in a very real way. When the album ends the last words spoken are, “For what it’s worth I’m sorry/ And at the end I swear I’m trying.” This raw emotion would seem trite in the hands of anyone else, but Touché Amoré exemplifies all of the great things that screamo and hardcore can accomplish. This album is a masterpiece and will rightfully be remembered for years to come. –David Anthony
32. The Joy Formidable – The Big Roar
One could easily argue that The Big Roar was the best debut record of 2011. Blistering and huge, equipped with all of the arena-themed histrionics Ritzy Bryan and company could fit into a record, Roar is a fitting descendant of Smashing Pumpkins-era rock, blustery epicness and all. Bracketed by brutal opening and closing tracks, the meat of Roar is in a trio of songs that blows any big rock band’s output this year out of the water: “Austere,” the glossy single; “A Heavy Abacus”; the gigantic anthem; and finally, “Whirring,” a tidal wave of a song complete with three minutes of blisteringly loud, 120 mph arena rock. In the land of The Joy Formidable, no sound was too big or too loud, and sometimes, you’ve just gotta scream. –Tyler Remmert
31. Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972
Not everyone prides themselves in listening to ambient music, but there’s really no excuse not to listen to Ravedeath, 1972, or, more broadly, Tim Hecker. This man has an unparalled gift of texture and tone that continues to enrapture me with every release—and perhaps more than ever with this latest installment. Each track lends itself to an out-of-body experience and is flat-out mesmerizing in its use of texture and space. This is the kind of music that lends itself to the imagination, with only the cover art and song titles to guide us into our own short films. My original review was an understatement. Not only is this the counterpart to Fennesz’s Endless Summer, but it’s also the best ambient record since its release 10 years ago. –Chris Favata
