Albums Of The Year: 2011

Most of this year’s top albums lists have already been release and whilst everyone is looking towards Pitchfork for the most comprehensive and critically acclaimed list, there will be a large percentage of the music loving community eagerly anticipated Village Boy’s top list. Possibly.

Putting this list together made me realise a couple of things. 1. What an incredible year of music it has been across all genres, the fact that almost all of these albums are debut albums makes you realise that music is in a healthy state no matter what LMFAO and Pitbull try to do to it. And secondly, how much my music taste has changed, I've got TWO R&B albums in there. There's hip-hop, indie, rock, dance, acoustic, it makes my iTunes a happy place to be.

So here's my 21 favourite albums of the year. Feel free to point out ones I've missed, which order they should be in or how completely right I am...


21. Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter And Melancholy Jam

Favourite track - Cash And Carry Me Home


20. Twin Atlantic - Free

Favourite track - Free


19. Everything Everything - Man Alive

Favourite track - Come Alive Diana


18. James Vincent McMorrow - Early In The Morning

Favourite track - We Don't Eat


17. The Weeknd - House Of Balloons

Favourite track - High For This


16. Frank Ocean - Nostaligia Ultra

Favourite track - Swim Good


15. Apollo Brown - Clouds

Favourite track - Never In A Million Years


14. Wild Beasts - Smother

Favourite track - Albatross


13. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming

Favourite track - Reunion


12. Ben Howard - Every Kingdom

Favourite track - The Fear


11. The Black Keys - El Camino

Favourite track - Gold On The Ceiling


10. The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?

Favourite track - All In White


9. J Cole - Cole World: Sideline Story

Favourite track - Sideline Story


8. Foo Fighters  - Wasting Light

Favourite track - Bridge Burning


7. SBTRKT - SBTRKT

Favourite track - Wildfire


6. Yuck - Yuck

Favourite track - Holing Out


5. Jamie XX & Gil Scott Heron - We're New Here

Favourite track - NY Is Killing Me


4. Drake - Take Care

Favourite track - Marvin's Room



3. Bombay Bicycle Club - A Different Kind Of Fix

Favourite track - Lights Out, Words Gone



2. Jay Z and Kanye West - Watch The Throne

Favourite track - Murder To Excellence

1. Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Favourite track - Towers

Beatle Fighters.

It's all about The Foo Fighters this week, clearly. This week on The David Letterman show they played some of the tracks of their pretty darn good new album Wasting Light. However it was all shot in black and white, and there's a certain hint of a pretty popular band from Liverpool in there somewhere. As if you needed it, more proof that Dave Grohl and The Foos are simply incredible.

Foo Fighters: True Garage Band.

This is just plain and simple too cool. Foo Fighters being just the swell guys that they are held a competition where the lucky winners got to host a Foo Fighters gig in their own garage. Yeah you read that right. Foo Fighters, Dave Grohl et al, in your own garage. Too cool.



Note to other bands - DO THIS.

Music Monday 41.

Foo Fighters - Rope



Here's the second full single from The Foos off their new album that is being reported to being captured on a tape recorder. Despite Rope appears to be a much cleaner sound that White Limo, but still has that growling, rustic Foos feel. Literally can't wait for this album.

Gold Panda - Marriage



A beautiful song, accompanied by a rather cute video, from Gold Panda. It's simple repetitive beat lulls you in and the subtle dub beats gives it a really interesting and unique feel.

Awolnation - Sail



Am I allowed to say that two songs in a row have a pretty unique sound? Well I'm doing so. The bass beat in this song is pretty ridiculous and doesn't hold back as the vocals scream over the top. Intriguing and intoxicating stuff.

Out Like A Lion - X Lovers

X Lovers by outlikereleases

It's good to hear something new from one of my favourite bands (who's lead singer works in the shop opposite me), having absolutely rinsed every song on their Myspace and on Youtube. They bring a great energy and feel to their tracks, keep it going boys.

Music Monday 40.

Tyler The Creator - Yonkers



So yeah Odd Future have pretty much exploded after their appearance on Jimmy Fallon and rightfully so. Widely hailed as the future of hip-hop, Odd Future, fronted by Tyler The Creator are spitting in the face of Akon, T-Pain and the such. This is Tyler's first single off his album. I love the video, it gives Tyler a chance to bask in the glory he loves and gets to show his attitude and showmanship directly to the audience.

Foo Fighters - White Limo



Foo Fighters are back. And they're back HARD. Everything that I've heard from the new album, including the first single White Limo, is everything you'd expect off a band's debut album before they clean themselves up to go mainstream. However Foos are doing it exactly the way that they want to, the new album sounds raw, grimy and loose and in no way is that a bad thing.

Radiohead - Lotus Flower



All the musical press was focused on the return of Radiohead last week, their huge and devoted fan-base is difficult to ignore. The new album suddenly became avaliable a day early along with this video and the internet went mad. This five minute solo performance by Thom Yorke gives fans something to touch themselves over as he stumbles, flexes and prances about. I do like it, and Radiohead in general, although not to the extent that I've got locks of Yorke's under my bed.

Mumford And Sons - Untitled



It's really nice to have something new from the Mumford boys as their massive, MASSIVE debut album. And yeah it sounds good, not groundbreaking, but good.