Matthew Schuler

2011 was actually a pretty great year for music. The fact that I can even put together this many favorite albums says it all. Here they are…

Atlas Sound - Parallax

Another great album from Bradford Cox of Deerhunter.

Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two

I love this album. I was skeptical of the new one because I was kinda disappointed with their last album, To The 5 Boroughs but this time the Beastie Boys take it back to the Ill Communication days. I’ll always be one of their biggest fans.

Black Lips - Arabia Mountain

This time around they decide to get a little help from a producer for the first time. Using Mark Ronson (Mainstream, Pop, Hip Hop producer) actually didn’t ruin their sound. It created my favorite Black Lips album so far.

Holy Ghost! - Holy Ghost!

I just love the DFA Records sound. Plain and simple.

The Kills - Blood Pressures

The Kills pay attention to the important little details on this album. A lot of bands try to sound like this but ignore all of the subtleties that make this album sexy as hell.

Little Dragon - Ritual Union

Gorgeous vocals over 90’s style electronic music. This album is for anybody that misses Bjork’s earlier years.

M83 - Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

M83 has finally grown up. It’s their best album yet.

Radiohead - The King of Limbs

I actually think Radiohead is very overrated. But this album speaks to me a bit. The first two tracks are great, and are pretty much the only two songs I listen to repeatedly.

The Raveonettes - Raven In the Grave

The Raveonettes somehow manage to always sound like the Raveonettes while giving each album it’s own very distinct identity. All they have to do is put out an album and it usually makes my yearly top list.

Scott H. Biram - Bad Ingredients

In the age of urban cowboy, suburb kids starting alt-country bands—Scott H. Biram proves that this music can be done but only from somebody that doesn’t have to affect the background, lifestyle.

Sonic Youth - Simon Werner a disparu (Bande originale du film)

The name of this album is actually the name of the movie it’s the soundtrack for. It’s one of those albums you can put on from start to finish while you’re doing work at home.

Thee Oh Sees - Carrion Crawler / The Dream

This is the second album the band has put out this year. The first was a very folky Castlemania that is great but I love the straight up rock and roll energy of this one. Oh… they also put out an EP this year. Nobody is more prolific than Thee Oh Sees.

Tom Waits - Bad As Me

It sounds like it should be the soundtrack for a Coney Island freak show. And I mean that in a good way.

Ty Segall - Goodbye Bread

I know I’m stealing this from somewhere but Ty has a little bit of Marc Bolan in him.

Wire - Red Barked Tree

In my mind there are only 4 Wire albums; Pink Flag (1977), Chairs Missing (1978), 154 (1979), and Red Barked Tree (2011). The rest of their albums were made through almost the entire duration of my life. I recommend buying all 4 listed.

And…

Shabazz Palaces - Black Up

Bon Iver - Bon Iver

Cut Copy - Zonoscope

Dum Dum Girls - Only In Dreams

Real Estate - Days

The Strokes - Angles

TV On the Radio - Nine Types of Light

Washed Out - Within and Without

William Elliott Whitmore - Field Songs

Wye Oak - Civilian

Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring for My Halo

Phantogram - Nightlife (EP)