I am not a music critic and I work for the state so it’s not like I have a ton of money for records. My year end lists are mostly to satiate my own need to archive my year to year tastes. These are my favorite records from 2011 right now. I can’t say these are in any order except maybe #1.

1. Veronica Falls- s/t

2. Frank Ocean- Nostalgia, Ultra

3. Widowspeak- s/t

4. Beyonce- 4

5. Destroyer- Kaputt

6. Wild Flag- s/t

7. Nicola Roberts- Cinderella’s Eyes

8. War on Drugs- Slave Ambient

9. EMA- Past Life Martyred Saints

10. Eleanor Friedberger- Last Summer

Most of these are here because they are the records I kept going back to—those I picked while scrolling through my iTunes at work. I didn’t like War on Drugs live in 2010, but I have listened to Slave Ambient so much, it’s almost instinctual to play it every week—same with EMA. Lots of Merge, too, I know… but they keep releasing amazing records! The Mountain Goats, Wye Oak and Telekinesis LPs were also fantastic.

I also LOVED the BLKHRTS mixtape (downloaded here for free but now it’s $5 and SO WORTH IT), the Hoop Dreams 7” on Captured Tracks, all the Weeknd mixtapes, and so many reissues and older records. PJ and I make year end mixes every December, and I will post links to the 8 Tracks playlists so you can hear that too. Mine is always songs I was obsessed with that year, and PJs is bands he photographed.

xoM