Here we go. Really enjoyed this year, my favourite maybe 20 records are all ones I'm sure I'll be coming back to on a regular basis in years to come. I listened to more music than I ever have done before in 2011. Where as in the past I'd download shit listen once and if it didn't float my boat I'd forget about it this year I've made sure I listened to EVERYTHING plenty of times before passing a full judgment.
Here are 10 records that I quite enjoyed that didn't quite make the top 50:
The Demos -
Lovely (big star type powerpop)
The Streets -
Computers and Blues (some great tunes, some terrible tunes)
Big Troubles -
Romantic Comedy (the sort of Pains of being sound done well)
Creepoid -
Horse Heaven (moody psych record)
The Rapture -
In the Grace of Your Love (HATED this at first, once I came around to the change in direction I began to enjoy it)
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart -
Belong (huge disappointment yet theres still some undeniably good songs here)
Bass Drum of Death -
GB City (if BRMC decided to become a garage band)
Mind Spiders -
Mind Spiders (old school garage rock)
Yellowbirds -
The Color (nice pop record if forgettable)
Anna Calvi -
Anna Calvi (I don't think this is as great as many would lead you to believe though there definitely is a ton of potential with this women. Excited to see where she goes next)
EP's/live/Comps & other shit01: V.A -
Come Together: Black America Sings Lennon & McCartney 02:
Alex Turner -
Submarine03:
Josh T Pearson -
Rough Trade Christmas Bonus04:
Darondo -
Listen to My Song: The Music City Sessions 05:
Karl & Kev -
Here Comes The Party People (The Poetry Of Wintersox) 
06:
The Flaming Lips -
Strobo Trip07:
Cliff Martinez -
Drive (OST)
Albums (50-41)
50:
The Joy Formidable -
The Big Roar
Highly enjoyable indie-rock record. They dabber in things like shoegaze & that arcade fire sound & do it well. Disappointed that the best parts of last years
A Balloon Called Moaning ended up on here. It felt a bit of a con in a way.
49:
Wu-Tang -
Legendary Weapons
This went completely overlooked I felt. I know it's not a full Wu-Tang Clan release so can feel like a knockoff with a ton of the clan's mates but this record delivers. It's really tight & to the point clocking in under 40 minutes & also includes a track with our hero Action Bronson.
48:
Kurt Vile -
Smoke Ring for My Halo
I'm surprised to see this get so much praise. It's heading shitloads of hipster type lists. My 2 cents is that theres some really well written moody tracks on here. His voice does definitely grate at times, you get the feeling he could sing these songs much better but
chooses to deliver them in an 'I'm not gonna try kinda cool) way. I dig, just not as much as most other people.
47:
Howling Bells -
The Loudest Engine
Initially wasn't fussed about this record at all. The debut was dark & moody, this & Radio Wars are definitely attempts to hit the big time. The sort of radio friendly rock that aims to please people who dig Coldplay & whatnot. So as much as part of me wants to dislike this record theres just too many solid tunes backed up by her voice which I fucking love.
46:
Shapes Have Fangs -
Dinner in the Dark
Ben (RIP) turned me onto these guys last year. Very rough & raw sounding garage rock. Kind of like the Black Lips early records. A fun blast through, nothing more, nothing less.
45:
The Sand Band -
All Through the Night
Lovely acoustic record. Nothing hits you as being special but it's one I've kept coming back to and always enjoyed listening to. Reminds me of I Am Kloot a little.
44:
Radiohead -
The King of Limbs
For what it's worth I do enjoy this record. People seem to go over the top one way or another everytime they release something. It's either the biggest disappointment ever or the best thing since sliced bread. I thought this was a solid record with a couple of really great moments. It does beg the question whats the fuss about & if anybody else released this would anybody care but judging this on it's own merits this is a good record. Also musically it covers ground they haven't before so far play.
43:
Royal Headache -
Royal Headache 
Garage-Punk from Australia. Every song zooms by at 200 miles an hour yet done with soulful vocals, an interesting mix with some catchy songs that I could just not get out of my head.
42:
Adrian Younge -
Something About April
I'd only heard of this guy as he did the brilliant soundtrack to the Blaxsploitation parody/throwback 'Black Dynamite' which captured the fun of those old soundtracks perfectly. This is a soundtrack for a film that doesn't actually exist though after hearing the record I wish it did. Lovely song record with some funky numbers, some ballads & everything in between. Sounds almost timeless.
41:
Cake -
Showroom of Compassion 
Cake are a band I'd never bothered with. Caught them live at a festival a few years ago and enjoyed them so when this leaked at the beginning of the year I thought I'd give it a go. I really loved it & for ages it was one of my albums of the year. I kind of lost interest in it a little bit though it's a really fun quirky pop record. They seem like a band I should love, will definitely check out some of their older records in the near future.
Disappointments: I was very much looking forward to these but they simply did not deliver:
01:
The Rifles -
Freedom Run The biggest disappointment maybe EVER. I love(d?) this band so fucking much. Big cockney anthems for the 16 year old Jam fan still inside me. Love their first two records to death so for them to deliver this piece of shit still fucking hurts. It's blander than almost any bland guitar band you can imagine. Theres a few good songs spread throughout but the awful overproduction never allowed for them to breathe. Still gutted.
02:
Tyler, The Creator -
GoblinAfter getting into the world of Odd Future then seeing them perform two of the most exciting gigs I've ever seen & hearing Yonkers my expectations for this record were probably a little overboard. I kind of liked it at first but the more I listened the more I disliked it. I actually don't think this is very good at all, too many throwaway ideas, not enough to say. felt like such a waste.
03:
Beastie Boys -
Hot Sauce Committee Part TwoI hate it when people use this but I'm gonna now.. Meh. Theres nothing wrong with this record but at the same time theres nothing right. After all the waiting for this everything is simply just about decent. All the fun seems to of evaporated. So surprised this got great reviews from most compared to 'To the 5 Boroughs' as I loved that record.
04:
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart -
BelongLet me set the record straight first, I like this record. However, I can't help but be completely disappointed with it. Their debut is one of my favourite records of the past 10 years or so. They've gone far too soft for my ears. The guitars have gone done and the keys up. Also some fucking HORRIBLE lyrics in places are so cringeworthy. They still know how to write a good pop tune, they just aren't delivering it in a way I want to hear.
05:
Björk -
BiophiliaI'm not a HUGE Bjork fan & usually don't love her albums fully but theres always moments of brilliance scattered throughout her records. This had absolutely nothing going for it. I honestly think she's taking the piss with many of these songs seeing who'll fall for it.
JANKEST ALBUMS OF THE YEAR (THE EAR CANCER AWARD)
01:
James Blake -
James Blake (It seriously bothers me bigtime that people who's taste I trust in actually rate this. I've never heard such dull & soulless music in my entire life. There are NO tunes & that fucking voice effect is pathetic)
02:
Implodes -
Black Earth (shoegaze with no tunes, boring)
03:
Kode9 & The Spaceape -
Black Sun (laughable shoegaze/dubstep type deal)
04:
Monotonix -
Not Yet (don't know what possessed me to try this, awful 70's guitar rock, like wolfmother yet worse)
05:
Big K.R.I.T. -
ReturnOf4Eva (got a ton of hype, lame hiphop)
06:
Esben and the Witch -
Violet Cries (fuck me they are boring)
07:
Iron & Wine -
Kiss Each Other Clean (never really tried this guy before, doubt I will again zzzzzzzz)
08:
The Lovely Eggs -
Cob Dominos (ARGHHHH fuck me these guys FUCK ME OFF. Just trying so fucking hard to be quirky & indie cool. They sound like wankers, I'd honestly love to punch the pair of them. Gutted Gruff Rhys produced tracks for these clowns. I do like a couple of songs though which angers me even more)
09:
Murs -
Love & Rockets Volume 1: The Transformation (shit-hop)
10:
Spank Rock -
Everything Is Boring and Everyone Is a Fucking Liar (I was excited for this. LOVED the debut and the work with Neon Noen, fuck me this is pathetic. It's a blatant attempt to reach 15 year old girls that buy music for their phones that fill the charts with awful commercial sounding hip-hop. WTF happened here)
.................................................................
Albums: 40-31
40:
Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi -
Rome
When I read the description for this record I knew I'd lap it up like a sucker. Ended up not being as Spaghetti Western/Morricone as I'd hoped but still delivered some really lush tunes. Surprisingly my favourite tracks are the ones with Norah Jones. Definitely a mood record for me, in the right frame of mind I've had a great time with this record.
39:
Mikal Cronin -
Mikal Cronin
Don't know much about this guy other than he's worked with TY Segall. Quite a few styles going on here from 60's Psych to garage rock. Nothing new but so many killer tunes, a real treat.
38:
Noel Gallagher -
NoelGallagher's High Flying Birds 
A good record but as a debut from NOEL GALLAGHER I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. Stop the clocks is still fucking shit, record machine is still boring, why he included these when he had songs like The Good Rebel & A Simple Game Of Genius I'll never know. The rest of the record is pretty solid with a few great songs like Dream On & Solider boys.. Definitely a good record, if it's one I'll be rushing back to hear in the future I doubt it.
37:
The Vaccines -
What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
If I was 16 the Vaccines would be so fucking exciting to me. Unfortunately I'm nearer 30 & heard the Strokes, The Smiths, Pixies & Libertines however I can't deny how many fucking tunes there are on this record. They do deserve to be massive.. I'll just probably get bored of it soon but this band isn't for me it's for the kids innit.
36:
The Go! Team -
Rolling Blackouts 
Love the artwork on this record, fuck knows what it's of but it looks cool. Fun record, probably my least favourite of the 3 but it still delivers. Hearing some of these tunes live made me like the record much more. Got a feeling this is the last we'll hear of the Go! Team though.
35:
Feist -
Metals 
I'd never heard her before, all I knew is she had some song on an Itunes advert. I was really surprised with the ambition of this record. Sure in places it does boarder the lines of MOR but in others theres so many ideas going on from one track to the next. Like I say, expected not much and really enjoyed it. Be interested to see what she comes up with next.
34:
Jeff The Brotherhood -
We Are The Champions
Are you pissed off that Weezer continue to release shit albums? Look no further,Jeff The Brotherhood are here! Sounds completely like early Weezer with a bit of Ramones thrown in. If you try it out ignore the first 2 tracks as they don't really do the rest of the record justice.
33:
The Raveonettes -
Raven in the Grave
I'm still not 100% sure about their change in direction. I think I'd rather they just made the same song over & over again forever however I do really like this record. Such an underrated band.
32:
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears -
Scandalous
This record is so much fun. Saw these guys a few years ago and loved it so it was great to know that they can pull off that energy on record too. retro-soul, funk, and R&B with big vocals. A great time to be had.
31:
R.E.M. -
Collapse Into Now
Wasn't expecting much from this record & was completely caught off guard. It really sounds like a band having a shitload of fun & sounding much more youthful than they had done in years. Such a strange way to end their career but at least they've ended it on a high. 3 or 4 absolute belters on here.
Records discoveredRecords I either heard for the first time or got into in 2011
01:
Tom Waits -
Rain Dogs02:
A Tribe Called Quest -
The Low End Theory03:
Kate Bush -
The Kick Inside 04:
Jurassic 5 -
Quality Control 05:
Ann Peebles -
I Can't Stand the Rain 06:
Jorge Ben -
Samba Esquema Novo 07:
Al Green -
Green Is Blues 08:
Main Source -
Breaking Atoms09:
Johnny Osbourne -
Truths and Rights 10:
Thee Headcoats -
Heavens to Murgatroyd, Even! It's Thee Headcoats! (Already) Albums: 30-2130:
Yuck -
Yuck
90's American indie done brilliantly. The first half of the record is near perfect. The second half prevents this being great but theres enough tunes to make this a bloody good record. TRY'TAMAKEITTHROUGHTHEWALL!
29:
Hunx & His Punx -
Too Young to Be in Love
This is some queer bloke with a bunch of birds doing specter like 60's pop but garage-band style. I don't know if he's queer or not but he sounds it. A hell of alot of fun this record.
28:
Elbow -
Builda Rocket Boys! 
I was ready to put this near the bottom of my list until I gave this a listen for the first time in a few months the other day & fuck me this is great in places. Kinda bored & wanting to hate on them a bit after their bloated performance at Glastonbury but even the hateful cunt in myself can't stop myself from loving this record.
27:
The Duke Spirit -
Bruiser
Unimpressed with this after a few listens but eventually came around to it. Packed full of good tunes. Completely overlooked band.
26:
J Mascis -
Several Shades of Why
Truth be told I'm not a huge Dinosaur Jr fan. I like bits but they are yet to click with me in a big way. This record really got under my skin with repeated listens. The songs are simple to the point they could come across a bit bland but there was just that
something that kept hooking me back in for more. Also I think Mascis's voice really lends well to acoustic music.
25:
S.C.U.M -
Again Into Eyes
Horrors-lite I guess but theres some killer tunes on here. I think anybody who likes early Ride would get a kick out of this record.
24:
Arctic Monkeys -
Suck It and See
Up until recently this was a dead cert for my top 10. I've kind of got a bit bored with most of it now. I think seeing them at the 02 has put me off a bit perhaps. Still almost every track is a winner for my money, just a bit bored with them lately. I'm sure I'll come back to it after a long break & love it.
23:
Charles Bradley -
No Time for Dreaming 
Fantastic soul record. It's completely retro sounding like something Al Green would of made in say '72 yet it's so authentic. Anybody who digs their soul should check this one out.
22:
The Living Kills -
Faceless Angels
Can't remember how I found this NY band but I'm glad I did. After so many great Jonestown sounding psych bands being about a few years back theres been a real lack lately. The Living Kills delivered what I needed. It's your typical Jonestown/morning after girls type deal yet with vocals which remind me of the 22-20's. A real gem
21:
Lykke Li -
Wounded Rhymes
Never heard her debut but liked a tune that was on Fifa. This is the type of pop music I wish there was more of. It flirts with many genres yet has the kind of hooks you expect to hear on the radio. Ambitious yet the song always remains the focus. Wouldn't mind seeing her live.
GIGS01:
Morrissey @ Brixton
02:
Odd Future @ Camden Crawl
03:
Primal Scream @ Glastonbury
04:
Josh T. Pearson @ The Barbican
05:
The Streets @ Glastonbury
06:
Art Brut @ The Garage
07:
Eels @ Somerset House
08:
Ringo Deathstarr @ The Lexington
09:
Beady Eye @ Brixton
10:
The Lemonheads @ The Forum Camden Crawl
11:
Gruff Rhys @ The Lexington
12:
The La's @ The Old Blue Last
13:
The Go! Team @ Heaven
14:
British Sea Power @ The Barfly
15:
The Wu-Tang Clan @ Glastonury
16:
The Kills @ Brixton
17:
The Rifles @ The coronet
18:
The Jim Jones Revue @ XOYO
19:
De La Soul @ Indigo02
20:
Dustins Bar Mitzvah @ The Lexington LOL
20:
Art Brut -
Brilliant! Tragic! 
Not seen this get much love. I think there are some iffy tracks on there but it's also backed up with some of the very best tunes they've ever done like Martin Kemp & Axel Rose. Also I own ART that says CLEVER CLEVER JAZZ.
19:
The Kills -
Blood Pressures 
Horrible artwork, top album. Gave it a go earlier in the year and forgot about it, came back a few months ago & been loving it ever since. The last two Kills LP's have been top notch. A band I was really never bothered with now are slowly becoming a favourite of mine.
18:
Kate Bush -
50 Words For Snow
I've only got into mad Kate this year & by that I mean I'm obsessed with her debut & not heard anything else. This record is by no means a easy listen. There are big pacing problems and the first two tracks feel a little bit of a chore to get through but then the album unfolds into something special. Also worth it to hear Steven Fry saying shit like CREEKYCREEKY.
17:
Aidan Moffat & Bill Wells -
Everything's Getting Older 
Cheers to JP for turning me onto this one. Really wonderful little record & this is the part of my list where I'm really loving each and every album to bits. A few of the tracks don't go anywhere but that can be forgiven with stuff like the Copper Top & Dinner time. So sad in places. A really unique record.
16.
The Strokes -
Angles
Caught me by surprise when it was released as I really didn't like it. It still feels like they were trying something new with many of the songs with the intro's then thought FUCK IT and went into full on Strokes mode. There are a few tracks which feel completely off for me but theres a handful of songs as good as anything they've ever done. Came back to this record on a regular throughout this year.
15:
Ryan Adams -
Ashes & Fire
After falling out of love with Ryan after all the Cardinals bullshit I have now forgiven him. Love that III/VI release & this has to be his most focused set of songs since '29'. A couple of times he does lean towards the middle of the road here but it just feels like he believes in these songs and has put alot of thought into them rather than just tossing them off like he would of done a few years ago.
14:
Laura Marling -
A Creature I Don't Know
This & Ryan's records I always seemed to play back to back for some reason. It's kind of shocking to think this has been recorded by an artist in her early 20's, you'd expect this from someone nearer 40. It's probably her best record. I do miss the naivety of her debut but fuck me these songs slowly got under my skin. I'd recommend anybody who gave this a listen or two and forgot about it to stick with it as there is alot of depth to be gained from sticking with this one.
13:
The Black Keys -
El Camino 
Enough has been said about this record over the past 2 weeks. As it's still really fresh to me & I'm loving it it's high up on the list. I do wonder if these songs will keep their freshness or not but for now this record is tight as fuck and almost every track is a winner.
OBV once they are bigger than kings of leon I'll pretend I never liked it lol!
12:
Beady Eye -
Different Gear, Still Speeding
Sorry Sam it's not my number one but it still towers over the flying birds. The stuff that trys to be epic like Wigwam and the morning son doesn't really do it for me but when they get it right with stuff like Four Letter Word, Bring The Light & Standing on the Edge of the Noise are just killer. Really surprised how well this record has held up for me. The last few Oasis records after a few months I'd not felt like hearing for a while but this has been on constant rotation for me. Liam 10 - Noel 0.
11:
Male Bonding -
Endless Now
Thanks to Kev for turning me onto these. I'd heard them mentions prior to that but I thought they'd be shit with a name like that. Fucking love this record, it sounds totally like it was made in 1991. Easiest description for me is the middle ground between It's A shame About Ray & Nevermind. Killer record.
10:
Tom Waits -
Bad As Me
So 2011 was the year I finally got into Tom Waits, I've listened to him more than anyone else throughout this year so was a great time to have a new record towards the end of the year. The review in Uncut was spot on by saying that it sounds like a best of or greatest hits of brand new material as he seems to have a bit of everything he's great at spread out on this record & it's pretty much all classic. I think this would make a great starting point for anybody who's never heard anything by him.
09:
Ringo Deathstarr -
Colour Trip 
Or as I like to call them, The Pains Of Being My Bloody Mary Chain. Their sound is completely unoriginal but they've made a record of the type of music I love & done it fucking brilliantly. Every track is a winner, I've played this to death during 2011.
08:
Action Bronson & Statik Selektah -
Well-Done
I've only had this record for a few weeks but fuck me it's superb. I didn't even know it was coming out then being a collaborative record I never for a moment thought it would be so fucking good. I think theres a slight more commercial sound in parts but what gets me is Bronson's delivery, he just doesn't stop spitting out lyrics on certain tracks. Mentions of Bad Lieutenant, Papa Shango & THE GALLAGHER'S too. BRONSON4LIFE
07:
Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
I can't think of a year I've posted on the soapbox where Gruff hasn't had a record in my end of year list. At first I liked but felt it was a bit too sweet for my taste but with time I've grown to love this to bits. It's definitely the best of his solo records, so many great songs. Gruff-4-ever.
06:
The Horrors -
Skying
Such a huge sounding record. I've spent the entire year trying to decide if I prefer this or Primary Colours. I've came to the decision that it's a draw and both records are absolutely superb. I wish I remember more about seeing them earlier in the year.
05:
Black Lips -
Arabia Mountain 
Black Lips I described as 'The most exciting band on the planet' in 2008. After I came out with that they released what I consider a not very good record in 200 Million Thousand, then I saw them play a disappointing set a million miles away from the chaos of their 07 gigs. When Mark Ronson was announced as producer for Arabia Mountain I dreaded the worst & thought my interest in Black Lips would soon die. How wrong was I, somehow they've managed to make their best ever set of songs & the world's most despicable Jew has done wonders behind the mixing desk. The production is rough around the edges but clean enough that the quality of the songs shine through which wasn't the case with their last album. I don't know if Ronson has helped fuel this record or perhaps Black Lips realised they had wrote the best set of songs of their career & decided that they deserved more than a lo-fi blast through but either way Black Lips have gone back to being one of my favourite bands.
04:
PJ Harvey -
Let England Shake
Probably the best album of Polly's career. From what was nominated Let England Shake definitely was a well deserved winner of the Mercury prize.
I don't think it's
quite as good as some people seem to think, the tail end of the LP doesn't seem to match the highs of the opening half of the record but Let England Shake really does feel like an artist at the peak of their powers & theres not many artists you can say that about who are almost twenty years into their career.
03:
Action Bronson -
Dr. Lecter
The Man, The Myth, The Legend. Easily the soapbox's artist of the year. This year I've listened to more hip-hop than I've ever done & got into alot of great artists and I think alot of this is down to Dr. Lecter. It's just fucking killer. This is what I want hip-hop to sound like. After years of trying bits and pieces out I've found what I like & that sound is action Bronson. It's just so direct and straight to the point, no fucking about with skits it's just BOOM tune after tune. I've no other words to describe this record other than THE BOLLOX.
02:
British Sea Power -
Valhalla Dancehall
I think I'm almost alone in my love for this record. It seemed to get a completely lukewarm reception from the press & even most BSP fans seem to of overlooked it. I don't care what anybody says, this is my favourite album of theirs. The Decline Of.. is a great record but this one ticks so many more boxes for me. I think it's a great mix of the best bits of their previous records with slow builders, short rocking numbers & big sounding anthems. My only problem with this album is the last track
Heavy Water. With
Once More Now clocking in at 11 minutes feels like the album has come to a close then you get an upbeat number which is possibly the worst track on the LP & feels completely out of place.
Minus this complaint the record is fucking unreal & I've probably listened to it more than anything else in 2011. That guitar sound they have you can't fuck with. Amazing album
01:
Josh T Pearson -
Last of the Country Gentlemen
I've had a strange relationship with this album as I've had listens where it really dragged & almost bored me in places. Then another time I'll be in the right mood for it & found it to be one of the most heartbreaking records I've ever heard & been blown away by it's beauty.
It definitely isn't an easy listen, the majority of seven tracks are more than ten minutes long & the subject matter will mean many will find this too depressing to become a fan of.
Seeing him live for the first time really gave extra depth to these tracks for me, when I came back & heard the record again everything fell completely into place & I can honestly say this record is now one of my favourites of all time. It's great to see that it's ending up high on most of the end of year lists in the media, I just fear many will now give it one half arsed listen & wonder what the fuss is about. It's definitely no a record to put on in the background or listen to on your Ipod while on the bus. This record demands your attention but if you are willing to part with your time & sometimes patience with it it's rewards know no bounds.
MAN OF THE YEAR
TOP 20 SONGS (one per artist)
01: Josh T. Pearson-
Women When I've Raised Hell02: British Sea Power -
Who's In Control03: Black Lips -
Spidey's Curse04: Beady Eye -
Four Letter Word05: Ringo Deathstarr -
Tambourine Girl06: The Horrors -
I Can See Through You07: Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat -
The Copper Top08: Tom Waits -
Hell Broke Luce09: The Strokes -
Under Cover Of Darkness10: Tyler, The Creator -
Yonkers11: Art Brut -
Clever Clever Jazz12: Noel Gallagher -
The Good Rebel13: Action Bronson -
Barry Horowitz14: Gruff Rhys -
Shark Ridden Waters15: The Vaccines -
Wreckin' Bar (ra ra ra)16: Yuck -
The Wall17: Male Bonding -
Seems To Notice Now18: S.C.U.M. -
Amber Hands19: The Kills -
The Last Goodbye20: PJ Harvey -
The Words That Maketh MurderThanks for reading, see you next year guys x
