ten albums worth owning so far in 2011

since it is july and therefore half of 2011 is over, there are top ten lists coming out every where you look so i figured i would add to the list. there has been a surprising amount of really good music that has come out since january so narrowing it down to just 10 was more difficult than i would have originally thought.

10. The Wonder Years ~ Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing
A really good pop-punk album from a completely underrated band. hopefully 2011 will give them the recognition they deserve. surprisingly, the first show i played in charleston was opening up for these guys...pretty sweet.

9. The Swellers ~ Good For Me
i've already written about this album in a previous post, so instead of reiterating every thing, check it out here

8. Iron & Wine ~ Kiss Each Other Clean
another great album by another great artist. sam beam never disappoints, however, this album doesn't quite have the repeat power that his other releases have had on me. still better than 99% of the releases this year.

7. Manchester Orchestra~ Simple Math
i was really looking forward to this album, and they didn't disappoint. this is not "mean everything to nothing" part II and i'm glad. i really loved that album but simple math is a much more personal album. plus they have one of the coolest music videos i've seen in a while.

6. David bazan ~ Strange Negotiations
he's since dropped the pedro the lion moniker but his songs are even better since. this album was a huge step forward from curse your branches...and that album would've made my top ten for 2009.

5. The Dear Hunter ~ The Color Spectrum
i've already written about this album in a previous post, so instead of reiterating every thing, check it out here

4. Glassjaw ~ The Coloring Book
glassjaw's "chinese democracy" finally sees the light of day and it's well worth the wait. it's much more ambient than previous albums (think more deftones) but damn if they can't pull it off well.

3. Bayside ~ Killing Time
another completely underrated band who have consistently put out great album after great album. i love the way anthony writes and how every song seems to apply perfectly to some aspect of your life. killing time may be their best effort yet.

2. Bon Iver ~ Bon Iver
i'm sure you all thought this was going to be my number one...fooled ya! since i've already expounded upon the greatness of this album here, i won't go through it again.

1. Balance and Composure ~ Separation
damn i love this album. i heard a lot of good things about it a few months back and i listened to a few tracks online and instantly loved it. i can't count how many times i've listened to it, even months after it dropped i find myself returning to it on a daily basis. it's a pop record without being a pop record, a punk record without being a punk record and a hardcore record without being a hardcore record...it's one of my all time favorites.

notable mentions: cave in (white silence), taking back sunday (taking back sunday), thomas giles (pulse), appleseed cast (middle states)

obviously, this is just my opinion and are albums that consistently make their way back into my rotation well after their drop dates. feel free to share any albums you enjoy or just crucify me on my picks.

Posted in: appleseed cast,balance and composure,bayside,best of 2011,bon iver,cave in,david bazan,glassjaw,iron and wine,manchester orchestra,music,the dear hunter,the swellers,the wonder years