2011 was a banner year for music.  There were so many fantastic releases that it was nearly impossibly to narrow our lists down to just 30 albums a piece, but we managed.  Afterwards, Reid, Caleb, and I combined them using a secret points system to end up with our compiled top 30 albums below.  There’s quite a bit of variety, and presents an interesting picture of the diversity and strength of the last year.  Once again, we had a unanimous number 1, but that certainly doesn’t mean there weren’t other albums nipping at its heels.  Without further ado:

30. Pinch and Shackelton – S/T

29. Big Spider’s Back – Memory Man

28. Summer Camp – Welcome to Condale

27. Sean McCann – The Capital

T25. ::M∆DE:IN:HEIGHTS:: – APORIA: IN THESE §TREETS 

T25. Tom Waits – Bad As Me

24. Nicolas Jaar – Space  is Only Noise

23. Emay – Mind Altering Dynamics 

22. Bill Callahan – Apocalypse

21. BNJMN – Black Square

20. Chelsea Wolfe – Apokalypsis  

19. Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation 

18. Colin Stetson – New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges  

17. Andy Stott – Passed Me By 

16. M83 – Hurry Up We’re Dreaming

15. Sea Oleena – Sleeplessness 

14. The Weeknd – House of Balloons 

T12.  Thee Oh Sees – Carrion Crawler / The Dream 

T12. James Blake – S/T 

11.  John Maus – We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

10. Grouper – AIA 

9. Oneohtrix  Point Never – Replica 

8. The Weeknd – Echoes of Silence 

7. Wild Beasts – Smother 

6. Tim Hecker – Ravedeath, 1972

5. Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact 

4. Julia Holter – Tragedy 

3. Balam Acab – Wander/Wonder 

2. Shabazz Palaces – Black Up 

1. The Jezabels – Prisoner