Citizen Insane's Best of 2011 - Top 25 Albums

As with every oncoming new year, we take the end of December to reflect on the people we should've kissed, the phone calls we shouldn't have made, the opportunities we squandered, the surprises we relished and, most importantly, our favourite music of the months past.

I wish there was more science to lists like these. Nowhere have I been taught a calculated method, nowhere have I read a compelling essay--end-of-the-year lists are confounding, subjective and bullshit, yet important. Whether internalized or not, anyone compiling their 'best ofs' considers themselves tastemakers and one can't shift the pop-culture discourse around them unless they have a stone tablet to hold up to their peers and anyone who'll read/listen. It's not that I loathe making them or cringe at reading others'; I'm fascinated at how so many dissimilar people can reach so many similar conclusions and vice versa. My approach is two-pronged: I go with my gut while considering the cultural landscape. I recognize that loving one thing doesn't make it the best, nor does society's applause. I'm a shape-shifting romanic, contrarian and pragmatist.

I've been making these lists since 2007. While the full lists have always been a conjunction of appreciation, criticism and fondness, the peaks more or less come down to what I've listened to the most that year--trusting my tastes--with posterity acting as tie-breaker. My Best of 2011 list isn't any different...

- Top 25 Albums of 2011 -
25. Radiohead - The King of Limbs
24. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
23. Sleep ∞ Over - Forever
22. Iceage - New Brigade
21. Thundercat - The Golden Age of the Apocalypse

20. Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica
19. ASAP Rocky - LiveLoveASAP
18. Tycho - Dive
17. Ducktails - Arcade Dynamics
16. SBTRKT - SBTRKT

15. Jürgen Müller - Science of the Sea
14. Ty Segall - Goodbye Bread
13. Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise
12. Panda Bear - Tomboy
11. Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place

10. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972
09. Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation
08. Pure X - Pleasure
08. Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver
06. WU LYF - Go Tell Fire to the Mountain

05. The Weeknd - House of Balloons
04. Washed Out - Within and Without
03. Real Estate - Days
02. Drake - Take Care
01. James Blake - James Blake

Like the list? Download each album by clicking on its respective title.

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Citizen Insane's Best of 2011 - Top Tracks: Part II

As with every oncoming new year, we take the end of December to reflect on the people we should've kissed, the phone calls we shouldn't have made, the opportunities we squandered, the surprises we relished and, most importantly, our favourite music of the months past.

For me, Christmas time and New Year's usually means vacation. Whether it's returning home to Detroit or a haphazardly planned excursion with some good friends, I'm normally away from the internet, soaking up whatever trouble I've gotten myself into. While I've succeed in hedonistically being away from my computer, here's the second (dare I say better?) half of my Best of 2011 song list...

- 2011's Top Tracks, #25-1 -
25. Adele - Rolling in the Deep (Jamie xx Remix)
24. Twerps - Dreamin'
23. Azelia Banks - 212
22. Radiohead - The Daily Mail
21. Dive - Sometime
20. XXXY - Ordinary Things
19. North Highlands - Roundhouse
18. Jürgen Müller - The Elusive Seahorse
17. Clams Casino - Motivation
16. Beirut - East Harlem
15. Grimes - Oblivion
14. Jai Paul - BTSTU
13. Beach Fossils - What a Pleasure
12. M83 - Midnight City
11. ASAP Rocky - Purple Swag
10. Tyler, The Creator - Yonkers
09. James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream
08. Burial - Stolen Dog
07. WU LYF - Spitting Blood
06. The Weeknd - The Morning
05. Drake - Marvin's Room
04. Zoo Kid - Out Getting Ribs
03. Jamie xx - Far Nearer
02. Purity Ring - Ungirthed
01. Real Estate - It's Real

Like the list? Like Part I, you can download every song in one ZIP file by clicking right here.

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Citizen Insane's Best of 2011 - Top Tracks: Part I

As with every oncoming new year, we take the end of December to reflect on the people we should've kissed, the phone calls we shouldn't have made, the opportunities we squandered, the surprises we relished and, most importantly, our favourite music of the months past.

While these Best of 2011 lists are admittedly overwrought and a little pointless, I can't help but throw my hat into the ring, compiling my top tracks of twenty-eleven, many of which you've already read about here... Just like last year, I'm hosting all 25 MP3s, which you can grab via the link below the laundry list.

- 2011's Top Tracks, #50-26 -
50. Beach Fossils - Calyer
49. ASAP Rocky - Bass
48. TV Girl - Benny and The Jetts
47. Vivian Girls - Take It as It Comes
46. Kreayshawn - Gucci Gucci
45. Cosmonaut Grechko - ニバルニソトラニルニトラソ (y0c1e Cover)
44. Dirty Beaches - True Blue
43. Bombé - Wilhelm's Fucking Best
42. Kanye West & Jay-Z - Niggas in Paris
41. First Rate People - Funny Games
40. Active Child - Playing House (feat. How to Dress Well)
39. Regal Safari - Only
38. Nodzzz - Heyday Past Heyday Due
37. Fleet Foxes - Montezuma
36. Frank Ocean - Songs for Women
35. Neon Indian - Polish Girl
34. Elite Gymnastics - Here, In Heaven 2
33. James Blake - Lindesfarne
32. Foo Fighters - White Limo
31. Megafaun - Kill the Horns
30. Major Lazer - Original Don
29. Bon Iver - Beth / Rest
28. Metronomy - The Look
27. SBTRKT - Something Goes Right
26. Drake - Trust Issues

Like the list? Download all 25 songs in one ZIP file by clicking right here.

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Lisztomania - The Top 15 Records of 2011 (So Far)

Because everybody loves lists...
As you've probably read elsewhere, we've reached that just-about halfway mark in the year (and the official start of summer, whoo) so it's time for every music publication to rattle off their favourite records of the the past six months. As is my due blogging diligence, I'm throwing my hat in the ring, keeping my list to a stout 15.

An exercise like this can be a weird one though. A Stereogum commenter put it well when he wrote, "These lists are snapshots in time, snapshots take time to develop. We’ll see what more exposure brings come winter time."

It's hard to accurately rank albums I've spent so little time with and who knows where or if they'll show up on my year-end list--plus, there's that looming issue of albums I haven't even heard yet. Regardless, here are the LPs I've been spinning nonstop since I first got my ears on them...

- 2011's Top 15 Albums (So Far) -
15. Woods - Sun & Shade
14. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
13. SBTRKT - SBTRKT
12. Julian Lynch - Terra
11. Ducktails - Arcade Dynamics

10. Bill Callahan - Apocalypse
09. White Denim - D
08. Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place
07. Zomby - Dedication
06. Wild Beasts - Smother

05. The Weeknd - House of Balloons
04. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972
03. Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver*
02. Pure X - Pleasure
01. James Blake - James Blake

*Includes the album's three bonus tracks.

Like the list? Click on each album title for its respective download link.

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