2011 wrap up.
overall- kinda sucked. i’m glad to be moving on. i did acquire a new job that i love and i realized that friends and family are everything. i experienced so much loss, it’s unreal. my family was dealt an awful deck of cards. however, we made it through and i’m happy to be alive.
musically, this year kind of ruled. which means, i get to post my favorite albums released in 2011- and as always, a few albums that i wish were made in 2011.
every avenue - bad habits
this was probably my favorite album released this year. everything about it is perfect. i gush about this band all the time. they started out as a band that i loved as just a guilty pleasure, but have evolved into one that i have a genuine love for. bad habits kind of embodied the year i’ve had. so much respect for this band.
laura marling - a creature i don’t know
so i’ve always been a super folk-y fan, probably due to the kind of music that i was raised on. i fell into laura marling’s music earlier this year and absolutely fell in love with her. she has an honest voice and she writes incredible songs. i wasn’t sure how i was going to feel about this album, but it’s really grown to one of my favorites this year. i recently saw her at the grindcore house in south philly, probably about a 50 person capacity, and it was absolutely phenomenal and her voice sounded absolutely flawless- just as recorded.
the wonder years - suburbia, i’ve given you all and now i’m nothing
it took me a lot to like this band, for multiple reasons, however once i embraced them it was hard to deny how much i actually loved them. this band, as well as a few others, has literally breathed new life to a dying pop-punk scene.
matt nathanson - modern love
no explanation needed. matt nathanson is a (sex) god among mere men and i love everything he releases. thanks for another album, matty nay nay.
jack’s mannequin - people and things
i feel like this is probably another album that i don’t need to explain why it made this list. this band has the ability to progress and still sound exactly the same. it’s refreshing that they aren’t stepping away from their sound but still able to make a different impact with each record.
vanessa carlton - rabbits on the run
erica and i went to see vanessa earlier this year at world cafe live and it had been a few years since i had taken a serious listen to any of her music. she played most of this record. it’s a very, pure direct record and it doesn’t sound forced. it’s earthy and beautiful.
new found glory - radiosurgery
ah- a record that also explains pretty much my whole year. this band will forever be one of my favorites. it seems that the music they release is always in sync with my life situations. thanks, guys.
the airborne toxic event - all at once
i heard their self-titled album at the start of year and became hooked and when i heard they were releasing a new album, i knew that i would love it. i was right.
21 - adele
thanks, girl. what an incredible year for you.
christmas - michael buble
okay, so normally i would NEVER put a christmas album on this list- but this album really is perfect. i love christmas music and this might be my favorite christmas album ever. i’m still listening to it. thanks buble.
and the albums i wish were made this year to make up for how much i listened to them:
mumford & sons - sigh no more
ellie goulding - lights (seriously though, probably my favorite artist i discovered this year)
laura marling - i speak because i can
the wonder years - the upsides
the killers - sam’s town (NOT A JOKE. years later- still love it)
edward sharp and the magnetic zeros - self-titled
