Best of 2011 Music

Top 10 Overall Release of 2011

Big Eyes - Hard Life
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
Hunx and His Punx - Too Young To Be In Love
The Shondes - Searchlights
La Dispute - Wildlife
Little Victory - Little Victory 7'' EP
Bodega Girls - Et Tu Booyay? 10'' EP
RVIVR - Dirty Water 12'' EP
Touche Amore - Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me
Very Okay - Small Loud Tape

Top 8 LP's of 2011:

Big Eyes "Hard Life" - Good r'n'r influenced by The Ramones and The Muffs
Foo Fighters "Wasting Light" - Hard rock at its finest after 17 years.
Hunx and His Punx "Too Young To Be in Love" - Like Ramones meets The Shirelles but queer.
La Dispute "Wildlife" - Mind blowingly emotive post-hardcore with heart on your sleeve lyrics.
Paper Thick Walls "A Thousand Novels" - Folk from Chicago with dual female/male vocals.
RVIVR "Joester Sessions" - A pop-punk collection of the bands three EPs.
The Shondes "Searchlights" - My definition of catchy indie rock.
Touche Amore "Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me" - Hard and emotive.

Top 6 EP's of 2011:

Bodega Girls - Et Tu Bootay?
How Do We Jump This High? - Funny/Not Funny 7''
Little Victory - Little Victory 7''
Melissa and Paul - Distractions 7''
RVIVR - Dirty Water 12''
Very Okay - Small Loud Cassette Tape

Top 6 Split Vinyl Releases of 2011:

Cheap Girls/ Lemuria 7''
Into It. Over It./Such Gold 7''
La Dispute/KOJI 12''
The Saddest Landscape/We Were Skeletons 7''
River City Extension/Kevin Devine 7''
Tigers Jaw/The Sidekicks 7''

Top 7 Mostly 7'' Singles of 2011:

Bern & the Brights -Starchild
Ben Franklin - Urgency
Bodega Girls - Live Free or Die Trying (cassette tape)
Miniboone - The Other Summer
One and Nines - Just Your Fool
Owen - O'Evelyn
Wild Flag - Glass Tambourine

Most Listened to Vinyl of 2011:

Shorebirds 7''

Coolest Album Packaging:

CD: OTEP "Atavist" - CD/DVD, die-cut o-card, digipack with exclusive artwork, decipher wheel, fold out poster, 104-page book featuring a short story by OTEP, in-studio photos, expanded artwork, lyrics and fan submissions. Creative and beautiful.

7'': Rise Against "Join the Ranks" Picture Disc - Lyrics and artwork right on the vinyl in red!

12'': Run for Cover "Mixed Signals" Compilation, Make Do and Mend "Part and Parcel" B-side Clock Screen Print, Touche Amore "Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me" Deluxe LP