My Favorite Albums of 2011

Here are my favorite albums of the year. Leave a comment with your favorites.

The Black Keys – El Camino

Dawes – Nothing Is Wrong

Jason Isbell – Here We Rest

Feist – Metals

Bon Iver

Deer Tick – Divine Providence

Middle Brother

The Decemberists – The King Is Dead

Ryan Adams – Ashes and Fire

The Head And The Heart

Dead Man Winter – Bright Lights

Iron and Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean

Moondoggies – Tidelands

(also my favorite live show of the year)

Mount Moriah

Ron Sexsmith – Long Player Late Bloomer

Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know

The Belle Brigade

The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow

My favorite albums of 2010

Here are my favorite albums of the year. Enjoy!

Band of Horses – Infinite Arms

Bobby Bare, Jr – A Storm, A Tree, My Mother’s Head

John Mellencamp – No Better Than This

Josh Ritter – So Runs The World Away

Justin Townes Earle – Harlem River Blues

Laura Marline – I Speak Because I Can

Ray LaMontagne – God Willin’ & The Creek Don’t Rise

Ryan Adams – III/IV

Sharon Van Etten – Epic

The New Pornographers – Together

The Tallest Man on Earth – The Wild Hunt

Trampled by Turtles – Palomino

The Avett Brothers Killed It

The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You

The Avett Brother’s new album “I and Love and You” is a masterpiece. There, I said it.

Before you read on you really should hear it for yourself. Understand, its gets better with repeat listens, so go now go buy it and then come back again.

See? This is a great album. I just listened to it again with shuffle turned on (happy accident) and liked it even more. This album feels like home.

Scott and Seth Avett, along with bassist Bob Crawford, are the best americana/roots/folk/country (whatever) songwriters working. And all the reports say their live shows are amazing. Apparently they can’t find Minnesota on the map, so I haven’t seen them yet. Please, guys if you’re reading this, get your asses up to Minnesota pronto.

Something crazy, cosmic even, would have to happen for this not to be my album of the year.