Top Albums of 2011 (Quinn)

Well, 2011 is over, and that's kind of scary, but I think I'm more thrown off by the fact that my birthday is tomorrow and that day always seems so far away. None of that matters though, because the end of the year really means year-end list time. I think I'm thrown off by this more than anything else because you've got to go over the whole year and decide which albums rank higher or lower than this album and that album. Generally, these lists seem predicated on what album is technically better than a group of others. I'd like to think that it should be a mix of that, but also what you actually listened to and enjoyed throughout the year. So, without further ado, here's my "Top 10 Albums of 2011."

Top Ten Albums 2011 (Simon)

When I finally found the time to start writing again, I realized how close we were to the end of the year. The end of the year at MM (and at pretty much all other music blogs) means choosing our Top Ten lists, and while 2011 had some great records to offer, the theme for this post is going to be, "Challenging". If nothing else, many of the records on this list (I'll note the exceptions) were at first markedly imposing -they were tough to get through the first spin. They're innovative, creative, and in a lot of ways unique, but none of them have the same easy groove of some of last year's picks (see Ray LaMontagne, Tallest Man on Earth, and others). So, without further ado, my top ten albums of 2011.