Year-End Report: Top 50 Albums of 2011 10-1

It was quite the undertaking counting down my Top 50 Albums of 2011 but I came out unscathed. There is plenty to be excited about in the world of music; not just these albums, but also the fact that music sales are up for the first time since 2004. The times they are a-changin': digital sales finally beat out physical music sales for the first time. Additionally, vinyl sales are up a whopping 39%! I purchased a great deal of this Top 50 on vinyl and if you have a record player, there is nothing like it. Whatever your medium, I encourage you to purchase anything you have discovered here. I hope you've enjoyed the countdown so far. The Top 10 is an unpredictable list full of great albums you need to hear. Give everything a spin and let me know what you think! With further ado, I give you my favorite albums of 2011:

Nothing Gross about Yuck's Performance at TT's

Yuck’s self-titled debut was my favorite record at the halfway point of the year and has managed to maintain that position ever since. Anyone who has read this blog in the past knows my affinity for 90s alternative and no one captures the golden age of that sound like Yuck. Having seen an impressive set at SXSW earlier in the year, I was ready to see them in a more intimate setting at TT The Bear’s on September 22nd. The group just released the deluxe version of their debut which includes a disc containing six additional tracks. They played several of these at the show and left a permanent impression on everyone who was in attendance.

SXSW 2011 Recap: Day 4, March 18

Friday was up there with Wednesday in terms of sheer awesomeness. All of the prior day’s mistakes were rectified. I saw so many great bands that are just now beginning to make noise in 2011. It was also one of the days where I participated in everyone’s favorite SXSW pastime: drinking. Before hitting up the first set, my friend and I fueled up on some delicious Texas BBQ at Iron Works which I can now highly recommend. While eating, we were able to spot Billy Gibbons and Devin the Dude. You know it’s good BBQ when those guys show up.