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Get it.

I'm not generally too fussed by much metal these days, but this is a total exception. Really, really amazing.

Wild Beasts - Smother
Antlers - Burst Apart
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die...
Arctic Monkeys - Suck It and See
Radiohead - King Of Limbs
Explosions in the Sky - Take Care....
The Weeknd - House of Balloons
Cut Copy - Zonoscope
Toro Y Moi - Underneath the Pine
FOUND - Factorycraft

1) PJ Harvey-Let England Shake
2) James Blake-s/t
3) Tune Yards-Whokill
4) Wild Beasts-Smother
5) Cults-s/t
6) Metronomy-The English Riveria
7) Bon Iver-s/t
8) Fucked Up-David Comes to Life
9) EMA-Past Life Martyred Saints
10) Katy B-On a Mission
11) Fleet Foxes-Helplessness Blues

2. Thursday - No Devolucion
3. Rival Schools - Pedals
4. letlive. - Fake History
5. Young Widows - In and Out of Youth and Lightness
6. Title Fight - Shed
7. Jesu - Ascension
8. Eddie Vedder - Ukelele Songs
9. TV On The Radio - Nine Types of Light
10. Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts
11. Cave In - White Silence

is the death grips album, which is amazing

1. Destroyer - Kaputt. Smooth as an opium high, and just as addictive. It's the best album of the year, for sure, and maybe the best album of the last five years.
2. The Antlers - Burst Apart. By amping up the tension, everything that was great about Hospice is better on the band's follow up effort.
3. P.J. Harvey - Let England Shake. Tackling the historical context of this album with such aplomb is probably only something that P.J. could pull off.
4. Kurt Vile - Smokes Rings for My Halo. A familiar template of Tom Petty '70s classic rock is given modern lift, and the result is a reminder why it's called "classic" rock.
5. Yuck - s/t. If easily dismissed as a tribute to '90s indie rock icons, its execution is so masterful as to render the connection irrelavant.
6. EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints. A record that's stripped down to the music's most dramatic moments and then replayed in slow motion.
7. Times New Viking - Dancer Equired. The rough edges of the band's lo-fi bombast have been smoothed out, confirming what we suspect all along.
8. Lykki Li - Wounded Rhythms. In the best pop song category, "Youth Knows No Pain" gives Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" a run for its money.
9. DJ Quik - The Book of David. Hip hop that owes more to its R 'N B roots that L.A. gangsta rap, and the balance between the two makes this the album that got me to question my prejudices against the genre.
10. Cut Copy - Zonoscope. The '80s new wave sound the band explored on In Ghost Colors is given a new level of sophistication this time around.
11. Friendly Fires. Another band that recalls the '80s but from a slightly different vantage point, this album smoothly shifts between post-punk guitar squalls and the electronic melodies of old, new romantic bands like Visage.

there's a lot of 8/10s but i'd struggle to give any of these more than that, as opposed to the tons of massively ambitious great 9/10s (think i could possibly justify giving titus andronicus, kanye, joanna newsom and sufjan stevens 10s) last year had. nothing exceptional just yet.

1 bill callahan - apocalypse
2 bon iver - bon iver
3 john maus - we are the pitiless censors of ourselves
4 nodzzz - innings
5 EMA - past life martyred saints
6 frank ocean - nostalgia/ultra
7 death grips - exmilitary
8 jonas reinhardt - music for the tactile dome
9 peaking lights - 936
10 shabazz palaces - black up
11 ford & lopatin - channel pressure

here; http://biomech68.wordpress.com/2011/06/03/2011-half-time-report/

It's not 11, I did 20 in no order and since I wrote it I've heard Austra's "Feel It Break" and Altar of Plagues' "Mammal" which would now shoulder a couple of those off the list!

(in order)

PJ Harvey - LET ENGLAND SHAKE
Wild Beasts - SMOTHER
The Weeknd - HOUSE OF BALLOONS
Gang Gang Dance - EYE CONTACT
Kurt Vile - SMOKE RING FOR MY HALO
Fleet Foxes - HELPLESSNESS BLUES
Destroyer - KAPUTT
tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L
Cults - CULTS
Memory Tapes - PLAYER PIANO

Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
Britney Spears - Femme Fatale
Maria Minerva - Talinn at Dawn
EMA - past life martyred saints
Peaking Lights - 936
Hype Williams - One Nation
Tune-Yards - w h o k i l l
Grails - Deep Politics
Battles - Gloss Drop
Tonetta - 777
Peter Evans Quintet - Ghosts

2. Nicolas Jaar- Space is Only Noise
3. Fucked Up- David Comes to Life
4. EMA- Past Life Martyred Saints
5. Radiohead- The King of Limbs
6. True Widow- As High As The Highest Heavens And From The Center To The Circumference Of The Earth
7. PJ Harvey- Let England Shake
8. Tim Hecker- Ravedeath, 1972
9. TV on the Radio- Nine Types of Light
10. Wild Beasts- Smother
11. Saigon- Greatest Story Never Told

Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues...
FaltyDL - You Stand Uncertain
Boxcutter - The Dissolve
Esben and the Witch - Violet Cries
Katy B - On a Mission
Wild Beasts - Smother
Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place
Dark Dark Dark - Wild Go
King Creosote/Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine
Dels - Gob
Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact

Is that 11?

2. Destroyer
3. Braids
4. Metronomy
5. The Antlers
6. Kurt Vile
7. James Blake
8. Yuck
9. Alex Turner
10. Wild Beasts
11. Smith Westerns

These are all sitting firmly in their respective positions right now.

1. Destroyer - Kaputt
2. Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring for My Halo
3. The Antlers - Burst Apart
4. Cut Copy - Zonoscope
5. Yuck - Yuck
6. Radiohead - The King of Limbs
7. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
8. TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light
9. Panda Bear - Tomboy
10. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong
11. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

Apple Rabbits-King Of Anglia is definately up there
Crystal Stilts

1. Mogwai "Hardcore will never die ..." - Not so much a return to form just proof they've still got it.
2. Metronomy "The English Riviera" - Repeated plays from Marc Riley have had their impact on my ears.
3. Y Niwl "Y Niwl" - Welsh instrumental surf from Gruff Rhys' tour band.
4. Ron Sexsmith "Long Player Late Bloomer" - Exquisite songwriting eloquently performed.
5. The Vaccines "What Did You Expect From ..." - The soundtrack to student discos for years to come.
6. Times New Viking "Dancer Equired" - A glorious noise, scratchy guitar and lo-fi excellence.
7. Bella Hardy "Songs Lost & Stolen" - Gorgeous folk
8. Bright Eyes "The Peoples Key" - At the top of their game
9. Tune-Yards "W h o k i l l" - Psycho jazz fusion
10. Bill Callahan "Apocalypse" - Always excellent
11. Dutch Uncles "Cadenza" - Progs not dead.

+ Dananananaykroyd "There Is A Way" - Just arrived today so not listened to it fully yet but would expect it to make the list.

2. Main Attrakionz - Two Man Horror Film/Clams Casino - s/t
3. Bon Iver - s/t
4. Touche Amore - Parting The Sea Between Brightness And Me
5. Toro y Moi - Underneath The Pine
6. Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
7. Explosions In The Sky - Take Care...
8. G-Side - The One...Cohesive
9. Cass McCombs - Wit's End
10. Okkervil River - I Am Very Far
11. Cave In - White Silence

Need to give Thursday, Wild Beasts and loads of other stuff more listens, but the top 5 is pretty certain at least.

1. DJ Quik - The Book of David
2. Curren$y & Alchemist - Covert Coup
3. Big KRIT - Return Of 4Eva
4. G-Side - Cohesive... The One
5. Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise
6. Raekwon - Shaolin Vs Wu-Tang
7. Clams Casino - s/t
8. International Jones - Tennis Shoes & Tuxedos
9. R Kelly - Love Letter
10. E-40 - Revenue Retrievin': Overtime Shift / Graveyard Shift

Destroyer - Kaputt
Battles - Gloss Drop
Tune-Yards - Who Kill
Braids - Native Speaker
Radiohead - King of Limbs
EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints
Wye Oak - Civilian
13 & God - Own Your Ghost
Wild Beasts - Smother
Snowman - Absence
Wire - Red Barked Tree

PJ Harvey
Metronomy
Timber Timbre
Nicolas Jaar
and then in no real order....
The Head and the Heart - s/t
Gang Gang Dance
Thunder & Lightning - 'Kangaroo Court' - funny/catchy/surprising- go to Bandcamp and name your price
Bon Iver - think this will creep up
Mount Pleasant - 'The Aztecs' - my fav Kiwi album so far this year. Check it on Bandcamp
Antlers

1. Josh T.Pearson - Last of The Country Gentleman - The return of the prodigal son, and harrowing stories of his poor relationship skills.
2. The Skull Defekts - Peer Amid - Crunchy guitars, scary timbre, and tortured vocals.
3. Munch Munch - Double Visions - Exciting and inventive debut. Takes all the best elements of current US experimental Indie Rock, and turns it into something british.
4. Prefuse 73 - The Only She Chapters - Scott Herren veers more to left with each release. Wierd and lovely.
5. Grouper - AIA:Alien Observer/AIA:Dream Loss - The sound of staying up all night in the open air, looking at the sky.
6. Nathaniel Rateliff - In Memory of Loss - Best "trad" singer-song writer effort of the year.
7. Akron/Family - S/T II: The Cosmic Birth And Journey of Shinju TNT - Songs about Silly Bears and Volcanoes. Freak out nursery rhymes.
8. Fight Like Apes - The Body of Christ and The Legs of Tina Turner - Suprisingly good. Fierce and lyrically edgy Indie.
9. Pat Jordache - Future Songs - A unique and (un)focussed sound. An original voice.
10. Higuma - Pacific Fog Dreams - Emotional ambience. Like a lifeforce draining away to nothing.
11. Isolée - Well Spent Youth - Interesting knob twiddles - keeping it real, and different at the same time.

1. The Dodos - No Color
A rollicking cacophony of noise that is absolutely necessary. Stunned that this has only been listed once on this thread. If you haven't heard it, go now.

2. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Departing
More percussion heavy stuff, this time from Canada. A near faultless album - and how they managed to top Hometowns, I don't know.

3. Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
More of the same, which equates to more of the awesome. There's little change in the EITS formula, but it still works - and works wonderfully well.

4. The Antlers - Burst Apart
They topped Hospice - and that says a lot. Another superb album from the Frenchkiss trio. Every song provides something different. It's all haunting.

5. Guillemots - Walk The River
Most surprising album of the year. It's a stunner, if a little lenghty (13 tracks, but most are around the 5-6 minute mark)

6. Scoundrels - Scoundrels
Unreleased - and I have a vested interest - but this is a bluesy rock album that could really fly. Laced with Louisiana spirit.

7. Beat Connection - Surf Noir
This record goes beyond the cheesy Miike Snow rip off, Silver Screen, and overall, it's a great summer soundtrack.

8. Braids - Native Speaker
As I said on the Top 11 from '11 tracks thread, Kate Bush comparisons are often touted but rarely justified. This comes close. She's got a great voice.

9. Death Cab for Cutie - Codes & Keys
There's plenty of haters out there, but I think this is their best work since Transatlanticism. I'd call it a return to form.

10. The Crookes - Chasing After Ghosts
Good ol' Brit-indie from this Sheffield lot. Consistently rousing.

11. The Naked And Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You
Cheesy as hell and poppy as you can get, I'll probably get sick of this record soon, but it's got definite high points...

1. When Saints Go Machine - Konkylie
A perfect album of sleek, subtle operatic pop from Copenhagen, Denmark.
2. Planningtorock - W
Simmering sexuality, hurt, screaming saxophone and pulsing bass. Truly odd and truly wonderful art-pop from Berlin's finest.
3. David Thomas Broughton - Outbreeding
Yes, yes, we released it on Brainlove, but DTB's latest is in some ways his finest - all the self-effacing wisdom, raised-eyebrow grandstanding, jokes, looped flourishes, poetry and existentialism of "Complete Guide", in a neat three-piece band configuration.
4. Austra - Feel It Break
Amazing 80s influenced electronic art-pop.

That's that so far.

get the feeling I've been listening to the wrong sort of stuff and need to sort my life out. ANYWAY FOR WHAT ITS WORTH-

How To Dress Well- proper awesome eh, one of those one's that changes the way you listen to music a bit (for me anyway whatever)
...ASIWYFA- Gangs. PRETTY GODDAMN FUN. That's all really
Gang Gang Dance- I really like the drums at the end of Thru and Thru. The rest of the album's good as well
Destroyer- Really cool. I dunno how to describe it though. Is it indie pop or what?
Mogwai- sounds surprisingly not tired and boring
Okkervil River- Just got it last week so havent formed a proper opinion on it but yeah sounds good sort of
Explosions in the Sky- Don't really get the criticisms of it as being unoriginal all that much. I found a lot of their older more lauded stuff far more predictable and boring than this one.
Deaf Center- PRETTY TENSE
Tim Hecker- Prefer it to Harmony in Ultraviolet. Still don't think I like him as much as I should though
Julianna Barwick- Quite predictable and boring at times but pretty nice overall
Wild Beasts- Second half is like a million times better than the first, but.. yeah

Yeah so that got really hard at the end to think of 11 albums i actually like enough to include on a list. Whatever. Dunno why I even bothered with this.

Deicide - To Hell with God
Morbid Angel - Illud Divinum Insanus
Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons Of Light 1
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die but You Will
Thank You - Golden Worry (favourite album of the year so far)
Bloodiest - Descent
Boris - Heavy Rocks
Boris - Attention Please
Battles - Gloss Drop
And So I Watch You From Afar - Gangs
Jesu - Ascension

i'm really struggling with the more ambient suggestions in this thread that i've looked into...

tim hecker, julianna barwick, higuma....if you class them as that.

i feel like i need some sort of tension for something to be beautiful....i can't handle monotone washes of sound that set a single speed and stick to it. there needs to be some sort of friction, some sort of significant build or break for the beauty to be drawn from.

these are good examples of what i can't get my head around.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7lLfYBGRaA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY1xqcX5O-o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE9mT4JaW_0

i really don't get it. it just completely fails to move me and i can't find the beauty in it.

anyone see what i'm saying?...or want to tell me where i'm going wrong. obviously i can't base entire albums on single tracks, but they don't really make me want to dig any deeper.

but, of what i have:
the Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts
Delicate Steve - Wondervisions
Cat's Eyes - S/t
High Llamas - Talahomi Way
Cults - Cults
Star Slinger vs Teams - S/t
Ducktails - Ducktails III
Julian Lynch - Terra

in no particular order

so much stuff i hadn't checked out coming up and so many things i'm gonna go back to over the past few weeks. thrown stuff into my to listen to playlist, which i make for myself on the go, and sharing in case anyone else fancies rummaging through it all http://open.spotify.com/user/seaninsound/playlist/3svenPzjTX3giMxcGo2Cs5

Metronomy - The English Riviera. A beautiful, pop worshipping love letter to the best moments of the 80s and 90s.
Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean. Sam Beam has really brought it home with such delightful use of language throughout. I used to like Iron & Wine, now I love them.
Wild Beasts - Smother. Wild Beasts become as important as The Smiths.
The Cave Singers - No Witch. Good ole boys take the right step in the right direction.
The Strokes - Angles. Undeniably enjoyable chunks of guitar.
Tune-Yards - WHOKILL. The most invigorating listen of the year, so exciting to experience for the first time and still really enjoying it.
Dutch Uncles - Cadenza. Regular indie band discover their mojo and produce the biggest surprise of the year.
The Antlers - Burst Apart. This album feels like it has always been in my life.
Jonny - Jonny. A wonderful, warm set of melodies by two top blokes enjoying themselves.
Parts & Labor - Constant Future. Buzzsaw guitars and shout along vocal lines? Yes please.
Radiohead - The King of Limbs. A lovely fuck you experiment.
Apologies for the 6th former style write ups, but I quite liked thinking about and writing them. I really fucking enjoyed it actually. Not quite there: Mogwai, Beastie Boys, Fleet Foxes.

The Piano Drop is absolutely gorgeous. I'm presuming you do have a bit of soul so give it another chance! I implore you - If it really doesn't work, how bout SAW Volume 11?

mostly ones which are half brill/half average. Also, I've got a shit-ton of music catch up on going by these lists - I am so ridiculously out of the loop

Tom Vek - Leisure Seizure. Big step up from We Have Sound for me. No more half-finished ideas, even the weak songs work well as part of the whole. Aroused is song of the year so far
British Sea Power - Valhalla Dancehall. Not quite as good as Rock Music, but We Are Sound, Mongk II and Heavy Water are as good as anything they've done so far
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo. Really good use of better production, can hear all those little details and layers now, but still retains plenty of the hazy atmosphere that makes him so good
Bon Iver - Bon Iver. Only given this a couple of listens, but clearly a pretty awesome album. Wish he'd gone a bit more electric a la Blood Bank but when he does stuff like this so well who's complaining?
Yuck - Yuck. Pretty neat songs, but really lifted by some great lead guitar lines, which come across even better live. Needs a bit of work lyrically though
Radiohead - King Of Limbs. First half - whatever. Second half - best run of songs they've ever put together. Separator challenges Let Down for their Most Gorgeous Song title
The Dodos - No Color. I didn't see Time To Die as the let-down everyone else seemed to, but this is still a step up from that. The guitar on Don't Stop still completely baffles me, crazy good
Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam. This came right out of the blue for me, thanks to TheShipment (I think ...?) Cash And Carry got stuck on repeat for days afterwards, love how resigned he sounds and how the music sounds like a club three streets away; where the distance removes all the euphoria from the music and just leaves you with the melancholia
Let's Wrestle - Nursing Home. Again, just a few listens in. So far music seems better than ever, bit of a heavier punch to it, though lyrics have gone from being silly/quirky to verging on annoying
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die ... LOUD. CRUSHING. STANDARD.
… Trail Of Dead – Tao Of The Dead. Surprised it's not been mentioned at all yet. Really coherent set of songs, and I like the idea of such a sprawling, messy band trying their hand at such simple, (mostly) sweet songs. Ebb Away is so lovely

Dananananaykroyd - There Is A Way
Vessels - Helioscope
And So I Watch You From Afar - Gangs
Radiohead - King of Limbs
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
Bright Eyes - The Peoples Key
Battles - Gloss Drop
Departures - When Losing Everything Is Everything You Wanted
Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Pt.2
The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar
Fucked Up - David Comes To Life

Cults – Cults
Tune-Yards – W H O K I L L
Iron & Wine – Kiss each other clean
Timber Timbre – Creep On Creepin’ On
Braids – Native Speaker
Esben and the Witch – Voilent Cries
Alex Turner – Submarine soundtrack
Tennis – Cape Dory

Woods - Sun & Shade
Mazes - A Thousand Heys
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
Peaking Lights - 936
The Koolaid Electric Company - Random Noises and Organised Sounds
Ducktails - III: Arcade Dynamics
Panda Bear - Tomboy
White Fence - Is Growing Faith
Moon Duo - Mazes
Julian Lynch - Terra
Kogumaza - s/t

Bodi Bill - What?
Son Lux - We are Rising
Roommate - Guilty Rainbow
Dustin O'Halloran - Lumiere
William Fitzsimmons - Gold in the Shadow
Near the Parenthesis - Japanese for Beginners
Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam
Delta Mirror - Machines that listen (remixed by Busdriver, Bomarr, Odd Nosdam and the Shimmies to name a few)
Conquering Animal Sound - Klammerspiel
the do - Both Ways open Jaws
David Thomas Broughton - Outbreeding

And So I Watch You From Afar - Gangs
Such a brilliant album - it makes me feel good when listening to it, got a real positive and refreshing sound - just wonderful music. Also, fuck vocals.

Zombi - Escape Velocity

future music - completely mind bending sounds, love it.

The Heat Tape - Raccoon Valley Recordings

low-fi garage punx, dead good. Early Thermals and Wavves fans check this shit

Of Legends - Stranded

BROOTAL metal, quite thrashy in places, played really low and angry. Quite crusty as well.

Weekend Nachos - Worthless
grindcore meets noise meets sludge YEAH

Agoraphobic Nosebleed/Despise You - And On And On And On..

hardcore punk/grind split. The Despise You stuff is top notch, as is ANB somewhat more slower tunes, but still pretty in your face.

Red Fang - Murder the Mountains

stoner-metal with massive grooves. Get on it.

Absolute Power - Absolute Power

BATTLE MEEETTTTTAAAALLLLLLLLLL \m/ worth it for the album cover.

The Strokes - Angles
Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts
Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
Tune Yards - W H O K I L L
The Antlers - Burst Apart
Panda Bear - Tomboy
Braids - Native Speaker
James Blake - James Blake
Staff Benda Bilili - Tres Tres Fort
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
The Weeknd - House Of Balloons

Wild Beasts - Smother
Antlers - Burst Apart
And So I Watch You From Afar - Gangs
tUnE yArDs - W H O K I L L

Plus these

Dirty Beaches - Badlands
Foxes In Fiction - Alberto
Radiohead - The King Of Limbs
Jogging - Minutes
Destroyer - Kaputt
Vessels - Helioscope
Tiger Bones - Go Over Here

How To Dress Well
EMA
Braids

HTDW is the best thing I've heard for ages.

Skull Defekts - Peer Amid
Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light
Nicholas Jaar - Space is Only Noise
Sunns - Zeroes QC
Deerhoof - Deerhoof v Evil
Low - C'Mon
Mogwai - Hardcore will never die....
Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972
Young Widows - In and Out of Youth and Lightness
Sic Alps - Napa Asylum
Grails - Deep Politics

Need to give a few more spins to Battles, Kurt Vile, PJ Harvey and just got EMA and Braids from emusic so this will more than likely change going on the positive reviews off the aforementioned.

Joy Formidable
Yuck
Weekend Nachos
New Lows
Victims
PULLING TEETH

I think that's about it, but i'm getting Gang Gang Dance as a result of the love its got on this board/thread

Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
Deerhoof - Vs. Evil
TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light
Suuns - Zeroes QC
... uh, i think so far they're the only 4 this year that have had a lasting impression... Still, I think it's more than I'd have listed from this time last year

1. The Antlers - 'Burst Apart'
2. Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat - 'Everything's Getting Older'
3. 3. PJ Harvey - 'Let England Shake'
4. Wild Beasts - 'Smother'
5. EMA - 'Past Maryted Saints'
6. Felt Drawings - 'Body'
7. Josh T. Pearson - 'Last of the Country Gentlemen'
8. Cold Cave - 'Cherish the Light Years'
9. Braids 'Native Speaker'
10. Moby 'Destroyed'
11. Yuck - 'Yuck'

King Creosote & Jon Hopkins -Diamond Mine
Singing Adams - Everybody Friends Now
The Wave Pictures - Beer in the Breakers
Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter - Marble Son
Wye Oak - Civilian
Iron& Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
David Thomas Broughton - Outbreeding
White Denim - D
The Felice Brothers - Celebration Florida
Hiss Golden Messenger - Country Hai East Cotton
Okkervil River - I Am Very Far

a great year so far, could easily add to this list

the antlers - burst apart
bright eyes - the people's key
Wild Beasts – Smother
Nicholas Jaar – Space is Only Noise
Ghostpoet - Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam
Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
Youngteam - Daydreamer
EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints
Cut Copy - Zonoscope
BRAIDS - Native Speaker
Trail of Dead - Tao of the dead

Bought more 'old' albums so far ... Favourites are:

Wild Beasts - Smother; took a while to like this but now it's following me around. Love this.
Destroyer - Kaputt; slowly becoming my favourite Destroyer record. An 80s influenced album by someone who actually lived with the music of that decade.
Bill Callahan - Apocalypse; 'Drover' is my favourite song of the year so far.
Autechre - EPs 1991-2002; Not strictly a new release but my list was getting a bit guitary, and this is arguably the best collection of music that will be released this year.

1. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972
2. Fucked Up - David Comes to Life
3. Higuma - Pacific Fog Dreams
4. The Antlers - Burst Apart
5. How to Dress Well - Love Remains
6. Africa Hi-tech - 93 million miles
7. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
8. Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
9. Radiohead - King of Limbs
10. Mogwai - Hardcore will never die but you will
11. Low - C'Mon

1) The Weeknd- House of Balloons: Seductive and sleazy RnB crossover, with a dark, night-bus vibe going on. Every track could be a hit, and i haven't been able to stop listening to it for weeks. One of the best mixtapes released in years.

2) Wild Beasts- Smother: Gorgeous, delicate, and anthemic all at once, and less divisive than either of the first two, without compromising on experimentalism.

3) Nicolas Jaar- Space is only Noise: deceptively complex, listen to this with headphones and hear the genius of Jaar's production unfold- trip-hop, Jazz, post-punk, minimal techno all rolled into one.

4) Tune Yards- W H O K I L L: Essentially does what Dirty Projectors did with Bitte Orca, hybridised African music with western pop/rnb and made an absolutely killer experimental-pop record. Instantly memorable and seemingly hard to grow tired of.

5) LV & Joshua Idehan- UK Bass in 2011. Sounds so fresh without really venturing into new territory. Insanely catchy. Think it was jimitheexploder who put me on to this, so thanks for that!

6) GGD- Insane and crazily Bollywood sounding at times, yet probably GGD at their most accessible. Glass Jar may well be the track of the year thus far.

7) ASIWYFA- Gangs: So much fun, so much energy, and consistently amazing riffs, without ever seeming wanky.

8) Antlers- Beautiful, inspired pop. Requires less of a 'time and place' for listening than the last one.

9) Radiohead- King of Limbs: It's a great record. simple as that. Not their best, and no longer game changers, but the likes of Codex, Bloom, Separator, and Lotus Flower wouldn't be out of place on their best of.

10) DJ Quik- Book of David- Incredible MC/producer. Packed full of funk and rhymes. This years Sir Luscious Left Foot if you like.

11) Bon Iver- S/T: Time will tell as to whether the fully orchestrated, and professionally produced Bon Iver is > or = to the log cabin retreat, Lo-fi Bon Iver, but initially at least it's a pretty perfect follow up from for Emma... Not really had enough plays yet to be further up the list but definitely capable.

Runners up:
BRAIDS- Native Speaker: Basically the 2011 version of Animal Collective Feels- Fine by me!
Panda Bear-Tomboy: topped my list, last time there was this sort of thread, but haven't really listened to it much since
HTDW- mainly because I'm classing this as a 2010 release, seeing as it initially came out last year, otherwise it would be near the top.
Tyler- Goblin: actually a grower, despite the backlash swarm of negativity, when it leaked
DJ Quik- Book of David- Incredible MC/producer. Pack

Bright Eyes
Battles
Bon Iver
Panda Bear
Iron and Wine
Kurt Vile

1. The Antlers - Burst Apart. Shimmering, haunting, beautiful and heartfelt.
2. Tune-Yards - w h o k i l l. Somebody else said that it made them grin, and it made me grin too. Albums that make you grin for their sheer genius are few and far between. Merrill Garbus throws the kitchen sink in but every tune ticks all the boxes - experimental and pop at the same time.
3. Radiohead - The King Of Limbs. I came to this not as a diehard Radiohead fan, not even really a fan, but now I am. I heard a rumour that it's not their best but I'm fortunate enough not to have all of that baggage when listening. Skittering, featherlight electronica in the first half, delicate and medlodic in the second.
4. Cut Copy - Zonoscope. They haven't lost any of their touch since In Ghost Colours, thank goodness. It's a perhaps less playful than the last album but it's a strong set of tunes and the ambitious Sub God is an unreserved success. Friendly Fires must wish this lot didn't exist.
5. Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact. The number of appearances this makes across everybody else's lists says it all. It seems to have universal appeal despite sounding well outside the mainstream.
6. Demdike Stare - Tryptych. My friend asked me how you classify music like this; I guess you don't even try. I've played it multiple times and can't fathom it out... and that's a good thing!
7. Beat Connection - Surf Noir. One big clue is the way the singer takes on In The Water... he makes it sound like "in New Order". An even bigger clue is the artwork's nod to the sleeves of both Temptation and Blue Monday. Theme From Yours Truly could be my tune of the year. I just have a soft spot from this kind of music.
8. Destroyer - Kaputt. More New Order references. It took me a few listens to acclimatise to Dan Bejar's voice but the music reeled me in straight away. Maybe I like it because I lived through th 80s, I'm not sure.
9. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake. The only album on the list I'd buy for my Dad. He likes singer-songwriter fayre. And Polly Harvey appears on the BBC News channel, don't you know! Bizarrely, the last PJ Harvey album I bought was Dry, back in '92.
10. Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972. Special mention for original use of church organ.
11. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins - Diamond Mine. This was a birthday present from my bestest mate and it's a wonderfully intimate album to settle down with. I'm struggling to make out Jon Hopkins at times but it's a welcome introduction to King Creosote, all the same.

1. Wild Beasts - Smother
2. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
3. Time Hecker - Ravedeath
4. Bill Callahan - Apocalypse
5. Aidan Moffat/Bill Wells - Everything’s Getting Older
6. Kurt Vile - SRFMH
7. Radiohead - TKOL
8. Nicholas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise
9. Ducktails - Arcade Dynamics
10. James Blake
11.Cass McCombs - Wits End

Tuneyards, Metronomy, Smith Westerns, Battles, Destroyer.

A great year for albums so far.

Austra - Feel It Break
Dominik Eulberg - Diorama
Gus Gus - Arabian Horse
Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys!
Wild Beasts - Smother
Cut Copy - Zonoscope
Steffi - Yours & Mine
Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie XX - We're New Here
Destroyer - Kaputt
Tennis - Cape Dory
Frank Ocean - Nostalgia, Ultra

The Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts
Gum Takes Tooth - Silent Cenotaph
Dels - Gob
Battles - Gloss Drop
Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
Skindred - Union Black
The Naked and Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You
Lady Gaga - Born This Way
Tyler, The Creator - Goblin
SebastiAn - Total
Atari Teenage Riot - Is This Hyperreal?

The Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts
Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
The Pains of being Pure at heart - Belong
Tune-Yards - Who Kill
Pj Harvey - Let England Shake
Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
Tennis - Cape Dory
the Decemberists - the King is Dead
Toro Y Moi - Underneath the Pine
Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
Alela Diane and the wild Divine

I don't care if people say the Go! Team is more of the same as it's still great. Although nothing this year is as good as Beach House, my favourite album from last year

feel free to add your favourites

Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
De Staat - Machinery
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Low - C'mon
Man Man - Life Fantastic
Okkervil River - I am Very Far
Thurston Moore - Demolished Thoughts
David Thomas Broughton - Outbreeding
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
Aidan Moffat/Bill Wells - Everything’s Getting Older

PJ has this nailed on looking at the above posts.

1. The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar
2. Josh T Pearson - Last of the Country Gentlemen
3. Austra - Feel It Break
4. EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints
5. Esben and the Witch - Violet Cries
6. Planningtorock - W
7. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
8. Clytem Scanning - Armada
9. Chelsea Wolfe - The Grime and The Glow - came out very last week of 2010, but counting it here
10. Mushy - Faded Heart
11. Amatorski - TBC

Metronomy - The English Riviera
Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See
Britney Spears - Femme Fatale
Cut Copy - Zonoscope
The Kills - Blood Pressures
Mini Mansions - Mini Mansions
Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo
YACHT - Shangri-La
Katy B - On A Mission
Pains Of Being Pure.. - Belong

2. Times New Viking

no order: Chad VanGaalen, Iceage, Thurston Moore, Weekend, Kurt Vile, Horrid Red, Sic Alps, Okkervil River

Arctic Monkeys (for That's Where You're Wrong)
Bill Wells & Aidan Moffat (for The Copper Top)
Bright Eyes
EMA
King Creosote & Jon Hopkins
Kurt Vile
Lykke Li
PJ Harvey
PS I Love You
Suuns
Wye Oak (criminally overlooked here)

has anyone tried totting this thread up? i can't figure out what has the most votes but by doing an apple+f, I think it might be PJ Harvey.

Danananaykroyd - There Is A Way
The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar
The Antlers - Burst Apart
Copy Haho - Copy Haho
Friendly Fires - Pala
Algernon Cadwallader - Parrot Flies
Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys
The Answering Machine - Lifeline
Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will
The Wonder Years - Suburbia I've Given You All And Now I'm Nothing
Panda Bear - Tomboy

Washed Out - Within Without (I adore this record and its not officially out till next week. Amazing tunes)
Tom Vek - Leisure Seizure (not a patch on WHS but after his London show, I saw this record in a new light)
Ringo Deathstarr - Colour Trip (best new band Ive heard for years, cant wait for the August show)
Bon Iver - Bon Iver (genius)
Cults - Cults (would be happy to hate it but cant)
Toro y Moi - Underneath The Pine (still loving this whole chillwave thing. Taps into my love of shoegaze and trip hop)
lamb - 5 (finally back with a very beautiful album)
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake (you know the drill)
Giles Corey - Giles Corey (horrifically depressing but completely worth it. The quite companion to Have A Nice Life's Deathconsciousness)

As of daithioflionn's post on 2nd July:
11. An equal split between BRAIDS - Native Speaker and NICOLAS JARR - Space Is Only Noise (15 each)
10. MOGWAI - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (16)
9. EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints (17)
8. TIM HECKER - Ravedeath, 1972 (19)
7. KURT VILE - Smoke Ring For My Halo (21)
6. DESTROYER - Kaputt (22)
5. BON IVER - Bon Iver and TUNE-YARDS - Who Kill (23)
4. RADIOHEAD - The King Of Limbs (29)
3. GANG GANG DANCE - Eye Contact (30)
2. ANTLERS - Burst Apart (31)
1. PJ HARVEY - Let England Shake and WILD BEASTS - Smother (32)

Interesting results! I havent factored in an average of how highly these albums were placed on people's lists, because most people didn't rank. If I had done, though, PJ Harvey would surely have been top of the pile, as people have said. Also, there is a chance I have made a mistake here. If anyone thinks there might be an album with more than 15 mentions, and that hasn't been included in this list, count them and flag it up.
I have been seriously out of the loop with new music this year so this will be very useful for me..

Explosions In The Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care

but here you go http://drownedinsound.com/news/4143043-half-year--dis-11-favourite-albums-of-the-first-half-of-2011 - includes an option to read all the reviews on-the-go on your tablet or smartphone.

Niggas with Guitars - Ethnic Frenzy [Digitalis]
Sean McCann - The Capital [Augierre]
Andy Stott - Passed Me By [Modern Love]
Alva Noto & Ryuichi Sakamoto - Summvs [Raster-Noton]
Julian Lynch - Terra [Underwater Peoples]
Morphosis - What We Have Learned [Delsin]
Lucy - Wordplay for Working Bees [Stroboscopic Artefacts]
Main Attrakionz - Two Man Horror Film [Self-released]
Dj Quik - Book of David [Mad Science]
Grouper - A I A [Yellowelectric]
Peaking Lights - 936 [Not No Fun]

(excluding reissues - Virgo, Jurgen Mueller etc.)

1) Africa Hitech - 93 Million Miles
2) Andy Stott - Passed Me By
3) Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise
4) Tim Hecker - Ravedeath, 1972
5) Panda Bear – Tomboy
6) The Weeknd – House of Balloons
7) Battles – Gloss Drop
8) Metronomy – English Riviera
9) Perc - Wicker & Steel
10 best album I haven’t bought yet or even heard properly)
Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
11 best old album bought this year that’s amazing so am going to include)
Dr John, the Night Trippers – Gris Gris

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Bon Iver - Bon Iver
The Antlers - Burst Apart
Destroyer - Kaputt
Wild Beasts - Smother
Iron & Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean
Okkervil River - I Am Very Far
Bright Eyes - The Peoples Key
Tune Yards - Who Kill
Big KRIT - Return Of 4Eva
EMA - Past Life Martyred Saints