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Top 5 Album Releases in 2011

by Travis Whitmore on 01/06/2012 · 0 comments

In my opinion, 2011 had it’s ups and downs in the new music category. Among the really bad album releases (Lulu by Metallica comes to mind), there were also a handful of great ones.

So, what makes a great album? For me, a great album is one that I’m still listening to.

It’s the ones that you can’t take out of your stereo. The ones that get better each and every time you hear them.

In no particular order, here were my favorite picks in 2011:

(Click on the album covers to listen and/or purchase)

1. The Decemberists – The King is Dead (Pictured Above)

The King is Dead was evidently recorded in a converted barn outside of Portland, Oregon. You can certainly tell that the barn inspired the very stripped down, honest and organic color of this album. Featured musicians includes R.E.M’s Peter Buck and Gillian Welch.

2. R.E.M – Collapse Into Now

With R.E.M’s recent announcement of calling it quits as a band, this record marks their last studio album. It’s a beautiful farewell in many ways. Special guest Patti Smith appears.

3. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light

I mean, come on. It’s Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins. The entire album was recorded straight analog in Dave’s garage. Enough said.

4. Dream Theater – A Dramatic Turn of Events

I’ve always been a big fan of Dream Theater. Over the past couple of years, however, I lost interest. It seemed as if they were putting out albums so fast, I couldn’t even keep up. That is until this album came out. For me, the loss of Mike Portnoy and the addition of drummer Mike Mangini was a turn for the best for this band. A refreshing album. A dramatic turn of events in fact.

5. Oz Noy – Twisted Blues, Vol. 1

I just recently stumbled upon guitarist Oz Noy and picked up a few of his albums. He’s an absolute monster guitar player. Although listed as jazz, Oz’s music and style is too complex to be categorized into one genre. Twisted Blues, Volume 1 features a handful of stellar players including drummers Vinnie Colaiuta and Anton Fig.