Although it was an amazing year for new music, I spent a large chunk of my time delving into the past and discovering many albums and artist that I have overlooked or have only recently become aware of.
I'm sure that there was a plethora of music that I missed while I was traveling back in time to mine for aural gems, probably many new albums that I just plain glossed over or bands that I felt fell short of the hype surrounding them. However, these 10 albums are ones that struck a particular chord with me in 2011. I've posted standout tracks that I feel represent each records' tone (and forgive me for posting a reissue in a "new" best-of the year list-"Nada!" is just that good!).
Dirty Beaches "Badlands" Zoo Music
standout track(s) "Horses", "Lord Knows Best", "Sweet 17", "True Blue"
Tom Waits "Bad As Me" Anti-
standout track(s) "Face to the Highway", "Raised Right Men", "Talking at the Same Time", "Bad As Me", "Chicago"
Grouper "A I A: Alien Observer/Dream Loss" Yellowelectricstandout track: "Alien Observer"Death In June "NADA! Plus (30th anniversary reissue)" Pylonstandout track "The Honour of Silence", "The Calling",
"C'est Un Reve"Six Organs Of Admittance "Maria Kapel" Pavilionstandout track "Maryam"Cult of Youth "S/T" Sacred Bonesstandout track "Lace Up Your Boots"Zola Jesus "Conatus" Sacred Bonesstandout track (s) "Hikikomori", "Seekir"Great Society Mind Destroyers "Spirit Smoke" Slow Knifestandout track "Divinorum"K Holes "S/T" HoZac
standout track(s) "Swamp Fires", "Werewolf With a Tan"
Mick Harvey "Sketches From the Book of the Dead" Mutestandout track "October Boy"