We know, we know. 2011 is only half empty. Or, half full, as we optimistic bloggers at Speakers in Code like to think. But the midway point of the year is always a good point to pause, gather our thoughts, make some lists, revisit early favorites, and tell you about all the songs and albums we’ve given metaphoric high fives to over the past six months.
So, without further ado, and only in the non-threatening, non-cemented order of alphabetical, here are our fifty favorite songs from 2011. Stream, stream away…
Check out the full list after the JUMP!
2 Adele – “Someone Like You”
3 Admiral Fallow – Old Balloons
4 Jill Andrews – “Sound of the Bells”
5 Nicole Atkins – “Cry Cry Cry”
6 The Antlers – “Every Night My Teeth Are Falling Out”
7 Bass Drum of Death – “Heart Attack Kid”
8 James Blake – “Limit To Your Love”
9 Bon Iver – “Holocene”
10 Hayes Carll – “KMAG YOYO”
11 Cotton Jones – “Egg On A Sea”
12 Cults – “You Know What I Mean”
13 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – “Morning Thought”
14 Destroyer – “Suicide Demo For Kara Walker”
15 Steve Earle – “Waitin’ on the Sky”
16 Explosions in the Sky – “Last Known Surroundings”
17 Fleet Foxes – “Helplessness Blues”
18 Foster The People – “I Would Do Anything For You”
19 Fucked Up – “The Other Shoe”
20 Future Islands – “Before the Bridge”
21 Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings – “The Way It Will Be”
22 Generationals – “Ten-Twenty-Ten”
23 The Head and the Heart – “Rivers and Roads”
24 Holy Ghost! – “Wait & See”
25 Hooray For Earth – “True Loves”
26 Iceage – “White Rune”
27 JEFF the Brotherhood – Shredder
28 Lil Wayne (feat. Cory Gunz) – 6 Foot 7 Foot
29 Lykke Li – “Get Some”
30 Matthew Mayfield – “Element”
31 My Morning Jacket – “Victory Dance”
32 Née – “Absolom”
33 Noah and the Whale – “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.”
34 Peter Bjorn and John – “Tomorrow Has to Wait”
35 Priory – “Lady of Late”
36 Matthew Ryan – “Summer in the South”
37 Shabazz Palaces – “Swerve…The Reeping of All That Is Worthwhile (Noir Not Withstanding)”
38 Amanda Shires – “Swimmer…”
39 Smith Westerns – “End Of The Night”
40 Toro y Moi – “New Beat”
41 tUnE-yArDs – “Powa”
42 Tyler the Creator – “Yonkers”
43 TV on the Radio – “Will Do”
44 The Vaccines – “Wreckin’ Bar (Ra Ra Ra)”
45 Kurt Vile – “Runner Ups”
46 Washed Out – “Eyes Be Closed”
47 Wild Flag – “Future Crimes”
48 Lucinda Williams – “Copenhagen”
49 WU LYF – “Dirt”
50 Yuck – “Georgia”
For our album picks, we’ve broken it down by blogger. We’ve picked our ten favorites (so far), the ones that have been lighting up our turntables and iPods and factory-made Corolla speakers and listed them in that same non-threatening alpha order. Most importantly, we’ve added purchase links so you can spend your hard earned dollars on new music this holiday weekend. Go to, go to.
Katie’s Album Picks:
The Antlers – Burst Apart [buy]
The Blind Eyes – With A Bang [buy]
Bon Iver – Bon Iver [buy]
Cults – Cults [buy]
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – It’s a Corporate World [buy]
The Decemberists – The King Is Dead [buy]
Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues [buy]
Generationals – Actor-Caster [buy]
The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart [buy]
Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde [buy]
Matt’s Album Picks:
The Antlers – Burst Apart [buy]
Bon Iver – Bon Iver [buy]
Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues [buy]
Fucked Up – David Comes to Life [buy]
JEFF the Brotherhood – We Are the Champions [buy]
The Middle East – I Want That You Are Always Happy [buy]
Smith Westerns – Dye it Blonde [buy]
Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for my Halo [buy]
WU LYF – Go Tell Fire to the Mountain [buy]
Yuck – Yuck [buy]
Darren’s Album Picks:
James Blake – James Blake [buy]
Cults – Cults [buy]
Cut Copy – Zonoscope [buy]
Destroyer – Kaputt [buy]
Foster The People – Torches [buy]
Hooray For Earth – True Loves [buy]
Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde [buy]
Toro y Moi – Underneath the Pine [buy]
tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l [buy]
Washed Out – Within and Without [buy]
Jason’s Album Picks:
Adele – 21 [buy]
Jill Andrews – The Mirror [buy]
Hayes Carll – KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories) [buy]
Cowboy Junkies – Demons [buy]
Explosions in the Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care [buy]
The Head and the Heart – The Head and the Heart [buy]
My Morning Jacket – Circuital [buy]
Neil Young and the International Harvesters – A Treasure [buy]
Amanda Shires – Carrying Lightning [buy]
Gillian Welch – The Harrow & the Harvest [buy]