I have put together a list of my favorite albums each year I have blogged (2009, 10, 11). This is one of my favorite times of the year to read blogs. The “best of” lists for music and books start stacking up.

Looking over my list this year it seems this is the year the techno pop and folk sing-alongs.

Miike Snow, Hot Chip, Yeasayer, and Purity Ring all fall under the techno pop while The Lumineers and Of Monsters and Men fall under the folk sing-along.

Here is my list for 2012 (in no particular order).

1. Miike Snow: Happy to You /  I am surprised more people don’t have this album on their list. I may have listened to “The Wave” more than any other song this year. As Pitchfork describes them, they are an “electronic take on springy indie pop.” Some complain about the vocals and lyrics but it was one of the few albums I kept going back to.
2. Hot Chip: In Our Heads / With a techno flair and a trust in their music, Hot Chip produced a stellar fifth album. The vocals compliment the music rather than overwhelming it. It can be described as Dance Music, but it is soft and psychedelic.
3. Yeasayer: Fragrant World / When I first listened to this album it was about as far away as it could get from this list. But I kept at it. By the 3rd time through I was stopped comparing it to Odd Blood, and started to appreciate it for its uniqueness. “Glass of the Microscope” pushed this one over the edge and could be my favorite song of the year
4. The Lumineers: The Lumineers / I am a sucker for this music. It has a toned down Mumford and Sons sound, with a more sing-along quality. Simplicity is the key for this Colorado crew.
5. The Followers: Wounded Healer / This is the best indie Christian album I have heard in years. They bring back the organ calling it neo-gospel with a little 70′s, folk, and country influences.
6. Of Monsters and Men: My Head is An Animal / As one reviewer noted, they combine the folky with the epic. They also have a sing-along quality but with a little more foot stomping. They are now a strong part of the indie-folk revolution that includes The Avett Brothers, The Lumineers, and Mumford and Sons.
7. Lecrae: Gravity / Mixing epic, symphonic with diverse beats, and creative lyrics Gravity came and has done what few Christian rappers have accomplished, produced something unique. “Falling Down” has one of the most catchy beats I heard all year. Most rap is like candy, it is sweet but does not last, and one grows tired of it quickly. But songs like “Confe$$ions” and “Tell the World” have the chance to make this one last.
8. Purity Ring: Shrines / Purity Ring has a heavenly techno pop sound. This is their debut album with dubbed-out beats and soothing female vocals from Megan Jones
9. Grizzly Bear: Shields / This album is unlike most on the list, with melancholy sounds and more straightforward indie sounds without the pop.
10. Fun.: Some Nights / This is the type of album that makes you want to set the world on fire (in a good way). The catchy tunes and simple yet relatable lyrics will make you run faster and jump higher.

Notable mentions:

1. Matthew Perryman Jones: Land of the Living
2. Santigold: Master of My Make-Believe
3. Beach House: Bloom
4. Mumford and Sons: Babel
5. Alt-J: An Awesome Wave
6. Jack White: Blunderbuss

Notable songs:

1. Matt & Kim: Let’s Go
2. Anais Mitchell: Coming Down
3. Regina Spektor: How / The Party
4. The Welcome Wagon: I Know That My Redeemer Lives
5. Sara Bareilles: Lie to Me
6. LP: Into the Wild
7. Alabama Shakes: Hold On
8. Arcade Fire: Abraham’s Daughter
9. Delta Spirit: Time Bomb / Empty House / Tear It Up
10. Jones Street Station: The Understanding
11. Grimes: Genesis
12. Muse: Supremacy
13. Frank Ocean: Thinkin Bout You
14. Bat For Lashes: All Your Gold
15. Passion Pit: I’ll Be Alright

Reformissionary has just posted his top 35 albums of 2011.

Although I don’t always agree, I also have learned of a couple bands that I now love from his site.

Therefore when he posts something about music, I usually give it a try.

My list can be found HERE.

Part of the reason making a list like this is so fun is because I go back and listen to all the music I have enjoyed this year. It is also interesting to go back and see what my previous lists were (2010, 2009). Some of the albums have lasted the test of time, and I still turn to them for good music, others have fallen to the point where I never listen to them.

So without further ado, here are my favorite albums from 2011.

1. Bon Iver: Bon Iver | I never thought he could top his first album, but he did. Its like the Pixar story, it just keeps getting better, he can’t slow down. Beautiful melancholic music, with a twist of 80′s in Best/Rest that had me hooked from the moment I heard it.
2. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues | This alt-folk band has great melodies and are more poetic and thoughtful than many acknowledge. Just check out these lyrics.
3. Foster the People: Torches | Although I am listening to this album less and less, it was an instant hit, great for working out.
4. Cults: Cults | To have a debut album where I don’t skip any tracks is an accomplishment.
5. Telekinesis: 12 Desperate Straight Lines | Sounds a bit like 90′s rock, but I really like it.
6. Wilco: The Whole Love | Classic Wilco, with some great songs, and then songs I have no idea what do with.
7. Jay Z: Watch the Throne | You must listen to this album in the edited version, and that still does not catch everything. However, as far as rap goes, this could be Jay Z’s best.
8. Alison Krauss & Union Station: Paper Airplane | Her voice is so effortlessly beautiful that it cannot sound bad, and Union Station compliments her perfectly.
9. Lupe Fiasco: Lasers | This guy is as good as Kanye, or better, he just does not get the press because he doesn’t say dumb things on TV.
10. The Black Keys: El Camino | I am not sure this is even allowed, because this album is not out for 5 more days. However I am pretty sure this one is going to be great. And it compliments my list so well. I now have some blues, folk, rap, and pop.

Notable Mentions

• Feist: Metals
• The Antlers: Burst Apart
• M83: Hurry Up We’re Dreaming
• Sarah Jarosz: Follow Me Down
• PJ Harvey: Let England Shake