My top five favorite albums of 2011

5. John Maus - We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves



This is the worst John Maus album. By John's standards it is relatively bland and there aren't really any standout tracks like his previous releases. The macabre has been substituted for the panglossian. The political/social messages are admirable, but John's most sincere and 'real' work has always originated from his existential and love songs. Despite all of these things, We Must Become... is still better than 99.9% of everything else released this year. "Cop Killer" is a much needed anthem, but a part of me wishes some girl would get John to fall in deeply love with her and then break his heart so we could get another "Just Wait til Next Year."



4. Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow



In a perfect world, everyone would have Kate Bush as a mom.



3. Destroyer - Kaputt



Dan Bejar takes the term 'stylistic departure' very literally.



2. Momus - Thunderclown



Not only one of the best albums albums of the year, but one of the Currie's own best behind classics like Voyager and Timelord. Sadly this will probably be overlooked by many, but it is a conceptual masterpiece and a veritable Momus magnum opus.



1. Nunzio Fattini - Album Primum



I am blatantly cheating here. Technically this album came out over two years ago (according to iTunes). Normally I wouldn't bend the rules so, but given the circumstances I feel it's acceptable. Nunzio's website 'promoting' (see: irony) the album didn't even appear until early this year and the earliest mention of his new project anywhere else on the internet didn't occur until March (correct me if I'm wrong here). So I don't know how anyone could have known of it's existence outside of Mr. Fanuelle himself until this year, and that's why I'm allowing this gem to appear on my 2011 list, despite actually being released earlier. I'm going to let this fact speak for itself and not write any more about this. The album is available on his website, but please, support him and buy it over iTunes, paypal him $5, something - anything - to keep this man making music. In a word: incommensurable.