Late to the Party...

...but here are my top 10 albums of 2011. Some made it due to amazing musicianship, some due to how they impacted me in a given phase of my life, and the best due to both.

10. Lucinda Williams - Blessed
"We were blessed by the minister who practiced what he preached...we were blessed by the neglected child who knew how to forgive...we were blessed by the mystic who turned water into wine...we were blessed by the forlorn, forsaken, and abused." from 'Blessed'

9. The Low Anthem - Smart Flesh
"As the blind walk the blind through the blackness of freedom, who writes the songs that we will all be singing?" from 'Golden Cattle'

8. Tom Waits - Bad as Me
I absolutely love Tom Waits and, both musically and lyrically, his new album further proves he can do nothing wrong.
"Time it don't mean nothing, money means even less. Don't bring nothin baby, you're better than all the rest. I wanna go get lost." from 'Get Lost'

7. Hello Seahorse! - Lejos, no tan Lejos
The perfect combination of electronic music and superb high-pitched vocals. I spun it for months; likely to resonate only with the musical tastes of select ears. Weird vid, but listen.

6. Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside - Dirty Radio
Heavily influenced by Tom Waits and Cat Power, Sallie's songs are lyrically raw and pack the musical punches. The range of emotions from angst to sentimental reflections on love resonate with any listener. One of my highlights of the Newport Folk Festival (see photo).
"Just like they took away the polaroid picture, they're gonna take away everything that means something. Today I think I saw ten thousand cell phones but not one decent conversation." from 'Write me a Letter'

5. Dawes - Nothing is Wrong
Try to not learn 8 billion life lessons from Dawes. Amazing songwriting coupled with outstanding Americana rock 'n' roll.
"I think that love is so much easier than you realize. If you can give yourself to someone, then you should." from 'A Little Bit of Everything'

4. Gaby Moreno - Illustrated Songs
Blending her Guatemalan roots with her passion for blues, soul, and jazz, Gaby creates nothing short of a musical masterpiece. The opening track was my "go-to" song of the year when I needed a pick-me-up!
"Talvez disfrutas como nunca de tu nueva vida, Talvez no hay son ni canto que te pueda conmover." from 'Intento'

3. The Horrible Crowes - Elsie
See my previous blog post. Yes, from October.

2. Sojourn - The Water & The Blood
The intentionality and fervor with which Sojourn rewrites music behind old school hymns creates a rich worship experience every time this album spins.
"The lying tempter would persuade my heart to doubt your aid. And all my swelling sins appear much greater than your grace. Arise, Oh Lord, fulfill your grace while I your glory sing. My God has broke the serpent's teeth and death has lost it's sting." from 'Death has lost its Sting' (please watch)

1. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
I will always associate this album with having a much-needed calming effect on me as I traversed the not-so-safe parts of Denver on random busses after midnight...
"And at once I knew I was not magnificent." from 'Holocene'