Top 20 Songs of 2011 – PD

Before I get into the list, just to clarify, this is by no means a list of the best songs from 2011, because believe it or not, I do not have the time to review every single song that was released this past year. Instead, this is a list of my top 20 songs that I heard this year, with a snarky comment or two for good measure. In some cases, maybe obvious choices, in others, not so obvious. I tried to steer clear of the Bon Ivers and Watch the Thrones of the world because let’s face it, they don’t need the face time. Anyway, enjoy. AND, for your enjoyment, here’s a handy dandy Spotify link so you can listen to all the goodness!

- Yuck – Get Away – A nostalgic return to the days when alternative was king.

- My Morning Jacket – Circuital – Live kings bring the big sound into the studio, or in this case, high school gym.

- Not in the Face – Downtown Girl – My favorite song from a band no one outside a band’s hometown has ever heard of.

- Givers – Meantime – If you like to have a good time, play this song.

- Mayer Hawthorne – Hooked – Soul’s been making a comeback, and Mayer Hawthorne is helping to lead the charge.

- Florence + the Machine – Shake It Out – BOOM. Kablammo. Easily one of the most powerful voices in music right now.

- The Vaccines – Nordgaard – A sexy song about an underage supermodel? Oh Vaccines, so inappropriate, yet so good!

- The Strokes – Under Cover of Darkness – They needed their first new single in years to say yeah we’re still better than everyone, so they revisit their past. Well done.

- Beirut – East Harlem – Zach Condon, a true musician, who plays actual instruments. Take that synthesizer world!

- The Decemberists – January Hymn – Such a simple song, Colin Meloy shows he can rule with simplicity.

- The Horrible Crowes – Sugar – Who doesn’t like a really sad song? Probably my favorite sad song this year.

- Nicole Atkins – Cry, Cry, Cry – Show the female singer-songwriter some love! Plus a wicked guitar solo.

- Smith Westerns – End of the Night – Powerful, impactful, shredding solos, an awesome and we know it attitude, one of the strongest songs off a stellar record.

- Cults – Most Wanted – If you like tapping your foot and nodding your head, and you do, you’ll dig it.

- Telekinesis – Car Crash – Michael Lerner solidifies his argument that some of the best songs come from the saddest people.

- Wilco – I Might – Jeff Tweedy.

- TV on the Radio – New Cannonball Blues – Perhaps one of the most well-rounded albums of the year, this track is a great blend of everything that made this album awesome.

- Portugal. The Man – So American – Kinda felt bad when they had their van and gear jacked from Lollapalooza, but they found it. I cried a single tear when I found out it was ok, but mainly because the song is that good.

- The Joy Formidable – Whirring – Plug in, throw up the amps and distortion, recipe for success each time. And Ritzy Bryan, small stature, big voice.

- Arctic Monkeys – That’s Where You’re Wrong – The Arctic Monkeys did some growing up, and the last track off their album, reminiscent of “A Certain Romance,” which closed their debut album, shows off that maturity.