How to make a year-end list: Write down all of the albums you listened to a bunch in 2011. Usher’s Confessions came out in 2004. Cross it out. Narrow this pool to 10. Now deal with the fact that you are only allowed five. Stop crying. There’s no room on my desk for your tears. Get rid of the ones you are only putting on there for cool points. Examine play counts on iTunes for a reality check of your real favorites. Fine, hypothetical bootlegs of live shows from 2011 may remain. And yes, you may group multiple mixtapes from the same artist as one entry. Sign, seal, submit, post for public viewing. Brace for judgment. Cope with regret. Make up for it all in 2012.

Kristen Bayusik

Data Manager

Feist – Metals

(Interscope)

Listen to “How Come You Never Go There”

Foo Fighters – Wasting Light

(RCA)

Listen to “White Limo”

Kvelertak – Kvelertak

(Indie)

Listen to “Mjod”

Mastodon – The Hunter

(Reprise)

Listen to “Curl Of The Burl”

Portugal. The Man – In The Mountain, In The Cloud

(Atlantic/Approaching Airballoons)

Listen to “Sleep Forever”

Amy Hintz

Marketing Director

Boy & Bear – Moonfire

(Universal Republic)

Listen to “Feeding Line”

Gotye – Making Mirrors

(Eleven)

Listen to “Somebody That I Used To Know (Feat. Kimbra)”

Laura Marling – A Creature I Don’t Know

(Virgin)

Listen to “Sophia”

Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes

(LL)

Listen to “I Follow Rivers”

Washed Out – Within And Without

(Sub Pop)

Listen to “Eyes Be Closed”

Lisa Hresko

Editor-In-Chief

Bollywood Bloodbath – Various Artists

(Finders Keepers)

Listen to Sapan Jagmohan’s “Sote Sote Adhi Raat”

Cambodian Space Project – 2011: A Space Odyssey

(Metal Postcard)

Listen to “Have Visa, No Have Rice”

Destroyer – Kaputt

(Merge)

Listen to “Poor In Love”

Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise

(Circus Company)

Listen to “Keep Me There”

M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

(Mute)

Listen to “Midnight City”

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