i had lunch with a friend last week and he asked me what i had been listening to lately.  i gave him three albums: pearl jam vs., pearl jam vitalogy, and the smashing pumpkins siamese dream.  i figured he’d make some joke about it being 2011, but instead he said, “that’s amazing.  you’re listening to music from 20 years ago.”  that’s when it hit me: either new music is incredibly boring or i’m getting older and finding relief in the music that shaped my teenage years.  whatever the reason, 2011 was a down year for new music.  i did manage to find a few diamonds in the rough and here they are:

10. the weeknd house of balloons – not sure where the weeknd came from but i hope he makes music for a very long time.  “the morning” is on constant rotation in my car.  makes me feel cooler than i really am.

9. girls father, son, holy ghost – a stellar follow up to their debut album.  sounds like surf music from the 1960s.  be sure to check out “honey bunny” and “vomit.”

8. my morning jacket circuital – circuital is full of everything: uppers, downers, and in-betweeners.  when i reviewed it in may, i called it an “instant classic.”  i stand by that.  “holdin’ on to black metal” really whoops my ass with a belt.

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