Each year it gets more and more difficult to choose which records ultimately define the last 365 days for me. Occasionally, a year occurs where it feels as if there’s an overabundance of good music, but just as often years pass by that feel somewhat thin overall. To be honest, I’m not really sure which category 2011 falls under. What I do know is that listed below the fold are the twenty five records that I personally deem: great, fantastic, wonderful, painful, worth the effort, interesting, honest and true. These are the twenty five records that were you and I to sit down one afternoon to split a pot of coffee, I would do my best to convince you to head back home with most of them in your hands. Enjoy.

#25
Teams vs. Star Slinger:
Teams vs. Star Slinger EP
[Mexican Summer]

#24
tUnE-yArDs:
w h o k i l l
[4AD]

#23
Grimes/d’Eon
Darkbloom EP
[Hippos In Tanks]

#22
The Weeknd
Thursday
[Self-Released] 

#21
Dominant Legs
Invitation
[Lefse]

#20
David Bazan
Strange Negotiations
[Barsuk]

#19
Secret Cities
Strange Hearts
[Western Vinyl]

#18
Shimmering Stars
Violent Hearts
[Hardly Art]

#17
Pat Jordache
Future Songs
[Constellation]

#16
La Sera
La Sera
[Hardly Art]

#15
Fruit Bats
Tripper
[Sub Pop]

#14
Future Islands
On The Water
[Thrill Jockey]

#13
Danny Brown & Black Milk
Black And Brown EP
[Fat Beats]

#12
Gardens & Villa
Gardens & Villa
[Secretly Canadian]

#11
Timber Timbre
Creep On Creepin’ On
[Arts & Crafts]

#10
The Juan MacLean
Everybody Get Close
[DFA]

#9
Holy Other
With U EP
[Tri Angle]

#8
Other Lives
Tamer Animals
[TBD]

#7
Bill Callahan
Apocalypse
[Drag City]

#6
James Blake
James Blake
[A&M]

#5
Cass McCombs
Wit’s End
[Domino]

#4
Luke Temple
Don’t Act Like You Don’t Care
[Western Vinyl]

#3
John Maus
We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves
[Ribbon Music]

#2
Bodies Of Water
Twist Again
[Thousand Tongues]

#1
David Thomas Broughton
Outbreeding
[Brainlove]