Best of 2011, So Far - Vinyl Hounds' Top 28!

Everyone else is doing it, why not me? I mean, really, why not? The one thing I've gleaned from all those other "best of" lists is that everyone's stroking the same bands (you know who they are). I feel like I'm being force fed a steady dose of blogosphere hype. Seems more like a popularity contest, if you ask me. So, fuck all them, here's my list.

Well, if you've been a follower of this blog for little bit, you probably have a good feel for my taste (or lack thereof) and might have an idea of what's to follow. If not, I hope I can enlighten you to some truly amazing music. It's been a good year, so far, if you ask me, and I'm looking forward to what's yet to come. So, here's my top 28. Yeah, 28, you got a problem with that?

Best Vinyl Releases of 2011 (So Far):

28. Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring for My Halo (Matador)

27. Charles Bradley - No Time For Dreaming (Daptone)

26. The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart (Sub Pop)

25. James Leg - Solitary Pleasure (Alive)

24. Frank Turner - England Keep My Bones (Epitaph)

23. Ha Ha Tonka - Death of a Decade (Bloodshot)

22. Patrick Sweany - That Old Southern Drag (Nine Mile)

21. Brain Olive - Two of Everything (Alive)

20. Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care (Temporary Residence)

19. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop)

18. Middle Brother - Middle Brother (Partisan)

17. Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (Sub Pop)

16. The Decemberists - The King Is Dead (Capitol)

15. Bill Callahan - Apocalypse (Drag City)

14. Fucked Up - David Comes to Life (Matador)

13. G. Love - Fixin' To Die (Brushfire)

12. Gomez - Whatever's On Your Mind (ATO)

11. Man Man - Life Fantastic (Anti)

10. Iron and Wine - Kiss Each Other Clean (Warner Bros.)

9. The Kills - Blood Pressures (Domino)

8. The Strokes - Angles (RCA)

7. J Mascis - Several Shades of Why (Sub Pop)

6. Dawes - Nothing Is Wrong (ATO)

5. Bon Iver - Bon Iver, Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar)

4. Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys! (Universal)

3. City and Colour - Little Hell (Dine Alone)

2. Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math (Columbia)

1. My Morning Jacket - Circuital (ATO)

Best Vinyl Re-issues (So Far):

Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run (Remastered Archive Collection) (Hear Music)

Keith Richards - Vintage Vinos (Mindless)

Jimi Hendrix - Blues (Sony/Legacy)

The Flaming Lips - Heady Nuggs Box Set (Warner Bros.)

Pearl Jam - Vs./Vitalogy Deluxe Box Set (Epic/Legacy)

Josh Ritter - The Animal Years (Self Release)

Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump (The Control Group)

Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hall (Sony/Legacy)

The National - Cherry Tree EP (Brassland)

The Tallest Man on Earth - The Tallest Man on Earth EP (Dead Oceans)

Sugar - Copper Blue (Rykodisc)

Most Looked Forward To:

A.A. Bondy - Believers (September 13, 2011)

Wilco - The Whole Love (September 27, 2011)

Mister Heavenly - Out of Love (August 16, 2011)

Portugal. The Man - In The Mountain, In The Cloud (July 19, 2011)

William Elliot Whitmore - Field Songs (July 12, 2011)

The Replacements - All Shook Down (Re-issue)

Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five (Re-issue)