2011's Best Albums (10-1)

First off, #METASWAG would like to offer an explanation for one of the faults of this list. I listened to a lot of rap this year, but most of it was made by Lil B. The albums I should have adored (Danny Brown, Death Grips, Main Attrakionz, Shabazz Palaces) couldn't compete with my based lifestyle. So: there is no hip-hop in my Top 10. I would feel like a teenager who loves everything but country and rap, except there's a country record on this list. Anyway, I've written about a lot of good music, and the ordering is controversial. So, check it out.

2011's Best Albums (25-11)

My living room is dark except for the glow of the Christmas tree and the the tv, on which Ben is watching the Tottenham-Chelsea game. I'm spending my first day this break at home. Until now, I'd done a pretty good job of living alone in my newly empty apartment, going out to see friends and spending quality time with myself. The year really feels like it's winding down. The streets are empty. It must be time to list.

2011's Best Albums (40-26)

Let's be honest: I just watched The Graduate and I feel pretty emotional. The Weeknd just delivered on his promise to complete a trilogy of records in 2011, which throws this whole list into disarray. It's too late to change anything, so we'll just go ahead as scheduled. The schedule, I suppose, calls for me to write from 1:30 a.m. until I black out. So:

2011's Best Albums (50-41)

Writing these lists is an excuse for me to write as much poetry as possible. It's not exactly about putting things in order. It's more about creating something for myself to reread. These lists allow me to be fascinated with my own fascination. It's also about sharing. If you can discover some new music thanks to my own self-indulgence, I'll be happy.

It was nearly freezing when I went to get Chinese take-out yesterday. Everything was covered in a static film by the half-snow. Driving or walking around our student-evacuated ghost town feels the same way writing these lists do. It's a solitary endeavor, but one that clears my head, and often gives way to unexpected sublime moments.

The yuletide approaches. Here's my gift to myself.

2011's Best Songs (10-1)

The list continues from yesterday. That's right, winter break means hours and hours of needless writing for this overworked student. Listen, fam, I know it seems like I spend too much time putting together these lists, but this is what me doing me looks like. So, let's dive right into the best of the best.

2011's Best Songs (25-11)

We're expanding at #METASWAG. Last year's list was of a meager 10 songs. This year will feature 25, because I'm writing before midnight and because I worked extra hard this year to listen to way more music than I can even remember. It's something strange to look back on last year's list and already feel distance from the writing. In just twelve months, I feel much more confident in my voice, having honed my skills to write professionally for the IDS. I'm sure twelve months from now I'll look at this post and smh all over again. I guess that's how growth works. Reminder: this is a music blog.

2011's Best Music Videos

The best music is visually evocative. Its soundscapes hold widescreen tracking shots or crystalline snapshots. I delight in conjuring up imagery for the music I'm listening to. So, a good music video to me either captures or betters what I can imagine. Sometimes this entails abstract crawls through dark streets or faded stumbling around a club. There are probably a good deal of videos I'm forgetting here, but these were certainly among the more memorable for me.

Because it's late and because I'm saving my writing for the Songs and Albums lists, I'll let the videos do the talking from here on out.

2011's Best Concerts

Let's be honest, I didn't attend nearly as many concerts this year as I would've liked. I find myself saying this year after year, but a few particularly worthwhile shows passed me by in 2011 (Grouper, Jay-Z & Kanye, Pitchfork Music Festival, Moog Fest, etc.). Nevertheless, it was a killer year, home to great big shows and great little shows. Here are some of the best and some of the rest:

Listmas 2011

It Has Begun

Thesis

I, survivor. Finals have come and gone, and I remain. This can only mean one thing:

#KRAWL

I DO NOT CARE

Thesis

Seriously. Couldn't be happier.

LYF

Remember Me

Thesis

Listen, I'm driving to Chicago with mi padre in just a few minutes. I'll be seeing Avey Tare in concert. In the process, I will neglect my schoolwork and my stresses, both of which I would argue are infinitely less important than the soul-building aesthetic pleasure of being head-exploded by music I love. Not to mention: hours upon hours I'll get to spend real talking with Dad.