The Book Tower

My favourite albums of 2011.

11. Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

    Listen to: AKA … What a Life!

10. Arctic Monkeys: Suck it and See

    Listen to: The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala.

9. Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi: Rome

   One of two appearances by the great Brian Burton in this list.

   Listen to: Season's Trees.

8. Low: C'Mon

   Listen to: Especially Me.

7. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues

   Listen to: The Plains/Bitter Dancer.

   One of my best dicoveries of the year and well worth checking out, along with their eponymous debut.

6. Elbow: Build a Rocket Boys!

   Listen to: Jesus was a Rochdale Girl.

5. Kate Bush: Director's Cut/50 Words for Snow

   With two Kate Bush albums the world went mad in 2011.

   Listen to: This Woman's Work/Snowed in at Wheeler Street.

4. The Black Keys: El Camino

   Another new discovery of 2011 and produced by Danger Mouse.

   Listen to: Mind Eraser.

3. Bon Iver: Bon Iver

   Listen to: Calgary.

2. P.J Harvey: Let England Shake

   Listen to: The Words that Maketh Murder.

1. The Horrors: Skying

   All other end of the year lists put Ms Harvey at the number one spot, although I'm going for The Horrors. Maybe not the most original offering from 2011, but an undeniably enjoyable one.

   Listen to: Moving Further Away.

And this Year’s Christmas playlist

• Free Christmas by Johnny Marr and the Healers.
• Sweet Little Baby Boy from James Brown’s Funky Christmas album.
• Thanks for Christmas by XTC.
• Santa Claus is Coming to Town by Bruce Springsteen.
• Christmas Wish from the excellent A Very She and Him Christmas.