Top 50 Albums of 2011 (30-11)

<div> <a href="http://www.qromag.com/features/features/top_50_albums_of_2011_(30-11)/" target="_self"><img src="http://www.qromag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/topalbumsof201111to30.jpg" alt="Top 50 Albums of 2011 (30-11)" /> </a> </div> <div>   </div> <div> 2011 was a shitty year, with even the greatest moments...
Top 50 Albums of 2011 (30-11)
2011 was a shitty year, with even the greatest moments (such as The Arab Spring) tinged with violence.  Musically, it was all over the place, leading to a diverse collection in QRO’s Top 50 Albums of the Year, now with 11-30:
30 Jay-Z and Kanye West
Watch the Throne

Two of the most influential hit-makers in the hip-hop world go H.A.M. with an album that has produced a massive tour and memorable summertime tracks.
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29 Drake
Take Care

Expands Drake’s musical horizons with sultry R&B and hard-hitting hip-hop.  A surprisingly pretty album that plays to his twin strengths of rapping and coo-ing the most self absorbed, dirty and honest music around.
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28 British Sea Power
Valhalla Dancehall

The epic captains evolve their sound without abandoning their nature.
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27 TV On the Radio
Nine Types of Light

The inspired alt-kings of Brooklyn return and haven’t lost a single step.
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26 Tom Waits
Bad As Me

Mr. Waits continues to justify his legendary status on his 22nd album. The classic bark, stomp and delicate balladry remain, yet are wound by tight track times and a beautifully layered sound.
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25 James Blake
James Blake

Blake has crafted an album of quiet dynamism, and proven that he’s more than just another producer – he’s a pioneer.
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24 The Kills
Blood Pressures

Garage-rock celebrities return with a visceral vengeance.
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23 Beirut
The Rip Tide

World music with a Western twist, Zach Condon returns to America from his overseas travels with bolder songs.
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22 Adele
21

All consuming pop of the best variety.  We all may not know who broke Adele’s heart, but we all want to kick his ass for doing it.
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21 Florence & The Machine
Ceremonials

Her gloriously produced second album is a total triumph; chock full of powerful baroque rock anthems.
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20 The War On Drugs
Slave Ambient

Is that Bob Dylan?  No.  Is that Bruce Springsteen?  No.  Slave Ambient is the indie album surprise of the year.
19 Ringo Deathstarr
Colour Trip

The Texan trio have managed to beautifully reproduce the effects-laden guitars, the hazy vocals and layers of drone-noise of the ’90s British Shoegaze.
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18 Kurt Vile
Smoke Ring For My Halo

Matador Records veteran Kurt Vile returned with a heartland rock album as American as apple pie.
17 Smith Westerns
Dye It Blonde

The perfect marriage between gorgeous classic guitar lines and glam rock glitter, layered with dreamy vocals and exquisitely poppy melodies.
16 The Joy Formidable
The Big Roar

One of the most exciting releases of 2011 by one of the year’s most exciting bands.
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15 The Black Keys
El Camino

The Ohio blues-rock duo teams up with Danger Mouse to create one of this year’s most energetic, riff-driven albums.
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14 Cults
Cults

A sound that is both inherently rooted in the past while sounding fresh and current; instantly recognizable, yet somewhat mysterious, it is a difficult balance that is pulled off seamlessly.
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13 Real Estate
Days

An ode to banal and bourgeois suburban America, the autumnal Days is easily one of the most thoroughly listenable records of 2011.
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12 Hooray For Earth
True Loves

Skillful yet enjoyable, complex yet accessible – indie’s best-kept secret lives up to all your expectations and more on their first full-length.
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11 Yuck
Yuck

Teenagers Londoners debut with a masterpiece of ‘90s noise rock nostalgia.

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