Tyler, the Creator – Yonkers 

“One of the rare occasions where a song blew me away so much on the first listen that I had to immediately play it again. Fresh, sinister and outright angry with the polarising character/personality/performance to back it up.” Dave

Tyler Butler – Morana 

“Winter King has been one of my albums of the year and Morana sums up everything that is good about Tyler Butler. For me, folk is at it’s best when used as a vehicle to tell a story. Butler can write with depth and convey a suitable sense of melancholy but (importantly) also manages to infuse each song with a believable honesty and endearing warmth. The perfect antidote to superficial nature of much of contemporary music.” Jon

Youth Lagoon – July

“This was probably the track that I took most quickly to this year. The way the song slowly builds, gathering momentum before finally hitting a cathartic crescendo. The video I’ve included is a live session version of the song which is brilliantly recorded.” Liam

Richard Knox & Frederic D. Oberland – Sleeping Land (Part I) 

“This track transports me to the ends of the earth instantly. Knox and Oberland manage to capture the violent beauty of the Arctic in a way that’s simultaneously emotional and subtle. Pure escapism.” Matt

Jamie XX – Far Nearer 

“I latched onto this song the night the London riots really kicked off. I was glued to the news with this looping over and over. It felt so vibrant in comparison to everything else that was going on.” Will

The post Wake the Deaf’s Top Tracks of 2011 appeared first on Various Small Flames.

15. Tune Yards – W H O K I L L
(4AD)

14. Oneohtrix Point Never – Replica
(Mexican Summer/Software)

13. Youth Lagoon – The Year of Hibernation
(Fat Possum/Lefse)

12. Parts & Labor – Constant Future
(Jagjaguwar)

11. Radiohead – The King of Limbs
(XL/TBD)

10. Clams Casino – Instrumentals Mixtape
(Self Released)

9. South of Lincoln – Homes

 (Self Released)

8. Blanck Mass – Blanck Mass
(Rock Action)

7. Conrad Plymouth – Comrade Plymouth
(Ten Atoms)

6. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy
(4AD)

5. The Antlers – Burst Apart
(French Kiss/Transgressive)

4. Gil Scott Heron / Jamie XX – We’re New Here
(XL/Young Turks)

3. James Blake – James Blake
(A&M/Atlas)

2. Handsome Furs – Sound Kapital
(Sub Pop)

1. Bon Iver – Bon Iver
(4AD/Jagjaguwar)

If you’d like a sample of the above, check out the Wake The Deaf Top Albums of 2011 playlist on Spotify. Click here to be taken straight there.

The post Wake the Deaf’s Top 15 Albums of 2011 appeared first on Various Small Flames.