2011 was one heck of a year in music.

The hip-hop world saw some of its best music come from big, expensive productions and indie-inspired bands. Pop crowned new royalty that honored the past. Rock saw some anticipated returns and stunning new arrivals. And a local band captured the heart of this very writer over a single night.

To recognize these acts, Houstunes is proud to present MHL Senior Editor Jose Rojas (that’s me!) and his very own top ten list of 2011’s best albums. Of course, despite my raw physique and devilishly good looks, I am only human, so I wasn’t able to listen to every music album that came out in 2011, but I assure you there were dozens and dozens of albums considered. And while this is under our Houstunes label, I should let you know that the opinions expressed here are strictly my own, and are not reflective of the rest of MHL’s staff musical taste.

(Their tastes are probably terrible, anyway.)

And with that, I present you with…

# 10. blink-182 – Neighborhoods 

 

I didn’t know what to expect from blink-182’s reunion album. Would it be any good? Is Tom Delonge going to put all his focus into it? Which blink-182 were we going to see, the youthful punks or the all-grown-up existential rockers? Would they bring any local rappers onstage with them on their Houston stop? (Yes, they would.)

Thankfully, the album came together, and my fears were for naught. This album, while it may not be blink at their best, certainly has its own identity within the pantheon of blink’s work. Tom’s Angels & Airwaves influence even hits the album, bringing those spacey, ambient sounds that so define A&A’s work. It’s a great album to listen to for new and old fans alike. Welcome back, blink-182.

# 9. Lupe Fiasco – Lasers

 

I’ve always had a fondness and respect for Lupe Fiasco. This intelligent, socially conscious rapper went criminally unnoticed and unplayed by mainstream radio for a long time, but Lasers finally brought some of that spotlight forward. This album is Lupe at his most polished, bringing forth a production value normally not associated with him, all backed up by Lupe’s knack for clever lines and calls to arms for the lower to middle class. This album’s tracks deftly slide between some catchy Top 40 tunes and Fiasco’s trademark insightful, scathing remarks on the country’s current social and political environment. It’s like Lupe finally got his soapbox, so this time, with Lasers, he’s getting heard.

# 8. Adele – 21

 

That voice. That all consuming, awe inspiring voice. While 21 isn’t Adele’s debut album, it is the one that finally brought this vocal powerhouse over to the US. And by “brought”, I mean took over every 5 minutes of Houston radio. You couldn’t escape hearing her bare her soul in every restaurant, coffee shop, or supermarket in this city. 21 is the result of Adele’s new success in America, and she brings it hard with heavy jazz, soul, and even some country influences. She’s taken the world by storm, and if 21 is any indication, she’s only going to get better.

# 7. Wild Flag – Wild Flag

 

2011 didn’t bring us a whole lot of fun, raucous rock & roll. You had a genre defining pop album, a shakeup on the rap scene, new moves in stadium rock, but Wild Flag is one of the few acts to bring rock back down to the stereo and just hit play. From the initial moments of the leadoff track “Romance”, Wild Flag asserts a their place in your car stereo, or your headphones, or wherever it is you channel your inner rocker. This indie rock supergroup keeps the tempo up and the beats going, making it impossible to not tap your feet. It’s something rock is missing.

Wild Flag is definitely a band to pay attention to, and Wild Flag deserves to be listened to.

# 6. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch The Throne

 

What do you do when you’re Kanye West or Jay-Z, and you’re already on top of the hip hop world? You can take it easy and coast off your success. You can go and make the rest of your empire bigger. You can bring up some of your newer rap prodigies.

Or, you can team up and assert your dominance over the rap world. That’s what Watch The Throne is, in name and in material.

Throne is an album dripping with excess. Excess talent. Excess production. Excess sound. This album sounds expensive, fitting for an album equivalent of a decked out luxury car, and Kanye West and Jay-Z have no problem in reminding you how (and why) they rule the hip hop kingdom. Even their performance at the Toyota Center earlier this year was over the top, performing encore after encore to the screams of thousands of their subjects.

Long live the kings.

# 5. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

 

If my number 1 position wasn’t just for “best” album, but for “best value” in an album, M83’s massive double album would be one and done. This surreal, whimsical fusion of 80s synth pop and 90s electronica-dance music manages to go through a whopping 22 tracks, all different and special in some way. This isn’t an album designed to be listened to, it’s an album you let yourself fall into. Split into 2 different dream sequences (a boy and girl sibling duo) and following them into their fantastical dream world is easily one of the best trips I’ve taken all year. Do yourself a favor, and don’t miss out it.

So what are you waiting for? Hurry up.

M83 will be performing at House Of Blues Houston on 05/17/12. Tickets

# 4. Florence & The Machine – Ceremonials

 

Ceremonials is epic. That’s not me talking internet talk, either. This 2nd album from UK stadium pop-rock outfit Florence & the Machine goes straight stadium filling with its sounds, as the grand, overwhelming choruses swallow everything and everyone in its path. Ceremonials is the best U2 album that U2 never made, but even that description sells Florence Welch and her machinery short.

This album is unflinchingly, unapologetically grand. Like the debut album Lungs before it,Ceremonials manages to make every song feel like an event. Whether yearning for true love or lamenting a heartbreak, Florence and the Machine makes sure that, by gosh, you FEEL it.

# 3. The Tontons – Golden (EP)

 

The Tontons managed to put together just 5 songs, and they were good enough to land near the top of my list. That’s how talented and mesmerizing this band really is.

I was introduced to Houston’s own The Tontons in fall of 2011, and already my love affair with them has catapulted into what I hope is a long enduring relationship. With Golden, the band repays my affection with some of their cleanest, most soulful work to date, and it’s work that really brings to light how versatile this band really is. Ever so slightly stepping away from their psychedelic sounds of previous efforts, Golden manages to produce a much more intro-friendly sound to the uninitiated.

This is a love affair I won’t mind sharing, and I can’t wait for whatever full release The Tontons have planned for us next.

# 2. The Roots – Undun

 

I’m a sucker for the concept album.

From The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s through Green Day’s American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, I’ve always been fascinated by albums that don’t just have a theme or a message, but manage to weave a story that is revealing and personal, and Undun has that all in spades.

As rap’s only significant live band, The Roots have always been known for their self-made, homegrown sounds. Headed by the legendary Black Thought and beats by drummer/producer ?uestlove, the Roots tell the story of Redford Stevens and his demise at the hands of the drug and crime game. Starting with his death, and hearing it get undone by working its way backwards through his short life is a tragedy told brilliantly by the rappers and band. Even the high points of the fictional character’s life are sad, as you already know the fate that awaits him. I can do without the instrumentals at the end of the album, but still, it’s a deep, emotional journey. In stark contrast to the towering powerhouse of Watch The Throne, it’s all done with a minimalistic soul. All this makes it, by far, my favorite rap album of 2011.

# 1. Lady Gaga – Born This Way

 

Here’s what I said on Twitter back on May 30th, 2011:

“Lady Gaga’s new album “Born This Way” sits somewhere between great and amazing. Part homage, part revolution, it’s exactly what pop needs.”

Despite the months and singles and awards shows and appearances and whatnot, Born This Way never left the spotlight. Despite major releases by other pop starletts like Britney Spears, Beyonce, and more recently Rihanna, Born This Way still managed to be the pop album to beat.

Lady Gaga is on a whole different spectrum of pop star at this point.

Say what you will about the outlandish outfits. Snide uncomfortably at her characters and personas. But one thing that cannot be denied is her ability to stop and steal the show. Born This Way could be a “Greatest Hits” album for her peers the way its sounds are so inspired and made diverse by playing with different eras and artists. From country to Queen, Lady Gaga manages to channel all things great about music past and present while still making it all distinctly hers. Her voice is loud, and empowering, and even inspiring. The title track dared all listeners to appreciate a song for who they were, not for who the artist wanted to be. “Marry The Night” is one of the most heart-pumping tracks to come out this year. “Judas” could very well have been TWO top 40 singles. “Edge Of Glory” is an anthem that would be right at home on a classic rock compilation.

Born This Way isn’t perfect. Nothing ever is. But the beauty is that it isn’t trying to be. It’s loud and polished without being overproduced. Even with the few flaws in the sound, the album is a triumph.

It was born that way.

“Jose! Your list is amazing!”
“Jose! Your list is terrible, and you are a bad person!”
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