Top 5 Albums of 2011

The waning of the year means it's time to look back at the events, people and notable notables that defined the year in the best of ways and the worst of ways.

It has been a definitive year for me.

Today, I sit here writing this post and eating Black Forest Cake for breakfast. On other mornings of the year, I was shivering with excitement about my book deal, dealing with the frustration of long distance, admiring my engagement ring, wishing I had one more hour of sleep after a long night out, wishing I had one more hour of sleep because the I didn't have the energy, emotionally or physically, to meet the day in front of me and always, on every day, there was books and music and reading and writing and thinking about writing.

It's a beautiful way to live.

So, to assist in the reminiscent moments, Sarah Enni organized a blog circus with one top five topic per day until the end of the year. Today, I look back on five of my favorite albums to keep me company as I wrote, brainstormed, revised and, sometimes, angsted. For the most part, I listen to playlists, rather than full albums, but there are artists whose songs come up over and over again on multiple lists. They are:

The Joy Formidable: The Big Roar

The Welsh band delivered and album that provided atmospheric, emotional songs interspersed with high energy riffs that suited whatever mood I was in and whatever project I was working on.

Ryan Adams: Ashes and Fire

The newest album by southern folk rocker Adams is one of his best, returning him to form not heard in years. Nearly every song of this album made its way to my WIP playlist, with a sound nailing the coming of age anxiety and discovery of the novel's MC.

Bon Iver: Bon Iver

Whether I wanted to be lifted, haunted, moved or driven to higher states of feeling, Bon Iver offered a soundtrack for that. The unique, flowing melodies and voice-from-the-depths-of-human-experience narrated more than one writing experience.

The National: High Violet

I've been listening it since last year, so it's not new to me, but The National's album still got plenty of playtime during my writing sessions. Bloodbuzz Ohio, Anyone's Ghost and my favorite, England, got a lot of play.

The Head and the Heart: The Head and the Heart

Upbeat energy, so-true-it-hurts lyrics and raw revelations made this album one of my favorites of the year. The band hit the scene with Lost in My Mind, but Down in the Valley, with its inspiring hopefulness is my fave.

Honorable mentions include those bands and songs I listened to over and over again, although I didn't always approach the entire album.

The Moth and the Mirror: Live in Stereo

Hey Marseilles: To Travels and Trunks

Ray LaMontagne: Everything (as in, everything. that's not the title of his album.)

Gem Club: Acid and Everything

Rachel Sermanni: The Bothy Sessions and Song for a Fox

M83: Midnight Sessions

For your listening pleasure, a couple more I'm obsessed with:

and

That's a wrap! What were your favorites of the years? Check out the rest of the Blog Circus participants for more music mayhem.

Sarah Enni
Corrine Jackson
Erin Bowman
Kaitlin Ward
Kate Hart
Kathleen Peacock
Kirsten Hubbard
Kristin Otts 
Lee Bross
Lindsey Roth Culli
Phoebe North
Stephanie Keuhn
Sumayyah Daud
Veronica Roth