Top Albums of 2011


* indicates Canadian Content
** indicates a local artist

1 Rude City Riot* Nothin' But Time (Stomp)
2 The Rebel Spell* It's a Beautiful Future (Rebel Time)
3 Various Artists* All-Skanadian Club Vol. 5 (Stomp)
4 D.O.A.* Something Better Change (reissue) (Sudden Death)
5 F*cked Up* David Comes to Life (Matador)
6 The Jolts* 8% (Sudden Death)
7 Feist* Metals (Arts and Crafts)
8 Maria in the Shower* The Hidden Sayings Of... (Independent)
9 The Planet Smashers* Descent Into the Valley Of... (Stomp)
10 The Farrell Brothers* Rumble @ the Opry (reissue) (Transistor 66)
11 Various Artists* 35 Years of Stony Plain (Stony Plain)
12 David Gogo* Soul-Bender (Cordova Bay)
13 Flogging Molly Speed of Darkness (Borstal Beat)
14 Brazilian Money* Jive with the Killer Instinct (Independent)
15 Chad VanGaalen* Diaper Island (Flemish Eye)
16 Emilie-Claire Barlow* The Beat Goes On (Empress)
17 The Kat Kings* The Winning Hand (Kool Kat)
18 Rural Alberta Advantage* Departing (Paper Bag)
19 120 and the Fighting 68s* Anthems and Anarchy (Blacktop)
20 Wolf and Cub Science and Sorcery (Last Gang)
21 Hot Blood Bombers* Broke Traveling Hungry Love (Transistor 66)
22 Oren Barter** Written All Over Me (Independent)
23 Kierah* A Fiddle Affair (Independent)
24 SBTRKT SBTRKT (Young Turks)
25 The Sheepdogs* Five Easy Pieces EP (Atlantic)
26 Teds Amongst Men* That Ol' Chestnut (Independent)
27 Mother Mother* Eureka (Last Gang)
28 The Pack A.D.* Unpersons (Mint)
29 C'Mon* Beyond the Pale Horse (Independent)
30 Buddy Guy Living Proof (Silvertone)
31 Hooded Fang* Tosta Mista (Daps)
32 The Kills Blood Pressures (Domino)
33 Dan Mangan* Oh Fotrune (Arts and Crafts)
34 A.S.H.** No Looking Back (Independent)
35 Vicious Cycles* The Strange and Terrible Saga of... (Stomp and Howl)
36 Aline Morales* Flores, Tambores e Amores (Independent)
37 The Jolly Boys Great Expectation (E1)
38 Catherine MacLellan* Silhouette (True North)
39 Various Artists** Live at CFBX Vol. 1 (Independent)
40 Cat Jahnke* The Stories Are Taking Their Toll (Grit)
41 Brazilian Money* This is Not a Dream (Independent)
42 Sexy Mathematics* Future Nights (Independent)
43 Dub Trinity* Alexandria (Independent)
44 Feast or Famine* Edmonton and Company (Independent)
45 Braids* Native Speaker (Flemish Eye)
46 Sloan* The Double Cross (Outside)
47 Leslie Alexander** Nobody's Baby (Independent)
48 Bruce Cockburn* Small Source of Comfort (True North)
49 Neon Indian Era Extrana (Dine Alone)
50 The Burning Hell* Flux Capacitor (Weewerk)
51 Jim Cuddy* Skyscraper Soul (Warner)
52 Boxcar Boys* Don't Be Blue (Independent)
53 Wind Broken Stones* Straight Into the Rising Sun (Independent)
54 Dirty Radio* Debut (Independent)
55 Papermaps* Papermaps (Sparks)
56 Knock Knock Ginger* We're Headed for a Fall (Dadmobile)
57 Night at the Chelsea* Raw Audities (Independent)
58 The Paint Movement* The Paint Movement (Nevado)
59 Afrocubism Afrocubism (Nonesuch)
60 Siskiyou* Keep Away the Dead (Constellation)
61 Alive** Static EP (Independent)
62 Phyllis Sinclair* Dreams of the Washerwomen (Independent)
63 Sultans of String* Move (Independent)
64 Hey Rosetta!* Seeds (Sonic)
65 The Lucky Ones* The Booze Sessions (Stumble)
66 Sex With Strangers* Fronteir Justice (Boutique Empire)
67 Eve Hell and the Razors* When the Lights Go Out (Hell-Fi)
68 The Horrors Skying (XL)
69 The Go! Team Rolling Blackouts (Memphis Industries)
70 Aaron Spohr** A Dreamer's Disease (Independent)
71 Fast Romantics* Kidcutter (Independent)
72 Donald Ray Johnson* It's Time (MarVista)
73 Tune-Yards whokill (4AD)
74 One Hundred Dollars* Songs of Man (Outside)
75 The Boom Booms* Hot Rum! (Lit Fuse)
76 Various Artists* Everybody Dance Now Vol. 6 (Independent)
77 Ladytron The Best of 00-10 (Nettwerk)
78 Buck 65* 20 Odd Years (Warner)
79 Drumlin* Paper Flowers (Independent)
80 The DGB* The Greatest Life Unknown (Get Bent)
81 Ringo Deathstarr Colour Trip (Sonic Unyon)
82 Social Distortion Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes (Epitaph)
83 Delhi 2 Dublin* Planet: Electrified Remixes (Independent)
84 Brazilian Money* Friendly Neighbour (Independent)
85 Young Galaxy* Shapeshifting (Paper Bag)
86 Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk* Stories from Home (Independent)
87 Les Jupes* Modern Myths (Head in the Sand)
88 Hail in April** Hail in April (Independent)
89 Ron Hawkins* Straitjacket Love (Independent)
90 Easy Star All-Stars First Light (Easy Star)
91 Gunsmoke* Gunsmoke (Independent)
92 Tyranahorse* Ghost Wolf Mother Hawk Prairie Unicorn Lion Lioness (Independent)
93 Dryer* Out Like a Light (Independent)
94 Ray Bonneville* Bad Man's Blood (Red House)
95 City and Colour* Little Hell (Dine Alone)
96 The Swallows* Demystified (Magnetic Angel)
97 The Albertans* New Age (Ernest Jenning)
98 The Good Lovelies* Let the Rain Fall (Independent)
99 Shane Philip* Life Love Music (Independent)
100 Suzie Vinnick* Me 'n Mabel (Independent)

CFBX Top 25 Jazz Albums for 2011

1 Emilie-Claire Barlow* The Beat Goes On (Empress)
2 Nightcrawlers* Down at the Bottom (Cellar Live)
3 Boxcar Boys* Don't Be Blue (Independent)
4 Miles Davis Perfect Way: The Warner Brothers Years (Rhino)
5 Mark Segger Sextet* The Beginning (18th Note)
6 Times 4 Eclipse (Independent)
7 Jaclyn Guillou* To the City (Independent)
8 Laila Biali* Tracing Light (Independent)
9 Peter Hum Quartet* A Boy's Journey (Independent)
10 Gordon Grdina Trio* Barrel Fire (Drip Audio)
11 Alex Pangman* 33 (Justin Time)
12 Hugh Laurie Let Them Talk (Warner)
13 David French* Dance of the Bees (Cellar Live)
14 Bob Erlendson* All About Jazz Vol. 2 (Independent)
15 Anita Eccleston** Jazz EP (Independent)
16 Donna Greenberg* Mav'rik (Independent)
17 Chic Gamine* City City (Independent)
18 Jessica Williams Trio Freedom Trane (Origin)
19 One for All Invades Vancouver (Cellar Live)
20 Michelle Gregoire* Diversity (Independent)
21 Scattered Atoms** Live (Independent)
22 Amanda Tosoff* Looking North (Independent)
23 Jump Me Martha* Go Fat Daddy (Independent)
24 Pamela Hines Trio Moon Germs (Spice-Rack)
25 Don Berner Sextet* Live at the Beatniq (Beatniq Jazz)

CFBX Top 25 World Beat/Reggae Albums for 2011

1 We're Not Popstars* Full Colour/We're Not Popstars EP (Independent)
2 Delhi 2 Dublin* Planet: Electrified Remixes (Independent)
3 Aline Morales* Flores, Tambores e Amores (Independent)
4 Afrocubism Afrocubism (Nonesuch)
5 Marco Castillo* Trip to Brazil (Independent)
6 Asa Beautiful Imperfection (Naive)
7 Creole Choir of Cuba Tande-La (Realworld)
8 Dub Trinity* Alexandria (Independent)
9 Easy Star All-Stars First Light (Easy Star)
10 The Jolly Boys Great Expectation (E1)
11 Rembetika Hipsters* Kafeneion (Socrates Pizza)
12 The Boom Booms* Hot Rum! (Lit Fuse)
13 Trio Bembe* Oh My Soul (Independent)
14 Various Artists Red Hot and Rio 2 (E1)
15 Afro Celt Sound System Capture 1995-2010 (Realworld)
16 Beautiful Nubia* Sun No Dey Sleep (EniObanke)
17 Various Artists Bossa Nova Around the World (Putumayo)
18 Vusi Mahlasela Say Africa (ATO)
19 Bombino Agadez (Cumbancha)
20 Locarno* Una Mas y Ya Nos Vamos (Jericho Beach)
21 Luisa Maita Remixed (Cumbancha)
22 The Mighty Popo* Gakondo (Borealis)
23 Minor Empire* Second Nature (World Trip)
24 Los Calzones Tanguito (EMI)
25 Drumhand* Moving Still (Independent)

CFBX Top 25 Metal/Loud Albums for 2011

1 F*cked Up* David Comes to Life (Matador)
2 D.O.A.* Something Better Change (reissue) (Independent)
3 Rude City Riot* Nothin' But Time (Stomp)
4 The Jolts* 8% (Sudden Death)
5 The Rebel Spell* It's a Beautiful Future (Rebel Time)
6 C'Mon* Beyond the Pale Horse (Independent)
7 Flogging Molly Speed of Darkness (Borstal Beat)
8 Hot Blood Bombers* Broke Traveling Hungry Love (Transistor 66)
9 The Vibrating Beds* The Vibrating Beds EP (Transistor 66)
10 120 and the Fighting 68s* Anthems and Anarchy (Blacktop)
11 Eve Hell and the Razors* When the Lights Go Out (Hell-Fi)
12 Gunsmoke* Gunsmoke (Independent)
13 Occult Detective Club Crimes (Alive Natural Sound)
14 The Thrashers* Periphery (Distort)
15 Kill Matilda* I Want Revenge (Independent)
16 Profits of Crime* Profits of Crime (Independent)
17 The Reckless Heroes* False Starts and Failed Attempts (Independent)
18 Social Distortion Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes (Epitaph)
19 Young Oppression** Young Oppression EP (Moloch)
20 Protest the Hero* Scurrilous (Underground Operations)
21 Various Artists Box of Sand (Lost Cat)
22 Vicious Cycles* The Strange and Terrible Saga Of... (Stomp and Howl)
23 Connoisseurs of Porn* Chicken/The Peasant Terror (7") (Buzz)
24 Burning Ghats* Fool's Gold (Independent)
25 The Afterbeat* The Afterbeat EP (Independent)

CFBX Top 25 Electronic Albums for 2011

1 !!! Strange Weather, Isn't It? (Warp)
2 Kidstreet* Fuh Yeah/X EP (Nettwerk)
3 Ladytron The Best Of 00-10 (Nettwerk)
4 Jamiroquai Rock Dust Light Star (Mercury)
5 Lovely Killbots* Once Smitten (Independent)
6 Gang Gang Dance Eye Contact (4AD)
7 Shaky Snakes* Growing (Independent)
8 Flying Down Thunder and Rise Ashen* One Nation (Balanced)
9 Grimes/D'Eon* Darkbloom (Arbutus)
10 Bravofunken* Couer Rubik EP (Independent)
11 Washed Out Within and Without (Sub Pop)
12 Winterlight Hope Dies Last (n5MD)
13 MaQlu* Black.Blood.Haze (Independent)
14 Sex With Strangers* Frontier Justice (Boutique Empire)
15 SBTRKT SBTRKT (Young Turks)
16 The Square Waves* Amplified to Landscapes (Wowbam)
17 Ladytron Gravity the Seducer (Nettwerk)
18 Depeche Mode Remixes 2 81-11 (Reprise)
19 Dreamboat* Buddies (Independent)
20 Herajika Tracks* Universal Love (Independent)
21 Moby Destroyed (Mute)
22 New Channel* New Channel (Upstairs)
23 Amberhaze* Then We Saw the Stars Again (Kittywu)
24 Small Black New Chain (Jagjaguwar)
25 Live Action Fezz* Plays Music (Cat People)

CFBX Top 25 Urban/Hip-Hop Albums for 2011

1 Shunda K The Most Wanted/I'm Da Best EP (Fanatic)
2 Beastie Boys Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 (Capitol)
3 Buck 65* 20 Odd Years (Warner)
4 Backburner* Heatwave (Hand Solo)
5 Teenburger* Burgertime (Droppin' Science)
6 Deezuz* Ammmo (M.O.V.E.)
7 Dirty Radio* Debut (Independent)
8 DJ Cosm* Time and Space (Makebelieve)
9 Mellowhype Blackenwhite (Fat Possum)
10 Gescha* Crayon Politics (Soul Datta)
11 Rebel Yell* Social Studies (Independent)
12 Socalled* Sleepover (Dare to Care)
13 A.O.K.* Q Without U (Independent)
14 Cloud City Classic* Brand New Kicks (Independent)
15 Sweatshop Union* The Bill Murray EP (Urbnet)
16 Evidence Cats and Dogs (Rhymesayers)
17 The Happy Unfortunate* No Time for Sleep (Spaceship Audio)
18 Malkovich Ayatollah Presley (Independent)
19 Atmosphere The Faimly Sign (Rhymesayers)
20 Animal Nation* Every Day in the Life (Urbnet)
21 Ghostface Killah Apollo Kids (Def Jam)
22 The Joe* Float or Flail (Old Ugly)
23 Empire Isis* Crack the Code (Monumental)
24 Birdapres* Catch an L (Independent)
25 Moka Only* Martian Xmas 2010 (Urbnet)

CFBX Top 25 Roots/Country Albums for 2011

1 Catherine MacLellan* Silhouette (True North)
2 Various Artists* 35 Years of Stony Plain (Stony Plain)
3 Kierah* A Fiddle Affair (Independent)
4 Bruce Cockburn* Small Source of Comfort (True North)
5 Aaron Spohr** A Dreamer's Disease (Independent)
6 Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk* Stories from Home (Independent)
7 Jim Cuddy* Skyscraper Soul (Warner)
8 A.S.H.** No Looking Back (Independent)
9 Leslie Alexander** Nobody's Baby (Independent)
10 Various Artists* Live at CFBX Vol. 1 (Independent)
11 Teds Amongst Men* That Ol' Chestnut (Independent)
12 The Sweet Lowdown* The Sweet Lowdown (Independent)
13 Cat Jahnke* The Stories Are Taking Their Toll (Grit)
14 Steve Dawson* Nightshade (Black Hen)
15 Duo #2** Start With Nothing (Independent)
16 Gary Fjellgaard* The Collection: Solo Acoustic (Independent)
17 Murray McLauchlan* Human Writes (True North)
18 Wind Broken Stones* Straight Into the Sun (Independent)
19 The Magnificent 7s* All Kinds of Mean (Transistor 66)
20 Sarah MacDougall* The Greatest Ones Alive (Independent)
21 Brad Squires* Semantics EP (Independent)
22 Eliza Gilkyson Roses At the End of Time (Red House)
23 Geoff Berner* Victory Party (Mint)
24 Layah Jane* Honey (Independent)
25 Po' Girl* Follow Your Bliss (Independent)

CFBX Top 25 Blues Albums for 2011

1 David Gogo* Soul-Bender (Cordova Bay)
2 Steve Gerard and the National Debonairs Voodoo Workin' (Blue Edge)
3 Treasa Levasseur* Broad (Slim Chicken)
4 The Kat Kings* The Winning Hand (Kool Kat)
5 Various Artists* 35 Years of Stony Plain (Stony Plain)
6 Monkeyjunk* To Behold (Stony Plain)
7 Porkbelly Futures* The Crooked Road (Cordova Bay)
8 Kat Danser* Passin'-a-Time (Independent)
9 Various Artists Louisiana Swamp Stomp (Honeybee)
10 Son Roberts* Tell That Story (Gate)
11 Ben Waters Boogie 4 Stu (Eagle)
12 Big Hank and a Fistfull of Blues* Bluesville (Independent)
13 Bill Bourne* Radio Free Dance Band (Twelve Point)
14 Huey Lewis and the News Soulsville (W.O.W.)
15 Buddy Guy Living Proof (Silvertone)
16 Sunday Wilde* What Man?! Oh That Man!! (Independent)
17 Half a Quorum** Motion Carried (Indepndent)
18 Studebaker John's Maxwell Street Kings That's the Way You Do (Delmark)
19 Susan Wylde* In the Light (Independent)
20 Suzie Vinnick* Me 'n Mabel (Independent)
21 Jeff Healey Band* Get Me Some (Eagle)
22 Donald Ray Johnson* It's Time (MarVista)
23 George Thorogood and the Destroyers 2120 South Michigan Ave. (Capitol)
24 Jim Byrnes* Everywhere West (Black Hen)
25 Harry Manx and Kevin Breit* Strictly Whatever (Stony Plain)