Just to state the obvious, I only heard a small fraction of the music that came out this year but I did manage to acquire, listen to and rate 3601 songs that were released in 2011. The percentage of music that is released as albums by record labels is definitely shrinking but they still have the lion’s share, for now. Here are my favorites. I’ll also be playing my favorite songs of 2011 on my January 3rd show.

Every album listed here is either released by an independent label or by the artists themselves. Please support if and when you can.

1. Vindahl – Serendipity (Tokyo Dawn)
Release Date: October 17, 2011
Copenhagen
More Info/Support

2. Jono McCleery – There Is (Counter/Ninja Tune)
Release Date: September 27, 2011
London
More Info/Support | @JonoMcCleery

3. SBTRKT – SBTRKT (Young Turks)
Release Date: June 24, 2011
London
More Info/Support | @SBTRKT

4. B.Lewis – Science Within Reason (Self-Released)
Release Date: March 11, 2011
San Jose/San Francisco
More Info/Support | @blewis17

5. James Blake – James Blake (R & S)
Release Date: February 7, 2011
London
More Info/Support | @jamesblake

6. New Look – New Look (!K7 – only available in the UK and Germany right now)
Release Date: September 26, 2011
Brooklyn/Ontario
More Info/Support | @new_look_

7. Oscar + Martin – For You (TwoBrightLakes)
Release Date: April 15, 2011
Melbourne
More Info/Support | @Oscarandmartin

8. Toro Y Moi – Underneath The Pine (Carpark)
Release Date: February 21, 2011
Columbia, South Carolina
More Info/Support | @ToroyMoi

9. Salva – Complex Housing (FoF)
Release Date: February 5, 2011
Los Angeles
More Info/Support | @THEPROBLEMSALVA

10. Scrimshire – The Hollow (Wah Wah 45s)
Release Date: November 11, 2011
London
More Info/Support | @scrimshire

Other Excellent Projects That Came Out This Year
Bon Iver – Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar) Release Date: June 21, 2011
Minnesota, WI | More Info/Support | @boniver

Brenk – Gumbo 2: Pretty Ugly (Melting Pot) Release Date: September 23, 2011
Vienna | More Info/Support | @BrenkSinatra

Dego – A Wha’ Him Deh Pon? (2000 Black) Release Date: June 20, 2011
Brooklyn/London | More Info/Support | @2000black_dego

Elzhi – Elmatic (Self-Released) Release Date: May 10, 2011
Detroit | More Info/Support | @ELZHI

Evil Needle – Cirrostratus (Self-Released) Release Date: April 18, 2011
Strasbourg, France | More Info/Support | @itsmeneedle

Full Crate – Golden Glasses (Wonderful Ear) Release Date: October 21, 2011
Amsterdam | More Info/Support | @fullcrate

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Bulletproof Brass (Choice Cuts) Release Date: July 20, 2011
Chicago/NYC | More Info/Support | @hypnoticbrass

I, Ced – All In My Mind (Record Breakin’) Release Date: July 12, 2011
Los Angeles | More Info/Support | @i_ced

iSHÉ & Hezekiah – iSHÉ & Hezekiah Project (Self-Released) Release Date: June 1, 2011
San Diego & Philadelphia | More Info/Support | @iSHETHAiSH & @hezekiah3rd

Illvibe Collective – All Together Now (Soulspazm) Release Date: March 29, 2011
Philadelphia | More Info/Support | @illvibecrew

Jesse Boykins III – Way Of A Wayfarer (Self-Released) Release Date: June 30, 2011
Brooklyn | More Info/Support | @JB3Music

King – The Story EP (Self-Released) Release Date: March 1, 2011
Los Angeles | More Info/Support | @wearekingmusic

Krts – Hold On EP (Project Mooncircle) Release Date: September 23, 2011
Brooklyn | More Info/Support | @KrtsBrooklyn

Miles Bonny – Lumberjack Soul (Melting Pot) Release Date: June 24, 2011
Kansas City | More Info/Support | @milesbonny

Oddisee – Rock Creek Park (Mello Music Group) Release Date: August 23, 2011
Brooklyn | More Info/Support | @oddisee

Sarah White – Space Madness (Cultura Love) Release Date: October 18, 2011
Brooklyn | More Info/Support | @sarahwhiteblack

Saturn Never Sleeps – Yesterday’s Machine (Saturn Never Sleeps) Release Date: August 2, 2011
Philadelphia | More Info/Support | @satnevsleeps

Shigeto – Full Circle Remixes (Ghostly International) Release Date: February 1, 2011
Brooklyn | More Info/Support | @__SHIGETO

Space Invadas – Soul:Fi (BBE) Release Date: February 21, 2011
Sydney | More Info/Support | @spaceinvadas

Submotion Orchestra – Finest Hour (Exceptional) Release Date: August 23, 2011
Leeds | More Info/Support | @Submotion

Sunclef – The Tesser∆ct (Self-Released) Release Date: April 22, 2011
Toronto | More Info/Support | @snclf

Ta-ku – DAY & NIGHT EP. (highs & lows x new balance) Release Date: April 10, 2011
Perth | More Info/Support | @TakuBeats

Ta-ku – Scraps (Self-Released) Release Date: May 31, 2011
Perth | More Info/Support | @TakuBeats

The Stuyvesants – The Finer Things Vol. 1&2 (SD) Release Date: October 17, 2011
Brooklyn | More Info/Support | @TheStuyvesants

Teeko – Light Up The Darkness (4onefunk) Release Date: February 21, 2011
San Francisco | More Info/Support | @TeekoMusic

TiRon & Ayomari – A Sucker For Pumps (The Cafeteria Line) Release Date: September 13, 2011
Los Angeles | More Info/Support | @TiRon & @ayomari

Various – The Boogie (Tokyo Dawn) Release Date: January 21, 2011
Munich | More Info/Support | @TOKYODAWN

Various – The Heart Volume 2 (Tokyo Dawn) Release Date: July 29, 2011
Munich | More Info/Support | @TOKYODAWN

When Saints Go Machine – Fail Forever EP (!K7) Release Date: February 21, 2011
Copenhagen | More Info/Support | @whensaints

Wildcookie (Freddie Cruger & Anthony Mills) – Cookie Dough (Tru Thoughts) Release Date: March 8, 2011
Stockholm | More Info/Support | @ghettotrance

Zebrahim – In My Heart I Am (Self-Released) Release Date: May 17, 2011
Paris, Vancouver | More Info/Support | @eebsofresh + @hazeldizzy