Weekly Top 5: Most Anticipated Albums of 2011

2011 has been an incredible year of music thus far and we haven't even reached August. There's still a slew of albums set to be released and these are the one's I'm most excited about (only albums with set release dates were included).

Honorable Mention:
J. Cole - Cole World: The Sideline Story (due out September 27th)
A.A. Bondy - Believers (due out September 13th)


5. Mister Heavenly - Out of Love (due out August 16th)
Man Man mastermind Honus Honus teams up with Nick Thorburn (The Unicorns, Islands) and Joe Plummer (Modest Mouse, The Shins) to form their new subgenre of music termed "Doom Wop". Considering the musical visionaries involved with this project, I'm very excited to see what comes out of it.


4. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical (due out September 20th)
I was a big big fan of their self titled debut album and "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth" was one of my favorite songs of 2005. Their sophomore effort Some Loud Thunder was a big disappointment in a lot of ways so I'm hoping for a return to form on this new album. The early indications are good with the quality first single "Same Mistake". You can get a download over at their website in exchange for your e-mail.


3. Wilco - The Whole Love (due out September 27th)
Jeff Tweedy is a genius. He's responsible for the modern classic Yankee Hotel Foxtrot so anything that he creates deserves your attention.


2. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Lenses Alien (due out September 13th)
The Staten Island band's debut Why There Are Mountains was one of my favorites of 2009 and now they're back with their sophomore album. The first song released from the album is an ambitious 8.5 minute epic; a very interesting choice to try and get people hooked. It worked because I'm really excited to hear this album! You can get a download over at their website in exchange for your e-mail.


1. Beirut - The Rip Tide (due out August 30th)
The gypsy-folk outfit led by Zach Condon are capable of creating some of the most beautiful songs. The instrumentation is very different from traditional, American folk standards as it brings in elements from all over the world. Add in Zach Condon's beautiful voice to the mix and you're left with masterpieces like "Nantes" and "Elephant Gun". I already posted the new song "East Harlem" so you can go back and check that out. Instead, I'll leave you with a reminder of exactly what this band is capable of!