#15 Mogwai- Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will

It’s rather jarring to hear Mogwai try so many new things on their latest album. “Mexican Grand Prix” is straight up krautrock, “George Square Thatcher Death Party” sounds like a Ladytron song being played with live instruments instead of keyboards, and are those HORNS on “Too Raging to Cheers?” But for a band that’s been around as long as Mogwai, such experimentation is absolutely vital. You can’t just re-write “Mogwai Fear Satan” over and over again, as much as some people probably wish they would. And the best part about this musical wanderlust is that it resulted in “Rano Pano,” an incredible iterative postrock track that’s equal parts Failure and Ravel, and the band’s best song in years.

#14 Paul Kalkbrenner- Icke Wieder

“Boexig Leise,” the opening track on Paul Kalkbrenner’s fantastic 2011 LP, has the most maddeningly addictive melody I’ve ever heard in a techno track. And it’s Kalkbrenner’s fantastic ear for a tune that makes Icke Wieder a supremely accessible, listener-friendly album. This isn’t the punishing, industrial-strength Berghain techno that’s currently in fashion- Icke Wieder’s emphasis on melody is almost nostalgic compared to the brute force of artists like Xhin or Ben Klock. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s a pleasure all the same.

#13 James Blake- James Blake

2011 was the year that dubstep split into two camps. One focuses on aggressive, thuggish bass and a (sometimes literal) nu-metal sensibility, with Skrillex at its head. The other emphasizes space, tasteful sound design, and melancholy, and James Blake has become the de facto posterchild of this movement. Ironic, then, that his self-titled album is barely even recognizeable as “dubstep.” The majority of the album consists of Blake’s voice, his keyboard, and silence. “Wilhelm Scream” and the Feist cover “Limit To Your Love” are widely considered the standout tracks, but for my money “Lindesfarne II,” with its fingerpicked guitar, bleeps-and-bloops percussion, and Blake’s plaintive, harmonized vocals is the prettiest thing he’s ever written.

#12 Rwake- Rest

It’s a rare thing to find a metal album where all the screaming sounds sincere rather than a simple genre affectation. But the guys in Rwake write music that sounds like the end of the world, and their vocals sound utterly, sincerely apocalyptic. Album closer “Was Only A Dream” is the pinnacle of Rwake’s work so far, a fitting climax to an album that’s punishing, overwhelming, and yet maintains a core emphasis on melody and songwriting that makes them a truly unique voice in a genre full of soundalikes.

#11 Sepalcure- Sepalcure

Much has been made of the fact that Sepalcure doesn’t really do anything “new” on their self-titled album. These are all sounds and rhythms and treated vocals that you’ve heard before if you’re at all familiar with dubstep. But modern music criticism’s obsession with novelty often overlooks the fact that innovation isn’t the only means of writing vital music. And given the speed at which dubstep evolves, it’s important that we have people like Sepalcure, who aren’t afraid to use its established tropes to write some great tunes. The horse ain’t dead, and it’s good to see someone keeping it well-groomed.

#10 Animals As Leaders- Weightless

AAL guitarist Tosin Abasi’s YouTube user name is “xnextgtrgodx,” and I’m sure it’s only partially tongue-in-cheek. Abasi is legitimately a guitar god. His technical skill combined with his innovative use of extended-scale instruments results in literally breathtaking displays of virtuosity, and he has surrounded himself with similarly nimble bandmates. But while the shred pyrotechnics are certainly fun to listen to, the core of AAL’s appeal is the huge range of tones, techniques, and structures Abasi employs in his songs. If you’re a guitarist, they’re required listening. If you like amazing instrumental prog-metal, they’re required listening. They’re basically just required listening.

#9 The Field- Looping State of Mind

I have to admit, I didn’t think Axel Willner could keep The Field interesting through three albums. His schtick is so simple- micro-loops cut and pasted into blissed-out trance- that you’d think it would have gotten old by now. But Willner’s no dummy, and he’s constantly refining his technique and adding new elements- live instrumentation, kraut-rock rhythms, even intelligible vocals(!)- and it keeps things not only interesting, but exciting. Looping State of Mind is the next step in The Field’s logical progression, and I can’t wait to see where he goes from here.

#8 Mungolian Jetset- Schlungs

Mungolian Jetset are fucking bananas. From the bonkers prog-funk epic “Moon Jocks N Prog Rocks” to the shouldn’t-work-but-does Doobie Brothers meets Broken Social Scene meets Franz Ferdinand “Bella Lanay” to the silkily sinister bondage-fuck crooner “Ties N Downs,” they’re not afraid to take risks, play with genre, and get weird. It’s hard to listen to any of this and maintain a straight face, and that’s meant as the most sincere praise possible.

#7 Martyn- Ghost People

Dubstep and techno are like chocolate and peanut butter- when mixed, the results are arguably more delicious than the ingredients on their own. “Ghost People” takes the four-on-the-floor propulsion of techno and mixes it with dubstep’s emphasis on tight bass and syncopation, and it’s the musical equivalent of a four-pack of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Album closer “We Are You In The Future” is just fucking incredible, gleaming synths squaring off with a crushing breakbeat rhythm that evokes the rush of weaving through highway traffic at a hundred miles an hour.

#6 Balam Acab- Wander/Wonder

Is it witch-house? Is it dubstep? Is it R&B on a morphine overdose? WHO CARES IT’S SO GODDAMNED PRETTY. In reality, “Wander/Wonder” pulls from all three, and it’s a gorgeous slice of blissful melancholy (now there’s a contradiction for you). 

#5 Siriusmo- Mosaik

The applause that quickly turns into boos at the start of “Mosaik” may be an inditement of fickle audiences, or it may just be Siriusmo having a laugh. But when it transitions into the joyous Daft Punk-esque house of “High Together” it doesn’t matter anymore, because you’re too busy rocking the fuck out. Daft Punk and Modeselektor appear to be the two biggest influences on this record, and it works out wonderfully, from the pummeling “Fermonikon” to the proggy keyboard lines of “Idiologie” to the goofy Teutonic pop of “Goldene Kugel” to the album-peaking “Signal” and its marching band drumlines. Absolutely fantastic stuff.

#4 And So I Watch You From Afar- Gangs

OH MY GOD WE WON THE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP AND THE LOTTERY AND WE’RE SPENDING THE LOTTERY MONEY ON A FUCKING ROCKET SHIP AND WE’RE GONNA GO CARVE A HUGE DICK ON THE MOON WITH A GIANT LASER WE PUT ON THE ROCKET SHIP AND ALL OF OUR PETS HAVE BECOME IMMORTAL AND WE JUST MADE OUT WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PERSON WE’VE EVER MET AND IT TURNS OUT THEIR MOM IS REALLY REALLY NICE TOO AND THIS COFFEE WE’RE DRINKING IS FUCKING DELICIOUS I THINK IT’S THAT STUFF THAT CIVET CATS POOP OUT AND IT’S OUR BIRTHDAY PARTY AND EVERYONE IS INVITED AND NOBODY WILL EVER BE MEAN TO ANYBODY ELSE EVER AGAIN is pretty much what this album sounds like.

#3 Bon Iver- Bon Iver

I swear I’m not putting this album at #3 instead of #1 just to be contrary. It is certainly a fantastic album! And if you haven’t heard it by now, get out from under your fucking rock and go listen to it already. It’s indie-rock filtered through a Bruce Hornsby lens and the songs are almost alarmingly beautiful. “Holocene’s” line “and at once I knew I was not magnificent” is maybe the most brutally effective lyric ever sung.

#2 Rustie- Glass Swords

“Surph” is my favorite song of the year. “Hover Traps” takes Seinfeld slap-bass and somehow crafts a good song out of it. “Ultra Thizz” mashes up pitch-shifted vocals, trance buildups, and the gauziest synth pads this side of Vangelis and it ACTUALLY WORKS. “Death Mountain” reminds me of Ratatat’s amazing first album. “Cry Flames” is almost a PARODY of dubstep, with its ridiculously huge bass and chipmunk vocals. This album is the musical equivalent of a guy juggling running chainsaws- it shouldn’t work, it should end horribly, but seeing someone pull it off is amazing.

#1 Low- C’mon

I don’t even really know how to address this record properly. It’s fucking flabbergasting. The sense of space. The immaculate instrumentation. THAT GODDAMNED REVERB OH MY SWEET BABY JESUS. The morbid lullaby “Try To Sleep,” the astounding western-tinged “Witches” with its closing admonition to all the “guys out there trying to be Al Green,” the staggeringly gorgeous “Especially Me,” and the biblical dread and reverence of “Majesty/Magic.”

And finally, “Nothing But Heart,” an 8-minute Hey-Jude-esque anthem that truly deserves the word “anthem.” When Alan Sparhawk’s voice breaks on the final line of the song, my heart breaks along with it, every time. Album of the year, without a doubt.