The Bay Area absolutely smashed it in 2011, with some of our favorite artists releasing amazing albums, EPs and cassettes that we’ve been listening to endlessly this year. It was incredibly difficult to cull the past 12 months to our favorite 15 releases, but we did it anyway. Check them out below and let us know what you think in the comments.

15 The Sandwitches // Mrs. Jones’ Cookie

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14 Bare Wires // Cheap Perfume

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13 King Lollipop // Woodland Whoopee Songs

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12 Pamela // Pamela is Hungover

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11 Weekend // Red

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10 Wet Illustrated // Wet Illustrated

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09 Ty Segall // Goodbye Bread

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08 Swiftumz // Swiftumz

Hunx collaborator Christopher McVicker managed to release one of the most understated albums of the year under the moniker Swiftumz. “Don’t Trip” is an immersive collection of hazy, moving jams that transcends the limits of bedroom pop.

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07 Rank Xerox // Rank Xerox

Rank/Xerox // “Sterile Regions”


Rank/Xerox // “Nausea”

06 Blasted Canyons // Blasted Canyons

Never before has an ode to weed and ice cream sounded so raw, explosive and all-together effortless.

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05 White Fence // Is Growing Faith

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04 Ty Segall // Singles 2007-2010

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03 Wax Idols // No Future

The debut LP by Wax Idols features singer/songwriter Hether Fortune elevating the charming pop sensibilities found on her earlier work to a complete full-length, with lyrics veering from the lovesick to the macabre.

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02 Mikal Cronin // Mikal Cronin

This scuzzed-out compilation of pop songs marked a solid debut album from Moonhearts/Ty Segall collaborator Mikal Cronin. Unexpectedly wistful and incredibly catchy, this is a record we’ve been spinning endlessly.

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01 Thee Oh Sees // Carrion Crawler/The Dream

Thee Oh Sees scorched through 2011, releasing two mind-blowing full-length albums and a singles only double-LP all while maintaining a frenetic touring schedule that recently concluded (with Total Control). Carrion Crawler/The Dream was announced only a few weeks after Castlemania, and proved to be the “pummeling” record John Dwyer promised it to be. An instant classic and our unequivocal favorite record of 2011.

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NME recently put together a “” of music makers and shakers for 2011; GorillavsBear did a and perhaps pointed out the obvious in stating that making “” Nevertheless, here’s our Bay Area version. Let us know what you hate in the comments.

10 Shiv Mehra // Creepers

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09 Corey Cunningham // Terry Malts

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08 Lars Finberg // Thee Oh Sees

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07 Mikal Cronin

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06 Mark Tester // BURNT ONES

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05 Robbie Simon // Wet Illustrated

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04 Tim Presley // White Fence

03 Blasted Canyons

02 Chris McVicker // Swiftumz

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01 Mike Donovan // Sic Alps

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[directed by Micheal Shifflett]

The Fresh and Onlys are reigning in 2012 with a New Year’s Eve show at Brick and Mortar Music Hall with White Fence and a TBA act. . In our interview with Shayde Sartin, he mentioned that the F&O wouldn’t be playing any shows until around New Years so the timing makes sense. According to the concert poster, the secret guest will be announced December 5th — which coincides with the day after another major Bay Area act/frequent surprise “guest” plays a homecoming show. RSVP over on the .

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So clean. [via ]

[more Slumberland showcase ]

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Anything else?

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*If you haven’t already, check out the rad mixtape made for us by Kid Frostbite aka Mike Schulman, owner/operator of .

*We’re hosting our first event Thursday, September 15th at . We couldn’t be more psyched about the line-up. Read more about our first “Presents” event here and buy advance tickets (and save a few bucks) .

*We’ve been nominated by SF Weekly for Best Local Music Website.

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White Fence, fresh off an outstanding performance at Woodsist that earned them a from Fresh and Onlys’ Tim Cohen, have announced that they are playing at Thee Parkside, Saturday September 3rd with , (their first West Coast appearance), and - who also play two at the Uptown in Oakland with and Yellow Fever. Tickets for the Parkside show are up for sale . Facebook event page .

If you can’t make that, RTX and Heavy Cream will join Ty Segall at the New Parish September 12th (18+). .

Read our interview with Tim Presley of White Fence here.

Some of our favorite records (full-lengths and otherwise) and songs at the mid point of 2011, most of which we have written about before. If we missed anything, let us know.

1) Blasted Canyons // Blasted Canyons
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2) Part Time // What Would You Say?
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3) Ty Segall // Goodbye Bread
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4) White Fence // Is Growing Faith
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5) Thee Oh Sees // Castlemania
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6) Fresh and Onlys // Secret Walls
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7) Permanent Collection // Delirium
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8) Art Museums // Dancing With A Hole In Your Heart
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9) Grass Widow // Milo Minute
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10) Sonny and the Sunsets // Hit After Hit
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