So, it seems that everybody shot their proverbial “wad” already and have told us all about their album favorites for the year 2011. We, at Rock Cousteau, like to leave the best for last and felt it was best to wait until the very last day of 2011 to reveal our favorites. We hope this list is the one you will refer to the most when making your indie/alt/rock music listening choices. We won’t make you suffer to get to number 1, but we highly suggest that you make your way down the list to avoid missing anything, as the choices beyond number 1 are in no particular order. We love discovering new music and are pleased that there were so many choices this year.  Be sure to support the bands you fall in love with and buy their music, see them live and stock up on their merch. Without any further ado, Rock Cousteau presents the top 50 album picks for 2011.  May 2012 be filled with great music!

1. Wild Flag self-titled album. Back in September we introduced you to Wild Flag and have never looked back. We were fortunate to catch them at CMJ in October. In particular, the song ‘Romance’ became the breakout hit for this breakout indie band.

2. White Denim with D. This band really captured our attention with both their studio work and their live performance. We have been tracking their success all year long and are pleased that we paid attention.

3. Bright Eyes – The People’s Key. Not to be ignored, just because it came out almost a year ago, but Conor Oberst has done it again. Stream the entire album over here.

4. Beirut – The Rip Tide. Back in August, this band released The Rip Tide and did some Late Night Appearances to support the album. Not your typical rock band.

5. Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost. This album created a new sounds based on old familiar classic rock tunes. The album is worth listening to over and over again. It seems like yesterday that we told you about this album, but it was all the way back in September.  Listen to it here.

6. My Morning Jacket – Circuital. Our admiration for this band is overwhelming, but Circuital is by far one of the top album releases of the year. We were fortunate to see them not once, but twice this year. While their studio work is fantastic, their live performances cannot be beat. MMJ did so much to support the release of Circutal.

7. The Black Keys – El Camino. These guys were able to get their recent release of El Camino out for 2011, just under the wire. The highlight songs for us are ‘Gold on the Ceiling’ and ‘Lonely Boy’. Check ‘em out here on SNL.

8. Atlas Sound – Parallax. This album will probably not get nearly the attention it deserves, but we give it to them here. The album was released in November. We like to refer to this work as the maturity of Bradford Cox.

9. Kurt Vile – Smoke Ring for My Halo. This Philly native wowed us all with his 4th full length album, Smoke Ring For My Halo, released in March and followed up quickly with an EP entitled So Outta Reach.

10. Stephen Malmus & The Jicks – Mirror Traffic. Released back in August, this album may have struck a nerve with you, but if you haven’t heard it, please check out their Late Night Appearance on Jimmy Fallon. They can be quite cheeky, but take note that the entire album is fantastic.

11. Wilco – The Whole Love. Back in September, Wilco released this gem. We have been fans of Wilco for a long time and find this album to be just as exciting as their previous efforts. Check out  their live performance on Letterman.

12. Veronica Falls. This debut, self-titled album by Veronica Falls continues to tempt us with their dreamy surfer indie rock. Pay attention to this Canadian band because the dark & haunting sounds will capture your heart, just like it did ours. The song we just can’t get enough of is ‘Found Love in a Graveyard’. Listen to the album in its entirety and a few videos.

13. Real Estate – Days. This sophomore album from New Jersey rockers Real Estate continues to be relevant even after hearing the entire album at least 10 times. Check out ‘It’s Real’ and their Live In-Sound Session.

14. M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming. This band has conjured up some serious “buzz” in the indie/alt/rock community, and for good reason. The music is pleasant to hear and can be remembered long after the tracks have been played. ‘Midnight City’ is one of the more popular tracks from the album, but check out the entire album and a video over here.

15. Deer Tick – Divine Providence. Deer Tick has been all over the place over the past year having perform as Deer Tick and in their rare spirited form as Deervana. Although the album was released in October, Deer Tick was supporting the album long before the release with late night appearances, videos and in-studio sessions.

16. Cass McCombs – Wit’s End and Humor Risk. Yes, this artist produced not one, but two albums in 2011. Both albums are worthy of your attention. Wit’s End, released in April, was a bit mellower than his rockier, upbeat album, Humor Risk released in November. Check out the stream of Humor Risk here.

17. PJ Harvey – Let England Shake. Released in May, Let England Shake was proclaimed the number 1 album in England, but despite the lukewarm reception it received in the States, we recognize its quality. The album was also supported by a release of videos, one at a time, for every song on her new album.

18. The Horrors – Skying. Back in August, The Horrors released Skying and we provided a stream of the album for you. The sounds are reminiscent of 80′s alternative, yet modernized and personalized by the band. There isn’t really one specific tune we appreciate more than an another, as they are all quite good.

19. St. Vincent – Strange Mercy. St. Vincent’s Strange Mercy found a place in our hearts. Here’s your official invitation to be wowed by the layers of sound this band creates. One of our favored tracks is ‘Cruel’.

20. Bon Iver – Holocene. Definitely mellow enough for long summer days, Bon Iver released Holocene. The title track from the album, ‘Holocene’ continues to remain a fan favorite.

21. Radiohead – King of Limbs. This album is so big that’s it got it’s own website! One of our faves on the album include ‘Bloom,’ but we are still major fans of OK Computer and there’s nothing you can do about it. Radiohead got their groove on over at the Colbert Report and some musicians even got together and remixed the album.

22. Phantogram – Nightlife. A friend of ours recently reminded us about how much we should appreciate this band. Nightlife, really an EP and not so much an album, features ‘Don’t Move’ and ’16 Years‘ as well as 4 other tracks that move through some hip-hop, shoegaze and psychedelic indie-rock.

23. Cut Copy – Zonoscope. It’s indie/dance/retro 80′s music at it’s finest. At the beginning of 2011, Cut Copy delivered the release of Zonoscope. A few of our favorite tracks include ‘Take Me Over’ and ‘Need You Now’. The entire album is still available to stream for the price of your email.

24. The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient. Back in August, The War on Drugs released Slave Ambient. We hadn’t been introduced to this band until 2011, but wish we had heard of them sooner. Slave Ambient gently takes you into folk, blues, and traditional rock, but carefully creates a modern sound and all the songs seem to create a pillow for your mind to rest on. Check out the single ‘Baby Missiles’.

25. Washed Out – Within & Without. The ultimate Chill Wave band released Within and Without back in July this year. Do you think Chill Wave died? This band stuck around even though the genre may have fallen behind. We enjoy the tune ‘Far Away’ and think you might. The album cover’s pretty sexy, too.

26. Cults – Cults. In June, Cults released their debut self-titled album. ‘Abducted’ and ‘Go Outside’ seemed to get the most “airtime”, but the entire album is eclectic. Check out the video for ‘Abuducted’.

27. Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues. In May, Fleet Foxes released their sophomore effort, Helplessness Blues, but it seemed that the music world took less notice of this album then they did the first. Despite the lukewarm reception this album may have received, we still believe the album is worthy of this list. A few of our favorite tunes include, ‘Lorelei’, ‘Helplessness Blues’ and ‘Grown Ocean’.

28. Lykke Li – Wounded Rhymes. It seems like yesterday that Swedish native, Lykke Li released her first album, Wounded Rhymes, but it was way back in February this year. She’s a songstress that everyone wants to mix. We enjoy ‘I Follow Rivers’ and ‘Youth Knows No Pain’, but check out the entire album over here.

29. Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde. Back in January, Smith Westerns released this extremely enjoyable album. We caught them live in Ft. Lauderdale opening for the Arctic Monkeys. Sweet show and they played our favorite tunes, ‘Weekend’ and ‘All Die Young’. Go ahead and listen.

30. Toro Y Moi – Underneath the Pine & Freaking Out EP. It’s always nice when one of your favorite Chill Wave bands puts out more than one release in a year. Underneath the Pine was released in February and was followed up with the Freaking Out EP in September. ‘New Beat’ on Underneath the Pine gets our attention ’cause you can dance to it.

31. The Drums – Portamento. An American Indie Pop (Post-Punk revival) band emerging from Brooklyn.  We really enjoyed their set at Coachella 2011 and think you might enjoy their 80′s alternative revival sound. ‘Money’ is a tune you can’t forget, even if you want to.

32. Other Lives – Tamer Animals. Without schmaltzing it up, Tamer Animals, the sophomore release from Other Lives, out in May 2011, is well written and cinematically arranged. Their sound may also make you want to run through a field of flowers.

33. Zola Jesus – Conatus. What do you get when you cross Bjork with Tori Amos? Zola Jesus. Just check out the track ‘Vessel’ and you decide.

34. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light. While never a “superfan” of the Foo Fighters, this album deserves your attention.  Lyrically and instrumentally, we truly appreciate and enjoy the album. If you were on the fence about the Foo Fighters before, stream it here and then, decide.

35. Future Birds – Future Birds EP. Some fresh new dudes from Atlanta.   Get a listen to a live performance in October from Alpharetta, GA. They go the alt country route and gently remind us of Wilco. Check out the video for ‘Megachills’, too.

36. The Fresh & Onlys – Secret Walls EP. Out of San Francisco, The Fresh & Onlys are Fresh and Only. They carry on the heritage of their hometown with groovy tracks on their EP. They are expected to release an album in 2012, but until then, enjoy the EP.  ’Do You Believe in Destiny?’  We believe this band is destined for greatness.

37. Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orchestra EP. After this fresh new band released it’s first EP in June, we heard the tracks and were smitten! The greatest gift we could get was the opportunity to see them live at CMJ in NY, in a very intimate setting. They are trippy and great musicians. One of our favs is ‘Ffunny Friends’, but you should get the EP ’cause it’s all good. Get a taste of what they sound like live.

38. Ty Segall – Goodbye Bread. It’s like Jay Reatard, but not. Check out garage rock artist, Ty Segall’s release from 2011 ’cause it’s good. We like the title track, ‘Goodbye Bread’. As he states on the site, “Ty plays the show one-man-band style and goes home and plans the rest: the records you got, tunes in your head, the unpretentious display of rock wealth. So what do you get now? It’s 2011. Ty is 23. So, do we get the comedown record? Yes and massive.”

39. Jacuzzi Boys – Glazin’. This is a homegrown band from the 305 and they play the music we want to hear. Released in August, Glazin’ has captured the hearts of garage rock fans all over the world, us included. We told you about them when the album was released, but get a listen and decide for yourself. If you can handle it, here’s a fan made video for ‘Glazin’. The Jacuzzi Boys give us the ‘Cool Vapors’ when our eyes are ‘Glazin’.

40. Jeff the Brotherhood – We are the Champions. Although the lead singer reminds us of Rivers Cuomo, the music is nothing like Weezer. It’s your next dose of garage rock from the band that hails from Nashville. ‘Shredder’ and ‘Ripper’ are the tunes we admire most on this album, but they are all pretty damn good.

41. Turf War – Years of Living Dangerously. Out of Hotlanta comes another garage rock band, Turf War. A band we very recently were introduced to, but are quickly falling in love with. Check out ‘For the Last Time’ and you’ll see what we mean.

42. Yacht – Shangri-La. We caught this band at Coachella 2011 and the lead singer exhibited so much energy, you just wanted to can it and save it for later. Check out the full stream of the album over at NPR’s first listen and tell us what you think. We much enjoy the tune ‘Dystopia (The Earth is on Fire)’.

43. Thee Oh Sees – Castlemania. This 60′s garage rock band from San Francisco does not sound like the B-52s, but they do sound awesome. Castlemania wasn’t an album that captured your attention blatenly, but passively so and in a subtle way.  Check out the entire album here.

44. Givers – In Light. Currently out of Lafayette, LA, Givers seems to always give, as they have for In Light. They are indie folk and pop with a dash of an afro-beat. Pretty good music for a road trip to a show or festival. Stream the entire album on their MySpace page.

45. Arctic Monkeys – Suck It and See. A true British garage rock band with a signature sound. In their fourth album, Suck It and See, they remain in their sound “zone,” but still keep us intrigued enough to keep listening. Stream the album, and many others, over at Domino Records’ site.

46. Beastie Boys – Hot Sauce Committee Part 2. These new inductees to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are still producing good work. And, while this album didn’t impress as many people as we had hoped, it was an expression of B-Boys returning to their roots. Stream the entire album here.

47. Black Lips – Arabia Mountain. Recently, we saw The Black Lips in Miami as part of Art Basel. Every performance from this band feels like participating in a circus, but absolutely fun. Arabia Mountain continues to keep within the traditional psychedelic garage rock sound we have come to know and love from them, but the sense of maturity in this album is clearly evident. We enjoy a ‘New Direction’. Stream the album here and remember to scroll to the bottom of the review.

48. Hooray for the Earth – True Lovers. True Loves unfolds with great melody, electro-tribal beats, synth-horns and muted guitars. Check it out.

49. Yuck – Yuck. With their debut album release in February of this year, we can comfortably call band from London the new grunge with a dash of indie dream pop. You’ll quickly be reminded of J Masics’ slammin’ guitar skills. We enjoy ‘Get Away’ and ‘The Wall’. Check out the entire album over here.

50. Quilt – Quilt.  Oh, the harmonies! This band out of the Northeast released their debut, self-titled album in November and if you allow it, these infectious tunes will take you on a journey to the center of your brain.  We were first introduced to this band with ‘Cowboys in the Void,’ but we recommend that you listen carefully to ‘Penobska Oakwalk’.  Stream the entire album here and please consider supporting the album with your dollars if you like it.

Very honorable mentions go to:

Dum Dum Girls – Only in Dreams

Iceage – New Brigade

Witches – Forever

Explosions in the Sky – Take Care.

Crystal Stilts – In Love With Oblivion.

Holy Ghost – Holy Ghost.

Sonny & The Sunsets – Hit After Hit.

Weekend – Sports.

Los Campensinos – Hello Sadness

The Transfers – The Transfers

Blue Sky Drive – Blue Sky Drive EP.

Cult of Dom Keller – Cult of Dom Keller EP3

Okkervil River – I Am Very Far.

Dodos – No Color.

The Kills – Blood Pressures.

Built Like Alaska – In Troubled Times.

Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials.

Zambri – Glossolalia EP.

Gauntlet Hair – Gauntlet Hair.

Waters – Out in the Light.

Bjork – Biophilia

Happy Listening! Liv, Luv & Rock…..Cousteau!