“Bestof2011” (Used 42 times)

WHOOSH. Another year of incredible recordings out the window! Our Sprout Sessions last year were all so out of this world it was actually a (kind of awkward) chore to choose the 'best'. Rest assured knowing that these are at least SOME of the most incredible live moments we captured last year.

We're super excited for 2012 and the musical adventures it will bring. We'll be busy with organizing concerts and broadcasts around the world, and are even more psyched to share them with you and the amazing folks here at the FMA. 2012 is sure to be a much livelier year for us as our tiny organization continues to grow and grow. Thanks for tuning in to our part of spectrum - and happy new year!

Here are 20 of my favorite free albums, all added to the FMA in the year that just ended (part of #bestof2011). This started out as a top 10, then became a top 12, and if you'd like I'll follow this up with another batch of favorite free albums. And/or your favorite albums -- what have you been listening to?

	Univeria Zekt - Unnamables (Golden Pavilion)		V/A - SOUNDSHOCK: FM FUNK MADDNESS!!
	Mike Doughty - Dubious Luxury (Snackbar)		V/A - We Are After All Here (New Weird Australia)
	The Men - Immaculada LP (Deranged Records)		V/A One Minute For The Stars (SEM label)
	Raw Music International - Kisumu Mixtape		Sherbet Underground - John Travolta & The Red Bandit on the Night of the Full Moon (Listen Loudest)
	YACHT - Shangri La [instrumentals] (DFA)		Lüger: Concrete Light (Giradiscos)
	Bruce Miller / Various Artists - Field Recordings From India		Poland - Sea Woof

A couple weeks back we posted an open call for Bestof2011 mixes, and there are so many awesome playlists up at the bestof2011 tag page and in the FMA forum. I also posted my initial freeform mix of favorites from 2011...but here are eight more mixes of my favorites, roughly categorized:

Punk/rawk/psych  :: Pop Music is Free  ::    Now That's What I Call Jazz  ::  International  World Wide Revolution  ::  uncatAVANTegorizable  ::  Acoustic & Psyched(elecectric) Folks  ::  Beats & Rhymes

First up, here's some favorites recorded live on my WFMU radio program, Talk's Cheap! Enjoy, and happy new year!!!

On December 24th, CBC Radio 3 will start broadcasting the 8 hour musical behemoth that is The R3-103 - Radio 3's countdown of the Top 103 songs of 2011.

But you don't have to wait to find out what those songs are.

Here are the Top 10 Songs of the Best Canadian indie music of 2011: Now go rock out!

• 1 - Arcade Fire - "Suburban War"
• 2 - Dan Mangan - "Rows of Houses"
• 3 - Austra - "Lose It"
• 4 - Chad VanGaalen - "Sara"
• 5 - Hey Rosetta! - "Yer Spring"
• 6 - Young Galaxy - "Peripheral Visionaries"
• 7 - Coeur de pirate - "Adieu"
• 8 - The Rural Alberta Advantage - "Stamp"
• 9 - Destroyer - "Poor in Love"
• 10 - Ohbijou - "Niagara"

Well, it's been an eventful year: Tsunami in Nippon, (the) killing of an Arab (loudly celebrated in the US), fires, floods, earthquakes, snowpocalypses and endless wars, poverty & hunger...

Also, in some of the major cities in the US we have revolution of consumers called Occupy on our hands. Pepper sprays vs. tents. Kettling vs. revolution rock. Comic artist vs. some other comic artist. Confused leftist politicians vs. drunk millionaires, memes vs. more memes... and so on 'till death do us part.

Here in Europe, we have gigantic economic crisis coming. Everybody's scared. Nobody knows what tomorrow brings. Evil count Sarcozy & technocrat Angie Merkel override democratic procedures in order to save EURO & eurozone... Expect more looting than occupying, more city & highway crime than traffic jams on the roads to Azzure Coast & more canned food than master chef recipes.

So, my advice is to stay home with the device. Browse & explore vast ocean of FMA free music & listen to the radio 'till they disconnect electricity & interweb.

After that, only campfire, stories from the good old (neon) times and loaded shotgun somewhere in the mountains will keep us strong.

All the best in 2012!