End of Year Lists are so passe'

This is what my critical writing process has devolved into:

1. Spend most of October and November track listing the EOY compilation CD.
2. Begin distribution of said EOY CD at Snake Whacking Day (typically the first weekend of December.)
3. Have at least one conversation with Paul that includes the phrase "you didn't review any of these for us this year."
4. Receive Paul's annual "hey guys, if you have a end of year list type thing, send it over to us before Dec 31 and we'll post it" email.
5. Spend the next two weeks thinking about, but failing to compile an end of year list type thing.
6. Disappear for Christmas.
7. Return from Christmas and throw together a draft-quality end of year list type thing and email it to Paul and Tracy.
8. Think to myself "I should write up some of these, a blurb or something at least, and send it over too."
9. Fail to do so.
10. Get sucked into the Primer Lounge's annual "best music of the year" voting, which requires that I put random list type thing into an ordered ballot of at least 10 releases.

With that said, I present to you, dear reader, Sam's best of 2011 ballot, as submitted to the Lounge. When Paul gets the other version of the List Type Thing uploaded at The 'Sponge I'll link out to that as well.

Perhaps at some point I'll even write up some blurb about why I like these things more than most. Or not. I'm really lazy sometimes.

1. Say Hi, “Um, Uh Oh”
2. Ghost Heart, “The Tunnel”
3. Bird of Youth, “Defender”
4. Frank Turner, “England Keep My Bones”
5. White Wives, “Happeners”
6. The Generationals, “Actor-Caster”
7. Manchester Orchestra, “Simple Math”
8. The Rural Alberta Advantage, “Departing”
9. Ravishers, “Ravishers”
10. Jolie Holland, “Pint of Blood”

Honorable Mentions: Fucked Up, “David Comes To Life”; Elbow, “Build a Rocket Boys!”; True Loves, “Hooray For Earth”; The Wombats, “This Modern Glitch”; Larry and His Flask, “All That We Know”; Damion Suomi & The Minor Prophets, “Go And Sell Your Things”; Ha Ha Tonka, “Death of a Decade”; The Dodos, “No Color”