Best of 2011 by Billy Karren

Outlook...Outlook's video covers everything that happened last summer on the west coast

Best of 2011 by Lisa Schonberg

ten things i loved in 2011 in no particular order

1. M'lady's Records moving to Portland
2. Kicking off 2011 at dumpster values drumming with 20 other women
3. Revival Drum shop moves into huge new space & Beacon Sound record shop moves in next door = best strip mall ever

4. PDX Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls persisting through hard financial times and raising $50,000 in a couple of months. 
5. Wild Flag performing live = most inspiring show of 2011
6. Getting to go to Michigan Womyns Fest.
7. My great aunt Ann turning 99. 
8. Getting to create, compose for & perform with the Secret Drum Band percussion ensemble. 

photo by martin evans

9. Joshua Tree, three times = favorite desert

photo by tara jane oneil

10. Surfing in the northwest

Best of 2011 by Molly Neuman

Best of my life 2011


café de flore

Paris with Vail ladies
Dinner at Frenchie, Paris
Inside Job wins the Oscar
Grandma's 90th birthday, Napa
Dinner at Bazaar, LA
Teaching classes for Cocinar Para Su Salud http://www.cookforyourlife.org/
Moving to our new home
Riding my bike to Ft. Tilden Beach
Yoga at Mala and Shambhala
Classes at Studio Maya, Brooklyn
Tybee Island family beach trip
Comet Gain at the Scala, London
Arroz Negre at Barceloneta and Arnau's birthday show 11.11.11
Puerto Rico holiday
Hot Snakes, Wild Flag, No Age and more at ATP, Minehead
Christmas tamales with Miriam

Best of 2011 by Adee Roberson

Here is a list of my favorite Jams this year. As I was compiling this I was only a little surprised that my list of music consisted mostly of punk and experimental bands with people of color and women in the forefront of them. It's so great to see things change overtime, or maybe instead of focusing on what we didn't have we just made what we wanted to happen.

1. Peaking Lights "936" (Not Not Fun; 2011)

Tripped out lo fi space sounds. Elements of dub, minimal disco, and punk.
I spent a lot of time listening to this album while painting and driving long distances.
http://vimeo.com/19061882

2. Covergirl "Paris Burns" (Captured Tracks; June 2011)

When I heard this I was like yay the essence of Huggy Bear is back!
gay/queer post punk. Covergirl doesn't sound like HB to me they just remind me of them with the boy/girl vocal and fuzzy loud guitars, and literal conscious lyrics. I want to move to the U.K. and be friends with them.
http://soundcloud.com/covergirl

3. Younger Lovers "Rock Flawless" (Bachelor Records; July 2011)

I can't lie I haven't listened to this whole album through and through, but I saw YL play like 5 times this summer, and it was indeed flawless. So fucking good. soul pop punk. I love catchy lyrics, and the video for "keeps on falling down" is a black queer stoner's dance party dream come true.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHau4cOdgp0

4. HALO HALO " Manananggal " (Savoury Days Records 2011)

Banjo, female vocals, pause and response drum patterns. This sounds really fucking fun. and the video for the song "Manananggal" is cool too.
http://halohalomixmix.blogspot.com/

5. Jeepneys "Lats Yerk + Herman the Bull" (Human Ear; July 2011)

Anna Luisa is from another planet. I'm glad that she is visiting earthduring this lifetime, because I feel like she is helping to expand the minds of whoever she encounters by just kicking it with them. This is space music plane and simple. Stars, Planets, Ancestors from other galaxies are jamming to this. Imagine minimal organic house/dance music, with tap dancing and backwards vocals, and elements of jazz from Sun Ra's Arkestra.
http://www.jeepneysjeepneys.com/

6. Chica Vas "Te Queiro" (Generatto , March 2011)

Drums, Percussion, deep vocals. The ritual like sounds of these songs inspire me so much.
http://soundcloud.com/chicavas

7. American Splits

Bass. Heavy Drums. Saxophone and vocals and all people of color. When I saw American Splits in San Francisco I was so happy. Really happy. This is definitely punk, post punk with elements of The Ex, and Essential Logic. I love this band. They are under the radar too, they don't have any recordings but below Is a link to a live show recording.
http://www.9thfloorradio.com/podcast/2010/10/21/american-splits.html

8. Shaggy Reaper, Fat Transfer, Teenage Love Songs Live at BernalHill, San Francisco
A sunset show with friends. Everyone who played was so good. I don't want to be dorky describing this and ruining it. It was just so good. and you had to be there.

9. Renyosa

I love when folks incorporate D.I.Y. and punk music and aesthetic with their own culture and background. This is something I am constantly striving for with my art and music and it is so satisfying to see it manifested to simply with Renyosa. LOVE.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6L_sCd1TZQ

10. The Eyo Beats "60 Africa 70" (Domino Sound)

All of the songs on this tape are old. way before 2011, but I think it was released earlier this year. A compilation of Afro beats and sounds. Highlife and RNB. Lovely artwork and songs.
http://www.cornerstonesproject.org/cornerstones_registry_domino_records.html

Best of 2011 by Hannah Lew

maybe not 100% released in 2011, but my favorite hits of 2011:

UV race
Total Control
Rank Xerox
Milk Music
Broken Water
Weird TV
Hunx and his Punx
Bleached
Nature
Golden Awesomes