15 Of 2011's Best Songs Thus Far

As spring slowly materializes and bands switch gears from their winter hibernation to the festival circuit, more and more new releases are hitting store shelves. With them brings the prospect of that killer new song, one that makes you play it over and over in the hopes of either getting...

By Michael Lopez

March 3, 2011

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As spring slowly materializes and bands switch gears from their winter hibernation to the festival circuit, more and more new releases are hitting store shelves. With them brings the prospect of that killer new song, one that makes you play it over and over in the hopes of either getting it out of -- or stuck firmly in -- your head. March is an impressive month for new music, yet April brings with it a dizzying prospect of new music. And so it goes for the rest of the year, with each new month hoping to outdo the previous as more and more new albums are released.

I will now present a list of the 15 best songs of 2011 so far, complete with streaming audio. Think of it as a three-month checkpoint to see how the year has been shaping up. Some of these songs might still be around come December, some might get bumped. As of March, however, these songs are all on top.

1. Kaputt -- Destroyer

Destroyer - Kaputt by H+ Records

2. I Follow Rivers -- Lykke Li
I Follow Rivers by LykkeLi

3. Second Chance -- Peter Bjorn and John
Peter Bjorn & John - Second Chance by SwipeLife.com - @MrNesso

4. Bizness -- tUnE-yArDs
Tune-Yards - Bizness by snipelondon

5. Yonkers -- Tyler, The Creator
Tyler The Creator - Yonkers by WAGSTD

6. Blood -- The Dears
The Dears - Blood by Freeman PR

7. So It Goes -- Akron/Family
Akron/Family: So It Goes by gaga-digi

8. Lotus Flower -- Radiohead
5 - Radiohead - Lotus Flower by ThePEAK

9. Houdini -- Foster The People
Foster The People - Houdini by waheed

10. New Beat -- Toro Y Moi
Toro Y Moi "New Beat" by carparkrecords

11. Civilian -- Wye Oak
Wye Oak - Civilian by cityslang

12. Stamp -- The Rural Alberta Advantage
Rural Alberta Advantage - Stamp by IndieRockReviews

13. Imagine Pt. 3 -- Smith Westerns
Smith Westerns - Imagine, Pt. 3 by Vicente P

14. Words That Maketh Murder -- PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey - The Words That Maketh Murder by VagrantRecords

15. Operation -- Yuck
Operation by Yuck

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