It’s round about that time of year again where websites and publications come out with their Top 10 picks for the year. What’s hot. What’s not. And all that other kak.

This year, I’m going to take a leaf out of Jon Savage’s book and combine my Top 10 local albums of 2011 with my international ones. In fact, I think it’s such a great idea, that this is how I’m going to be doing all my lists of musical awesomeness from now on.

So, in no specific order, here we go.

Taxi Violence – Long Way From Home. Taxi took a huge chance here, stripping down and rearranging some songs that have become fan favourites. Fans can be quite precious (especially Capetonians) about tunes they’ve come to adore, it does come with the territory of being a fan though… but with the help of a few top class musicians and the best CD launch I’ve been to all year, Taxi’s 3^rd album was met with critical lauding and rightfully so. Unplugged – and utterly fabulous.

Foo Fighters – Wasting Light. 235 000 copies in its first week and six Grammy Award Nominations make The Foos 7^th album a worthy candidate. Recorded in Dave Grohl’s garage, the axeman was quoted as saying, “There’s poetry in being the band that can sell out Wembley but also makes a record in a garage.” Because that’s how they Grohl.

Shadowclub – Guns And Money. There really is nothing I can say about this album that I haven’t already said. Poignant lyrics, dirrrty riffs and a hand-full of influences that range from Howlin’ Wolf to The Strokes, I’ve been sold from the get-go. The fact that their live shows are on par with the quality of this album is simply a bonus.

The Black Keys – El Camino. This album’s been out for what, a week? Not even… and its, as @Cederdog would say, “Burned a hole in my ipod.” Just from listening to/watching this video I’ve been itching for the album and it does not disappoint. If someone asks you what you want for Xmas, a copy of ‘El Camino’ should be your answer.

Metronomy – The English Riviera. These London-based electro-pop darlings invite you in from the first, 38 second long title-track, complete with cawing gulls and a mood-setting intro that lays the foundation right from carry-on track ‘We Broke Free’ to synth-driven album closer ‘Love Underlined’.

Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blue. Grammy nominated for best folk album, frontman and lyricist Robin Pecknold creates the most gorgeous imagery with refined, classy lyrics that read like poetry and that conjure up a range of emotions in me each and every time I rock this album. If you’ve never heard a Fleet Foxes tune, you can redeem yourself here and now. Quite possibly my favourite album of the year.

Dance, You’re On Fire – Secret Chiefs. If you’re pulling a face right now, cut it the hell out. This album is a commercial tour de force and spawned some of the catchiest choruses I’ve heard all year. And as much as frontman Tom Manners might hate ‘Boxes of Tigers’ now, it put these guys on the map. I look forward to the second album and, perhaps, a slight exploration of other genres/sound?

Isochronous – Inscape. Dear Richard Brokensha, your adorable androgynous vocal quality aside, when you sing, I completely zone out. In fact, I lose touch with my immediate surroundings. To all these thoughts I am powerless. And ever since you came back from Germany, you’ve been doubly as entertaining to watch perform, if that’s even possible. In closing, the quality of this album is worthy of its price tag in every which way and I wish you, Franco, Alex and Marko all the luck in the world with it. Kisses.

Kasabian –  Velociraptor! This is probably the only time you’re going to catch me using an exclamation mark on this blog. Released in September, Kasabian have produced a worthy successor to ‘West Pauper Lunatic Asylum’, an album which was almost a year in the making. NME say it better than I could though, with a superbly written album review.

Mr Cat & the Jackal – Sins & Siren Songs. Sweet jesus this band are on a roll, and rightfully so. With two gorgeous music videos in ‘Bad Man He Comin’ and their MVP video for ‘Try’ in collaboration with Yesterfang Pupperty, this hard-working fivesome are finally reaping the critical rewards that they deserve. Call them a “pirate band” at your own peril.

Obviously, there were tonnes of other albums that were released this year that are worthy of a mention, but we don’t really wanna be here all day, do we?

These are simply my favourite albums of the year. What were some of yours?