Best of 2011: Kevin's favorite albums, songs and concerts

It's that time of year where we share our favorite albums, songs and concerts of 2011. You can join in by taking our 2011 Triangle Music Readers' Poll. Voting ends at midnight tonight, Dec. 22. We'll share the results with you next week.

In 2011, great music was plentiful and spanned many genres. My top lists below could have easily featured a number of other great selections, but I've picked my list and I'm sticking with it.

The year saw the return of the Foo Fighters with their best album of the millennium thus far and it's an unabashed rock record with great melodies. The Rosebuds overcame hardships to create a somber, yet beautiful album. Gillian Welch returned to recording after far too many years, but it was worth the wait. I could go on, but you can see read the list below. As always, the biggest draw for my ears are solid, memorable melodies and I think that is the common thread throughout my choices.

Favorite Albums
1. Foo Fighters - Wasting Light
2. The Rosebuds - Loud Planes Fly Low
3. Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest
4. Slow Runner - Damage Points
5. Dawes - Nothing is Wrong
6. Telekinesis - 12 Desperate Straight Lines
7. The Decemberists - The King is Dead
8. Cary Ann Hearst - Lions and Lambs
9. Megafaun - Megafaun
10. Jay Clifford - Silver Tomb For the Kingfisher

Favorite Reissue
Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle

Favorite Concerts
1. Archers of Loaf @ Cat's Cradle, January 15
2. Lindsey Buckingham @ Carolina Theatre, November 1
3. Cold Cave @ The Pour House (Hopscotch), September 8
4. Sondre Lerche @ Cat's Cradle, June 9
5. the Mountain Goats & Megafaun @ Cat's Cradle, April 8

Favorite Songs
1. Bon Iver - "Holocene"
2. Gillian Welch - "Hard Times"
3. Adele - "Rolling in the Deep"
4. The Rosebuds - "Without a Focus"
5. Butch Walker and The Black Widows - "Synthesizers"
6. Richard Buckner - "Confession"
7. Generationals - "Greenleaf"
8. Wye Oak - "Holy Holy"
9. Wild Flag - "Romance"
10. Jason Segel and Walter - "Man or Muppet"