Here are our favorite records + songs from the first half of 2011. If you're into reading, we've written about most of these here and in some other places. We've also enjoyed checking out all of your picks, as always. Please let us know what we missed:
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01 Shabazz Palaces :: Black Up

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02 Peaking Lights :: 936

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03 Panda Bear :: Tomboy

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04 White Denim :: D

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mp3:
White Denim :: Drug
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05 Grouper :: A I A

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06 Puro Instinct :: Headbangers in Ecstasy

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07 Washed Out :: Within and Without

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08 Julianna Barwick :: The Magic Place

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09 Ford & Lopatin :: Channel Pressure

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10 Holy Other - With U

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NEXT 10 (alphabetical):

Burial - Street Halo
Cults - Cults
Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
John Maus - We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves
Cass McCombs - Wit's End
Colin Stetson - New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
Tennis - Cape Dory
The Sandwitches - Mrs. Jones' Cookies
Toro y Moi - Underneath the Pine
Young Galaxy - Shapeshifting
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And check our favorite songs of the half-year, in no particular order, after the jump...


Purity Ring :: Lofticries
Panda Bear :: Alsatian Darn
White Denim :: Street Joy
Cass McCombs :: County Line
Shabazz Palaces :: Are you... Can you... Were you? (felt)
Peaking Lights :: Tiger Eyes (Laid Back)
Burial :: Stolen Dog
John Maus :: Believer
Balam Acab :: Oh, Why
James Blake :: Lindisfarne
Toro y Moi :: Still Sound
Tyler, the Creator :: Yonkers
Bodies of Water :: Open Rhythms
Washed Out :: Eyes Be Closed
Hotel Mexico :: Dear Les Friends
Jesse Ruins :: Dream Analysis
Jamie xx :: Far Nearer
Solar Bears :: Cub (Keep Shelly in Athens remix)
Thundercat :: For Love I Come
Ford & Lopatin :: Too Much MIDI (Please Forgive Me)
Cults :: You Know What I Mean
Summer Camp :: I Want You
Big K.R.I.T. :: Dreamin'
Sleep ∞ Over :: Casual Diamond
Jai Paul :: Flip Out
Young Galaxy :: Peripheral Visionaries
Grimes :: Vanessa
Clams Casino :: I'm God (instrumental)
Marissa Nadler :: Baby, I Will Leave You in the Morning
Pure X :: Dry Ice
Dreamed :: Izumi
Gang Gang Dance :: Mindkilla
Teebs :: Pretty Poly
Planningtorock :: The Breaks