[deadgrandma]

Your lists are all weak. No mention of Gold Cobra by Limp Bizkit. For shame :-p

No but in all seriousness:

1. Let England Shake (PJ Harvey)- this is the one and only, truly amazing album I heard all year. The atmosphere, production, just plain everything is good about it.
2. Reform (Jane Zhang)- yes, I'm a sorry sop for this woman, her voice makes me go a big wet one everytime she hits her high notes, and in general, she's just plain better than the rest of the Chinese popstars
3. Heritage (Opeth)- I am a sucker for Opeth, this is no exception. They decided to go 1970s prog sounding, and in turn released the first non-brickwalled album ever on Roadrunner records :-p
4. Pain is a Warning (Today is the Day)- Heavy, heavy and wait, country/southern? From the mind of Steve Austin (not the wrestler)? Sold!
5. Daihakken (Tokyo Jihen)- yeah, yeah, you knew it was gonna be on my list.

You have no idea how hard I found it to even think of 5 albums I liked enough to rank as besties this year. Daihakken I liked, then meh'd, now like again, and by looks of it, it's my most played 2011 album by far on last.fm so I guess I like it more than I actually think I do, so that's why I decided to put it in there. And also, can't think of anything else I actually played as much. Nope, my 2011 was made up of collection filling and re-releases of Togawa stuff :-p

With that said

Best reissue of 2011:
Jun Togawa YEN Collection

Best music DVD:
Midori- Sayonara Goto San