As we bid farewell to 2011, we say hello to year-end best of lists. We’ve asked our contributors to list their top 5 favorite albums released in 2011, as well as their top 5 albums that they “discovered”, “rediscovered” or “came to fully appreciate” this year. What were your favorite releases of the year? Did we miss anything good? Let us know in the comments after the jump.

Top 5 New Albums of 2011:

Jody:
Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues
Middle Brother- Middle Brother
Michael Kiwanuka- I’m Getting Ready EP
Nathaniel Rateliff- In Memory of Loss
Civil Wars- Barton Hollow

Bryan:
Hayes Carll – KMAG YOYO (& other American stories)
Jesse Sykes & The Hereafter – Marble Son
Josh T. Pearson – Last of the Country Gentlemen
Old Californio – Sundrunk Angels
Jonathan Wilson – Gentle Spirit

Tim:
Frank Fairfield- Out On The Open West
Bon Iver – Bon Iver
Fleet Foxes- Helplessness Blues
Gillian Welch- Harvest and the Harrow
Pokey LaFarge and The South City Three- Middle of Everywhere

TAB:
Portugal. The Man – In the Mountain and the Cloud
Dawes – Nothing Is Wrong
Middle Brother – Middle Brother
Jonny Corndawg – Down on the Bikini Line
My Morning Jacket – Circuital

Kandia:
Josh T. Pearson- Last of the Country Gentlemen
Alana Amram & the Rough Gems- Snow Shadows: Songs of Vince Martin
Kentucky HeadHunters- Dixie Lullabies
Jonathan Wilson- Gentle Spirit /
The White Buffalo- The Lost & Found EP

Stian:
The Decemberists – The King is Dead
Dawes – Nothing is Wrong
Jonathan Wilson – Gentle Spirit
Bright Eyes – The People’s Key
Wilco – The Whole Love

Nick:
Sunny Sweeney – Concrete
The Pistol Annie’s – Hell on Heels
Johnny Corndawg – Down On The Bikini Line
Glen Campbell – Ghost On The Canvas
Dale Watson – The Sun Sessions

Honorable Mentions:
Civil Wars- Barton Hollow
Robert Ellis- Photographs (New West)
Bonnie ‘Prince” Billy – Wolfroy Goes To Town
Megafaun- S/T
Fruit Bats-Tripper

Top 5 Albums That We “Discovered”, “Rediscovered” or “Came To Fully Appreciate” In 2011:

Jody:
Tom T. Hall- Songs of Fox Hollow
John Prine- Bruised Orange
Old Crow Medicine Show- O.C.M.S.
Nina Simone- At the Village Gate
Dr. Feelgood- Down by the Jetty

Bryan:
Barry Goldberg’s self-titled Atco album (1973), produced by Bob Dylan and Jerry Wexler
Ruthann Friedman – Constant Companion (1968) (and Hurried Life, her collection of previously unreleased demos, home recordings, and lost songs circa 1965-1970)
Wheedle’s Groove – Seattle’s Finest in Funk & Soul, 1965-1975 (Light In The Attic reissue) (the dvd is cool too!)
Andy Roberts – Homegrown (1970)
20 Great Country Recordings Of The 50′s And 60′s (70s import LP on Cascade Records - I found an old cassette I’d made of it from more than thirty years ago) – featuring great old nuggets by Willie Nelson, George Jones, Johnny Dollar, Glen Barber and many more

Tim:
Bruce Molsky- Soon Be Time
Cahalen Morrison and Eli West- The Holy Coming of the Storm
Walking In The Sunlight – Walking In The Sunlight
Doc Boggs- Doc Boggs, Smithsonian Folkway Archives
Breathe Owl Breathe- Magic Central

TAB:
Professor Longhair – Crawfish Fiesta
All of Roger Miller
Todd Snider – East Nashville Skyline
Justin Townes Earle – Harlem River Blues
Billy Bragg and Wilco – Mermaid Avenue

Kandia:
Willie Wright- Telling the Truth
Brett Detar- Bird In the Tangle
Stone Coal White- Stone Coal White
Mickey Newbury- An American Trilogy
Neal Casal- No Wish To Reminisce

Stian:
Jeff Hanson – Son
The Tyde – Once
Cowboy – 5′ll Getcha Ten
Rick Danko – Rick Danko
Hookfoot – Good Times A Comin’

Nick:
Waylon Jennings- Dreaming My Dreams
Merle Haggard- I Got The Dixie Blues
Emmylou Harris- Elite Hotel
Ry Coder- Show Time
Leon Russell- Back To The Island

Best Concerts of 2011:

Jody: Railroad Revival Tour with Mumford and Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show
Bryan: An intimate acoustic summer evening show by Mike Stinson, in Pamela Des Barres’ backyard, along with a hundred good friends
TAB: Middle Brother w/ Jonny Corndawg
Tim: Frank Fairfield impromptu show in my backyard Oakland, Ca before
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass or Gillian Welch Henry Miller Library Santa Cruz
Kandia: “Gett Off: Meshell Ndegeocello Covers Prince” @ Highline Ballroom, NYC
Stian: Bright Eyes at Debaser Medis in Stockholm February 16th 2011 with First Aid Kit as support.

Top 5 Album Covers of 2011 (chosen by Mitra)

Jonathan Wilson – Gentle Spirit

Johnny Corndawg – Down on the Bikini Line

Gillian Welch – THe Harrow and The Harvest

Iron and Wine – Kiss Each Other Clean

Laura Veirs – Tmblr Bee