(Today, we continue our countdown of the top 20 albums of 2011 so far.  For previous entries in the series, click here.)

10. tUnE-yArDs – w h o k i l l

Over the past 5 years, there has been an ongoing effort in the indie music community (led by Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear and others) to meld classical pop music with the avant-garde.  Merrill Garbus’ uke-and-loop project tUnE-yArDs created something of a landmark in this synthesis with this year’s w h o k i l l, a record layered with expressive vocals, tribal percussion, and melodic clarity.  It will make you jump, scream, dance, run, and finally surrender in exhaustion and delight. -LVL

tUnE-yArDs – “Powa”

tUnE-yArDs – “Bizness”

9. Frank Ocean – nostalgia, ULTRA

On his phenomenal debut, soulful singer and low-key rapper Frank Ocean is ultra-nostalgic for classic cars, mixtapes on cassette, videogames, Stanley Kubrick films, and above all, classic pop music, with samples from The Eagles, Coldplay, Radiohead, and MGMT. In the hands of the 23-year-old Ocean, the elder statesman of the hip-hop collective Odd Future, what could be a bad karaoke night is the booty album of the year. And the fans agree. The FP review of Nostalgia ULTRA is our most popular post of all time. Do yourself a favor and download this album for free while supplies last.  -KM

Frank Ocean – “Songs For Women”

Frank Ocean – “Swim Good”

8. Shabazz Palaces – Black Up

Ishmael Butler, formerly of Digable Planets, shows us that the new school of rap doesn’t have to be run by sophomoric teenagers or depressed twenty-somethings. Shabazz Palaces’ debut Black Up is a refreshing blend of empowering introverted yet idiosyncratic lyrics and well traveled, menacing production. The result is a positive rebuttal to the haters of the current scene and a wake-up call for the navel gazing hip-hop stars of today. -PL

Shabazz Palaces (feat. Jean Grae) – “swerve…the reeping of all that is worthwhile (noir not withstanding)

Shabazz Palaces – “a treatease dedicated to the avian airess from northeast nubis (1000 questions, 1 answer)

7. Fucked Up – David Comes to Life

This record inspired me to write a 2-part, 3,300-word column on the history of ambition in punk rock.  So, you know, it must be pretty good. -LVL

Fucked Up – “Queen of Hearts”

Fucked Up – “The Other Shoe”

6. Battles – Gloss Drop

The experimental post-rock masters returned in 2011 with a bar-raising effort that defies words and defines sounds. Gloss Drop isn’t so much of an album as it is a freakish battle between boundless technical skill and pop accessibility. While there’s no clear winner in the end, Battles once again have made incomprehensible talent enormously fun. -PL

Battles (ft. Matias Aguayo) – “Ice Cream”

Battles – “White Electric”