Everyone else seems to be publishing their end of year lists, so we thought we would too. Here, in no particular order, are our favourite 10 albums of 2011 that weren’t released on Sonic Cathedral.

The Horrors ‘Skying’ (XL)
Excellent third album. Like ‘Sons And Fascination’-era Simple Minds crossed with Chapterhouse.

Washed Out ‘Within And Without’ (Weird World)
Chillwave is the worst genre name since nu-gaze and the cover’s awful. Great album though.

Girls ‘Father, Son, Holy Ghost’ (Fantasy Trashcan/Turnstile)
Like Elvis Costello fronting Spiritualized. ‘Vomit’ has got to be the most inappropriately titled song ever.

Balam Acab ‘Wander/Wonder’ (Tri Angle)
The music that should be playing in the Black Lodge in Twin Peaks. Disturbingly beautiful.

Blanck Mass ‘Blanck Mass’ (Rock Action)
Benjamin John Power from Fuck Buttons goes it alone on 10 blissful drones (and a paean to David Icke?)

I Break Horses ‘I Break Horses’ (Bella Union)
Gloriously glacial debut from Swedish duo who first appeared on our Roky Erickson tribute album.

Boris ‘Attention Please’ (Sargent House)
Japanese doom metal types do shoegaze pop brilliantly, but with bite. See also ‘New Album’.

John Maus ‘We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves’ (Upset The Rhythm)
Seriously stirring stuff – like Scott Walker circa ‘Nite Flights’ doing lo-fi synthpop.

Walls ‘Coracle’ (Kompakt)
Like Pantha Du Prince rifling through the 4AD vaults. Sounds great in a flotation tank, apparently.

King Creosote & Jon Hopkins ‘Diamond Mine’ (Double Six)
Just an incredibly affecting, beautiful and heartbreaking record from start to finish.

Have we missed any? Have we got it all wrong? Let us know…