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You Can't Hear it on the Radio is a blog about the current golden age of music. At no time since the 1960s has there been such an output of quality music by so many varied artists. Add to that technology that makes it easier than ever for the curious to find good music today. But, like an unlimited selection at an all-you-can-eat buffet, there's no table service. You will have to seek it out. The old model is dead. Generally speaking, you can't hear it on the radio. You can learn about it here though.

Steve: Noah, it seems like 2011 was an amazing year for music; when I started organizing my best-of list I found I had around 25 albums that I felt really strongly about as representing the best the year had to offer. 16 of those fall into the Great category for me, and the remainder are at the top of my Really Good list.

In all I listened to (and ranked) 90 albums from 2011. In addition, there were two albums I felt I had to disqualify from the ranking, and about seven EPs that I really enjoyed but generally exclude from stuff like this. It's difficult to place 2011 in the context of other recent years musically - as you know, I believe we're living in a golden age - but the one thing that stands out to me this year is how varied great music is lately. Something like Fleet Foxes stands next to harder edged stuff like The Kills, and singer-songwritery stuff like Adele, and the only thing they have in common is that they're excellent.

Music is becoming genre-less, and approaching it with open ears can lead in all sorts of directions. What are your initial impressions of the year?

Noah: Well, I'm nowhere near as prolific a listener as you are, with only 44 albums on my overall list. I did have eight on my Great list, ten on my Really Good list, and seven on my Good list.

But I'm with you on genres not seeming to matter as much. We've discussed this before - my taste is probably a bit narrower than yours, but I still have Fleet Foxes and Handsome Furs not far apart on my list - two albums that could not sound more different.

I agree with your golden age assessment and at this point, my only disappointment is that we aren't seeing a return to the old days of bands releasing albums more frequently.

Steve: It would be nice if some bands were more prolific - and therefore more experimental, I think - but I also think you can overdo it. Some bands really do need to disappear for two to three years before I'm ready to hear from them again. It's such a crowded market - and that's not even considering traditional popular music, radio, etc. I don't think, for example, that I need to hear what My Morning Jacket is up to in 2012.

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