I used to blog about music, but I quit, because I realized how little I like reading music blogs. Why add one more?

I’ve left myself one music blogging indulgence, though: the year-end lists. I love year-end music lists, like this one. I used to pilfer these lists in January and get caught up on all of the previous year’s music. Then I decided to make myself into a more proactive music consumer and to measure that standard by my ability to assemble my own list in December. This is my third set of lists.

This list has the added benefit of being something of a collaboration with my musical compatriot, Landon. The two of us text one another music recommendations a couple of times a week, and so we decided to share our year-end lists as well. Here’s the link to Landon’s top 5 song list.

Two lists, then, both of them super short: top 5 songs and top 5 albums of the year. This post is the songs.

1. “Country Clutter” by Dolorean

“You know good n’ well/the way you treated me.”

It’s been my go-to since it came out in January.

2. “How Dare You?” by Thao and Mirah

“I swear it happens better/when it happens again.”

I listened to this about 15 times during a July trip to San Diego and back.

3. “We Don’t Eat” by James Vincent McMorrow

“We don’t drink until the Devil’s turned to dust.”

Landon and I actually discovered this one together when he was in CA last January. It stuck all year.

4. “Don’t Move” by Phantogram

“I’m not your drinking problem.”

This track is the perfect length for my commute to the church.

5. “Bye Bye Baby” by Hayes Carll (skip ahead to 0.50 for the start of the song)

“You kissed my hand and said you were beside me.”

What can I say? I’m a sucker for a banjo.

That these are my favorite songs of the year simply means that these are the ones I listened to most often, the ones I sought out, either by skipping to that song in my car or navigating to it on MOG or Rdio. There’s a much longer list of great tracks from 2011, and I’m happy to share that, but the fun of this exercise is having to choose five.

What are your top tracks from this year?

Watch here tomorrow for the top 5 albums of the year.