- The Dime – Brickyard Cove (Corner Store Music Group)
- Eligh & Amplive – Therapy At 3 (LRG)
- GQ – Trouble Man (Jamla)
- Headnodic – Red Line Radio (Brick)
- Hopie – Dulce Vita (S/R)
- Kev Choice – The Power of Choice (S/R)
- Mistah F.A.B. – I’ve Found My Backpack 2: The Lost Notebook (Faeva Afta)
- Moe Green – Lionheart EP (S/R)
- Otayo Dubb – Cold Piece of Work (Beatrock Music)
- Trackademicks – State of the Arts (HNRL)
- Zion I & the Grouch – Heroes in the Healing of the Nation (Z & G Music)
Ion’s Top 20 Hip Hop Albums of 2011
- Apathy – Honkey Kong (Dirty Version)
- Big K.R.I.T. – Return of 4eva (S/R)
- Classified – Hand Shakes and Middle Fingers (HalfLife)
- Cunninlynguists – Oneirology (RBC)
- Drake – Take Care (Young Money)
- The Doppelgangaz – Lone Sharks (Groggy Pack)
- Eligh & Amplive – Therapy At 3 (LRG)
- Elzhi & Will Sessions – Elmatic (Jae B. Group)
- Grieves – Together/Apart (Rhymesayers)
- Hail Mary Mallon – Are You Gonna Eat That? (Rhymesayers)
- Kendrick Lamar – Section.80 (Top Dawg)
- Open Mike Eagle – Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes (Hellfyre Club)
- Pharoahe Monch – W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) (Duck Down)
- Phonte – Charity Starts at Home (Hard Boiled)
- Reks – R.E.K.S. (Showoff)
- The Roots – Undun (Def Jam)
- Saigon – The Greatest Story Never Told (Suburban Noize)
- Shabazz Palaces – Black Up (Sub Pop)
- Tech N9ne – All 6’s & 7’s (Strange Music)
- yU – The Earn (Mello Music Group)
Ion’s Top 20 Everything Else Albums of 2011
- Adele – 21 (XL)
- Ambrose Akinmusire – When the Heart Emerges Glistening (Blue Note)
- Marsha Ambrosius – Late Nights & Early Mornings (J)
- Bon Iver – S/T (4AD)
- Charles Bradley – No Time for Dreaming (Daptone)
- Chase & Status – No More Idols (Mercury)
- Destroyer – Kaputt (Merge)
- Florence & the Machine – Ceremonials (Universal Island)
- Frank Ocean – Nostalgia, Ultra. (S/R)
- Giraffes? Giraffes! – Pink Magick (S/R)
- M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming (Naive)
- Nero – Welcome Reality (Mercury)
- SBTRKT – S/T (Young Turks)
- Jill Scott – The Light of the Sun (Warner Bros)
- Sepalcure – S/T (Hotflush)
- 65daysofstatic – Silent Running (Dustpunk)
- Thundercat – The Golden Age of Apocalypse (Brainfeeder)
- Tycho – Dive (Ghostly Int’l)
- Washed Out – Within and Without (Sub Pop)
- The Weeknd – House of Balloons (S/R)
Ion’s WOW (Whackyourheadupside-Overthetop-Wickedepic) Tracks of 2011
- Adele – “Turning Tables”
- Ambassadeurs – “M.O.P.E.”
- Avicii – “Levels”
- BT & Adam K – “Tomahawk”
- James Blake – “A Case of You” (Joni Mitchell cover)
- Burial – “Street Halo”
- Chase & Status – “Brixton Briefcase (feat. Cee-Lo)”
- Far Too Loud – “Moneymaker”
- Gonjasufi – “Change (Shlohmo Remix)”
- Ellie Goulding – “Lights (Bassnectar Remix)”
- Hudson Mohawke – “Thank You”
- J*Davey – “Queen of Wonderland (feat. Thundercat)”
- Jamie xx – “Far Nearer”
- Eric Prydz – “2Night”
- Random Axe – “Monster Babies”
- Salva – “Wake Ups”
- Teebs – “While You Dooooo”
- Thundercat – “Boat Cruise”
- Amon Tobin – “Goto 10”
- Tyler the Creator – “Yonkers”
Ion’s Favorite Moments as a KALX DJ in 2011
- Gil Scott-Heron tribute show during Yo! KALX Raps – May 30th
- DNAE Beats live set on my show – May 31st
- Phillipdrummond and FLO live freestyle – July 19th
- Meklit Hadero in studio live performance – September 27th
- Fundraiser show with This Mutha – October 25th
- Zombie-themed Midnight Express show – October 21st
- Fundraiser show as a pitcher for Sergio – October 30th
- Lateef the Truthspeaker interview – November 15th
- Baby Jaymes phone interview – November 29th
- Denise Sullivan interview – December 13th
…and many thanks to all the guests, DJs and listeners involved the past year!
