We've often said that a great music scene needs a great radio station to thrive. The same could be said for brick and mortar record stores. Our friends at Vintage Vinyl and Euclid Records prove that every day.

Here's my list of top 10 favorite albums and favorite songs of 2011. Enjoy and happy new year!

Steamy summer nights in St. Louis bring many images to mind: baseball games, Budweiser, melted ice cream, sweat and sold-out, indie, neo-folk shows. OK, perhaps the last bit is a little more uncommon but this was reality for last night at the Pageant.

A sold-out Pageant welcomed Alela Diane & Wild Divine with the Fleet Foxes last night, Tuesday, July 19.

While neo-folk can seem too brambly, slipshod and unrehearsed in the hands of many, thankfully, there are artists like Alela Diane to imbue the style with a gentle preciosity and vivid, dreamlike structure.

Fleet Foxes' sophomore album, Helplessness Blues, delivers '60s pop and folk-influenced styling with an honesty that one might expect upon hearing the title. It more than lives up to its hype and is a fitting follow-up to the band's 2008 self-titled release.

Record Store Day is this Saturday. St. Louis indie record shops are offering nice discounts, live bands, DJs and an avalanche of one-of-a-kind releases. A to Z has a handy roundup of local events and offerings.

The Newport Folk Festival announces stunning lineup. Highlights include: Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, the Decemberists, Emmylou Harris and Elvis Costello.