Photo credit: Imelda, http://www.flickr.com/photos/imelda/6630512817/
I am the proud CEO of Flypaper Media, a London-based music management company representing various musical acts, and brand marketing agency that advises fashion and lifestyle brands on how to integrate music into their digital and marketing strategy. As such, it is part of our job to keep a finger on the pulse of today’s best music and talent.
We thought we’d put together a list of the artists who released excellent music in 2011. Some you will recognize and others you’ll hear for the first time (that’s the point!). There is a bit of everything – rock, hip hop, crooner, electronic and piano – and it’s in no particular order; but we’ve avoided the obvious top-40 commercial albums like Adele, Jay Z, and Rihanna: You can find those anywhere.
If you want to keep up to date with new sounds over 2012, just subscribe to our “New & Noteworthy” Spotify playlists, which is updated regularly, or any of our other Spotify playlists. In addition, you can subscribe to my facebook profile as I post new music daily.
Enjoy the music!
1. CIVIL WARS “BARTON HOLLOW”
Top Tracks: “Poison & Wine” and “Barton Hollow”
2. RADIOHEAD “KING OF LIMBS”
Top Tracks: “Lotus Flower” and “Separator”
3. CAPITAL CITIES “CAPITAL CITIES”
Top Tracks: “Safe and Sound” and “Center Stage”, also check out their recent cover of Madonna’s “Holiday“.
4. YOUTH LAGOON “THE YEAR OF HIBERNATION”
Top Tracks: “Cannons” and “Afternoon”
5. WASHED OUT “WITHIN AND WITHOUT”
Top Tracks: “Amor Fati” and “Eyes Be Closed”
6. MIDDLE BROTHER “MIDDLE BROTHER”
Top Tracks: “Blue Eyes” and “Daydreaming”
7. JAMES BLAKE “ENOUGH THUNDER”
Top Tracks: “Limit to your Love” and “The Wilhelm Scream”
8. BON IVER “BON IVER”
Top Tracks: “Towers” and “Calgary”
9. OTHER LIVES “TAMER ANIMALS”
Top Tracks: “Tamer Animals” and “For 12″
10. FLEET FOXES “HELPLESSNESS BLUES”
Top Tracks: “Montezuma” and “Bedouin Dress”
11. ANE BRUN “A TEMPORARY DIVE”
Top Tracks: “Big in Japan” and “True Colors”
12. FIREFOX AK “COLOR THE TREES”
Top Track: “Meet Me There” and “Boom Boom Boom”
13. ED SHEERAN “+”
Top Tracks: “The A Team” and “Lego House”
14. METRIC “FANTASIES”
Top Tracks: “Gimme Sympathy” and “Gold Guns Guns”
15. WOODKID “IRON”
Top Tracks: “Iron” and “Brooklyn”
16. ARCHITECTURE IN HELSKINKI “MOMENT BENDS”
Top Tracks: “Escape” and “Contact High”
17. JONAS ALASKA “JONAS ALASKA”
Top Tracks: “October” and “In the Backseat”
18. BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
Top Tracks: “Sweetest Kill” and “World Sick”
19. BLITZEN TRAPPER “AMERICAN GOLDWING”
Top Track: “Might Find it Cheap” and “Love the Way You Walk Away”
20. ADALINE “MODERN ROMANTICS”
Top Tracks: “Say Goodbye (I Won’t Even)” and “That’s What You Do Best”
21. CIDER SKY “KING”
Top Tracks: “Northern Lights” (made famous by the Twilight: Breaking Dawn soundtrack) and “Pieces”
22. PETE LAWRIE “A LITTLE BRIGHTER”
Top Tracks: “In the End” and “All That We Keep”; and if you like that, download his free SoundCloud mixtape, A Little Darker by petelawrie.
23. BEN HOWARD “EVERY KINGDOM”
Top Tracks: “Old Pine” and “The Fear”
24. CHAD VANCAALEN “DIAPER ISLAND”
Top Tracks: “Sara” and “Do Not Fear”
25. NICOLAS JAAR “SPACE IS ONLY NOISE”
Top Tracks: “Space is Only Noise if you can see” and “Colomb”
26. JAPANESE POPSTARS “CONTROLLING YOUR ALLEGIANCE”
Top Tracks: “Shells Of Silver” and “Song for Lisa”
27. MARLON ROUDETTE “MATTER FIXED”
Top Tracks: “Hold on Me” and “New Age” – recognize the voice from Mattafix?
28. THE DUKE SPIRIT “BRUISER”
Top Tracks: “Don’t Wait” and “Cherry Tree”
29. STATELESS “MATILDA”
Top Tracks: “Ariel” and “I’m On Fire”
30. FRIENDLY FIRES “PALA”
Top Tracks: “Paris” and “Hawaiian Air”
31. THE BELLE BRIGADE “THE BELLE BRIGADE”
Top Tracks: “I Didn’t Mean It” (made famous by the Twilight: Breaking Dawn soundtrack) and “Losers”
32. WE ARE AUGUSTINES “RISE YE SUNKEN SHIPS”
Top Tracks: “Chapel Song” and “Book of James”
33. WHITE HINTERLAND “KAIROS”
Top Tracks: “Icarus” and “Moon Jam”
34. TUNE-YARDS “WHOKILL”
Top Tracks: “Business” and “Gangsta”
35. SAVOIR ADORE “IN THE WOODED FOREST”
Top Tracks: “Bodies” and “Dreamers”
36. ANTHEM FACILITY “TRACE”
Top Tracks: “Trace” and “Left to Defend”
37. HOUSSE DE RACKET “ALESIA”
Top Tracks: “Roman” and “Chateau”
38. BAXTER DURY “HAPPY SOUP”
Top Tracks: “Isabel” and “Claire”
39. SERENADES “CRIMINAL HEAVEN”
Top Tracks: “Come Home” and “Birds”
40. SLEEPING AT LAST “YEARBOOK”
Top Tracks: “Turning Page” and “Homesick”
41. THE BOXER REBELLION “THE COLD STILL”
Top Tracks: “No Harm” and “The Runner”
42. JARROD GORBEL “BRUISES FROM YOUR BAD DREAMS”
Top Tracks: “I’ll Do Better” and “Miserable Without You”
43. KYLA LA GRANGE “WALK THROUGH WALLS”
Top Tracks: “Heavy Stone” and “Been Better”; she performed at the British Fashion Awards and is blowing up!
44. BIRDY “BIRDY”
Top Tracks: “Skinny Love” and “Shelter”
45. LAURA MARLING “A CREATURE I DON’T KNOW”
Top Tracks: “The Muse” and “It was Just a Card”
46. CITY AND COLOR “LITTLE HELL”
Top Tracks: “We Found Each Other in the Dark” and “Fragile Bird”
47. FLORENCE + THE MACHINE “CEREMONIALS”
Top Tracks: “Shake it Out” ( also check out the Benny Benassi remix) and “Only If For a Night”
49. ALEXANDER “ALEXANDER”
Top Tracks: “Truth” and “A Millon Years”
50. MUMFORD & SONS “DELUXE COMPANION”
Top Tracks: “The Cave” and “White Blank Page”
51. FOSTER THE PEOPLE “TORCHES”
Top Tracks: “Pumped Up Kicks” and “Helena Beat”
52. PLANET FUNK “THE GREAT SHAKE”
Top Tracks: “Another Sunrise” and “The Great Shake”
53. MOTOPONY “MOTOPONY”
Top Tracks: “King of Diamonds” and “Wait for Me”
54. KEATON HENSON “YOU DON’T KNOW HOW LUCKY YOU ARE”
Top Tracks: “You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are“, “Straw Bear” and “Don’t Be Afraid”
55. TV ON THE RADIO “NINE TYPES OF LIGHT”
Top Tracks: “Wolf Like Me” and “Will Do”
56. AGESANDAGES “ALRIGHT YOU RESTLESS”
Top Tracks: “No Nostalgia” and “Alright You Restless”
57. FINK “PERFECT DARKNESS”
Top Tracks: “Perfect Darkness” and “Honesty”
58. GOTYE “MAKING MIRRORS”
Top Tracks: “Making Mirrors” and “Eyes Wide Open”
59. LIFE IN FILM “I’M SORRY I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO”
Top Tracks: “Get Closer” and “I’m Sorry I Didn’t Know What To Do”
60. JULIANNA BARWICK “THE MAGIC PLACE”
Top Tracks: “Envelop” and “Keep Up The Good Work”
61. THE RIFLES “FREEDOM RUN”
Top Tracks: “Tangled Up in Love” and “Sweetest Thing”
62. RICHARD ASHCROFT “UNITED NATIONS OF SOUND”
Top Tracks: “Are you Ready” and “She Brings Me the Music”; you’ll recognise him as frontman of British drone-pop band The Verve.
63. TORO Y MOI “UNDERNEATH THE PINE”
Top Tracks: “New Beat” and “All Alone”
64. TELEKINESIS “12 DESPERATE STRAIGHT LINES”
Top Tracks: “Please Ask for Help” and “You Turn Clear in the Sun”
65. THE STRANGE BOYS “LIVE MUSIC”
Top Tracks: “Me and You” and “Two By Two”
66. JAMIE WOON “MIRRORWRITING”
Top Tracks: “Night Air” and “Shoulda”
67. OLIVIA BROADFIELD “THIS BEAUTIFUL WAR”
Top Tracks: “Daydreams” and “Say”
68. THE WAR ON DRUGS “SLAVE AMBIENT”
Top Tracks: “Best Night” and “Brothers”
69. TIN SPARROW “FROM THE SUN”
Top Tracks: “For you” and “Eileen”
70. FRITZ AND THE TANTRUMS “BREAKIN’ THE CHAINS OF LOVE”
Top Tracks: “Breakin’ the Chains of Love” and “Dear Mr. President”
71. SEPALCURE “SEPALCURE”
Top Tracks: “Me” and “Pencil Pimp”
72. KATIE HERZIG “THE WAKING SLEEP”
Top Tracks: “ Lost and Found” and “Free My Mind”
73. MISS LI “BEATS & BRUISES”
Top Tracks: “I Can’t Get You Off My Mind” and “You Could Have It (So Much Better Without Me)”
74. BAND OF SKULLS “BABY DARLING DOLLFACE HONEY”
Top Tracks: “I Know What I Am” and “Death by Diamonds and Pearls”
75. MAYER HAWTHORNE “HOW DO YOU DO”
Top Tracks: “The Walk” and “No Strings”
76. SBTRKT “SBTRKT”
Top Tracks: “Wildfire” and “Hold On”
77. AGNES OBEL “PHILHARMONICS”
Top Tracks: “Riverside” and “Brother Sparrow”
78. WILD FLAG “WILD FLAG”
Top Tracks: “Romance” and “Something Came Over Me”
79. THURSTON MOORE “DEMOLISHED THOUGHTS”
Top Tracks: “Benediction” and “Illuminine”
80. FRUIT BATS “TRIPPER”
Top Tracks: “So Long” and “You’re Too Weird”
81. TENNIS “CAPE DORY”
Top Tracks: “Marathon” and “Take Me Somewhere”
82. KAKKMADDAFAKKA “HEST”
Top Tracks: “Restless” and “Your Girl”
83. OK SWEETHEART “HOME”
Top Tracks: “Home” and “All We Have”
84. KENDRICK LAMAR “A.D.H.D”
Top Tracks: “A.D.H.D” and “Hol’Up”
85. THE ELECTED “BURY ME IN MY RINGS”
Top Tracks: “BabyFace” and “Look At Me Now”
86. RELEASE THE SUNBIRD “COME BACK TO US”
Top Tracks: “It’s All Around You” and “Come Back To Us”
87. THE RAPTURE “IN THE GRACE OF YOUR LOVE”
Top Tracks: “How Deep is Your Love” and “Sail Away”
88. GRAMATIK “BEATZ & PIECES VOL.1″
Top Tracks: “So Much for Love” and “While I Was Playin’ Fair”
89. WIDOWSPEAK “WIDOWSPEAK”
Top Tracks: “Wicked Game” and “Harsh Realm”
90. ARAABMUZIK “ELECTRONIC DREAM”
Top Tracks: “Electronic Dream” and “Streetz Tonight”
91. GENERATIONALS “ACTOS-CASTER”
Top Tracks: “Ten-Twenty-Ten” and “Dirty Mister Dirty”
92. RIZZLE KICKS “STEREO TYPICAL”
Top Tracks: “Down With The Trumpets” and “When I Was Younger”
93. HOLY GHOST “HOLY GHOST”
Top Tracks: “Holy Ghost” and “Jam for Jerry”
94. SANDRO PERRI “IMPOSSIBLE SPACES”
Top Tracks: “Changes” and “Love & Light”
95. THEOPHILUS LONDON “TIMEZ ARE WEIRD THESE DAYS”
Top Tracks: “I Stand Alone” and “Neighbors”
96. CULTS “CULTS”
Top Tracks: “You Know What I Mean” and “Go Outside”
97. KATE BUSH “50 WORDS FOR SNOW”
Top Tracks: “Snowflake” and “Lake Tahow”
98. CUT COPY “ZONOSCOPE”
Top Tracks: “Need You Now” and “Where I’m Going”
99. LITTLE DRAGON “RITUAL UNION”
Top Tracks: “Ritual Union” and “Twice”
100. BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWHICH “LAST SMOKE BEFORE THE SNOWSTORM”
Top Tracks: “Atlas Hands” and “Pictures”
101. ACRYLICS “LIVES & TREASURES”
Top Tracks: “Counting Sheep” and “All of the Fire”
102. PSYCHOLOGIST “PROPELLER”
Top Tracks: “Comes in Waves” and “1:1″
103. PANDA BEAR “TOMBOY”
Top Tracks: “Last Night At The Jetty” and “You Can Count On Me”
104. DJ QUICK “KILLER DOPE”
Top Tracks: “Killer Dope” and “Fandango”
105. GANG GANG DANCE “EYE CONTACT”
Top Tracks: “Glass Jar” and “Adult Goth”
106. AMOS LEE “MISSION BELL”
Top Tracks: “Windows Are Rolled Down” and “El Camino”
107. DIEGO GARCIA “LAURA”
Top Tracks: “Inside My Heart” and “You Were Never There”
108. ATLAST SOUND “PARALLAX”
Top Tracks: “The Shakes” and “Te Amo”
109. KURT VILE “SMOKE RING FOR MY HALO”
Top Tracks: “Jesus Fever” and “Puppet to the Man”
110. SHABAZZ PALACES “BLACK UP”
Top Tracks: “An Echo From The Hosts That Profess Infinitum” and “Free Press And Curl”
111. EMA “PAST LIFE MARTYRED SAINTS”
Top Tracks: “The Grey Ship” and “California”
112. ST. VINCENT “STRANGE MERCY”
Top Tracks: “Cruel” and “Cheerleader”
113. REAL ESTATE “DAYS”
Top Tracks: “It’s Real” and “Easy”
114. DRAKE “TAKE CARE”
Top Tracks: “Take Care” and “Headlines”
115. PJ HARVEY “LET ENGLAND SHAKE”
Top Tracks: “Let England Shake” and “The World That Maketh Murder”
116. M83 “HURRY UP WE’RE DREAMING”
Top Tracks: “Midnight City” and “Reunion”
117. DESTROYER “KAPUTT”
Top Tracks: “Chinatown” and “Kaputt”
118. GIRLS “FATHER, SON, HOLY GHOST”
Top Tracks: “Honey Bunny” and “Alex”
119. TUNE-YARDS “BIZNESS”
Top Tracks: “Bizness” and “Gangsta”
120. THE KOOKS “JUNK OF THE HEART”
Top Tracks: “Junk of the Heart” and “How’d You Like That”
121. ELBOW “BUILD A ROCKET BOYS!”
Top Tracks: “Lippy Kids” and “The Birds”
122. THE DECEMBERISTS “THE KING IS DEAD”
Top Track: “Rox in the Box”
123. THE STAVES “MEXICO”
Top Tracks: “Mexico” and “I Try”
124. WYE OAK “CIVILIAN”
Top Tracks: “Civilian” and “Two Small Deaths”
125. MOGWAI “HARDCORE WILL NEVER DIE, BUT YOU WILL”
Top Tracks: “White Noise” and “Get to France”
126. AIDAN MOFFAT & BILL WELLS “EVERYTHING’S GETTING OLDER”
Top Tracks: “The Copper Top” and “Let’s Stop Here”
127. YUCK “YUCK”
Top Tracks: “The Wall” and “Get Away”
128. METRONOMY “THE ENGLISH RIVIERA”
Top Tracks: “The Look” and “The Bay”
129. PISTOL ANNIES “HELL ON HEELS”
Top Tracks: “Hell on Heels” and “Boys from the South”
130. JOHN MAUS “WE MUST BECOME THE PITILESS CENSORS OF OURSELVES”
Top Tracks: “Hey Moon” and “Street Light”
131. THE HORRORS “SKYING”
Top Tracks: “Still Life” and “Changing The Rain”
132. WILCO “THE WHOLE LOVE”
Top Tracks: “Art of Almost” and “Dawned on Me”
133. HYPE WILLIAMS “ONE NATION”
Top Tracks: “Unfaithful” and “Businessline”
134. NOAH AND THE WHALE “LAST NIGHT ON EARTH”
Top Tracks: “Lifegoeson” and “Tonight’s the Kind of Night”
135. GLASVEGAS “EUPHORIC / HEARTBREAK”
Top Tracks: “Euphoria, Take My Hand” and “Lots Sometimes”
