BBC Sound of 2011

[YI]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/soundof/2011/

Long list;

Anna Calvi

Clare Maguire

Daley

Esben & The Witch

Jai Paul

James Blake

Jamie Woon

Jessie J

Mona

Nero

The Naked & Famous

The Vaccines

Warpaint

Wretch 32

Yuck

So according to this we're going to get a year of fuzzy/boring as shit indie rock (Yuck/Vaccines/Warpaint), dull pop acts and the most annoying bitch known to man (Jessie J). Backing The Naked & Famous, because the album's legit good. Just sound like MGMT though (listen to "Punching A Dream" on the BBC site, and tell me that's not the vocal line from "Kids" ). Outsite of the 3 'fuzz' indie rock bands, they're the only other artist I have any idea who they are. That Daley sounds like he has potential and I like the Nero song, but it's just your regular D&B/Dubstep stuff, not going to get anywhere.

Vaccines are winning.

[Gazz]

Nero look like Jacob and The Man In Black from 'Lost'... :/

[Benji]

Judging by previous winners this looks more like a list of contenders for "artists you don't mind hearing on the radio but would almost definately not pay attention to getting the album" rather than a sound that defines a year.

[YI]

Yes, but the majority of the longlist (there's always a few that fall through the cracks) generally makes up the bulk of that year's new pop sound/direction (even if the bands themselves don't get popular).

[METALMAN]

Usually I've heard of a few of these but only one I know this time round is Warpaint, who I don't even know especially well.

Would dispute the point you made about acts from the list shaping the year's pop sound. The likes of Marina & the Diamonds, Potatoface Goulding and Daisy Dares You(lol) weren't really reflected in the styles of Taio Cruz, Black Eyed Peas, N-Dubz, Tinchy Stryder et al. Giggs and Devlin perhaps though.

[Colly]

Meh, if nothing else I liked the first Vaccines single, but then I'm of the age where 'Strokes-ey' is a very good adjective...

[RPS]

James Blake is amazing.

[Pesci]

Just had a listen to them all. I didn't recognise any of their names but I recognised a few of the tracks from Radio 1.

Anna Calvi and Esben were a bit too boring/pretentious for my liking. Won't do it for me. James Blake has potential but I thought his song got annoying about a minute in. Jamie Woon was ok, but a bit slow and not something I'd really listen to. Clare Maguire was innofensive but she's not gonna be setting the world on fire. Daley seemed alright. Jai Paul was meh.

I think I found everybody in the second half of the alphabet more interesting - that Naked and Famous song is awesome. Mona and Wretch would go into the "okay" column for me, Nero was pretty good for what it was, and I can imagine I'd quite like The Vaccines and Yuck if their music was a bit more polished, production wise. Quite liked Warpaint.

Jessie J is a cunt, though I didn't mind the rhythm. It was more the lyrics I had a problem with. Any white bird who says "mandem" should probably just be shot.

I'll have to check out Naked and Famous' album... but them or Warpaint to win for me.

[Jimmy]

I do like Jessie J's single, but that list is a bit bland. Wretch 32 has an awful song that Zane Lowe was getting behind on Radio 1. Out of interest, what was the list last year? Did any of the predictions come true?

[Pesci]

It had Ellie Goulding on it, and obviously she's done quite well. Marina and The Diamonds, who did alright I guess, commercially speaking (her album was awesome though). Owl City was obviously fairly big towards the first half of the year but he was always going to make it and everyone knew that, which is probably why he didn't win it... I don't even think he came in the top 3? Devlin's kind of becoming big now, I guess.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8395789.stm - that's the list, nobody's really been a runaway success like Lady Gaga the year before.

[Lowerdeck]

Usually I've heard of a few of these but only one I know this time round is Warpaint, who I don't even know especially well.

ditto

And James Blake to me is a tennis player.

[Jimmy]

Completely support the addition of Warpaint on that list. I just gave them a listen and they're pretty good. Though, after some hype from friends and magazines, I was kind of disappointed with The Vaccines; just sounded very underwhelming.

[RPS]

James Blake is amazing.

I heard you can acquire James Blake new album some places on the internet. It's a very fantastic album, and he'll probably blow up pretty big soon, so get it before your friends do so you can look cool.

[YI]

5. Clare Maguire

4. Jamie Woon

Big bag a meh. I really want to like Jamie Woon, he's basically just doing a similar sort of thing to Electric President, so the idea this might get popular really excites me...but fuck if he doesn't sing like a bloody annoying warbling Craig David and instantly ruins it all.

99.9% sure James Blake and Vaccines will be on there, and logic dictates Jessie J too...which would make it a fucking awful top 5. I have Blake's album, but I just don't see it/hear it, yeah it's different and he clearly has some talent, but even though I like some minimalist stuff, it's a bit fucking shit.

For those who care, the Yuck album has leaked too. Contemplating whether to get it or not. Did nothing for me when I saw them supporting Modest Mouse. Although the drummer's afro is awesome.

Edited January 5, 2011 by YI

[YI]

3. The Vaccines

2. James Blake

Can't really see anyone but Jessie J winning this (although Esben & The Witch could be an outside shot)...and christ that's depressing.

Edited January 6, 2011 by YI

[Jimmy]

I thought they announced the winner ages ago? In which case it was

Jessie J.

With Blake 2nd and Vaccines 3rd

[YI]

That was the Critics Choice at the BRIT Awards. Winner of this is announced tomorrow, although it will probably just end up the same as the BRIT's.

[Jimmy]

Ah, I follow you. I didn't used to mine 'Do It Like A Dude', but I can't put Jessie J anywhere near the same level as Florence or Ellie Goulding.

[Katsuya]

Jessie J's just awful. Like, seriously awful, that "Do It Like a Dude" is just painful. I was hoping Clare Maguire would win it since I really like the song she's got out now. I mean, there is the chance they'll do some random u-turn and have Jessie J out of the top 5 like the year they put GaGa in 6th, although I'm inclined to believe that was more "she's not from the UK" over anything else.

[Rainiac]

Like a lot of people here, I'm pulling for The Naked & Famous to pull off a shock victory, but in all honesty it's highly unlikely. I too despise Jessie J, but she has the kind of sound that people within the music scene love, so she's taking this. I hope Claire Maguire has a breakout 2011 as well, but given what happened of the No. 3, 4 & 5 acts in last year's listing (i.e. they didn't do much at all), I'm not gonna hold out much hope...