A marked shift away from glittery synthpop ladies this year sees a Sound Of 2011 longlist replete with dubstep, witch house… even rock.
It all seems a little less inevitable than in the last two years, when major marketing campaigns have focused on getting particular artists out in front of tastemakers. This is a good thing; the list should be about introducing new acts, not confirming that marketing spend is the be all and end all. There's a nice mix between indies and majors, with some acts already better established than others, but crucially there's variety. It's not all about making a British "scene".
A questionmark over American ladies Warpaint though – their debut album's already out, released through Rough Trade earlier this year. So, excellent though they are, what are they doing on this list? Answers on a postcard. Or in a comment below, if you fancy.
You can catch Domino signing Anna Calvi supporting Interpol at the Brixton Academy this week, meanwhile. She supported Erland And The Carnival last week. Check the review here.
BBC Sound Of 2011 longlist
- James Blake
- Anna Calvi
- Daley
- Esben & the Witch
- Jessie J
- Clare Maguire
- Mona
- The Naked & Famous
- Nero
- Jai Paul
- The Vaccines
- Warpaint
- Jamie Woon (pictured)
- Wretch 32
- Yuck
(From a personal point of view, all three of my choices made it to the longlist this time. Yay.)
