The Future of Music Online 2011

I’m a little (lot) late getting off the mark with this extensive listing this year, I had a backlog of reviews to complete first, also needed to seriously consider my choices for Top 10 albums, took a lot of deliberation to distil the list down to 10, and arrange in correct order of preference; anyway, here goes:


My Top 10 Albums for 2010

1. Crystal Fighters - Star of Love
2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
3. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
4. Marina and the Diamonds - The Family Jewels
5. Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid
6. Girl Talk - All Day
7. Robyn - Body Talk
8. Jaga Jazzist - One-Armed Bandit
9. Jónsi - Go
10. Digitonal - Be Still My Bleeping Heart

10 Musical Trends for 2011

• Artists increasingly releasing multiple format bundles - mixed media, as well as multiple file / music formats (like Radiohead are doing)
• Artists increasingly making ’video album’ alongside music one - to provide enhanced visual environment and better experience for enjoying the whole album - as well as giving consumers more reasons to buy the special edition album, rather than individual tracks
• Teenage Engineering OP-1 is launched - one of most heavily anticipated synthesizers - perfect for home studios
• New iPad GarageBand app will deliver even more bedroom musicians - ripe for YouTube and MySpace
• YouTube will still be a significant platform for launching musical careers
• MySpace is up for sale - it’s all a little up in the air at the moment - will it be bought and by whom? Will someone else take over its niche? (I personally find the new version of MySpace less suitable for music browsing)
• Radiohead underlines continuing experiments with direct music retail
• SoundCloud solidifies its presence via numerous widgets and apps
• Spotify goes live in the USA
• Apple prepares North Carolina Data Centre for iTunes streaming services

15 New Artists for 2011

Christina Perri - Emotive Singer Songwriter (The new Fiona Apple?)

Clare Maguire - BBC Sound of 2011 - 5th, Q-Awards ’Next Big Thing’ Winner (The new Alison Moyet?)
Florrie - Xenomania pop protégé (The new Annie?)
Jai Paul - BBC Sound of 2011 nominee (Yet another new Prince?)
James Blake - BBC Sound of 2011 - 2nd (The vocal Burial?)
Jamie Woon - BBC Sound of 2011 - 4th (The new Jamie Lidell?)

Jessica 6 - Contemporary Disco Diva (The new Donna Summer?)
Jessie J - BBC Sound of 2011 - Winner (The British Gaga?)
Kat Graham - Pop-Dance Princess (The new Janet Jackson?)
Katy B - Urban Dance Princess (The new Jenna G?)
Lana Del Rey - Faded seaside glamour / film noir surf pop (The female Chris Isaak?)

Natalia Kills - Electropop princess (The New Britney?)

Oh Land - Quirky electropop (The new Lykke Li?)
Sunday Girl - Sprightly electropop (The new Goldfrapp?)

Vanbot - Dancey electropop (The new Robyn?)

5 Key Sounds for 2011

• Euro Dance - The sounds of David Guetta, Dr Luke and RedOne continue to dominate (Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Britney Spears etc. etc.)
• Electropop - New Take That single ’Kidz’ is bang on Electropop, as are Florrie, Sunday Girl and several of my current favourites
• Dubstep - 3 of the New Artists (Jai Paul, James Blake and Jamie Woon) utilise the Dubstep soundstage; Magnetic Man and Chase & Status have achieved some degree of chart success already, and now Leona Lewis is rumoured to be trying her hand at Dubstep
• 80’s influenced ’Hair Metal’ / Rock - The Pretty Reckless had a great 80’s inspired album in 2010, Poison and Mötley Crüe are back on tour in 2011 - I expect to see more 80’s influenced rock in the charts, also following on from last year’s success of Journey’s ’Don’t Stop Believing’
• Retro-inspired sounds - Adele is huge at the moment, Amy Winehouse is due a comeback this year, and Lana Del Rey should be huge later this year

2011 Album Release Schedule (Artists that interest me only!)

January

• Adele - 21
• Bullion - You Drive Me To Plastic
• Chase and Status - No More Idols
• David Lynch - Good Day Today | I Know
• Deerhoof - Deerhoof vs Evil
• P Diddy Dirty Money - Last Train to Paris
• Ke$ha - Animal + Canibal
• The Go! Team - Rolling Blackouts

February

• Alexis Jordan - Alexis Jordan
• Beady Eye - Different Gear, Still Speeding
• Clare Maguire - Light After Dark
• Cut Copy - Zonoscope
• Feed Me - Feed Me’s Big Adventure
• James Blake - James Blake
• Jessie J - Who You Are
• Lia Ices - Grown Unknown
• Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
• Nicolas Jaar - Space is only Noise
• PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
• Radiohead - The King of Limbs
• Stateless - Matilda
• The Streets - Computers and Blues
• Virgo Four - Resurrection

March

• Avril Lavigne - Goodbye Lullaby
• Beardyman - I Done A Album
• Britney Spears - Femme Fatale
• Dionne Warwick - Only Trust Your Heart
• The Dø - Both Ways Open Jaws
• Duran Duran - All You Need is Now
• Felix da Housecat - Son of Analogue
• Human League - Credo
• Ladytron - Best of Ladytron 2000 - 2010
• Nicole Scherzinger - Killer Love
• Oh Land - Oh Land
• The Naked And Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You
• The Weeknd - House of Balloons
• Yelle - Safari Disco Club

April

• Daft Punk - Tron Legacy R3C0NF1GUR3D
• Flemming Dalum -Italo Good Times
• Holy Ghost! - Holy Ghost!
• iiO - Exit 110
• Intergalactic Gary - Pains of Passion
• Jamie Woon - Mirrorwriting
• Jay Electronica - WTF is a Jay Electronica
• Katy B - On a Mission
• Kraak & Smaak - Electric Hustle
• London Electricity - Yikes!
• Natalia Kills - Perfectionist
• Panda Bear - Tomboy
• Stanton Warriors - The Warriors
• TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light
• Vanbot - Vanbot

May

• Austra - Feel It Break
• Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part 2
• Christina Perri - Lovestrong
• Danger Mouse / Daniele Luppi - Rome
• Friendly Fires - Pala
• Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
• Gus Gus - Arabian Horse
• Jessica 6 - See The Light
• Kate Bush - Director’s Cut
• Lady Gaga - Born This Way
• Laki Mera - The Proximity Effect
• Moby - Destroyed
• Plastikman - Arkives: 1993-2010
• Sebastian - Total
• Stevie Nicks - In Your Dreams
• The Cars - Move Like This
• The Off Key Hat - Dangerous Machine
• The Pierces - You & I

June

• Above & Beyond - Group Therapy
• Autokratz - Self Help for Beginners
• Benny Benassi - Electroman
• Beyoncé - 4
• Digitalism - I Love You, Dude
• Junior Boys - It’s All True
• Kenneth Bager - Fragments from a Space Cadet 2
• Madeleine Peyroux - Standing on the Rooftop
• Pnau - Soft Universe
• Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Make a Scene
• Take That - Progressed

July

• Andrew Bayer - It’s Artificial
• AWOLNATION - Megalithic Symphony
• Benny Benassi - Electroman
• Chocolate Puma - House Masters
• Dye - Taki 183
• Flemming Dalum - Hot Italo Nights
• Frank Ocean - Nostalgia (Light)
• Little Dragon - Ritual Union
• Marconi Union - Beautifully Falling Apart
• Defected - Most Rated Ibiza 2011
• The Black Ghosts - When Animals Stare
• The Electrifying Mojo - Flash Your Lights
• Washed Out - Within & Without
• Wesseltoft / Schwarz - Duo
• Yuksek - Living On The Edge Of Time
• Zomby - Dedication

August

• Azari & III - Azari & III
• Cicada - Sunburst
• Hard-Fi - Killer Sounds
• Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch The Throne
• Nero - Welcome Reality
• Soft Metals - Soft Metals
• The Weeknd - Thursday

September

• Dev - The Night the Sun Came Up
• Frankmusic - Do it in the AM
• Grace Jones - Hurricane Dubs
• Inna - I am the Club Rocker
• Kasabian - Velociraptor
• Ladytron - Gravity The Seducer
• Luomo - Plus
• Nicola Roberts - Cinderella’s Eyes
• Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal

October

• Aeroplane - In Flight Entertainment
• Beni - House of Beni
• Björk - Biophilia
• Brandt Brauer Frick Ensemble - Mr. Machine
• Cliff Martinez - Drive Soundtrack
• Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
• Crookers - Dr Gonzo
• Feist - Metals
• Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials
• Golden Filter - Syndromes
• Justice - Audio, Video, Disco
• Kuedo - Severant
• Mungolian Jetset - Schlungs
• Pink Martini & Saori Yuki - 1969
• Ralph Myerz - Outrun

November

• David Lynch - Crazy Clown Time
• Joker - The Vision
• Kaskade - Fire & Ice
• Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow
• Matthew Herbert - One Pig
• Rustie - Glass Swords

TBC

• Amy Winehouse - Title TBA
• Avalanches - Title TBA
• Burial - Title TBA
• Culture Club - Title TBA
• Daroc - Title TBA
• Franz Ferdinand - Title TBA
• Edward Maya - Title TBA
• Glass Candy - Bodywork
• Jack Splash - Technology and Love Might Save Us All
• Jai Paul - Title TBA
• Janet Jackson - Title TBA
• Kat Graham - Title TBA
• Kraftwerk - Title TBA
• Ladyhawke - Title TBA
• Lana Del Rey - Title TBA
• Madonna - Title TBA
• Muse - Title TBA
• Mylo - Title TBA
• Nelly Furtado - Lifestyle
• OutKast - Title TBA
• Portishead - Titile TBA
• Roisin Murphy - Title TBA
• Santigold - Title TBA
• Sunday Girl - Title TBA
• Ting Tings - Title TBA (Delayed until 2012)
• U2 - Songs of Ascent (Supposedly delayed until 2012)

:VIDEO: 2011 Artist Pick :: Lana Del Rey - Video Games ::