Anna Calvi

Anna Calvi

Anna Calvi- She recently toured with Grinderman , gaining positive reviews along the way to alternative fame. Her music contains haunting lyrics, influenced by the likes of Messien and Debussy and Maria Callas.

Clare Maguire- Hailing from Birmingham, Maguire quit school to pursue her singing career. After meeting music artist giants like Rick Rubin and Jay-Z, Clare Maguire settled down with Universal records.

Daley- Manchurian Daley has already made his claim to fame as guest vocals for Gorlliaz on their track: “Doncamatic”, also co-writing it with Damon Albarn. Daley is signed to A&M records.

Esben and The Witch- Named after a Danish fairytale, Esben and The Witch were nominated for Q’s Next Big Thing award, losing out to fellow competitor for the Sound of 2011 award Clare Maguire. The Brighton based trio are set to release their debut album: “Violet Cries” January 31 2011.

Jai Paul- Influenced by N.E.R.D and SA-RA, North-West Londoner Jai Paul has taken 21st century pop music and made it his own. Signed to XL and only 21 years old, he has gained support from the likes of Radio 1’s Zane Lowe and Nick Grimshaw.

James Blake- Influenced by Stevie Wonder and The Family Stone, James Blake has created a new persona of UK club music. He began his career, performing at club nights for Goldsmiths University where he enrolled to study popular music.

Jamie Woon- Signed to Polydor, Jamie Woon creates a perfected sound of electric soul music. Winning over critics and has collaborated with James Blake and Mount Kimbie, 2011 is looking bright.

Jessie J- This diva of pop sees no boundaries after suffering a minor stroke at 18. Since then she has written for massive sensations Chris Brown, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake. Beginning her career in the West End in Whistle Down The Wind, Jessie J (known also as Jessie Cornish) gained her first record deal with Gut Records.

Mona- A four-piece band from Nashville, with some smart ideas for the rock genre. Mona grew up within the church learning to perform in front of an audience at a young age. Looking for bigger opportunities, Sound of 2011 is just the beginning.

The Naked and Famous- New Zealand quartet came to the UK and made their head start, impressing Radio 1 Djs Fearne Cotton and Nick Grimshaw. “Passive me, Aggressive you”, their self-produced album will gain them UK fans.

Nero- Taking a song and mashing it up is something this band has mastered. Remixing The Street’s “Blinded by the Lights” into a club tune and gaining fans with the likes of Chase and Status, Nero are becoming more than just a needle in the haystack. Their new single “Me and You” is out in January 2011.

The Vaccines- Changing the genre of Indie music forever. The Vaccine’s made their way after a clip on YouTube with the band performing If You Wanna. Since the upload, they have got the attention of Franz Ferdinand’s managers Supervision. That’s not all, NME have recently signed them onto their 2011 awards tour.

Warpaint- This band have kept quiet to develop their sound which has evidently paid off, grabbing the attention of former Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s guitarist John Frusciante. Warpaint were snapped up by Rough Trade.

Wretch 32- Following in the footsteps of Dizzee Rascal, meeting the urban genre and mainstream halfway, Wretch 32 is definitely a one to watch. Recording mix tapes and filling guest slots, he built his reputation by advertising himself. He even has his own clothing line, Wretchroboys. Wretch 32 is ready to stand up to the big plate.

Yuck- Began their reputation within the blogging community. Since signing with the Mercury label Yuck have fans like Lauren Laverne and Zane Lowe. Being nominated in the top 15 of the Sound of 2011, it’s sure to put a spring in their step.

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