Acts to watch out for 2011

2010 was a cracking year for music, but 2011 is shaping up to be even better. Here’s five acts set to make it big in the annum to come.

By Robert Carry

Mona

Mona burst onto the scene when Listen to Your Love, a track put together in a Nashville basement, was released a couple of months back.

It’s the type of instantly likable, high-tempo, distinctly American guitar music that comes along all too rarely – unless you count Kings of Leon.

Mona are very much a product of their environment. Although the rumbling guitar does a good job of masking it, you can hear echoes of Nashville’s distinguished musical history seeping through onto what is otherwise an up-to-the-minute tune.

The 50s influence, however, is not at all overcooked and doesn’t come across as gimmicky. Instead, they have developed a sound that is somewhere between Kings of Leon and U2 back in their late 80s best.

Although they’ve been keeping us waiting with baited breath for some more of their stuff, the word is that an album will be landing on our laps in the early months of 2011. When it does arrive, expect to hear it a lot.

The Vaccines

The Vaccines are stone wall proof that in this digital age, if you’re good, you will be welcomed. The hype surrounding the band, made up in part of Jay Jay Pistolet and the little brother of Tom from The Horrors, had already reached fever pitch by the time they had released a demo and a less than one minute preview of their first single.

Reports of incendiary live gigs and hopeful fans cramming into tiny shows with many more being turned away, added to the anticipation of what was to come. Only three songs have so far been made available, but none have managed to disappoint – It’s all been beautifully reverbed punk n roll, reminiscent of the Ramones or Jesus and Mary Chain with something of The Rifles thrown in.

Those lucky enough to hear Wreckin’ Bar, Blow it Up and If You Wanna will undoubtedly be salivating from the ears, disgusting as that sounds, at the prospect of their debut album, due in the early part of 2011.

Wretch 32

The UK grime scene has at times struggled to gain traction in the credibility stakes with the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Lethal Bizzle and more recently Example not really selling it. The likes of Devlin, Giggs and Wretch 32, however, form the nucleolus of a leaner, hungrier and altogether more serious band of rappers on the up in that part of the world.

Wretch 32 released his debut album, Wretchrospective, back in 2008 and although it didn’t exactly fly off the shelves, it did enough to win him acclaim from those plugged into the genre.

The buzz around the Tottenham boy has been growing of late and he has been nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2011 and is a nominee for MTV Brand New for 2011. High praise indeed.

His latest offering, Traktor, is a blistering, drum&bass-fuelled grime animal you will probably be hearing a lot of. If his album measures up, the hype will be very much deserved.

The Naked and Famous

It’s not often that you hear ‘music’ and ‘New Zealand’ mentioned in the same sentence. With notable exception of hip-hop monster Script, there has very little coming from the land of the All-Blacks by way of decent acts. Anyway, The Naked And Famous are aiming to change all that.

Although their debut album was released in late September, along with debut track Young Blood, The Naked and Famous have only really got going in terms of airplay since they dropped their second single Punching in a Dream.

With influences such as Bjork, Tricky and Massive Attack, they’ve come up with a sound somewhere between MGMT and Crystal Castles. Anyway, with 2010 drawing to a close, The Naked and Famous have well and truly hit their stride. Expect follow-up singles to register airplay.

Nero

Dubstep would undoubtedly claim the title of fasted growing musical genre and although it’s been around since the late 90s, 2010 has been something of a breakthrough year. 2011 is shaping up to be a good one for followers of the vocally light/sample heavy/break-beat/two-step garage field and leading the way will, no doubt, be Nero.

Although they may have been together since 2004, they had their first hit in 2009 with Act Like You Know – a song which subsequently led to wins at the 2010 Beatport awards for Best Dubstep Act and Best Dubstep Track.

Over the past twelve months they have remixed a string of artists including Daft Punk, Deadmau5, La Roux and N*E*R*D.

More recently has been Me and You, featuring Alana on vocals, which may just be the one to give them the crossover success they deserve.

Honourable mention

Honourable mention goes to Welsh indie outfit The Joy Formidable, 80s-inspired second-comers White Lies, lung-bursting songstress Adele, Dubliners the Minutes and British vocalist Claire Maguire – all of whom will most probably enjoy themselves a sterling 2011.