Top 23 for 2011 from Semaphore Music. Why top 23? 10 is too restrictive, and when asked to list top 20, no one did, so top 23. Supposedly across all genres but clearly isn’t.
Emily Zuzik (Brooklyn) “You Want to Go Out Tonight” @emilyzuzik
Phantogram (Saratoga Springs) “Running from the Cops” @phantogram
I Break Horses (Stockholm) “Load Your Eyes”
Slowtrain (Austin) “Not the Only One”
Kurt Vile & The Violators (Philadelphia) “Baby’s Arms”
Laze & Royal (LA) “Thrashed” @lazeandroyal
Alex Clare (London) “Treading Water” @alexanderclare
Pure X (Austin) “Heavy Air” @pure_x
Harvey Smith Salute (London) @theclientele (Music coming but there’s a compilation video that looks rad)
Le Corps Mince de Françoise (Helsinki) “Cool and Bored” @lcmdf
Kate Todd (Toronto) “Drive” @katetodd
Phantom (Montreal) “We Float” @thisisphantom
Kids in Glass Houses (Cardiff) “Matters at All”
Sarah Jarosz (Austin) “Annabelle Lee” @sarahjarosz
Memory Tapes (NJ) “Yes I Know” @memorytapes (cool video)
Niki and the Dove (Stockholm) “Under the Bridges” @nikiandthedove
Brasstronaut (Vancouver) “Slow Knots” @brasstronaut
These Kids Wear Crowns (Chilliwack BC) “Break it Up” @tkwc
Julianna Barwick (Brooklyn) “Flown” (@juliannabarwick)
Mother Falcon (Austin) (@motherfalconmus)
My Name is John Michael (NOLA) @mynameisjm
Esben and the Witch (Brighton)