A year in music is impossible to label, the sheer volume of material does not lend itself to a neat and tidy summary. One's personal musical experience throughout a year however, can be a known quantity. In light of this, I'd have to say that, for me, 2011 was the year of the female solo artist. Here's why (some of these are blog repeats):
Lykke Li has been making waves in the states for a while now, but she's only just begun to get the recognition she deserves.
Feist is well known for her song 1,2,3,4 after it was featured in an Apple ad. While it may have dented her indy cred, it certainly didn't stop her from writing great music.
While this song from Mountain Man was released in '09, they spent 2011 touring with Feist as her backing vocals, and they've got some of the best harmonies I've ever heard.
St. Vincent is a former member of The Polyphonic Spree (whom I strongly recommend). This year saw the release of her most successful album to date.
I don't know much about Rachel Yamagata; I just think this song is catchy. Hey man, I don't get paid for this, google it yourself.
Ok, shit's about to get real. I can't stop listening to this song. If you don't at least nod your head, there's something wrong with you. Also, if you don't do a double take at some of the lyrics, you aren't paying attention. She's got one of the most unusual deliveries I've ever heard. It's worth mentioning that I don't know shit about rap (if that's the bin this would go in).
It's gotten a lot of coverage, and Lana Del Rey has been taking flack for her image, but the bottom line is that this is a great song with a lot of soul.
There are a few more that come to mind, but to be honest I'd be surprised if anyone made it through all of these. Am I right guys? Guys??
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