This album is guaranteed to be in my top 10 of 2011. On “No Time For Dreaming,” Bradley is backed by the Menahan Street Band and some sweet sounding soul singers. It’s Godfather of Soul worthy material with heavy bass lines, killer horns, and some serious screaming. Shit is tight.

Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band
Album: No Time for Dreaming (Download)
Label: Daptone Records/Dunham Records
Charles Bradley – No Time for Dreaming

Breakfast in Fur
Hometown: New Paltz, New York
Album: Self-Titled EP (Free)
Label: Unsigned
Breakfast in Fur – Shine
Breakfast in Fur – I Don’t Care
Breakfast in Fur – Flying Saucers

HANNI EL KHATIB

2011 is going to be a big year for the multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Hanni El Khatib. The San Francisco native generated industry buzz when local music blogs Passion of the Weiss and Aquarium Drunkard each presented him in shows last year. Soon after, his music was featured in the HBO series “Hung” and he landed a slot opening for Florence and The Machine.

Hanni’s music is straight up rock ‘n’ roll with a touch of soul and blues. Influences range from Johnny Cash to the Sonics, and his cover of “You Rascal You,” is a dead ringer for a Black Keys song. Still, his sound is his own, transporting a hybrid of the past and present. “Build. Destroy. Rebuild,” Khatib’s second single, sets the tone for his debut album Will The Guns Come Out, which will be released May 2011 on Innovated Leisure. When he is not touring, Hanni serves as creative director for HUF, a skateboard company founded by professional skater Keith Hufnagel.

The Megaphonic Thrift
Album: Decay Decoy (Buy)
Label: Hype City
The Megaphonic Thrift – Acid Blues
The Megaphonic Thrift – Talks Like a Weed King

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I cannot believe that we missed out on these guys last year. Hailing from Brooklyn, 3 Titans team up with the Menahan Street Band on “Life of A Scholar”, a smooth hip-hop track that starts off like Too $hort’s “Short But Funky” then transitions into Jazzmatazz era Guru. Not bad for a trio of fifth-graders. You can purchase 3 Titans’ 7″ single over at Dunham Records.

3 Titans – The Life of a Scholar
Menahan Street Band – Home Again!

Fifty Miles From Vancouver
Hometown: Brest/Rennes, France
Album: TBA
Label: BEKO
Fifty Miles From Vancouver – Eternal Youth / Eternal Fun

James Vincent McMorrow
Album: Early In The Morning (Jan. 25)
Label: Vagrant Records
James Vincent McMorrow – This Old Dark Machine

You could argue that the majority of the bands on the list already made names for themselves in 2010. But if you surveyed people that don’t regularly follow blogs/tumblrs, 8 out of 10 wouldn’t recognize any of the bands listed below. In 2011, I expect these artists to break out and reach a larger audience.

1. Lord Huron

Hometown: Los Angeles
Label: Unsigned
Lord Huron – The Stranger

2. Devin Therriault

Hometown: Brooklyn
Label: Unsigned
Devin Therriault – I Don’t Think I