Coolest New Artists and Bands of 2011  

The coolest new bands of 2011 have brought new sounds, created fun new music videos and played at our favorite venues across the world. These bands, be them pop, rock, electronica, rap or another musical genre, are just making their first splash on the music scene and people are taking notice of the fresh tunes. If you're not familiar with these top new bands from 2011, get to them now. That way you can brag to your hipster friends about knowing them before they were cool.

While the new bands 2011 each bring something fresh to the table, they're all inspired by the many musicians that came before them. Take Foster the Poeple for example. The band, which saw a sift rise to fame in 2011, took lists a wide variety of performers such as Brian Wilson, The Beatles, Sublime, Nirvana, David Bowie and even Kanye West as their influences.

As Foster the People was burning up the alternative rock charts, others were rising on other charts, including on the hip hop and R&B charts with artists such as Kreayshawn and Tyler the Creator earning recognition as the new faces of the genre.

Though these bands, singers and musicians are new to the mainstream music scene, they still do things like the more established groups. They play shows for their adoring fans, though in slightly smaller venues, and they create music videos, though perhaps not to the point of what we'd call the best music videos of 2011. But they've got their foot in the door of the music scene and like many acts before them, will continue to create beautiful music as they mature in their musical careers. Who knows, perhaps they'll grow to the legendary status of their influences. Stay tuned to find out.