Flavorwire

With 2012 well underway and our feet back under the desk, we’re turning our attention toward the coming year, and what it might hold for the music world. Predicting the course of music is a slippery task at the best of times, but even so, we’re preemptively tipping seapunk as silliest new genre, The Black Keys as the band who’ll earn the Kings of Leon Award (being hated by everyone who used to like them), and the Can box set as the best re-release of the rest of the millennium. But what of artists to watch? Well, after the jump, we’ve chosen the 12 artists who we reckon will (or at least should) own 2012. Let us know your nominations!

Grimes

Regular readers have most likely guessed this already, but of all the early 2012 albums we’re looking forward to, Grimes’s Visions is pretty much at the top of the list. With her recent signing to 4AD, Claire Boucher now has the weight of one of the music industry’s most beloved and respected labels behind her, and every indication is that Visions is going to be a ripper. In other words, the stage is set for Grimes to do very, very well in 2012. (Also keep an eye on producer Mike Tucker, aka Blood Diamonds, with whom she recently collaborated.)