UPDATED: Sarah Jaffe, Seryn, St. Vincent get nods from national magazines

Jaffe and Seryn are from Denton; St. Vincent is from Dallas.

It's that time of year again: When media companies pick their best of 2011 insert-category-here. Two national magazines gave credit to North Texas musicians for their hard work this year.

Bill Ellison

Sarah Jaffe and her new 'do at the Granada Theater

Esquire magazine gave a shout-out to Denton musician Sarah Jaffe for her song "Louder Than Ever," one of two cover songs on her new demo The Way Sound Leaves A Room. (Listen to it here.) "Louder Than Ever" is originally by Cold War Kids, and Jaffe strips the song down, singing it with her signature quiver. Writer Andy Langer says the song "forever changes the way you hear the original." We agree.

The song is one of Esquire's list of the 10 "Best Songs You Probably Didn't Hear This Year." Other songs on the list include Beck's "Stormbringer" and "Dedication To My Ex (Miss That)" by Lloyd with Andre 3000 and Lil Wayne.

Seryn’s vinyl release party at Good Records

Posted by FlowerChildanddan on YouTube. Skip to the 1:20 mark to hear "We Will All Be Changed."

In similar accolades, Paste Magazine named Denton folk outfit Seryn's album This Is Where We Are the No. 34 best album of 2011. (50 albums were chosen.) Says the post: "... This Denton, Texas, quintet builds nearly every song into a joyful, crescendo adding voices -- and urgency -- as it progresses. That's never more apparent than on 'We Will All Be Changed,' which gets exponentially better with every decibel you turn it up."

Paste took a shine to Seryn early on: They gave Seryn a spot on its SXSW stage in Austin, and writer Josh Jackson said they were the No. 1 best show at the festival. They also named "We Will All Be Changed" the No. 7 best song of 2011 back in April 2011.

When This Is Where We Are came out in January 2011, we called it "the most anticipated local album for months." Seryn had built a steady fan base with no album up until the beginning of 2011 -- an impressive feat that had to be followed by a knock-out album. While the album was in fact bewitching, the real beauty of Seryn's music lies in seeing them live, our writers said. It seems Paste's writers would agree.

UPDATE: St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark, from Dallas) put out the magnificent Strange Mercy this year, and Rolling Stone placed it No. 26 in their top 50 albums of the year.

Also, Seryn was given another nod from Paste as the No. 7 best new band of 2011. Judging from the love the magazine has already given the Denton folk band, we wouldn't be surprised to hear their name again before the year's up.