Most Anticipated Albums of 2011

It’s exactly a week into 2011, and while researching albums to review in the coming months, I realized that there is a lot of good music ready to drop this year. I also realized that if I weren’t actively looking for this information, I probably wouldn’t have known until much later. So I’m sharing a list of my 15 Most Anticipated Albums of 2011 (most of which have street dates in the first quarter, confirmed releases in the second quarter, or are just informed speculation for the rest of the year…). So(!), counting down from fifteen:

15. Red Hot Chili Peppers; Title: TBA; Release: Summer – The Chilis took a 2-year break after touring for 2006’s ambitious double album, “Stadium Arcadium,” and by the time they reconvened in 2009, Josh Klinghoffer had replaced guitarist John Frusciante. Recently, drummer Chad Smith leaked that the band has been experimenting with some Afropop influences for their 10th studio LP, and I don’t know about you, but that’s enough to get me excited for this summer new release.

14. James Blunt; Some Kind of Trouble; Jan 18 – James Blunt’s debut album Back to Bedlam brought him quite a bit of fame back in 2005, and finally after 6 years of nothing, Blunt is putting out new material. The single “Stay the Night” sounds pretty canned (actually like a rip-off of Mraz’s “I’m Yours”), but I rocked that debut album my senior year of high school, and I’m interested to see what’s next.

13. Jay-Z and Kanye West; Watch the Throne; Spring –
What originally started out as an EP bringing these two titans of hip-hop together has grown to an anticipated full album project. The set’s first single, “H.A.M.” is set to be released next week, but the entire album won’t be out until March at the earliest.

12. The Get Up Kids; There are Rules; Jan 25 – 1999’s Something to Write Home About was one of the last great punk rock records of the 20th century, and it made The Get Up Kids the most popular band in America that most people had never heard of. After an official band break up and a farewell show in July 2005, they’re back together and releasing their fifth full-length album and first since the reunion.

11. Iron & Wine; Kiss Each Other Clean; Jan 25 – Sam Beam and company are officially on the Warner Bros’ roster for their fourth studio album, but there shouldn’t be any major changes to the group’s cozy, low-key sound. Single “Tree by the River” picks up right where 2007’s The Shepherd’s Dog left off, continuing to subtly expand the Iron & Wine sound without abandoning their folk roots.

10. Britney Spears; TBA; March – Billboard is projecting that Britney Spears’ new single, “Hold It Against Me,” will likely become the 18th song to debut at No. 1 since their Hot 100 chart began keeping track in 1958.
Update (1.16.11): The track was released last Monday, and has been getting a lot of reactions (both good and bad) due to the major dubstep influence.

9. Death Cab for Cutie; Codes and Keys; Spring – 2008’s “Narrow Stairs” was a disappointing deviation from their previous work in my opinion, but long years of enjoying Death Cab’s work leave me open to another new album. For the group’s seventh LP, Ben Gibbard and company have experimented a lot with the recording process; Codes and Keys is said to feature plenty of new instrumentation (read: string sections).

8. My Morning Jacket; TBA; Spring – After  2008’s “Evil Urges,” MMJ frontman Jim James says the band is aiming for “loose and dirty” with their yet-to-be-titled sixth album. “We’re doing it all live, standing around in a circle,” James told Rolling Stone. Yessssss.

7. The Decemberists; The King is Dead; Jan 18 – After 2009’s sprawling rock opera The Hazards of Love, the Pacific Northwest folk rockers decided to keep things simple for their sixth album, opting for spare, rootsy arrangements (lots of harmonica, accordion, and acoustic guitar) and an absence of overarching concepts. So far, I’ve heard very good things.

6. Rush; Clockwork Angels; Spring – The Canadian prog-rockers began work on their 19th(!) studio album in early 2010 and expect to release it this spring. A sprawling lead single, “Caravan,” was released last summer. I’m crossing my fingers that they play a few new tunes at their Nashville arena show in April (for which I have killer tickets).

5. Adele; 21; Feb 22 – 19, the 2008 debut album from this young Brit, sold almost a million copies and garnered four Grammy nominations. Her latest effort swaps dramatic ballads for a sound more reminiscent of classic country, as in the lead single “Rolling in the Deep.”

4. Alison Krauss; TBA; Feb – Alison Krauss hasn’t released any new music since “Raising Sand,” her acclaimed 2007 collaboration with Robert Plant. Details on her latest project are scarce, but her official website currently bills it as “Alison Krauss and Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas,” so it looks like her longtime backing band will be back for the first time since 2004’s “Lonely Runs Both Ways.”
Update (1.18.11): The album is entitled Paper Airplane and will be in stores April 12th!

3. Lady Gaga; Born This Way; May 23 – Written while she was touring the world after her 2008 debut The Fame, Born This Way is about Gaga’s “little monsters,” her fans. She has said it could have as many as 20 songs and that she’s going for huge, anthemic melodies.

2. Fiona Apple; TBA; Spring – Singer-songwriter Apple has only released three albums since 1996, and nothing since 2005’s Extraordinary Machine. Apple released “So Sleepy” for a benefit album last year, but that’s about all the info on the new project there is.

1. Ingrid Michaelson; TBA; Summer – Over the past few years, I’ve really loved watching Ingrid Michaelson grow and expand her sound, her fan base, and her songwriting. If her new single “Parachute” is any indication, Michaelson has got a whole new and different thing up her sleeve.
Update (1.16.11): The official music video for the song came out a few days ago! See here.

Other Notables include releases from Cold War Kids, Jan 25; Bright Eyes, Feb 15; Bush, Feb; R.E.M., March 8; Sara Evans, March 8; Yellowcard, March 22; Brad Paisley, Apr 19; Foo Fighters, Spring; Drake, Spring; Fleet Foxes, Spring; Beyonce, TBA; Coldplay, TBA; The Strokes, TBA; The Cars, TBA; U2 TBA; Jane’s Addiction, Fall; and Blink-182, Fall.

Discovery Thursday: Bad Books

so, so artsy.

About three months ago, I bought a self-titled album by a band I had never heard of. Amazon suggested Bad Books to me based on other music purchases I’ve made, and Amazon hasn’t steered me wrong yet, so I went for it. (The band’s name was cool enough for me to justify a purchase anyway.) Then, I let the album sit unplayed in my iTunes  for two weeks. (I know, that’s a terrible thing to let happen – especially by me, a girl who makes a living discovering new music and writing about it, etc., etc. I’m aware.) Eventually I got around to listening, and now I can’t stop.

Manchester Orchestra’s Andy Hull wrote this set of songs with Kevin Devine and with the help of Hull’s bandmates, released it under the name Bad Books.

There are elements of Elliott Smith, Death Cab for Cutie, Nirvana, Manchester Orchestra (obvi), and something else that might be The Weakerthans, or perhaps The Get Up Kids.  A friend described their music as a folk band trying their hand at alternative grunge, but Bad Books is more than just music. Well-played music (usually) isn’t enough to satisfy me; I need well-phrased lyrics too. Lines that echo in my mind long after the song is over are “She once belonged to us now belongs to the dark,” from the song “Baby Shoes,” and “Just remember I loved you as long as I could, from “You’re a Mirror I Cannot Avoid.”

Album Cover

I also recommend listening to “How This All Ends” and “Please Move,” which can be found on their MySpace, but really, why just listen when you can buy their debut album on Amazon for just $5 this month. It’s well worth that bit of change; I promise you that.

Following is the video of their first single, “You Wouldn’t Have to Ask,” which also happens to be one of my favorites from the album. If I hadn’t already fell in love with them before I watched it, this video would have pushed me over the edge.

Friday Favorite: Band of Horses

the band... of horses

This Friday Favorite thing hasn’t been nearly as frequent a recurrence as I anticipated, but then again, I suppose I really only had the structure in place in case I needed prompting or a fallback. But I don’t have that problem (if there’s irregularity in posting it’s due to time constraints, not content).

However, the Friday Favorite seemed thoroughly appropriate in this case.  Last night, BOH played as part of Live on the Green, a fabulous free outdoor concert series that happens in downtown Nashville every Thursday for six weeks in September and October.  They were fantastic, and I haven’t been able to get them out of my head today.  I had really fallen in love with Band of Horses upon the release of Infinite Arms earlier this year, but seeing them live was definitely the cement.  It’s not just about the organic harmonies or the thundering drums.  It’s the earnest vocals, the artful lyrics, the buzzing guitars, the rollicking melodies and infectious rhythms.  Band of Horses isn’t Americana or folk or anything, but it’s not just alternative or rock either.  Their body of work is easy to listen to, difficult to classify, and highly recommended.

I remember discovering their first album in a record store; I was originally attracted to its cover art.  I love the font these use for their name and the present of nature in the designs.  Pictured below are the debut and the most recent albums, respectively (click to enlarge):

But of course, they’ve remained on frequent rotation because of their music.  Best songs include “The Funeral,” “The Great Salt Lake,” “NW Apt,” and “Factory.”  Hear a couple on MySpace, and watch this video:

I chose “The Funeral” to feature because it’s such a marvelous song, and it was also their first big hit.  But I suggest taking a minute to watch the video of “Laredo” (the single from Infinite Arms) too.  Listen and love, friends.