Based on the "upcoming releases" Metacritic page, there's some good stuff coming in May, June, and July. I'm looking forward to the following:

Ryan Adams
Go-Betweens (I have an advance...but there's a bonus live disc version coming from YepRoc!)
Spoon
Oasis (yeah...I'm the only one in the US who cares, but I like 'em!)
Coldplay
Teenage Fanclub
Engineers (US release of lauded Brit-poppers)
Fountains of Wayne (2-disc b-sides comp..AT LAST!!!!)
Sufjan Stevens
Bob Mould (the long-promised acoustic Body of Song which has been likened to his brilliant first solo salvo Workbook)

Patrick Wolf's "Wind in the wires" is great and so is Willy Mason's "Where the humans eat". I also like Low's "The Great Destroyer". The Arcade Fire also has an enjoyable new cd out. Looking forward to the new raveonettes, little barrie, dandy warhols, goldfrapp, portishead and yeah yeah yeahs

First of all, I'll state again that May 3rd is a ridiculously strong week for releases. Took me five seconds to decide I wanted Oneida, Raveonettes seems interesting enough to take a risk on, and I didn't like Caribou at first but it has a little something I think I want to explore.

But there's three the same week I'm on the fence about.

-Aimee Mann's 'The Forgotten Arm' (Note: You can hear the entire album on her website) has something endearing to it, but the songs leave me feeling vaguely empty.

-Go-Betweens 'Oceans Apart'. The only song I've heard is a dubious 'Here Comes The City' which sounds like it was taped off a radio, but it just doesn't interest me that much, especially since it falls into that Guero trap of 'Sounds like older stuff only not as good'. But the problem is, Eric seems to think it's really great, and I've seen five star reviews for it already, which (If the song I heard is legit) confuses me. Then again, if the American reviews are half as good as the British reviews, it might turn out to be the kind of album I feel guilty about not owning..

Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth. I enjoy Hand That Feeds a little bit. But there's something formulaic about it that makes me think I'll enjoy it the first three times I listen to it then start to hate it.

I'm wondering any other opinions people have about these six albums so far, because this looks like the deepest week of releases there's been this year.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobthespirit:


-Go-Betweens 'Oceans Apart'. The only song I've heard is a dubious 'Here Comes The City' which sounds like it was taped off a radio, but it just doesn't interest me that much, especially since it falls into that Guero trap of 'Sounds like older stuff only not as good'. But the problem is, Eric seems to think it's really great, and I've seen five star reviews for it already, which (If the song I heard is legit) confuses me. Then again, if the American reviews are half as good as the British reviews, it might turn out to be the kind of album I feel guilty about not owning..

I'm wondering any other opinions people have about these six albums so far, because this looks like the deepest week of releases there's been this year.

"Here Comes a City" is the weakest track on the album, I think. But I don't think it's a bad track. It's a Forster song, and I always like his the least on most G-B's records.

I've listened to my advance about a half-dozen times, and I'm sure this one will be in my year-end top 10 or 20. But I'm a G-B's fan from way back, so take my recommendation with a grain of salt. I think this one is better than "Rachel Worth" and "Bright Yellow" on the whole.

I try not to compare the reunion records with the old records because the G-B's are different when it's just Forster and McClennan. The dynamic of the group circa 1986 is VERY different from the dynamic now. The new one is just Bob and Grant with Adele Pickvance and a new drummer, with some string session players. No Sleater-Kinney members this go-round.

The new weezer album has leaked and it's terrible!

I just heard the first 13 tracks of the new sufjan stevens cd called illinois. I'm seroiusly in shock at how good it was. Based on hearding just over half the album (there are 22 tracks in total) I think it might be his best stuff yet. Seriously, my arm hairs are still standing up, and i heard it like 3 hours ago.

Sufjan's Illinois is definitely my most anticipated album of the year (closely followed by the Fiery Furnaces full-length follow u pto Blueberry Boat). Hearing someone praise it so much is almost more than I can bear.

Notch another to the 'must-buy' list...

I might get Raveonettes afterall, since even though I kind of agree with the 'background music' comment I saw in more than one review, I just think the idea of revisting 50's pop is really cool.

Let's see what the 'anticipation' list is now...
Spoon, White Stripes, Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, New Pornographers, Strokes, Sufjan, Yeah Yeah Yeahs....probably about a dozen more I don't have time to think of right now. Looking like it might be at least as strong a year as 2003 -- almost certainly stronger than 2004.

Edit: And...now that I decided I like Aimee Mann's new album too I'm once again not getting Raveonettes just yet.

There are four albums coming out Tuesday that will almost certainly be above 80 in metacritic (Oneida, Go-Betweens, Aimee Mann, Caribou).

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bobthespirit,

I just queued up sufjan's new album. This caught my eye:

03-come_on_feel_the_illinoise.mp3

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Check out Jaga "What We Must" (formerly Jaga Jazzist) Knock your socks off....man.

quote:

There are four albums coming out Tuesday that will almost certainly be above 80 in metacritic (Oneida, Go-Betweens, Aimee Mann, Caribou).

I think I told you Caribou was released here in Canada two weeks ago Bob, but for the rest of you on this thread....pick it up ASAP!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by The Furnace Is Fiery:
Check out Jaga "What We Must" (formerly Jaga Jazzist) Knock your socks off....man.

smalltown supersound is one of the best labels out right now...extremely diverse and fun...and busy!!

Hmm...Dusted Magazine reviewed the new Sleater-Kinney, and it says that it's their best album to date.

If that's the case....it could be album of the year.

I've been really down on new music this year, but I was looking through the upcoming releases and noticed at least a few that seem promising. New albums from Smog, Silver Jews, Sigur Ros, and Son Volt make this seem like the year for 'S' bands. the Iron & Wine/Calexico ep should be coming soon also. Does anyone know if Neko Case has a new one coming out this year? That would get me excited.

Silver Jews, Sigur Ros, Sleater-Kinney, Sufjan Stevens (I've heard s-k and sufjan and they're fantastic), Wolf Parade, White Stripes.

The Coral, Teenage Fanclub, The Engineers, The Crimea, Elbow, Nada Surf, Razorlight, Ambulance Ltd, and Super Furry Animals are all still to come.

I'm not nearly as down on music as trev is...I think there's been quite a few really excellent records in several genres this year. But I think there will be some good releases in late summer and early fall, as per the norm. I think I read somewhere there's a Neko record due this spring or summer.

quote:

Originally posted by Buck "Sweetie" McGuck:
I just queued up sufjan's new album. This caught my eye:

03-come_on_feel_the_illinoise.mp3

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Best part is the song is friggen awesome. It sounds just like the title would make you think it does.

All those mentioned, plus a few others..

And I think the Jack White/Brendan Benson album is supposed to come out late this year or early next.

Just next week there's a Sleater-Kinney album (I'd be surprised if it weren't great), a Gorillaz album (Which could be anywhere on the spectrum from bad to great), a Wallflowers album (Which might be pretty good) and a Shelby Lynne album (Who I don't personally like, but critics apparently do).

The completist record nerd in me is most eagerly awaiting the Fountains of Wayne double b-sides and rarities collection Out of State Plates, due out in June. Although I've got most of the tracks on import b-sides, I still can't wait to have them all in one tasty package. There are few unreleased tracks on the set, and a few never officially released tracks, including their cover of Britney's "Baby One More Time". I'm probably more excited about this than any other summer release, although the raves that the new Sufjan Stevens disc is getting from everyone here (and the quality of the previous two records) make it a must-have, and the new Teenage Fanclub disc will probably be the soundtrack of my June and July.

Is ANYONE anticipating the new Built to Spill album as much as I am? We haven't heard from them since their unassuming 2000 release Ancient Melodies of the Future and they still haven't released any information on how the recording process is going...

I feel they're one of the top four or 5 'indie' bands going today, and I hope they release something a little more...boisterous than AMotF, but anything new by them is always welcome.

Also, I heard some new material by Pretty Girls Make Graves, and if those 3 or 4 songs I heard are any indicator of their album to come, that thing is going to clean house. Seriously.