New Albums 2011: 50+ Records That Will Rock Us in the New Year
- Posted by Austin L. Ray
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Gang of Four
'Content,' January
To promote their Yep Roc debut and first album of new material since 1995, the British post-punk legends of Gang of Four offered helicopter rides and vials of their own blood. Considering this and the band's new drummer and bassist, here's hoping that they can still show the kids how it's done.
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Jay-Z and Kanye West
'Watch the Throne,' January
At a New Year's Eve celebration in Las Vegas, while very literally having a toast to the douchebags/a--holes/scumbags, the rap icons announced that their all-star collaboration would be arriving in the next week. Quick, check Kanye's Twitter feed!
Jason DeCrow, AP
Cold War Kids
'Mine Is Yours,' January
Cold War Kids frontman Nathan Willett told Consequence of Sound that the new record, produced by Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Kings of Leon), centers around the time-honored songwriting trope of relationships. "I wrote about the joys and failures of commitment all around me," he said.
Tim Mosenfelder, Getty Images
Iron and Wine
'Kiss Each Other Clean,' January
"It sounds like the music people heard in their parent's car growing up," Iron & Wine's sole proprietor Sam Beam told Spin of 'Kiss Each Other Clean,' his first new album in four years and major-label debut. "That early-to-mid-'70s FM, radio-friendly music." Sounds like a welcome change for the bearded musicologist, who's been testing a handful of the new songs live on his current US tour.
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Lia Ices
'Grown Unknown,' January
Brooklyn singer-songwriter Lia Ices will strike a familiar chord with fans of Cat Power and Sarah McLachlan for starters, but her music goes beyond such comparisons. Equal parts weird and gorgeous, her debut album 'Grown Unknown'will put forth ethereal vocals, stunning arrangements and oddball percussion. Even more exciting than the music itself is the potential for what's to come.
Roger Kisby, Getty Images
Rye Rye
'Go! Pop! Bang!' January
While it feels like teen rapper and M.I.A. protegee Rye Rye has been around for decades in Internet time, she'll only just releasing her debut album in early 2011. While little is known about 'Go! Pop! Bang!,' several promising tracks that may be included have seeped out in recent months, including collaborations with Diplo and the aforementioned pop star whose imprint will release this record.
Roger Kisby, Getty Images
The Decemberists
'The King Is Dead,' January
Are the Decemberists abandoning the increasingly progressive sound they've made their indulgent trademark? From the sound of lead single 'Down By the Water,' which features the impeccable pipes of Gillian Welch, the answer is a resounding yes. Not only that, but it's also a good look for the band. R.E.M.'s Peter Buck also plays guitar on 'The King is Dead.'
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Talib Kweli
'Gutter Rainbows,' January
Talib Kweli is a busy man. Following his Reflection Eternal record from this year, and amidst rumors of multiple projects in the works, he'll release 'Gutter Rainbows.' Featuring production work from Blaqthoven, S-1, M-Phazes, Ski, Shuko, KHRYSIS!, Maurice Brown, E. Jones, Nick Speed and Ty Neg, the record will be available digitally in the US and in other formats elsewhere.
Ben Hider, Getty Images
Social Distortion
'Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes,' January
The SoCal punk vets' first studio album in six years is also their first for Epitaph. "I have a feeling it's the beginning of a very long relationship," Social Distortion founder/frontman Mike Ness recently told the Los Angeles Times.
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Wanda Jackson
'The Party Ain't Over,' January
Rockabilly queen Wanda Jackson's new album is produced by Jack White (and released via his Third Man imprint), and includes a backing band comprising White, White's wife, Karen Elson, two members of the Raconteurs, Patti Smith's son and My Morning Jacket's Carl Broemel. As if that wasn't enough, the track list is all covers (picked out by White, surprise, surprise), including a rendition of Amy Winehouse's 'You Know I'm No Good.'
Erika Goldring, Getty Images
Steven Drozd
'The Heart Is a Drum Machine,' January
Out now on DVD, 'the Heart Is a Drum Machine' is a music documentary featuring the likes of George Clinton, Modest Mouse's Issac Brock, Jason Schwartzman, Spoon's Britt Daniel, Elijah Wood and more. Out soon is the score, which was created by Flaming Lips multi-instrumental genius Steven Drozd and contains, among other things, a cover of Elton John's 'Rocket Man' that features Tool's Maynard James Keenan.
Bernd Muller, Redferns
Destroyer
'Kaputt,' January
Dan Bejar's latest under the Destroyer moniker is a marked step away from what fans have come to expect from the densely literate songwriter. "'Kaputt' is the first pop record I have ever made," Bejar told Paste in December. "You could dance to some of it -- maybe sway to the rest."
Denise Truscello, WireImage
Hercules and Love Affair
'Blue Songs,' January
The follow-up to Hercules and Love Affair's self-titled 2008 breakout album doesn't have a US release date yet (this is its UK release date), but it does have a vocal feature from Bloc Party's Kele Okereke and a retro dance-party video for first single 'My House.'
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Adele
'21,' February
Adele's latest, which she recorded in part with Rick Rubin, was heavily influenced by a relationship gone awry. "I was angry!" the British chanteuse told Spinner in November. "I was really, really angry with with my personal life... I have the upper hand now, so, yeah, the whole record is a bit bitter."
Christopher Polk, Getty Images
Dr. Dre
'Detox,' February
At this point shaping up to be Dr. Dre's 'Chinese Democracy,' the crazy-long-in-the-works 'Detox' will reportedly come out in February via Interscope and will feature guest spots from Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, the Game, La Roux and Eminem. Which is to say: Don't hold your breath. That is, unless you're sampling first single 'Kush.'
Michael Caulfield, WireImage
PJ Harvey
'Let England Shake,' February
Recorded in a 19th-century church in Dorset, England, Polly Jean Harvey's Valentine's gift to the world was co-produced by Flood and features collaborative work with Mick Harvey of the Bad Seeds, John Parish and Jean-Marc Butty. "I didn't set down any rules," Harvey told NME of the recording sessions, which is what we like to hear.
Tim Mosenfelder, Getty Images
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Title TBA, February
All that's available from this currently untitled record -- produced by Flood (Smashing Pumpkins, U2, PJ Harvey) and mixed by Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Jesus & Mary Chain) -- is the single 'Heart in Your Heartbreak,' but the band's label promises "a massive-sounding album, sonically ambitious but still grounded in the peerless songcraft that the Pains are known for."
Ben Hider, Getty Images
Bright Eyes
'The People's Key,' February
For his first album under the Bright Eyes moniker in four years, Conor Oberst has a solidified lineup of Nathaniel Walcott and producer/Monsters of Folk memmber Mike Mogis. Members of Cursive, the Faint and several other usual-suspect Saddle Creek bands also appear on the record.
Nati Harnik, AP
Todd Snider
'The Storyteller,' February
There's a reason PR material consistently compares Nashville singer-songwriter Todd Snider to wiseass comedy geniuses like Bill Hicks and Mitch Hedberg. He's a clever dude, one with the ability to make you laugh and cry with back-to-back lines, and that ability is best shown during his live performance. 'The Storyteller is the second live album of Snider's career,' and its two discs will provide plenty of witty banter alongside quality songwriting.
Jay West, WireImage
Cut Copy
'Zonoscope,' February
Recorded in an industrial space in Melbourne, Australia, the follow-up to Cut Copy's 2008 breakout, 'In Ghost Colours,' is said to feature a "hypnotic" new sound with more organic percussion.
Don Arnold, WireImage
The New Original Sonic Sound
'The New Original Sonic Sound,' February
Originally released in 2004, this reissue is the rare combination of supergroup and tribute album. The New Original Sonic Sound is made up of members of Mudhoney, Gas Huffer and Girl Trouble, as well as Minus 5 frontman Scott McCaughey. On this, their only LP, they cover 16 songs from Washingtonian garage legends the Sonics.
Anthony Pidgeon, Redferns
Thin Lizzy
'Jailbreak,' 'Johnny the Fox,' 'Live and Dangerous,' February
Remastered by band member Scott Gorham and Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott, these three Thin Lizzy releases come with myriad unreleased, remixed and live tracks from the '70s Irish classic rockers, and, in the case of 'Live and Dangerous,' a live DVD.
C Brandon, Getty Images
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of the Dead
'Tao of the Dead,' February
Following a rather acrimonious break with Interscope, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, with the longest name in all of Texas, will once again release a new album via their own Richter Scale imprint. The production on 'Tao of the Dead' features the work of Chris Coady (Beach House, Yeah Yeah Yeahs).
Gary Miller, FilmMagic
Drive-By Truckers
'Go-Go Boots,' February
Semi-jokingly referred to by head Trucker Patterson Hood as the band's "country, soul, and murder ballad album," 'Go-Go Boots' is the Drive-By Truckers' companion record of sorts to DBT's 2010 release, 'the Big To-Do,' its songs culled from the same sessions.
Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images
The Low Anthem
'Smart Flesh,' February
Following a huge year that found the band opening for the likes of Iron & Wine and Emmylous Harris, the Low Anthem are ready to challenge the sophomore slump with this new record. 'Smart Flesh' will be available in three different versions.
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Toro y Moi
'Underneath the Pine,' February
Written between tours, 'Underneath the Pine' is Southern chillwave artist Chaz Bundick's second album under the Toro y Moi moniker. The record, which Bundick told Pitchfork is influenced by horror-movie soundtracks and space disco, contains no samples.
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Britney Spears
Title TBA, March
WireImage
Beyonce
Title, Date TBA
In mid-2010, The-Dream offhandedly mentioned that he was working with Mrs. Jay-Z on new material, as will Ne-Yo and Sean Garrett. That's more than enough to get the rumor mill deciding that Beyonce's fourth solo album is definitely coming this year.
Kevin Mazur, WireImage
Beastie Boys
'Hot Sauce Committee Part 2,' Spring
Confusingly, the Beastie Boys claim that 'Hot Sauce Committee Part 2' will contain the tracks from 'Hot Sauce Committee Part 1,' which has not been released yet, and vice versa. While you attempt to puzzle that one out, know that Nas and Santigold guest on 'Part 2,' which will be released before 'Part 1.' Also, does anyone know who's on first?
Dan Steinberg, AP
- Filed under: The Hit List
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