Another year has come and gone and we are in the early stages of a new year. Out with the old and in with the new! Today, I give you a sneak peak at some of the highly anticipated releases of 2011. So sit back and let your music pants go crazy as you peruse this fine list of music to come.
My Morning Jacket
Currently Untitled (Unscheduled 2011)
Let the love and reverb flow as Jim James and gang do their thing. Producing the set themselves the band used a converted gym as their recording space. The Louisville, Kentucky, rockers are keeping it real on their sixth record. I’m going out on a limb and stating that this album will be one of the best albums of 2011.
Beastie Boys
‘Hot Sauce Committee Part 2’ (Unscheduled 2011)
Now that Adam Yauch is on the road to recovery from throat cancer, the New York trio will release their first album in four years. I for one am glad to see the boys back in the studio mixing and mingling their distinctive sound.
Drive-By Truckers
Go-Go Boots (February 15)
The boys are back and I could not be happier. Cooley and Hood continue their southern styled rock with their topical lyrics and swagger. Expect plenty of guitars, stories steeped in deep southern experiences and the vocal contrast of Cooley’s drawl and Hoods howl.
R.E.M.
Collapse Into Now (March 8 )
Rumor has it that the 12-tracks are some of their strongest rock songs in years. It also finds front man Michael Stipe rocking old school R.E.M machine gun like phrases with the frantic cadence of classic tunes like “It’s The End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”. The boys have teamed with producer Garrett “Jacknife” Lee (U2, Weezer,) and laid down the tracks for their 15th album in locations within the contiguous 48 states and Europe. And as is the latest craze, the album has guest vocals from none other than Mr. Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam fame.
Kanye West & Jay-Z
Watch the Throne (Unscheduled 2011)
In keeping with the bigger than life style of hip/hop royalty these two juggernauts the laid down tracks all over the world, including the South of France and Australia. Their first single “H.A.M.,” hit the airwaves this month. Even before he released, his 2010 masterpiece, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye was already working on this collaboration with Jay-Z, The record was initially set as an EP but morphed into a full-length album.
The Kills
Blood Pressures (April 5)
For the duo’s fourth studio album, both Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart wrote separately, more out of necessity brought on by Mosshart’s involvement with Jack White’s musical love child The Dead Weather. In other Weather news, Jack Lawrence’s band The Greenhornes also recently released an album! Incidentally, Lawrence is also in White’s other musical venture The Raconteurs. Allow another side note: Jack White is musical genius!
U2
Songs of Ascent (Unscheduled 2011)
The veteran rockers are busy working on three albums, (talk about over achieving), and the first to arrive will be their collaboration with super producer Danger Mouse. So, how does the Broadway production of Spiderman fit into the mix? Danger Mouse has been on fire as of late. He contributed production value to the Black Keys major breakthrough Attack & Release and last year he teamed up with The Shins front man James Mercer and gave us Broken Bells.
Foo Fighters
Currently Untitled (Unscheduled 2011)
After the side project of Them Crooked Vultures, I am looking forward to this little rock’n’roll revival for the Foo Fighters’ first disc in five years. There are 11 songs on the album and the word on the street is that from start to finish, there’s not one ballad. This album finds Dave Grohl reuniting with Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic and Butch Vig, who produced 1991’s Nevermind.
Lady Gaga
Born This Way (May 23)
Some might believe this to be the most anticipated pop record of the year. As for Lady Gaga, she won’t let you forget it. For months, she’s been teasing bits of info via the time suck of Twitter and at her shows about the 2011 release. The wait is almost up: Gaga will drop album’s first single, “Born This Way,” on February 13.
Fleet Foxes
Currently Untitled (Unscheduled 2011)
Washington State’s hirsute folk style band was close to wrapping the follow-up to their self-titled debut last fall. Ever the perfectionist, Robin Pecknold scrapped much of the material to “return to the cave,” as he called it, and start over. The record has since been mastered and is prepped for release. No new territory explored on the follow up; Folksy, sweetly layered vocals and harmonies that call to mind the early harmonious groups such as The Eagles and Crosby Stills, and Nash and sometimes Young!
Radiohead
Currently Untitled (Unscheduled 2011)
Their first album since 2007’s In Rainbows with the record, which will be produced by Nigel Godrich. Still, a rep for the band confirms a new record is due out sometime this year.
Jane’s Addiction
(Unscheduled 2011)
With the abrupt departure of, Perry and crew went way out on a limb and hired TV on the Radio guru/producer-instrumentalist Dave Sitek to handle the bass lines and possibly contribute ideas as well as a cool infusion of new life for their new LP, tentatively titled The Great Escape Artist
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Currently Untitled (Unscheduled 2011)
With the loss of guitarist John Frusciante, The Peppers have recruited touring guitarist Josh Klinghoffer for their latest LP. Some of the disc will include songs that were written by Flea on piano, as well as material inspired by Afro-beat music from Lagos, Nigeria.
Wilco
Currently Untitled (Unscheduled 2011)
After splitting from their longtime home Nonesuch last year Jeff Tweedy and the Wilco boys will release their latest effort on their own label. The band has been quiet about details of the new album but there has been confirmation, by a band rep, that the album is due out sometime in 2011.
Lil Wayne
Currently Untitled (Unscheduled 2011)
Since his release from the joint Weezy has been on lockdown in his Miami studio working on Tha Carter IV, his sequel to 2008’s Tha Carter III. Its first single, “6 Foot 7 Foot,” featuring Cory Gunz, was released on last month. The word is that Wayne, who started working on the album before his state sanctioned vacation, started over and will use rhymes from his time spent reflecting in the pokey. How many funny jail references can you work in one paragraph?
Outkast
Currently Untitled (Unscheduled 2011)
It’s been four years since the Atlanta duo dropped and we quickly forgot Idelwild, but there has been confirmation that they’re working on their long overdue follow-up, which is expected this year. Both Andre 3000 and Big Boi have been busy working on solo projects. Boi dropped his solo release (Sir Lucious Left Foot: in 2010 with much hype and was on several year best of lists, including mine. Dre’s efforts have yet to come to fruition but might also appear in 2011.
Dr. Dre
Detox (Unscheduled 2011)
Though there’s no official release date, and appears that this release might be Hip Hops version of “Chinese Democracy” but given Dre’s musical genius and many collaborations it just might be worth the wait.
Here is a cursory view of what is expected in 2011.
Monthly Breakdown of Releases
January 11
- Cage the Elephant, ‘Thank You, Happy Birthday’
- Cake, ‘Showroom of Compassion’
- Edie Brickell, ‘Edie Brickell‘
January 18
- Decemberists, ‘The King is Dead’
- Gregg Allman, ‘Low Country Blues’
- James Blunt, ‘Some Kind of Trouble’
- Social Distortion, ‘Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes’
January 25
- Amos Lee, ‘Mission Bell’
- Cold War Kids, ‘Mine is Yours’
- Corinne Bailey Rae, ‘Love‘
- Deerhoof, ‘Deerhoof vs. Evil’
- Iron & Wine, ‘Kiss Each Other Clean’
- Talib Kweli, ‘Gutter Rainbows’
- Wanda Jackson, ‘The Party Ain’t Over’
February 1
- The Go! Team, ‘Rolling Blackouts’
- Matisyahu, ‘Live at Stubb’s Vol II“
February 8
- …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, ‘Tao of the Dead’
- Alison Krauss, TBA
February 15
- Bright Eyes, ‘The People’s Key’
- The Dears, ‘Degeneration Street’
- Drive-By Truckers, ‘Go-Go Boots’
- Mogwai, ‘Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will’
- PJ Harvey, ‘Let England Shake’
February 22
- Harry Connick Jr., ‘Harry Connick Jr. in Concert on Broadway’
- INXS, ‘Original Sin’
- Jeff Beck, ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Party: Honoring Les Paul’
- John Waite, ‘Rough & Tumble’
- The Low Anthem, ‘Smart Flesh’
March 1
- Blessed Union of Souls, ‘The Mission Field’
- Dropkick Murphys, ‘Going out of Style’
- John Popper & the Duskray Troubadours, ‘John Popper & the Duskray Troubadours’
- Lucinda Williams, ‘Blessed‘
March 8
- Avril Lavigne, ‘Good Bye Lullaby’
- Lupe Fiasco, ‘Lasers‘
- R.E.M., ‘Collapse Into Now’
- Sara Evans, ‘Stronger‘
March 15
- Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi, ‘Rome’
- Green Day, ‘Awesome as F**k’
- New York Dolls, ‘Dancing Backward in High Heels’
March 22
- Edwyn Collins, ‘Losing Sleep’
- Pitbull, ‘Planet Pit’
- Raphael Saadiq, ‘Stone Rollin’
- Ray Davies, ‘See My Friends’
March 29
- Mountain Goats, ‘All Eternals Deck’
- Peter Bjorn and John, TBA
April 12
- Paul Simon, ‘So Beautiful or So What’
April 26
- Dirty Vegas, ‘Electric Love’
2011 Releases With No Date Etched In Granite:
- Aerosmith, TBA
- Andre 3000, TBA
- Fiona Apple, TBA
- Busta Rhymes, ‘The Chemo’
- Chingy, ‘1st Quarter’
- Coldplay, TBA
- Common, ‘The Believer’
- Death Cab for Cutie, TBA
- Eve, ‘Lip Lock’
- Wyclef Jean, ‘If I Were President: My Haitian Experience’
- Nickelback, TBA
- Britney Spears, TBA
- Justin Timberlake, TBA
- Ting Tings, TBA
