With Arcade Fire capturing the album of the year in 2010 and The Black Keys, Jack White, and Mumford and Sons tossed in the mix for the accolades this year, it seems like some of the people behind the scenes at the Grammys may have seen the light. Great bands like Alabama Shakes and The Lumineers, as well as eclectic artists like Frank Ocean and rock legends like Bruce Springsteen, are all in the running for awards at this year’s bash.
And while the Grammys may never have meant much to those of us that are just looking for a great new sound to latch on to, there’s a smug little smile on my face when I dig out my 2004 Black Keys tour shirt. These guys made it big. Call it selling out, call it bowing to the masses, call it what you want. They paid their dues by making great records and playing the smallest clubs. Now they fill Rogers Arena.
But what is on the horizon for 2013? I’m just going to focus on a few of the upcoming releases from some of the bands I can’t wait to hear, in no particular order.
What do you get when Thom Yorke of Radiohead teams up with Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers? From the sound of the first track, “Default,” you get a lot more Radiohead than Chilis, but the new album from Atoms for Peace, entitled Amok, is sure to please at least a few fans of both artists.
Ever heard Major Lazer? Sure you have. Or at least that’s what you’ll tell people when you start hearing their new album, Free the Universe, being pumped out of all the clubs. With collaborations from Wyclef Jean, Bruno Mars, Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, and (one I can’t wait to hear) Mr. Boombastic himself, Shaggy, this one should be guaranteed to bump.
I am both thrilled and frightened about this next offering. Black Sabbath has Ozzy back at the vocal helm, which will either be painful or glorious. These rock geezers convinced producer-with-the-magic-touch Rick Rubin to produce the album, so cross your fingers that it’s more hot than not.
Slim Shady hops right off his tricycle in the new Skylar Grey video and into the studio to drop his latest offering. Eminem won’t call it a comeback, but let’s hope he’s a bit angrier on this batch of tracks.
After their Grammy win, Arcade Fire got lazy. They only wrote 35 songs for their new record. Not only that, but they let LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy help with some of the production duties. Talk about slacker Canadians.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t think Dave Grohl and Nick Oliveri getting back in the Queens of the Stone Age crew isn’t a big deal. It’s a huge deal. Now if they can just play nice long enough to tour togetherÉ
Those are just a few of the more recognizable names set to release new material this year. There’s a ton of other music that’s on my “can’t wait” list, too: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jamie Lidell, Phoenix, Frightened Rabbit, Johnny Marr, 50 Cent, Pearl Jam… Did I mention The Black Keys might have more for us in 2013? Where do I start and how do I end this list?
There are thousands of bands out there with albums I want to hear. I just haven’t heard them yet.