With summer just around the corner, the United States prepares for an active musical season of summer tours, festivals and hotly anticipated album releases. Having already investigated the largest of the summer music festivals in a previous Weekender feature, the Daily decided to focus instead on the top records slated for release this summer.
Stone Temple Pilots: The band will kick off the season, releasing its first album in nine years — the self-titled "Stone Temple Pilots." Despite frontman Scott Weiland's initial plan to release the new album without the help of a major label, the band will be sticking with Atlantic Records for distribution.
Jack Johnson: June will usher in a bundle of notable releases from contemporary artists. Pop singer-songwriter Jack Johnson will release his fifth studio album, "To The Sea," in the United States on June 1 and will embark on a supporting world tour shortly afterward. A paragon of environmental consciousness, Johnson recorded the entire album in solar-powered studios in Hawaii and Los Angeles, will tour in biodiesel-fueled vehicles and has announced that he will donate all proceeds from his shows to the All At Once Community, comprised of over 150 non-profit charities. Miley Cyrus, Macy Gray, Jamie Foxx, Jewel, Christina Aguilera, Hanson and Sarah McLachlan also have scheduled releases for the early summer.
The Gaslight Anthem: This New Jersey indie-rock band will on June 15 unleash its third album, "American Slang." The soul-punk group first gained critical acclaim with "The '59 Sound" (2008) and increased its exposure when it opened for fellow Jersey native Bruce Springsteen at several British festivals in 2009. Although guitarist and lead singer Brian Fallon claims that "American Slang" will not be nearly as heavily influenced by 1950s soul as The Gaslight Anthem's last release, the newest album's fusion of punk's rhythmic energy with R&B's melody is sure to be worth a listen. Other indie artists will be releasing new material soon, including Nada Surf, Deer Tick, Tokyo Police Club, Hot Hot Heat and Blitzen Trapper.
Revival albums: This summer will also see a handful of albums from classic music icons. June 15 will see the release of new records from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Ozzy Osbourne and The Steve Miller Band. Petty's "Mojo" will be the first studio album he's recorded with the Heartbreakers since "The Last DJ" (2002). In the interim, however, Petty has not been resting on his laurels, releasing a solo album, "Highway Companion" (2006). He also released a 2008 self-titled album as Mudcrutch, the early incarnation of the Heartbreakers that disbanded in 1975 before they could record their debut. Recorded by the entire band playing together with no overdubbing, "Mojo" promises to be the most authentic, live-sounding studio album that the Heartbreakers have ever done.
Ozzy Osbourne's "Scream" will be his first studio release in three years and will feature an eclectic collection of musicians, including Rob Zombie's former rhythm section, as well as Adam Wakeman — (son of Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman) — on keyboards and Greek metal-guitar prodigy Kostas Karamitroudis, better known by his stage-name, Gus G. Ozzy split with long-time guitarist Zakk Wylde for this upcoming album, saying that his material was beginning to sound too much like Wylde's other band, heavy metal outfit Black Label Society.
Perhaps the most anticipated summer release is The Steve Miller Band's "Bingo!" The first record by the group since "Wide River" (1993), "Bingo!" will be an album of blues and R&B covers of legends like B.B. King and Jimmy Reed. Described by Miller as a "party record," "Bingo!" promises fantastic sound quality and production value — producer Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Free) worked with Steve Miller at George Lucas' state-of-the-art Skywalker Studios for the recording process.
With summer just around the corner, the United States prepares for an active musical season of summer tours, festivals and hotly anticipated album releases. Having already investigated the largest of the summer music festivals in a previous Weekender feature, the Daily decided to focus instead on the top records slated for release this summer.
Stone Temple Pilots: The band will kick off the season, releasing its first album in nine years — the self-titled "Stone Temple Pilots." Despite frontman Scott Weiland's initial plan to release the new album without the help of a major label, the band will be sticking with Atlantic Records for distribution.
Jack Johnson: June will usher in a bundle of notable releases from contemporary artists. Pop singer-songwriter Jack Johnson will release his fifth studio album, "To The Sea," in the United States on June 1 and will embark on a supporting world tour shortly afterward. A paragon of environmental consciousness, Johnson recorded the entire album in solar-powered studios in Hawaii and Los Angeles, will tour in biodiesel-fueled vehicles and has announced that he will donate all proceeds from his shows to the All At Once Community, comprised of over 150 non-profit charities. Miley Cyrus, Macy Gray, Jamie Foxx, Jewel, Christina Aguilera, Hanson and Sarah McLachlan also have scheduled releases for the early summer.
The Gaslight Anthem: This New Jersey indie-rock band will on June 15 unleash its third album, "American Slang." The soul-punk group first gained critical acclaim with "The '59 Sound" (2008) and increased its exposure when it opened for fellow Jersey native Bruce Springsteen at several British festivals in 2009. Although guitarist and lead singer Brian Fallon claims that "American Slang" will not be nearly as heavily influenced by 1950s soul as The Gaslight Anthem's last release, the newest album's fusion of punk's rhythmic energy with R&B's melody is sure to be worth a listen. Other indie artists will be releasing new material soon, including Nada Surf, Deer Tick, Tokyo Police Club, Hot Hot Heat and Blitzen Trapper.
Revival albums: This summer will also see a handful of albums from classic music icons. June 15 will see the release of new records from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Ozzy Osbourne and The Steve Miller Band. Petty's "Mojo" will be the first studio album he's recorded with the Heartbreakers since "The Last DJ" (2002). In the interim, however, Petty has not been resting on his laurels, releasing a solo album, "Highway Companion" (2006). He also released a 2008 self-titled album as Mudcrutch, the early incarnation of the Heartbreakers that disbanded in 1975 before they could record their debut. Recorded by the entire band playing together with no overdubbing, "Mojo" promises to be the most authentic, live-sounding studio album that the Heartbreakers have ever done.
Ozzy Osbourne's "Scream" will be his first studio release in three years and will feature an eclectic collection of musicians, including Rob Zombie's former rhythm section, as well as Adam Wakeman — (son of Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman) — on keyboards and Greek metal-guitar prodigy Kostas Karamitroudis, better known by his stage-name, Gus G. Ozzy split with long-time guitarist Zakk Wylde for this upcoming album, saying that his material was beginning to sound too much like Wylde's other band, heavy metal outfit Black Label Society.
Perhaps the most anticipated summer release is The Steve Miller Band's "Bingo!" The first record by the group since "Wide River" (1993), "Bingo!" will be an album of blues and R&B covers of legends like B.B. King and Jimmy Reed. Described by Miller as a "party record," "Bingo!" promises fantastic sound quality and production value — producer Andy Johns (Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Free) worked with Steve Miller at George Lucas' state-of-the-art Skywalker Studios for the recording process.
So keep an eye — or, more precisely, an ear — out for all of the above albums this summer; there are sure to be some memorable gems among them that will play best at high volume with the windows down.
So keep an eye — or, more precisely, an ear — out for all of the above albums this summer; there are sure to be some memorable gems among them that will play best at high volume with the windows down.
