2013 Confirmed Album Releases

So far we’ve previewed some of the most buzzed about LPs slated for this year, then outlined others without set due dates.  Next we’ll consider records that are possible but not guaranteed this year, and The Future Heart’s 13 most anticipated albums of 2013. 

But first here are…
Other Confirmed January and February Releases

Among the final projects Trish Keenan was working on when she tragically died of pneumonia at age 42 (almost exactly two years ago) was Broadcast’s score for Berberian Sound Studio – a British horror film about a horror film composer.  Now that soundtrack, finished for the movie after Keenan’s passing by James Cargill, is out January 8th.

The first major release day of the year is January 15th: Christopher Owens (ex-Girls frontman) solo debut, Lysandre; Free Energy Lovesign, Holopaw (with John Orth of Ugly Casanova, Modest Mouse sideband) Academy Songs, Lee Harvey Osmond The Folk Sinner, Pantha du Prince and The Bell Laboratory Elements of Light and more.  The album that’s likely to get the most “new-year-clean-slate critics-love” though is Fade, Yo La Tengo’s 14th studio album.  “Recorded with John McEntire at Soma Studios Electronic Studios in Chicago,” the press release states, “the 10 song collection…is a tapestry of fine melody and elegant noise [with] themes of aging, tragedy and emotional bonds...”

Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported The Replacements will return with the Songs For Slim reunion EP starting on January 15th, but with only 250 limited edition copies auctioned to benefit former bandmate Slim Dunlap’s recovery from the stroke he suffered last February.  Billed as “the first new Replacements release since 1990s All Shook Down,” the EP launches the “Songs for Slim” project – a series of vinyl offerings featuring Dunlap covers by Frank Black, The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Jakob Dylan and others.  To kickstart the series Replacements Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson have regrouped on a recording of Dunlap’s “Busted Up,” plus Leon Payne’s “Lost Highway”, “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from the Broadway musical Gypsy, and Gordon Lightfoot’s “I’m Not Sayin.'”  Chris Mars adds a solo version of Dunlap’s “Radio Hook Word Hit.”  The auction lasts 10 days, after which the EP will be released to digital services and radio outlets, then mass produced on vinyl for March 5th.

For their ’80s synth-pop-inspired January 29th release Heartthrob, Tegan and Sara have teamed with producers Greg Kurstin (Beck, Devo, Ke$ha, Foster the People, P!nk, Shins), and Justin Meldal-Johnsen (in demand session bassist and Beck’s band leader; Justin is also producing Paramore’s eponymous fourth album, out April 9th).

Camper Van Beethoven’s La Costa Perdida, Hilly Eye’s Reasons to Live, Widowspeak’s Almanac and 12-12-12: The Concert for Sandy Relief are out January 22nd.  Also available that day: The Joy Formidable have tweaked their sound (hear for yourself) on sophomore effort “Wolf’s Law;” and demented ’60s-styled psych poppers Foxygen’s We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic is well-set to be an underground breakout akin to MGMT’s 2008 rise (stream their home recorded 2011 LP Take the Kids Off Broadway here).

Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s psyched-up sophomore effort II is out February 5th (lead single “Swim and Sleep” was available as a 7″ last fall on their tour with Grizzly Bear).  Shortly after that release Unknown Mortal Orchestra will tour American with Foxygen through April.  Also out February 5th: Frightened Rabbit’s Pedestrian Verse, Beau Jennings’ Sweet Action, Eels’ Wonderful Glorious, Bjork’s Biophilia remix comp Bastards and Grouper’s The Man Who Died In His Boat – the latter a set of unreleased songs from Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill’s sessions.  A repressing of Grouper’s said currently-out-of-print 2008 album also hits stores that day.

DIIV cohorts Beach Fossils’ Clash The Truth, Major Lazer’s Free the Universe (with guests Santigold, Peaches, Ezra Koenig, Wyclef Jean, Bruno Mars and more), Okie singer/songwriter Samantha Crain’s Kid Face and Psychic Ills’ One Track Mind all drop February 19th

Out February 26th, ex-Smiths, ex-Modest Mouse, ex-Cribs guitarist Johnny Marr’s The Messenger – his first solo album in a decade (or ever, depending how you count them – his 2003 LP was technically a “Johnny Marr + the Healers” release).  “I’d been working as part of different groups and writing music for other people to sing, which is cool because it’s easy for me to come up with riffs,” Marr told Stereogum. “when those riffs were married to these other ideas and notions that seemed bigger—and it wasn’t just about playing my part of the song on the guitar, but rather that these were my songs—it became a different thing. There was an overriding aesthetic to these things I was coming up which made it seem like they should all be a part of a record.”

Other Anticipated March and April Releases

Fans of Tallest Man on Earth and The Low Anthem should seek out Josh Ritter’s latest LP on March 5, The Beast In Its Tracks (on his website he’s streaming one of its song along with his notes on the “breakup album,” and npr.org has a different song, here).  Also issued that day: The Men’s New Moon, They Might Be Giants’ 16th album, Nanobots, Robyn Hitchcock’s Love From London, Son Volt’s Honky Tonk and Suuns’ Images Du Futur.

On March 12th Devandra Banhart returns with Mala and Dave Grohl collaborations with Paul McCartney and the living members of Nirvana (among many others) drop on Sound City – Real to Reel.  The collabs album ties into an the upcoming documentary of the same name about the famed California recording studio.  Grohl also plays on this spring’s Queens of the Stone Age outing (no telling if this is still the blues project they teased two years ago).

March 19th will bring us Low’s The Invisible Way (produced by Jeff Tweedy at Wilco’s Chicago studio, The Loft), Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s Specter At The Feast and Marnie Stern’s kick-ass fourth album, The Chronicles of Marnia (featuring Oneida’s Kid Millions).  Phosphorescent’s Muchacho – due the same day – has been portrayed in its early press as a departure from the alternative Americana and lo-fi country of past Phosphorescent, more towards the sound of late ’80s Tom Petty.  “Several of these songs, I think, had to be produced in a strange way,” Matthew Houck (aka Phosphorescent) told Spin.  “They didn’t seem like songs that could just be strummed on a guitar.”  Listen to “Song For Zula” above and you’ll hear what he means.

Due March 26th, it turns out Wavves fourth album isn’t titled Krazy Sexi Cool, but rather Afraid of Heights.  Hear “Sail to the Sun” below.  Wire return with Change Becomes Us – a collection of new recordings of unreleased songs originally worked on circa 1979–80; and Smoke Fairies drop Blood Speaks.

Telekinesis Dormarion, Besnard Lakes’ Until in Excess, Imperceptible UFO and Mudhoney’s ninth studio LP, Vanishing Point are due April 2nd.  The Thermals’ Desperate Ground are due April 16th.  UPDATE January 10th – Besnard Lakes’ preview UFO with “People of the Sticks” – listen.

…But Wait, There’s More:

Kurt Vile’s Wakin On A Pretty Daze is expected this spring with guest spots by Royal Trux, Beachwood Sparks, and Warpaint members.  He described it last month to Spin: “You turn it on and it sounds like me. But the guitar playing is better and the ideas are new. It’s classic, it’s epic, with many more solos…When it’s classic rock-y, it’s really classic rock-y…I just wanted to catch those cosmic vibes, circa 2012…It’s totally our [Fleetwood Mac] Tusk, but no cheese. Just rock.”

After 1997 landmark debut Homework, Daft Punk have released just two other proper albums, the latest in 2005.  The French house duo have been recording on a new set though – with Animal Collective’s Panda Bear, disco visionary Giorgio Moroder, Chic guitarist/ frontman Nile Rodgers, and others.  UPDATE January 27 – Daft Punk have signed to Columbia and confirmed their fourth album for this spring.

In April Phoenix will finally follow 2009′s Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, their long-time-coming big-time break-out.  Don’t be surprised if they headline Bonnaroo or some other major festival.