Your guide to the definitely, probably, and possibly of artists releasing new albums this year.
Madonna. Photo by Kevin Mazur from madonna.com
Following 2011 records from big guns Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Lady Gaga, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, 2012 looks to be another year of huge acts, with releases mooted for Madonna, Muse, Tool, Hilltop Hoods, John Mayer, Linkin Park, Paramore, No Doubt, Metallica, Taylor Swift, Green Day, and scores more.
So here’s a list of the confirmed, the likely, and the possibly wishful, releases for 2012.
JANUARY
Leonard Cohen releases Old Ideas, Radiohead’s The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement DVD hits shelves and Ringo Starr has a new solo album. Perth singer Grace Woodroofe, metal heroes Lamb Of God, new Queensland roots artist Harmony James, country legend John Williamson, avuncular hip-hop dude Common, and Rodrigo Y Gabriela all have albums.
Then there’s records from indie champs Guided By Voices, doom gods Sunn O))), indie dance kids The Big Pink’s second album, Nirvana’s Live At The Paramount, UK rockers The Duke Spirit, the official release of Odd Future members The Internet’s debut, lo-fi Ohio garage band Cloud Nothings, hardcore acts H20 and Have Heart, Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn’s solo debut, Swedish folk duo First Aid Kit, spazzy UK rockers Pulled Apart By Horses, Americana act The War On Drugs, local rock scamps Bleeding Knees Club, power-poppers Imperial Teen, anti-folk star Ani DiFranco, hyped singer Lana Del Rey, and Poms The Maccabees and Enter Shikari.
FEBRUARY
Nicki Minaj has Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, a new album for The Fray, Paul McCartney delivers a newy, as do Van Halen, will.i.am, Jack’s Mannequin, Estelle, Mark Lanegan Band, Ben Kweller, indie psych act Dr. Dog, gloss-pop act Of Montreal, dance-punks Sleigh Bells, country hero Tim McGraw, South African rap-parodists Die Antwoord, alt-country heroes Lambchop, emo pioneers Cursive, Phenomenal Handclap Band, no-wavers No Age, shoegazey trio School Of Seven Bells, indie princess Sharon Van Etten, The Twilight Sad, Tennis and mad Australian post-rock icons The Dirty Three.
There’s also a Goldfrapp singles collection, and French duo Air’s soundtrack to the silent film Le Voyage Dans La Lune.
MARCH
American Idol Adam Lambert has his second album, Macy Gray a collaborative effort, Hilltop Hoods’ Drinking From The Sun will surely top the chart, The Shins have their long-awaited fourth album Port of Morrow, and there will be new offerings from Miike Snow, Spiritualised, Andrew Bird, Magnetic Fields, Tame Impala side project Pond, Lee Ranaldo from Sonic Youth, and Paul Weller.
LATER IN 2012
We’re virtually guaranteed to get albums from Madonna, Linkin Park, Muse, Aerosmith, John Mayer, Keane, Christina Aguilera, Paramore, Selena Gomez, Adam Ant, Cody Simpson, Delta Goodrem, Sinead O’Connor, Guy Sebastian, Cancer Bats, Grizzly Bear, Hilary Duff, Kid Cudi, Garbage, Green Day, Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective, The-Dream, Santigold, Rick Ross and Rufus Wainwright.
We’ll likely see albums from Cat Power, Strange Talk, The xx, No Doubt, Emma Louise, The Weeknd, Alice In Chains, Amy Meredith, The Killers, former Snowman member Andy Citawarmen, Queens Of The Stone Age, Ricki-Lee Coulter, Soundgarden, Sia, TechN9ne, Tool (although you never know with these guys), The Temper Trap, ZZ Top, and Missy Higgins.
And from the very probably to the hopefully possibly list: The Offspring, The Avalanches, MGMT, Guns N Roses, Taylor Swift, Metallica, Morrissey, The Strokes, The Walkmen, Yeasayer, and two albums from Janelle Monáe.
And of course, more to come.
*Sourced from official release schedules, press releases, interviews, rumours, and innuendo.
