Clockwise from top left: Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief (Photo: Burak Cingi/Redfern/Getty Images), Danny Brown (Photo: Jason Mendez/Getty Images), Geologist of Animal Collective (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images), Kim Petras (Photo: Gareth Cattermole for MTV/Getty Images)
Graphic: Natalie Peeples
Albums can be tough to keep track of. The A.V. Club would like to officially go on record (no pun intended) as acknowledging this fact; each week, let alone each month, brings a deluge of new releases into record stores and digital streaming services.
Trying to keep up with all of them is a fool’s errand. The best you can do is scan lists of upcoming releases and set a few notification reminders on your computer or phone to alert you when something of interest is on the horizon. And even then, let’s be honest: It’s very easy to hit the mental equivalent of the snooze button on your internal calendar.
So consider this our small attempt to help you get a leg up on the most intriguing releases in the coming year. Setting aside the fact that a lot of the biggest artists out there have an annoying tendency to surprise drop new albums without warning (just a small head’s up next time, Beyoncé, please), most of the best acts out there still give you advance notice when they’ve got a record coming out.
So here’s an opportunity to mark the days: From Jack White to Spoon, from Big Thief to Bloc Party, these are some of the most noteworthy albums set to come out in the coming year. It’s mostly the first half of 2022, because frankly, the back half hasn’t been announced yet. But we’ve also got some promised LPs that just lack a firm release date (hi, Kim Petras!); check back with us soon, and we’ll update this list as soon as we’ve got the info.
Note to desktop users: If you’d like to read this in a scrolling format, simply narrow your browser window.
The Weeknd, Dawn FM [January 7]
Clockwise from top left: Adrianne Lenker of Big Thief (Photo: Burak Cingi/Redfern/Getty Images), Danny Brown (Photo: Jason Mendez/Getty Images), Geologist of Animal Collective (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images), Kim Petras (Photo: Gareth Cattermole for MTV/Getty Images) Graphic Natalie Peeples
Albums can be tough to keep track of. The A.V. Club would like to officially go on record (no pun intended) as acknowledging this fact; each week, let alone each month, brings a deluge of new releases into record stores and digital streaming services.Trying to keep up with all of them is a fool’s errand. The best you can do is scan lists of upcoming releases and set a few notification reminders on your computer or phone to alert you when something of interest is on the horizon. And even then, let’s be honest: It’s very easy to hit the mental equivalent of the snooze button on your internal calendar.So consider this our small attempt to help you get a leg up on the most intriguing releases in the coming year. Setting aside the fact that a lot of the biggest artists out there have an annoying tendency to surprise drop new albums without warning (just a small head’s up next time, Beyoncé, please), most of the best acts out there still give you advance notice when they’ve got a record coming out.So here’s an opportunity to mark the days: From Jack White to Spoon, from Big Thief to Bloc Party, these are some of the most noteworthy albums set to come out in the coming year. It’s mostly the first half of 2022, because frankly, the back half hasn’t been announced yet. But we’ve also got some promised LPs that just lack a firm release date (hi, Kim Petras!); check back with us soon, and we’ll update this list as soon as we’ve got the info.Note to desktop users: If you’d like to read this in a scrolling format, simply narrow your browser window.
Don’t know anything about her, actually. I chuckled at the description of the song as “single entendre,” so I pulled up a live performance on YouTube. Within thirty seconds I felt like I was watching Jenna Maroney. It just didn’t seem remotely serious to me—not even “My Humps” serious. But not knowing the artist at all, maybe that’s the point? The stage show certainly suggested some amount of knowing camp.
You mention Spoon in the pre-slideshow, then… leave them out of the slideshow. Ohhh Spoon, always The Underdog, taken for granted and left out, despite being the most consistently great rock band of the past 2 decades.
The fun thing about these slideshows besides nothing is that when I play one video, and then skip to the next slide without stopping the video, and play a video on the next slide, it plays both videos on top of each other. In case I ever wondered what The Weeknd and Big Thief sounded like mashed up. Which I didn’t.
I love Spiritualized, Superchunk, and Animal Collective, but I have a hard time believing any of them have a pending release more anticipated than Spoon.
Arcade Fire’s Everything Now came out in 2017 (not 2018). One editorial error isn’t a big deal, but I hold pop culture news to a higher standard than most. Without pop culture accuracy it’s a SLIPPERY SLOPE into anarchy, misinformation, and godlessness.
This particular feature is always ridiculous because so few of the artists mentioned are noteworthy. It’s like a person who makes their Oscar nomination picks and only picks indie films.
Any recs on music from the last few years I should check out? Been in an illness/work/depression-based black hole where I’ve barely watched/read/played anything in a couple years. I like anything indie/alt rock, but I’ll give a lot of things a shot (trying to widen my interests a bit).
i clicked on this because there is a picture of danny brown in the header image, yet there is no mention of danny brown in the article. get your shit together, av club.
The ones on my radar include new records by Punch Bros (1/14), Zeal and Ardor (2/11), Spoon (also 2/11 — thanks to xaa922 for reminding me of that), Bodega (3/11), and Father John Misty (4/8).Also, there’s a rarities album by Fucked Up coming out on 3/22 that I won’t say no to.
There’s so much good music out there that has yet to be discovered. Search for it. Don’t let what’s promoted or popular guide what music you listen to.
I’m only familiar with 9 of these bands. Considering I’m creeping up on 50 I guess that’s alright. Not really anticipating any of them. I’m stoked for the new Zeal & Ardor and Empath dropping this Friday. Outside of that I’m looking forward to the new Melody’s Echo Chamber.
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Ummm…Interpol are expecting to release their new album in 2022, produced by Flood and Moulder. That sentence gives me a raging hard on.
Get Butch Vig in there and it’s a party
Wet Leg’s debut album is scheduled for release April 8th.
I’m waiting on Pusha T, myself.
That one guy looks like he’s too busy building a deck to make an album.
That Kim Petras song is like a 30 Rock parody of a pop song.
It’s a ridiculous song and it’s a bop.
Eh, she’s German, yeah? Her last record was solid.
Don’t know anything about her, actually. I chuckled at the description of the song as “single entendre,” so I pulled up a live performance on YouTube. Within thirty seconds I felt like I was watching Jenna Maroney. It just didn’t seem remotely serious to me—not even “My Humps” serious. But not knowing the artist at all, maybe that’s the point? The stage show certainly suggested some amount of knowing camp.
New CLUTCH album yet to be officially announced or named. I believe there’s a storm a’ brewin.’
The Weeknd is both slide 2 & 16.Here’s an entirely different endless summer from Superchunk’s:
You mention Spoon in the pre-slideshow, then… leave them out of the slideshow. Ohhh Spoon, always The Underdog, taken for granted and left out, despite being the most consistently great rock band of the past 2 decades.
Shameful that The Voltarol Years by Half Man Half Biscuit has not been included in this list.
New album from Porcupine Tree in June. The last album before they went on hiatus was incredibly meh, but they’ve come back raging so I’m hopeful…:
Surprising EVERYONE, Lewis Taylor has a new album coming out…his first in like 18 years.
The fun thing about these slideshows besides nothing is that when I play one video, and then skip to the next slide without stopping the video, and play a video on the next slide, it plays both videos on top of each other. In case I ever wondered what The Weeknd and Big Thief sounded like mashed up. Which I didn’t.
I love Spiritualized, Superchunk, and Animal Collective, but I have a hard time believing any of them have a pending release more anticipated than Spoon.
new Spoon album in February
Nice. I knew they had a new one coming out, but not that soon.
Arcade Fire’s Everything Now came out in 2017 (not 2018). One editorial error isn’t a big deal, but I hold pop culture news to a higher standard than most. Without pop culture accuracy it’s a SLIPPERY SLOPE into anarchy, misinformation, and godlessness.
This particular feature is always ridiculous because so few of the artists mentioned are noteworthy. It’s like a person who makes their Oscar nomination picks and only picks indie films.
The Gods We Can Touch by Aurora comes out later this month.
Any recs on music from the last few years I should check out? Been in an illness/work/depression-based black hole where I’ve barely watched/read/played anything in a couple years. I like anything indie/alt rock, but I’ll give a lot of things a shot (trying to widen my interests a bit).
Have you heard anything by Wolf Alice? They hit a broad range of rock styles, from lighter to heavier sounds.
That genre has been dead for a solid 10 years now. Maybe towards the end of this one they’ll be some good acts. But not any now.
i clicked on this because there is a picture of danny brown in the header image, yet there is no mention of danny brown in the article. get your shit together, av club.
I’d like you to include a Spotify playlist with these listicles thanks.
Fuck anticipating albums. The last album I anticipated was Deltron 2 and we all know how that turned out
The ones on my radar include new records by Punch Bros (1/14), Zeal and Ardor (2/11), Spoon (also 2/11 — thanks to xaa922 for reminding me of that), Bodega (3/11), and Father John Misty (4/8).Also, there’s a rarities album by Fucked Up coming out on 3/22 that I won’t say no to.
There’s so much good music out there that has yet to be discovered. Search for it. Don’t let what’s promoted or popular guide what music you listen to.
Was this list courtesy of some algorithm
I’m only familiar with 9 of these bands. Considering I’m creeping up on 50 I guess that’s alright. Not really anticipating any of them. I’m stoked for the new Zeal & Ardor and Empath dropping this Friday. Outside of that I’m looking forward to the new Melody’s Echo Chamber.
Does anyone actually like the music coverage here? It seems so cynical and tacked-on.