2008 Album Releases

It seems as though 2008 is the year for comebacks-and when I say that, I don’t mean for unsuccessful bands to redeem themselves, but bands to continue their album releases. If you think about it (and do your music research), there are quite a few groups with albums being released this year. There must be something with the summer of 2008…but it’s full of music mayhem.

As I sat in Barnes and Noble, doing my usual survey of music magazines: of SPIN, AP and AMP, I noticed a common theme: the return of musicians. Not only are there a ton of new artists emerging, and many reviews of newly released CDs, but there are many advertisements and pages filled with artists that are releasing new albums or, in Stone Temple Pilot’s case, touring once again.

That is definitely one of the concerts and returns I am so excited to see. The Stone Temple Pilots is the band who I heard on the radio growing up, but I didn’t know who they were (since, of course, the radio doesn’t say who performs each song). But, since I was exposed to their awesome music, I noticed they really changed the face of music in the 90s, and will continue to do so if they release another album. Nevertheless, they are touring and performing again, and it’s great to see such talented artists return to the stage.

Now, let’s see. Who else is releasing another album?

            P.O.D. I’m pretty sure that everyone who was alive and kicking during the time that their second album Satellite was released, they were not as successful as other bands during that time, but their three hits, “Alive,” “Youth of the Nation,” and “Boom,” were pretty good. I have to say I’m looking forward to what the boys have come up with, since they have not released an album since 2001.

            Story of the Year. There was an article on their new release in AMP, which really caught my eye because they have been laying low for quite a while. I read the interview with the lead singer, Dan Marsala (yes, I kid you not), and even the writer noticed his enthusiasm for the new record. And I have to say, there’s nothing better than having an artists who genuinely loves the music he makes in the industry…because not only is that how it should be, it’s predicted success (Brandon Boyd from Incubus once said that writing “Stellar” was like making love to a woman…and look at his success).

            Underoath is releasing a DVD of a full live set…and those of you who read my previous blog will know happy that makes me…

            Death Cab for Cutie. They already have an album out, and have been getting a lot of coverage in the media (and now from me in this post). I saw them on FUSE performing live, and their single, “I Will Possess Your Heart” is awesome. The good thing about Death Cab is that they stay true to their indie-pop sound (as they are categorized), but there is always something different with every song. I can’t wait to hear the rest of the album.

            New Found Glory. This brings me back to my punk rock stage in life and in high school. My friend and I once had a conversation about them, and concluded the following: their sound has been very steady (meaning, most of the songs sound highly familiar…because they were heard in the previous track), and they only had about three or four successful singles. But they do attract the high school crowd, and I could only hope they are just as successful in the next album as they were in the past.

From these albums, it will be interesting to compare their new sounds to their old sounds. Have they stayed true to their sound that makes them unique from other bands, or have they explored other aspects of their genre? This will be an interesting question to answer