(Editor’s note: Unfortunately my studies have left me with little time for write-ups this week, which is a bummer because there are some highly anticipated albums being released. Most notably are new albums from Icelandic heroes Sigur Ros (Valtari) and New Zealand’s Ladyhawke (Anxiety), both returning after respective four year hiatuses.)

Sigur Ros: Valtari

 ”Ekki múkk” by Sigur Rós

Ladyhawke: Anxiety

 ”Black, White & Blue” by Ladyhawke

King Tuff: King Tuff

“Bad Thing” by King Tuff

Lemonade: Diver

 ”Neptune” by Lemonade

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes: Here

The Walkmen: Heaven

EL-P: Cancer for Cure

 ”The Full Retard” by EL-P

Def Jux head honcho, producer extraordinaire, Co-Flow founding member, celebrated solo artist and a major force in alternative and independent hip hop unveils his first album in five years. Guest appearances include: Mr. Mutha****in’ eXquire, Killer Mike, Danny Brown, Paul Banks (of Interpol) and Nick Diamonds (of Islands and Mister Heavenly).

Joey Ramone: …Ya Know?

“What Did I Do To Deserve You?” by Joey Ramone

The second posthumous solo album by the lead vocalist of legendary punk band The Ramones is a collection of demos and unreleased songs recorded in the last 15 years of the singers life.

John Mayer: Born and Raised

 ”Shadow Days” by John Mayer

Yup.

Saint Vitus: Lillie: F-65

One of the originators of doom metal return with their 8th album and first in 17 years. The album title is a reference to a depressant, and apparently one the drummer is very fond of. Stream entire album on Youtube.

Soulsavers: The Light the Dead See

 ”Tonight” by Soulsavers

Originally an electronic remix production team who provided excellent remixes for acts such as Starsailor and Doves, but have been getting more and more into a Southern Gospel influenced sound with each subsequent release (having Mark Lanegan as your guest vocalist for two albums straight can do that). For their fourth album the band works with Depeche Mode’s Dave Gahan on vocal duties.

Squarepusher: Ufabulum

 ”Dark Steering” by Squarepusher

When one usually thinks of Warp Records, the seminal UK electronic label that gained notoriety in the 90’s for establishing a new style of electronic music, IDM, one usually thinks of four main acts: Aphex Twin, Autechre, Boards of Canada and Squarepusher, the nom de artiste of producer Tom Jenkinson. Of those main four, two have veritably gone into hiding (BOC, AT) and Autechre seem to have gotten lost inside their own machines. Squarepusher on the other hand has been consistently releasing music of varying degrees throughout the naughts, transitioning from frantic drum & bass freakouts to experimenting with live bass and even a full band (for his Shobaleader One side project). Ufabulum is Jenkinson’s 14th album under the Squarepusher banner and finds his full band experiments paying off in terms of a Daft Punk-esque sound and look. The music is fully programmed, featuring no live playing whatsoever and has been heralded as a return to form for Jenkinson.

Beach House: Bloom

 ”Myth” by Beach House

Finally the highly anticipated follow-up to the group’s fantastic breakout 2010 album Teen Dream. Early reviews have been calling it the continuation of the fuller sound displayed on their previous record which seems to have been dampening the scores its been getting.  This seems intentional from the band who felt they were getting too popular in the wake of Teen Dream’s success. The Baltimore duo actually turned down a nationwide tour in larger venues and focused on slowing things down professionally and retreated back home away from all the hype. In a recent interview Alex Scally stated “We just want people to hear the music and try to not have there be hype, We don’t want to over-gimmick anything.” Undoubtably Bloom will be compared to last album and expectations will be high, but you have to hand it to the band for keeping their feet on the ground despite the hype and trying their hardest to keep the band about the music and not image.

James & Evander: Bummer Pop

After meeting in college in 2005, James & Evander have been releasing a number of EP’s of their bedroom synth driven electronic dance pop, slowly honing their songwriting craft. Bummer Pop is the Oakland duo’s debut album and finds the group’s sound coalescing into what they have deemed “future pop”. Check out the first two singles in the soundcloud stream above.

mewithoutYou: Ten Stories

 ”February, 1878” by mewithoutYou

Fifth studio album from the screamo act gone folk rock. That sounds like a rather interesting transition, and to be honest it has been. If you’ve followed the band up until this point you’d hear that it has been a rather gradual shift in sound culminating in their 2009 release  It’s All Crazy… which apparently was lead singer Aaron Weiss’ attempt to make an album his grandmother could listen to. Ten Stories appropriately follows ten story lines that make up one larger narrative about a traveling circus and was inspired by a book read by Weiss in a class he attended while the group was on hiatus.

Best Coast: The Only Place

 ”The Only Place” by Best Coast

Bethany Cosentino and Bobb Bruno follow up 2010’s celebrated Crazy for You just in time for the backlash. The latest album from the duo finds Bethany wanting to shed her stoner cat girl image and be taken more seriously as a songwriter. In order to help with that mission they’ve brought producer extraordinaire Jon Brion (!!!!!!!!) along to assist with the album. The result is a much better sounding album with Cosentino’s vocals up front and in your face, showcasing a confidence that wasn’t there on the band’s earlier work, even if the subject matter remains similar (boredom, boys and the beach).

Killer Mike: R.A.P. Music

 ”Untitled (Feat. Scar, Prod. by El-P)” by Killer Mike

Coming almost exactly a year to the day after his last album PL3DGE, R.A.P. Music (an acronym for Rebellious African People Music) is a collaborative album between Atlanta rapper Killer Mike and Def Jux head honcho and producer El-P. Given El-P’s success behind the boards with albums and songs from Cannibal Ox (The Cold Vein) and more recently Mr. Mutha****in’ eXquire (“Huzzah!”), expectations for this album are running very high. R.A.P. Music is interestingly enough being released on Adult Swim’s label William Street Records after unsuccessful stints on major labels Columbia and T.I.’s Grand Hustle.

Garbage: Not Your Kind of People [PUSHED TO 5/22]

 ”Blood for Poppies” by Garbage

First album from the successful alternative rock band since 2005’s Bleed Like Me. The band announced a hiatus later that year and have only really played a handful of dates for charity purposes since. Band members Butch Vig and Shirley Manson took the time to pursue other interests. Vig went on to produce albums and songs for successful bands such as Muse, Green Day and Foo Fighters and Shirley recorded a solo album (but has yet to release it) and was a featured regular actor on the television series Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. In 2010 the band announced that they were finally back in the studio to record a new album which has been described as “cinematic” and featuring a ton of guitars.

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band: One of My Kind

 ”Breezy” by Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band

Album soundtrack packaged with the documentary DVD of the same name that chronicles life in the band while on tour, living in Mexico and the making of 2009’s Outer South album. The songs are outtakes and b-sides from the previously released limited edition and out of print EP’s.

Horseback: Half Blood

 ”Ahriman” by Horseback

Predominately the the music project of Jenks Miller, Horseback’s output has followed a rather unique path; releasing collaborative albums with other sonic experimentalists as Nicholas Szczepanik, Pyramids and Locrian, cassette-only full lengths and various split 7“‘s (most of them having a variety of versions as well). Half Blood is his first straight follow-up since 2010’s cassette only Forbidden Planet. The music is a surprisingly accessible mix of ambient, drone, doom, sludge and psychedelic/noise music that avoids pretention (surprisingly, given those genre descriptions) and a wholly organic tone to the sound.

Flats: Better Living [UPDATE: POSTPONED TILL 6/5….LAME!]

 ”Foxtrot” by Flats

For having formed in 2010 and only a handful of EP’s to their name, this London four-piece has built up quite a raucous reputation on the strength of their highly charged live shows (some of which have clocked in at a scant 15 minutes!) and aggressive nature of their abrasive brand of heavy metal infused punk rock. Kinda reminds me a bit of the buzz over iceage last year. I like how most of the songs are just the titles of dances.

OFF!: OFF!

 ”Cracked” by OFF!

Full length debut by the punk supergroup following up their critically acclaimed First Four EP’s set last year. True to OFF! spirit, the songs are fast, furious and short, as the entire album clocks in at just under 16 minutes.

Silversun Pickups: Neck of the Woods

 ”Mean Spirits” by Silversun Pickups

L.A. alternative rock band releases it’s third album and follow up to 2009’s Grammy nominated Swoon. While the Smashing Pumpkins comparisons aren’t likely to be done away with this time around, the band has utilized some other inspirations from bands as varied as Radiohead and Blink-182.

Keane: Strangeland

 ”Disconnected” (snippet) by Keane

The English alternative pop/rock band return with their fourth album (follow-up to 2008’s Perfect Symmetry and 2010’s Night Train EP).  Those latter releases saw the band experimenting with their trademark piano driven ballad song form with synthesizers and even some hip-hop influences but for the new release the group looked more to 2006’s Under the Iron Sea for inspiration. The goal was to write simpler, more powerful songs but load them with large amounts of emotion and energy.

::REISSUES & RERELEASES::

Sleep: Dopesmoker

Doom/stoner metal group rereleases it’s troubled (and widely celebrated) final album. Originally recorded in 1996 and was rejected upon being presented to the band’s label at the time for being too long (one 63 minute song). The band fought with the label for years and eventually was released in a truncated form as Jerusalem in 2003. This reissue is being released by Southern Lord Records and features all new conceptual art, remastered music, a bonus track and the full vision of Dopesmoker as originally intended by the band.

St. Vincent: Stranger Mercy

Deluxe version of St. Vincent’s latest opus. While there are no new songs on it, this version instead comes with a DVD that features the music videos for “Cheerleader” and “Cruel” as well as a five song set live at 4AD.

::RELEASES FROM THE PAST WEEK::

Father John Misty: Fear Fun - solo debut under new moniker by ex-Fleet Foxes drummer J.Tillman

Norah Jones: Little Broken Hearts - fifth album from the songstress and written fully in collaboration with Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse), who she worked with on last years’ ROME LP. 

Lower Dens: Nootropics - sophomore album from the upcoming celebrated young band.

Pelican: Ataraxia/Taraxis - new 4 song EP from the Post-Metal stalwarts and first new music in three years.

Pennywise: All or Nothing - legendary long running punk outfit release their tenth studio album (and first since 2008) and debut new vocalist Zoli Teglas.

Santigold: Master of My Make Believe - four years since the release of her widely celebrated debut, Santigold (formerly Santogold) reveals her newest genre blending album.