Well I'm gonna raise a fuss, and I'm gonna raise a holler because we here at tableau have the perfect cure for those impending summertime blues: Music.
That's right. The season commonly reserved for outrageous Hollywood blockbusters is also a prime release period for the music industry. After all, there's nothing better than a summertime smash hit. "Yeah!"
Need I say more?
This summer marks the return of a number of established acts to the music scene with high profile releases. Perhaps the most surprising comeback attempt belongs to Brit-Pop group Oasis. Despite their lack of success as of late, those charmingly abusive Gallagher brothers may well have another hit on their hands with Don't Believe The Truth, their sixth album. "Lyla," the lead single, is an infectious pop anthem that has already lit up the British charts. If the Beatles were Oasis' past inspiration, the heavy Rolling Stones slant of "Lyla" indicates that the band may be moving in a new direction. Find out for yourself May 31.
By late May, however, you should be digging the new album from everyone's favorite virtual hip-hop collaboration, Gorillaz. Demon Days, the follow up to 2001's self-titled debut, is an addictive workout for your car's subwoofer. The same hodgepodge group of musicians that brought you such songs as "Clint Eastwood" will surely give radio stations another hit with the advance single "Feel Good, Inc." May 24, get ready to hear this album pumping from the stereos of mainstream listeners and elitist hipsters alike.
Look for those same hipsters to say they knew Spoon long before their OC appearance when you spin Gimme Fiction, their new disc. This power trio from Austin, Texas is ready for their big break. 2002's excellent Kill The Moonlight defined summertime, infectious garage-pop sensibilities and sing-along lyrics delighting indie-kids nationwide. One day, maybe you'll tell your friends you knew them before they were big.
Seriously though, jangly guitars aside, nothing spells summer like songs about pink robots and green Martians. Thankfully, The Flaming Lips, aka the coolest 40-year-olds you'll ever hear, release such an album July 2. At War With The Mystics, their 12th album, is sure to provide a aural experience with enough purple haze to weird out the most psychedelic of listeners. This sun-soaked, tie-dyed music will stick in your head for the rest of the summer.
The indie-rock community's most highly anticipated release, Sufjan Stevens' Illinois, will remain in your CD rotation after summer is long gone. Illinois is Stevens' second album in his "50 States Project" -- he hopes to write an album for every state in the union. If you haven't heard 2003's Greetings From Michigan, consider it a primer for this summer's new album. While Stevens' may never be substantially promoted, look for those in the know to praise Illinois as one of the year's best albums.
Stevens' brand of New Americana is as endearing as it is charming. Like, folk is totally the new rock, guys. Honest.
But don't take my word for it. Take advantage of your summer. Get out there and discover some new music, see a show, throw a dance party. Just be sure to rock on.
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