The Most Anticipated Releases of Fall 2005

by Jeff and Terrance Terich

07.24.2005





For some reason, Autumn seems to usher in a surprisingly high number of high profile releases. More importantly, many of those releases are also among the best of the year. If you'll take a look at our Best of 2004 feature, you'll notice that 8 of our top 20 albums were released in the fall. Be it the change in weather or the record labels' capitalization on the Christmas shopping season, Fall always delivers. This year, there is a long list of noteworthy fall releases, many from well-known artists, some from up-and-comers. The list looks pretty good to us, and though we only highlighted a few of our anticipated favorites, there's a long list of ones we didn't write about, including Outkast, Dirty Three, Silver Jews, Deerhoof, The Clientele, My Morning Jacket, Blackalicious, Rogue Wave, Morcheeba, BRMC and countless more. Get your shopping list ready!

Johnny Cash- The Legend (Columbia; 8/14)
All of the Man in Black's Sun and Columbia songs are collected here on five discs. There is no doubting that Cash was unique in the world of music and he will be sorely missed. We can ease the pain much easier starting August 2nd, when we can honor him with this fantastic collection, brought to us by the Columbia / Legacy collection. Be warned, if you want the super deluxe edition, the one with the bonus DVD and lithograph, you'll have to wait two more weeks until August 16th.

Broadcast - Tender Buttons (Warp; 9/20)
Always good for a spooky, outer space kind of good time, Broadcast is returning with a new set of material this fall. Marking the shortest distance between albums, it's only been two years since their masterpiece haha Sound. Taking its name from Gertrude
Stein's metaphor for nipples, the album sees the group slimmed to a duo - Trish Keenan and James Cargill - with some experimental drum sampling in place of live drums. We expect only brilliance.

Neil Diamond- TBA (Columbia; 11/8)
Rick Rubin, besides being the production impresario, introduced the rock world to Johnny Cash with their American collaborations. Now, Rubin intends to do the same with another music legend with an older following, that being Neil Diamond. On September 6th, the as yet untitled collaboration between the two will be released from Columbia Records. It is reported to be an album of all new singer / songwriter type material rather than standards and covers like the Cash series was. I know I'm anxious. I mean, really, who doesn't start tapping their feet when he starts belting out "They comin' to America...today!"

Ryan Adams - 29/Nashville (Lost Highway; 9/27, 11/1)
Apparently one, and even two, albums a year just isn't enough for the former Whiskeytown frontman. He had to go and record three!!! What's more, considering his first release of the year was a double-disc, that makes this even more of a feat than previously imagined. And it's also a little silly. How could anyone possibly release three essential albums in one year? Not likely, but we have faith in the guy. It's not like you have to play them all at the same time in four separate cd players. Or so we would assume...

Devendra Banhart- Cripple Crow (XL; 9/13)
San Francisco by-way-of-everywhere freak-folkster Banhart has released three albums before he turned 24, not to mention the compilations he engineered, nor the collaborations he took part in. That's one busy beard. Cripple Crow will be Banhart's latest and will be released on September 13th from XL. Joining Banhart on the album will be regular collaborator Andy Cabic (Vetiver, Tussle), Thom Monahan (Pernice Brothers), guitarist friend Noah Georgeson, and dozens of other guests. People can't seem to get enough of Devendra, and he keeps supplying us with more music. And isn't that the way it should be?

Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary (Sub Pop; 9/27)
One of the only bands on this list that isn't all that well established 'round here in the States, Wolf Parade is stirring up quite a buzz, based mainly on their associations with Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse (who invited them to last year's All Tomorrow's Parties Pacific, which might bear some explanation as to the name of the record). The band also toured with The Arcade Fire, to whom the band has drawn many comparisons. If they're anything like The Mouse or The Fire, only good things can come from this album. Expect sold out shows, eBay price jacking and mass hysteria to follow.

Death Cab for Cutie- Plans (Atlantic; 8/30)
Named after the joke which implies that God laughs at us when we make "plans," Death Cab for Cutie's new album, their first with major label Atlantic, will be released on August 30th. Chris Walla, the band's guitarist and producer, has stayed very busy, not only producing the band's album but a host of others as well. You can wait until the release date to find out whether major label life has changed the band, or you can listen to their first single, "Soul Meets Body" on MySpace.com now. Either way, I'm sure that Ben Gibbard still wears his heart on his sleeve.

Broken Social Scene - Windsurfing Nation (Arts and Crafts; 10/4)
Having anywhere between 5 and a billion members collaborating at one time, Broken Social Scene is one of the most populous group's of our time, being eclipsed, possibly, only by The Polyphonic Spree. All members conspired together yet again to produce their latest effort, songs from which have been known to provoke fits of weeping from audience members at shows. I'll believe it when I see it, myself, but in the meantime, we can expect more sublime manipulations of rock music as well as a lawsuit against the New York City Police for abuse. Party on!

Franz Ferdinand- Franz Ferdinand(Domino; 10/4)
What do you mean "this one's already out?" The band's second album is indeed titled eponymously just as the first, and the cover will have the same logo. How do you tell them apart? Different color schemes apparently. On October 4th, we'll all be able to see whether Alex Kapranos and company can live up to the massive success of their first album, also from Domino/Epic. They're brash, cocky, and arty enough to pull it off, but was firing Dan the Automator a boon or bane for the sophomore effort? Who am I kidding, I'll buy it and love it, I'm sure.

Animal Collective - Feels (Paw Tracks; Oct 18)
Already described by the band members, themselves, as their most accessible record to date, Animal Collective's latest, titled Feels, is sure to be a must-hear. Last year's Sung Tongs was a refreshing and unusual set of primal folk that, in all its weirdness, proved to be quite listenable. No word on what, exactly, the new album sounds like, but chances are, it will be something worth checking out. And if they happen to make another video with a rabbit eating a turtle or other kinds of odd costume-play, all the better.

Depeche Mode- Playing the Angel (Mute; 10/18)
October 18th will see the release of the long-awaited return of Depeche Mode with Playing the Angel, a new release with their longtime label Mute/Reprise. It's been over four years since their last album, Exciter, and with retro reunion mania going on, it seems the perfect time for a comeback. The new album will feature such song titles as "Macrovision," "I Want it All," "Sinner Me," "John the Revelator," "Suffer Well," "A Pain That I Used to Be," and their first single, "Precious." I don't know about everyone else, but I'm hoping this one's in the league of say, Violator. With Ben Hillier producing, it could be great.

The Constantines - Tournament of Hearts (Sub Pop; 10/11)
The release of Guelph, Ontario's rockin'-est band's third album happens to coincide with the closing of Three Gut Records. This will be the last release for the small Canadian indie, while Sub Pop will be releasing the disc stateside. There's a high possibility for ass-kicking on this one, in addition to soulful grooves and ambient textures. Or not. We don't really know. But if it's anything like the Cons' last two records, it'll do lots of rocking in the most interesting of ways.

Muse- Stars on Fire (Mushroom; 11/8)
Everyone's waiting to see what Muse can pull off next. Their first album, severely underrated, was panned as a Radiohead ripoff, their second wasn't even released in the States. Their third drew critical acclaim with its apocalyptic overtones and soaring operatic drama, but again, the US was late to pick up the album. So what will the fourth bring? Stars on Fire will be released November 8th from the Mushroom label. Matt Bellamy and his two pals have a difficult task ahead of them, to top the runaway hit Absolution.

Gang of Four - Whitey's Gift (V2; 9/20)
After reuniting for a tour and some festival dates, Gang of Four have taken their reunion one step further by re-recording an album's worth of their classic songs. In addition, a second cd of re-mixes has been added to the package. It should be interesting to hear the updated versions of the songs, though we were kind of partial to the originals. An artist is never satisfied, I suppose.

Snow Patrol- TBA (Interscope;TBA)
After two (practically) UK only releases, Gary Lightbody and his band Snow Patrol hit it big with Final Straw and the emotional radio hit "Run." With the much publicized firing of bassist Mark McClelland, can the Scottish foursome bring the magic back? Snow Patrol seemed to combine the swelling majesty of Coldplay's anthems with the tight rhythms displayed by Noel Gallagher. Final Straw was a departure from the band's first two releases, will this one be a departure from Final Straw? Find out sometime this fall when Interscope releases Snow Patrol's fourth as-of-yet untitled album.

The Fall - The Fall's Heads Roll (Narnack; 9/20)
Nobody these days, young or old, is as venomous and utterly mad as The Fall's Mark E. Smith. On last year's The Real New Fall LP, Smith and his band cranked out abrasively rocking tunes, just like the old days. And understanding his mush-mouthed grumbles isn't getting any easier. Nonetheless, he's still a vital artist, and we're just happy to know that there's a new record on the way.

MF Doom & Danger Mouse- Dangerdoom (Epitaph; 10/11)
MF Doom has engineered some of the most creative hip-hop out there today, especially in his collaboration with DJ Madlib and the album Madvilliany. This time, the metal masked MC will collaborate with celebrated outlaw DJ and Gorillaz member, Danger Mouse, to create Dangerdoom, a hip-hop record inspired by Cartoon Network's Adult Swim lineup. Yes, you read that correctly. Let's hope there's some mad rhymes about Frylocke, Master Shake, and Meatwad. Doom will prove he's "number one in the hood, G." Look for it from Epitaph records in October.

Liz Phair - Somebody�s Miracle (Capitol; 10/4)
How does one go from being the most promising new indie act to being an embarrassing bubblegum parody? Maybe the answer lies somewhere between the time that Phair was on Matador and then got sold to Capitol. Or maybe producer Brad Wood was the only one with any talent all along. There may be hope...maybe...for some better material this time around, just so long as Liz has dropped the "Avril in 20 years" act. We're guessing that she's still going to be naked, though.

Sigur Ros- takk... (Geffen; 9/13)
Takk is Icelandic for thanks, and I have deep fears that this might be a farewell of sorts from the quartet from the land of no trees. Of course, maybe it's just their way of thanking their fans for sold out shows and a quarter million copies sold of ( ), their last effort. Sigur Ros gains fans every day, all with little or no radio play as their ethereal soundscapes don't translate well into hit singles for the mass media. Georg Holm calls takk the day to ( )'s night, saying it's a more hopeful album. No longer on MCA as it folded into Interscope, takk will be released by Geffen on September 13th.