2014 has been, so far, cold and filled with snow. But with the temperatures rising and spring and summer just around the corner, things are looking up. There are many albums coming out that are highly anticipated and have the potential to feature the “summer anthem” that we all love. Here’s a look at just a few of the albums to be released in the remainder of 2014.
Best Coast – tbd
In November, the duo best known as Best Coast headed back into the studio with producer Butch Walker to record their third full-length album, following up their latest hit album The Only Place, released in 2012. Unlike previous material from the two, according to Rolling Stone and the band themselves, the new music is reported to be strongly 1990s-influenced. Earlier this fall, the band released a short collection of new songs called Fade Away EP. The band sees the EP as a trademark for their new 90s sound, and they are excited to perform new material when they open for The Pixies, a tour that started in February.
Foo Fighters – tbd
For their fifth studio album, the Foo Fighters are back from their hiatus and definitely taking some risks. After a the band posted a picture on Instagram of their tapes from the studio, it was confirmed that they were back at it again. Dave Grohl, lead singer, says that their new material is nothing like anything the band has done before. There is not much information out about the album, but the band did promise to release the album within 2014. As for a title or release date, those have not been given, but there is a growing buzz about what in the world the new material could sound like.
Foster the People – Supermodel
Following their wildly successful first release, Torches, indie rock band Foster the People is coming out with their second full-length studio album, to be titled Supermodel. The band refers to the album as a concept album and targets themes like consumer ideology and the “ugly side of capitalism” and says that the lyrics off the tracks are angry and passionate, according to interviews with the band posted on NME.com, a music news website. Though the album was preceded with three singles titled “Coming of Age,” “Pseudologia Fantastica,” and “Best Friend,” the full album is set to hit stores in the U.S. on March 18, under Columbia Records.
Frank Ocean – tbd
After the release of his first scratchpad EP Nostalgia, Ultra in 2011 and then the groundbreaking Channel Orange in 2012, Frank Ocean has a lot to live up to with his upcoming album. Quotes from multiple interviews hint that Ocean is most likely doing what he does best and collaborating with a plethora of artists on the supposedly 10 or 11 songs that he’s written since Channel Orange. Though Ocean himself has confirmed his work on the new album, there has been no official release date or title given out to the public yet, but the album is supposedly set to be released “when the summer comes around again,” according to an earlier tumblr post from Ocean.
Johnny Cash – Out Among the Stars
Though Johnny Cash himself won’t be around to see this particular release, his memory carries on with a collection of never-before-heard Cash songs. The album titled Out Among the Stars was recorded during the early 1980s, but was shelved when Cash left Columbia Records. Until now, the collection was never revisited. John Carter Cash, Johnny Cash’s son, is the one in charge of the release of his father’s works, and says that this may not be the last you hear of never-been-heard Cash songs, admitting to finding multiple other unreleased master tapes from the Cash vault according to Rolling Stone. Out Among the Stars is set to be released on March 25.
Kanye West – tbd
Kanye West, just after his release of the monumental Yeezus this past December, has announced that he is already working on a new studio album to, hopefully, be released this summer. The rapper has come out saying that this new album will be even better than his last “now that he has his affairs in order” as he told Complex Style, a lifestyle and entertainment website. The album will be produced by West, Rick Rubin and Q-Tip, but as of now has no set title and no set release date. Some informationthat was leaked in Rolling Stone, on the other hand, hinted at possible West collaborations on the new release with artists like James Blake and Jay-Z.
Lana Del Rey – Ultra-violence
Lana Del Rey shook the music scene with her past two studio album releases; her self titled Lana Del Rey in 2010 and her second Born to Die in 2012. In February, Del Rey stated that the new album was going to be “a little more stripped down but still cinematic and dark.”At her premiere of her short film Tropico, Del Rey announced the title Ultra-violence, a term from the novel A Clockwork Orange, for her new record. Though there is no official release date, Del Rey was quoted saying that she was nearly finished with the writing stage of the album, hinting that maybe a release is in the near future?
Radiohead –
After a long three-year wait, Radiohead has finally announced that they are hard at work on their ninth studio album. In January, the band returned home to England from their worldwide tour for their latest album, The King of Limbs; according to NME.com, the band’s bassist, Colin Greenwood, admitted that the band was working on a new full-length album, but has yet to come up with a name or release date for said album. The band has also admitted to having at least one track already recorded and they say that the “hopes are very high” for this new record.