And here come those beautiful May flowers! Yes!

So listen up, everyone, we need to talk about something. No one--repeat: no one--is allowed to fall back on “seasonal depression” as an excuse for being a crusty asshole anymore. It’s been gorgeous for a month or so now, and that’s only going to continue.

If you remain a crusty asshole, it’s high time you fess up to this reality about your personality and do what you can to change things. If that’s just not possible, stay out of the way of those enjoying themselves and mutter somewhere else. We no longer have any excuse.

Now, with that out of the way, let’s talk about some new releases. The summer music schedule, as with the talking pictures, starts in May now, not June. Those corporations already have all of our money and most of our souls, must they also change our calendar?

Regardless, a slew of the bigger artists in American music have new offerings on the way this month. For some (Wilco), that’s something to get excited about; for others (Maroon 5), not so much. But I guess it is a matter of personal preference. And anyway, what a beautiful day it is outside! Let’s go fly some kites.

Here is a brief sampling of May’s new releases:

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony:
Strength and Loyalty, May 8

Bone Thugs dominated the charts for much of the 1990s, and with this new offering, the three rappers are all about showing their flexibility. Krayzie Bone describes the album as, “real versatile … ain’t nothing the same on there.” In an effort to stretch what it means to be Bone Thugs, they enlisted the help of several big-time producers, among them Jermaine Dupri, Swizz Beats and will.i.am. Guest stars on the album include Akon, Twista, the Game and Bow Wow. After all the years and all the turmoil (they once had to surreptitiously duck out of the VMAs to avoid a former member’s arrest), they seem honestly excited to have tunes they care about and a sound they can stand behind.

Bjork:
Volta, May 8

Nothing is easy with Bjork, and nothing is conventional. In that respect, Volta will not disappoint, as it features a Chinese pipa player and an all-female, all-Icelandic brass section. Timbaland and Antony (from Antony and the Johnsons) also make special appearances. Yep, that Timbaland. Volta follows 2004’s Medulla, which used only the human voice for instrumentation. An early review from Rolling Stone says it is “arguably Bjork’s loosest and most ruminative effort,” though others complain about an apparent lack of cohesion and hooks. But really, who needs cohesion? We’re dealing with Bjork here. If this album ends up much more an artistic statement than an enjoyable listen, well, that sounds about right.

Elliott Smith:
New Moon (rarities double album), May 8

It’s amazing how deceased artists are becoming more and more prolific these days. With one posthumous release (From a Basement on the Hill) under his belt, here come two-dozen more tracks from the late Smith, recorded from1994 to 1997. As you might expect, the album charts Smith’s progression as a songwriter, even if some of the songs were never meant for public consumption. Like all such albums, New Moon might appeal more to hardcore Smith enthusiasts as opposed to casual fans. Since Smith has become our generation’s Nick Drake, shakily whispering to us from the other side with a sad acoustic guitar and a beautiful homespun melody, it’s about time for many of those in the second category to join those in the first, even if, unfortunately, we’ll never again have him break our hearts in person.

Wilco:
Sky Blue Sky, May 15

This album has been on the Internet for a couple months now, a development the band itself championed. May as well get the songs to the people, right? The music on Sky Blue Sky is less experimental, a little mellower, and a little more straight up-and-down than that on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or A Ghost Is Born. That’s a double-edged sword, though: Some say the album is the band’s best rock since Summerteeth, while others think it lacks the bite and growth of Ghost. That’s probably exactly what Jeff Tweedy had planned. Wilco has shown us its experimental prowess while helping change the sound (not to mention definition) of American rock music for long enough now. Sometimes, it’s a good idea to turn the amps up, rock out and let songs speak for themselves.

The National:
The Boxer, May 22

The first word a friend of mine used to describe this album was “devastating.” This makes sense, given the band and its aesthetic. Lonely hearts and confused souls are the National’s bread and butter, though band member Aaron Dessner told Billboard there are things on this album “different than anything we’ve done before.” If he said this because the band is growing as a unit, that can only mean good things. Sufjan Stevens stopped by to play piano on a track, and the band is using more string and horn arrangements to color their songs. Their last album, Alligator, was widely hailed as one of the best albums of 2005. The Boxer has a lot to live up to, but it appears as though the National is ready for the challenge.

Voxtrot:
Voxtrot, May 22

Not enough people are familiar with this band, a crying shame that just may be about to change. An indie-pop outfit from Austin, Texas, Voxtrot has released four well-received EPs in its history, though no full-length albums. That being the case, anticipation for this offering is pretty rabid. For those of you unfamiliar, Voxtrot sound sort of like The Strokes’ more sensitive, thoughtful younger brothers, one of whom plays a wicked keyboard. The tunes have bounce to spare, and their apex thus far, if you’re interested, is the Raised by Wolves EP. We might be talking about the next big thing here, people, so the sooner you get down with Voxtrot the better.

Other May releases to look out for (with scheduled U.S. release date):

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Baby 81, May 1 – Another loud, aggressive, noisy rock record from the BRMC. Would you expect a band with that name to go the easy-listening route?

Linkin Park, Minutes to Midnight, May 15 – One of the huger bands of the early millennium aims to see if its industrial-strength hit parade can continue. In all honesty, I just want to hear something by them other than “Crawling.” Call me crazy.

Ozzy Osbourne, Black Rain, May 22 – The Prince of Darkness’ first new studio album in six years looks to be a combination of howling at the moon, saying thank you to all his fans, and declaring his firm intention to not stop until he doesn’t have a choice.

Hanson, The Walk, May 22 – The not-so-young-anymore Oklahoma brothers behind “MmmBop” are still making records, apparently. This one is said to be heavier and more of an artistic leap than their previous work, and hey, more power to them. Anyone else forget they were even alive?

Three 6 Mafia, Last 2 Walk, May 22 – From hardcore rappers to Oscar-winning songwriters, just like that. I don’t know if the similarity to Hanson’s album title was intended or not, but expect lots of guests, lots of beats and a lot of banking going on.

Maroon 5 also has an album coming out, but, in all honesty, you can go ahead and do the research on that one. I’m still trying to get the chorus to “She Will Be Loved” out of my head.

Damnit, there it goes again. It’s a vicious cycle.

Which May Release Are You Most Pumped About? Bone Thugs-N-Harmony Bjork Elliot Smith Wilco The National Voxtrot Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Linkin Park Ozzy Osbourne Hanson Three 6 Mafia Maroon 5 Not listed (post your pick below)   Results

Share |