Beach House – Bloom

Fortune surrounds Beach House’s fourth studio offering. Teen Dream producer Chris Coady is back at the helm, the album was mixed at New York City’s legendary Electric Lady Studios, and the already-revealed cuts (“Myth”, “Lazuli”) could be described as no less than divine. It’s far too early to write any year-end lists just yet, but here’s a hypothesis: It’s doubtful we’ll shake off Victoria Legrand’s balmy, dreamy vocals by winter. -Michael Roffman
Due Out: May 15th via Sub Pop 

Beach House – “Lazuli”

Best Coast – The Only Place

With Jon Brion (Kanye West, Fiona Apple, of Montreal) on board as producer, some might be expecting a departure from the endlessly endearing surf pop that earned Best Coast’s 2010 debut our Top Star recognition. Fear not, because while Brion’s more polished and refined touch can certainly be felt on The Only Place (a string quartet actually makes an appearance on a couple of tracks), Bethany Cosentino still keeps her feet firmly planted in her signature fuzzy lo-fi punk sound. -Bryant Kitching
Due Out: May 15th via Mexican Summer

Garbage – Not Your Kind of People

Nineties alt-pop darlings Garbage go for a surrealist escape in the lead single off their first album in eight years, Not Your Kind of People. The video for the song, “Blood for Poppies”, shot by L.A. cinematographer Matt Irwin, is a shaky, black-and-white montage of space-age black magic and sunny So-Cal scenes. Musically, it’s classic sneer-and-wink Garbage: chainsaw guitars, wonka-wonka bass, and a pop-delicious hook that rushes into the chorus like a gust of wind, and that can only bode well for the rest of the album. -Katjusa Cisar
Due Out: May 15th via STUNVOLUME

Garbage – “Blood for Poppies”

Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music

Some of the first words shot out by Killer Mike on R.A.P. Music reference KRS ONE’s “9mm Goes Bang”. He shouts, “Wa da da dang, wa da da da da dang/listen to my Kimber .45 go bang.” These lyrics could serve as a summary for the whole album: old-school nods that pack more fire power. Killer Mike’s flow keeps it anachronistic like Slick Rick meets Chuck D, but El-P’s production–as always–keeps the whole record avant. It will tear as big a hole in the space-time continuum as it will in your speakers. -Jeremy D. Larson
Due Out: May 15th via William Street Records

Tenacious D – Rize of the Fenix

After the commercial nonsuccess of 2006′s Pick of Destiny, the greatest rock band in the world is set for the biggest resurgence in music history! In the works since at least 2007, Rize of the Fenix once again sees “Hollywood” Jack Black and Kyle “Rage Kage” Gass teaming up with ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, and despite the sentiments of album track “Rock Is Dead”, the metal is still righteous. The album is replete with the raunchy humor and outrageously spun stories of sex, rock-n-roll, and friendship The D is known for. Hell, Val Kilmer took a bullet for this record. -Ben Kaye
Due Out: May 15th via Columbia

El-P – Cancer for Cure

No lie: After pressing play on my promo download of Cancer for Cure, El-P’s first album since 2007′s I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead, I stared at my computer screen, practically slack-jawed, for almost 10 minutes. But what does the greatest and most epic left-field rap full-length of the year so far actually sound like? In essence, it’s a full-on assault of sprawling, 22nd-century boom-bap juxtaposed with justly garrulous and truly cerebral 16s that never cease to impress. El Producto es el genio. -Mike Madden
Due Out: May 22nd via Fat Possum

El-P – “Tougher Colder Killer” (feat. Killer Mike and Despot)

Mount Eerie – Clear Moon

Phil Elverum’s haunting brand of black metal proved intriguing on 2009′s Wind’s Poem, and since then he’s kept rather quiet, save for an archival collection and a couple of singles. This year he returns with two albums: Clear Moon and Ocean Roar. Based on the hazy, driving “House Shape”, the former’s first single, Elverum remains in the darkness, but there’s just enough light to keep us moving. -Michael Roffman
Due Out: May 22nd via P.W. Elverum and Sun, Ltd.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – Here

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros exploded onto the scene in 2009 with their shakable brand of hippie-soaked indie folk. Three years later, they’re ready to return with a vengeance. Here is actually the first of two albums due this year, birthed from exploring “a wide variety of subject and sound” upon their return to the studio. The lead single, “Man on Fire”, burns slow and warm, the kind of comforting, uplifting stuff that made their Up From Below debut so welcoming. -Ben Kaye
Due Out: May 29th via Community Music/Vagrant

Lemonade – Diver

After sashaying onto the scene with 2009′s self-titled debut, Lemonade return with their long-awaited sophomore effort, Diver. Constructed from “sounds of the past synthesized with contemporary dance music buoyed by the most immediate matters of the heart,” the album arrives just in time for summer. If you’ve already got your toes in the sand, label True Panther Sounds has gone ahead and released first single “Neptune” along with remixes by various artists. -Harley Brown
Due Out: May 29th via True Panther Sounds

Lemonade – “Neptune”

Regina Spektor - What We Saw from the Cheap Seats

Currently embarking on a tour through the U.S. with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Regina Spektor has already revealed to us nearly one-quarter of her upcoming album What We Saw From The Cheap Seats. The cute, earnest “Small Town Moon” and reworked, jumpy “Don’t Leave Me (Ne Me Quitte Pas)” showcase Spektor in her most accessible, but the cryptic (and a tad awkward) video for  “All The Rowboats” may make you wonder why it was chosen to be the lead single. We can expect a solid sixth record from Regina, and we’ll be looking for those gems undoubtedly buried within the songs yet unheard. -David Dililo
Due Out: May 29th via Sire/Warner Bros. 

The Walkmen - Heaven

The Walkmen, with the help of producer Phil Eck and a guest spot by Robin Pecknold, returns with a rich album, a sound not previously heard from the band. With Heaven, that nervous energy is gone, but what has been left in its wake is a group comfortably growing old. In doing so, they’ve compiled their most personal collection of tunes. As clues into the rest of the sprawling LP, the first single and title track provide insight into the bucket of hooks there to unpack when the album is finally unleashed. -Ryan Staskel
Due Out: May 29th via Fat Possum 

Sigur Rós - Valtari

Sigur Rós can take their records off the shelf, polish it, repackage it, and send it resounding through the snow fields and white-capped mountains of Iceland until the end of time for all I care. But what sets Valtari apart is its leap into cosmic reflection in contrast with the more neo-natal wonderment of their previous work. It dares to create even larger post-rock expanses and does so without the crutches of tension and release. Instead, Valtari is all about riding for the feeling. Of course it’s still cinematic, but now it’s less Vanilla Sky and more Tree Of Life, which is unequivocally a good thing. -Jeremy D. Larson

Due Out: May 29th via EMI/XL

Big K.R.I.T. – Live From the Underground

Over the course of some seven years, Mississippi rapper/producer Big K.R.I.T. has manned the boards for everyone from Ludacris to Freddie Gibbs, all while releasing an increasingly influential and captivating series of mixtapes. Though the temptation for change undoubtedly abounds, expect his debut LP to continue on the same trajectory as his back catalog: spiritually aware, socially conscious raps backed by a soulful, retro-centric production style, created by a man who’s never forgotten his Southern roots or sense of duty. In essence, as the album’s title cleverly summarizes, K.R.I.T. will look to entertain throngs of new fans without leaving the confines of the underground bunker he’s worked so hard to fortify. It’s taken nearly a decade to get here, but K.R.I.T.’s more than well equipped to handle the Big Show. -Chris Coplan
Due Out: June 5th via Def Jam 

Japandroids – Celebration Rock

Fans of Brian King and David Prowse’s Post-Nothing debut shouldn’t have a problem with their second LP. Of course, there’s the previously released single “The House That Heaven Built”, the monstrously fuzzed-up bro-down that doubles as contender for song of the year. But jams like “Younger Us” (also previously released), “Fire’s Highway”, and “Evil’s Sway” will hold up just fine on those long-sought summer nights, too, exuberant and flat-out fun in their catharses. Cheers to post-adolescence, once again. -Mike Madden
Due Out: June 5th via Polyvinyl 

Liars - WIXIW

Liars have never been predictable, producing over the course of their 12-year tenure both a concept record about creativity and doubt and an album inspired by German legends about witchcraft, among others. Despite these disparate influences, they’ve always hewed to the same dance-inspired punk and drum machine-based songwriting; WIXIW, however, is “simultaneously the most accessible and most challenging release from these iconoclasts, it is both a summation of Liars’ work up to now, and a complete break from anything you’d ever heard the band do previously.” They’ve pretty much covered all the bases with that, leaving listeners with “No. 1 Against the Rush” to guess at what it means. -Harley Brown
Due Out: June 5th via Mute

Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Americana

Last year’s Buffalo Springfield reunion came sans new recordings, but Neil Young devotees will be satiated when he drops his first album with the complete Crazy Horse lineup (Billy Talbot, Ralph Molina, and Frank “Poncho” Sampedro) since 1996’s Broken Arrow. The material is comprised of classic folk tunes like “This Land Is Your Land” and “She’ll Be Comin’ Round The Mountain”, which will disappoint fans aching for new material. Still, these guys getting back together is nothing to scoff at. Besides, a second record is coming this fall, so let this one tide you over. -Ben Kaye
Due Out: June 5th via Reprise 

Neil Young & Crazy Horse – “Oh Susannah”

PUJOL – United States of Being

With United States of Being, his full-length 12-track debut, Daniel Pujol ropes in his gritty-yet-catchy brand of garage rock. It would be wise to take the title literally, as Pujol states, “love can be a pretty subversive thing. It’s 12 neoliberal love songs for you and the significant Other.” How sweet. -Michael Roffman
Due Out: June 5th via Saddle Creek

PUJOL – “DIY2K”

Guided By Voices – Class Clown Spots a UFO

The classic GBV lineup is back for a victory lap with the album Class Clown Spots a UFO. No doubt, it will be a run through the lo-fi playground that Robert Pollard has called home for more than two decades. Let’s Go Eat the Factory, the inaugural album by the returned classic lineup brought us a sprawling 21 track brilliant mess, and with Class Clown Spots a UFO we have every reason to believe the band of merry drunkards will bring the goods one more time. -Ryan Staskel
Due Out: June 12th via Fire Records

Hot Chip – In Our Heads

Hot Chip might not be putting out their fifth LP, In Our Heads, on longtime label DFA, but that doesn’t mean things are going to be any different. According to the band, whose myriad side projects (The 2 Bears, New Build) have been shelved for the greater good of dance floors everywhere, the new album will be “an unadultered delight of an album bursting with dynamic dancefloor-movers, instant yet enduring hooks, and verbose synth-fuelled love songs.” That sounds like everything they’ve ever done before, but, fortunately for Hot Chip, they always pull it off with Alexis Taylor’s bittersweet quaver between bumpin’ percussion. -Harley Brown
Due Out: June 12th via Domino

Redgrave - National Act

It’s a rock renaissance out there in 2012, and Redgrave fills a perhaps unseen vacancy. The Chicago duo takes Sleep’s Holy Mountain, PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me, and The Dead Weather’s Sea Of Cowards and melts them all down into a five song EP that just incinerates everything in its path. Singer Angie Mead’s lupine bellow hits blue note after blue note over her dirge guitars and Stephen Howard’s economic drum work. National Act is a rare moment where something brash and ostentatious creeps slowly in the night, low to the ground, unseen but certainly not unheard. -Jeremy D. Larson
Due Out: June 12th via Lovitt Records

The Tallest Man on Earth – There’s No Leaving Now

Kristian Matsson arrived more or less fully formed when he released his first EP under the Tallest Man on Earth moniker in 2007. Since then, the actually-kinda-short Swede has continued to pump out sophisticated, yet totally natural and happily bare-bones folk that has translated to a pair of great-to-excellent LPs: 2008′s Shallow Grave and 2010′s The Wild Hunt. With There’s No Leaving Now, the usual shtick is to be expected, but so is a little (relative) experimentation; think “The Dreamer”, from ’10′s Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird EP, featured some electric guitar, a then-unprecedented move for the usually acoustic-and-pipes Matsson. -Mike Madden
Due Out: June 12th via Jagjaguwar 

Usher – Looking For Myself

Though Usher has proclaimed his seventh LP, Looking For Myself, to be a revolutionary blend of pop, EDM, and R&B, the first three tracks indicate less soul-searching and more rehashing of past hits. There’s a baby-makin’ anthem (the Diplo-produced “Climax”), followed by the always-bangin’ club hit (“Scream”), and the most recent preview, the prerequisite rap collabo (the Rick Ross-aided “Lemme See”). Still, one can’t blame the guy for sticking to what works, with each subsequent effort a shinier, more succinct piece of pop craftsmanship. That, in a way, is far more rewarding than even the most meaningful of personal revelations. -Chris Coplan
Due Out: June 12th via RCA

Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel…

The highly anticipated follow up to 2005’s Extraordinary Machine, The Idler Wheel is Wiser than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do marks the enigmatic singer’s triumphant return after seven long years of silence. As evidenced by her recent SXSW performances, where she debuted a few tracks off the epically titled new album, Apple’s voice is as strong and emotive as ever. A North American tour—her first in five years—will follow the release. Don’t miss out—history argues that it’ll probably be another half-decade before you’ll get the chance to see her again. -Lainna Fader
Due Out: June 19th via Epic

A Place to Bury Strangers – Worship

If your ears have a tendency to shy away from these Brooklyn shoegazers, it’s understandable. On their forthcoming LP, however, the band relies less on the reverb, distortion, and crunch, opting for “threads of krautrock, dream-pop, and ’80s goth without ever losing the edge,” according to a press release. Based on the careening first single, “You Are the One”, it’s likely your dancing shoes will shy away this time around. -Michael Roffman
Due Out: June 26th via Dead Oceans

DIIV – Oshin

Beach Fossils guitarist Zachary Cole Smith carved out 60 tracks before formally crafting DIIV. Now with a full band in tow, Smith’s decided upon 13 tracks that gush with New Wave decadence, complete with glittery guitar work and Peter Hook-inspired basslines, all primed to add unnatural atmospheres to your summer nights. -Michael Roffman
Due Out: June 26th via Captured Tracks

DIIV – “How Long Have You Known?”

Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse

Bay Area psych-rocker Ty Segall isn’t routinely labeled prolific for nothing; Slaughterhouse, a collaborative effort from his Ty Segall Band (also featuring Mikal Cronin, Charlie Moothart, and Emily Rose Epstein), is Segall’s second of three albums in 2012. Despite the unrelenting release schedule, each record sees Segall further hone his wizard-like mastery of punk-inspired, psychedelic-colored gems of effervescent fuzz. From the hardcore doo-wop of “Diddy Wah Diddy” to the awkward-yet-unwaveringly furious “I Bought My Eyes”, Segall and co. have gone beyond blending pop, punk, garage, blues, etc. With passion and distortion galore, they’ve transformed the random, rockin’ components into something unequivocally Segall-ian. At this pace, Segall may very well reinvent all of rock just in time for the new year. -Chris Coplan
Due Out: June 26th via In The Red 

Ty Segall – “Wave Goodbye”

Mission of Burma – Unsound

Can we stop talking about Mission of Burma’s comeback already? It’s been 10 years since the seminal post-punk act reunited, and in that decade’s span, they’ve been more prolific than they were during their original 1980s go-around. (Some may even argue that Mission of Burma 2.0 have rocked even harder in their old age.) Jumping from Matador to Fire Records, Unsound will be their fourth record post-reunion, and from the sound of preview track “Dust Devil”, it’ll continue in their tradition of crank-the-volume-til-your-ears-bleed guitar rock. -Austin Trunick
Due Out: July 9th via Fire Records

Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan

Spoiler alert: Angel Deradoorian will not be appearing on Dirty Projectors’ sixth studio album, Swing Lo Magellan. It’s definitely in keeping with frontman David Longstreth’s “stripped-down” approach, even if Deradoorian’s supernatural octaves had become one of the defining features of the band since she was brought on board in 2007. But the bare-bones arrangement of “Gun Has No Trigger” allows each classic Dirty Projectors element, from the choral atonalities to Longstreth’s Oberstian quaver, to still make every ear-hair stand on end. -Harley Brown
Due Out: July 10th via Domino Records

Nas – Life Is Good

Is Lost Tapes II still a possibility? We might not care, because if “Nasty”, “Daughters”, and “The Don” are any indication, the Illmatic One’s 10th album will be one to remember. It’s Nas’ “magic moment” after all, and he’s spared no expense, enlisting both heavy hitters like Common, the late Heavy D, and No I.D., and relative freshmen like Jay Electronica. It even makes sense logically: God’s Son wouldn’t make an album that was even a contender for the “it’s-no-Illmatic” dismissal while touring his seminal first album at the exact same time. It’s definitely a more mature, fatherly Nas this time around, but the MC is still Nasty through and through. -Harley Brown
Due Out: July 17th via Def Jam 

Nas – “Nasty”

The Gaslight Anthem - Handwritten

On their previous releases, Jersey boys The Gaslight Anthem fashioned themselves the torchbearers of Springsteenian songwriting. Singer Brian Fallon has stated he’s moved on from that style, abandoning characters and allegorical storytelling for the more openly personal Handwritten - a fitting motif, as it’s the first album Fallon wrote entirely by hand. While the lead single, “45”, has only just been unveiled, the album promises to be “big, like Tom Petty songs played by Pearl Jam or the Foo Fighters.” The band seems pleased with what they’ve crafted, an album said to delve down a new path of fearlessness and growth for these Garden State rockers. -Ben Kaye
Due Out: July 24th via Mercury Records

Passion Pit – Gossamer

Boston synthpop quintet Passion Pit kept enough momentum behind their Manners debut to headline MoogFest over two years after the album’s release. Scores of top festival spots have already rolled in for this summer, and their followup LP, Gossamer, was formally announced only a week ago. Much of what can be expected from the 12 new tracks comes from an interview with Pitchfork: contributions from composer Nico Muhly (“I’ll Be Alright”) and Swedish a cappella trio Erato; R&B stylings (“Constant Conversations”); and some honest, self-disparaging lyrics. The newfound lyrical bluntness, musical experimentation, and major label backing (Columbia) will attempt to meet some massive anticipation. -Ben Kaye
Due Out: July 24th via Columbia 

Atoms For Peace – TBA

If Thom Yorke’s latest DJ set is any indication, Atoms For Peace’s long-awaited LP may see light sooner rather than later. That being said, as one astute reader points out, it’s hard to read much into a remix. So what we know now remains the same as what we knew back in October when Yorke discussed the project with BBC Radio. “It was initially for fun to play all the Eraser stuff, but it sparked something off. So we ended up at the end of that getting into the studio and generating some new beats.” He added that their collaboration in an album in “the sense that Eraser was an album.” -Scoop Harrison
Due Out: Summer (hopefully)

The Avett Brothers – TBA

Producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin aided the brothers Avett on their last release, 2009’s breakthrough I and Love and You, so popping back in to produce their upcoming LP is a no-brainer. What we’ve heard live and seen on TV appearances is promising, to say the least. Scott and Seth Avett switch off on lead vocals during the string-sweeping “Down With the Shine”, while “The Once and Future Carpenter” features harmonies as strong as we’ve come to expect from the duo. One cause of concern: their trimmed hair. May the Gods keep them off the paths of Kings of Leon. -Justin Gerber
Due Out: Summer via American/Columbia 

The-Dream – Love IV MMXII

The-Dream, a.k.a. Terius Nash, still has yet to announce a release date for his fourth LP, but he couldn’t resist sharing a sneak preview with Rolling Stone back in March. As of right now, mere mortals can only hear (and watch videos for) singles “Roc” and “Kill the Lights” in their entirety. But if those are any indication of The-Dream’s forthcoming effort… ladies, watch out. -Harley Brown
Due Out: Summer via Def Jam

The-Dream – “Roc”

GOOD Music - GOOD Music

Just months after its “definitive” announcement, GOOD Music’s eponymous debut compilation has already reached near-mythical proportions. So far, the album’s sole preview, “Mercy”, is indicative of a very Kanye West-sounding album, with its references to Sarah Palin and Pac-Man and wobbly, bass-heavy production. Factor in West’s obsessive control complex and the fact that it is his label, and it should be an album of non-stop West-ian jams and bangers. Still, for a label looking to reach Wu-Tang Clan levels of influence, there’s perhaps no better way to bring home that coveted Platinum record plaque. -Chris Coplan
Due Out: 2012 via G.O.O.D. Music/Def Jam

How to Destroy Angels – TBA

In December, Trent Reznor announced to Rolling Stone that the debut full-length from How To Destroy Angels, his project with wife Mariqueen Maandig and longtime collaborator Atticus Ross, would be released sometime during the first quarter of 2012. Alas, that time has come and gone, and summer fast approaches with little more information on the album. However, during the same interview, Reznor mentioned that early stages of production were influenced by the textures and deconstructed rhythms of “early Cabaret Voltaire“, pioneers of the industrial music genre. The LP is yet to receive an official release date or tracklisting, but according to a tweet from Reznor, the album’s final mixed was completed in mid-February. Reznor was notoriously slow at releasing his early NIN work, so here’s hoping for further details soon. -Derek Staples
Due Out: Summer via The Null Corporation

Rick Ross – God Forgives, I Don’t

Following a health scare in October 2011, Rick Ross was ordered by doctors to take it easy, leading to the delay of his long-awaited fifth album, God Forgives, I Don’t (originally slated to drop in December). Yet, despite the trauma associated with the ordeal, Ross took it all in stride, telling MTV’s RapFix that he planned to keep the release tentative until he was certain he could deliver a truly impactful work. Since then, the release of three album tracks (“You the Boss”, “I Love My Bitches”, and “Stay Schemin”) and the Rich Forever mixtape have indicated that Ross may well be steppin’ up his game (not hard considering past gems like “Only fat n***a in the sauna with Jews/Went and got a yacht, I’m talkin’ Carnival cruise”). If going for real, earnest rap gold is the true endgame, you take your time, Mr. Ross; even if we write about this LP in our summer 2013 guide, we’ll forgive you. -Chris Coplan
Due Out: Summer via Maybach Music Group/Def Jam 

Rick Ross feat. Nicki Minaj – “You the Boss”

Swans – The Seer

That conspicuously suspicious 13-year hiatus apparently gave Michael Gira more material than he was able to fit on My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky, because Swans’ forthcoming double album is a “complete synthesis of everything I’ve done and everything Swans has done.” It features fellow innovators in equally disparate fields, like Akron/Family, Karen O, and slow-core staple Low’s Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker. For The Seer, Swans continues to move somewhat away from its seminal, defining abrasion toward a more nuanced, “beautiful and pastoral” sound. So far, the only hint we have is Swans performing a new song, “Avatar”, in Moscow. -Harley Brown
Due Out: Summer via Young God