Fall Music Preview

It’s that time of year again – school is back in session, the leaves are changing, the weather is becoming brisk and new music is in full force.

After a summer filled with exciting singles and impressive – and not so impressive – albums, fall is finally here and ready to fire some highly anticipated projects. September alone has a great deal of musical releases. Autumn’s opening month offers albums from industry vets such as Bob Dylan and Matchbox 20 to newcomers along the likes of Imagine Dragons, A$AP Rocky and overnight pop-star Carly Rae Jepsen.

September Release Calendar

Here’s what’s dropping every Tuesday in September.

*Indicates newcomer/debut studio album

September 4

G.O.O.D. Music – "Cruel Summer"

Animal Collective – "Centipede Hz"

Matchbox 20 – "North"

The Sheepdogs – "The Sheepdogs"

*Imagine Dragons – "Night Visions"

September 11

David Bryne and St. Vincent – "Love This Giant"

Hoobastank – "Fight or Flight"

The xx - "Coexist"

Lower Than Atlantis – "Changing Tune"

NOFX – "Self Entitled"

The Avett Brothers - "The Carpenter"

Dave Matthews Band – "Away From The World"

Bob Dylan – "The Tempest"

*A$AP Rocky – "LongLiveA$AP"

September 18

Grizzly Bear – "Shields"

Pink – "The Truth About Love"

Ben Folds Five – "The Sound of the Life of the Mind"

*Carly Rae Jepsen – "Kiss"

Aimee Mann - "Charmer"

Ne-Yo – "R.E.D."

Go Radio – "Close The Distance"

DJ Drama – "Quality Street Music"

P.O.S. – "We Don’t Even Live Here"

The Killers – "Battle Born"

*Loreen - "Charmer"

Nelly Furtado – "The Spirit Indestructible"

*Kreayshawn – "Somethin’ Bout Kreay"

Band of Horses – "Mirage Rock"

September 25

No Doubt – "Push and Shove"

Mumford and Sons – "Babel"

Deadmau5 – "Album Title Goes Here"

As I Lay Dying – "Awakened"

Green Day – "Uno!"

Lupe Fiasco – "Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1"

Editor’s Picks:

David Bryne & St. Vincent – "Love This Giant"

This collaborative album is the work of two very talented musicians. Bryne, the Grammy-winning songwriter of the Talking Heads, teams up with the Annie Clark - better known by her stage name, St. Vincent - to create what is expected to be a compilation of outstanding songs. In mid-June they released their first sneak-peak of the album with their song, “Who.” The track features a thumping bass drum, howling brass instruments and eerie, crooning vocals from both Bryne and St. Vincent. It will be interesting to hear what this dynamic songwriting team has to offer in Love This Giant.

The Killers – "Battle Born"

Two years ago we added these Nevada boys to the list of bands to go on hiatus. But now, Brandon, Dave, Ronnie and Mark are back and releasing their fourth studio album, Battle Born. It’s always exciting and interesting to hear a band’s album after an extended period of time removed from the music scene. For this reason alone, the release of this album is highly anticipated. Aside from that, The Killers have steadily produced stellar records filled with energetic hits and strange, yet catchy lyrics. The Killers released their forthcoming album’s first single, “Runaways,” in mid-June. The track is on the mellow side but still shines like The Killers’ ever-present embrace of subtle energy, especially during the song’s bridge. Hiatus or none, The Killers’s albums always offer fan-anticipation.

Lupe Fiasco – "Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1"

Lupe Fiasco has a lot to prove with this album. His previous release, Lasers, received negative feedback - even by the rapper himself. Needless to say, there are high expectations for Food & Liquor II. At this stage in his career, the Chicago-raised rapper has grown out his hair and lost the glasses. Maybe his mature look means Lupe trying to recreate his image and stray from any relation from his last album. Thus far, he has released four singles off his album, a typical move of hip-hop. His first released single from the album, “Around My Way (Freedom Ain’t Free),” is reminiscent of the Fiasco that listeners heard in ’06 and ’07 during the start of his career. However, his most recent release, “Battle Scars,” is quite the opposite. The single features Guy Sebastian and is filled with emotional and honest lyrics classic to Lupe’s style. Out of his four singles, “Battle Scars” is undoubtedly the track with the most pop influence. With Lupe’s four diverse single releases, the album has fans anxious.

No Doubt – "Push and Shove"

They’ve already gone platinum and now No Doubt is back for round…six. Another band that has been on hiatus has now come back for another swing in the big bad music industry. Every kid that has grown up in the 90s has seen this group’s music career of unfold, and that’s where most of the excitement for this release stems from. Known for being rather outlandish and funky, the album’s first single, “Settle Down,” holds true to those adjectives. Also, the band’s front-woman Gwen Stefani is now 42 and appears to have drank some sort of potion that has stopped her aging process – she looks practically the same as she did in 2005. All in all it seems that not too much has changed about No Doubt. Let’s see how the rest of Push and Shove fares.