November 27, 2007
New Release Tuesday: It's the End of 2007, So What's Happening in 2008?
Between now and January, New Release Tuesday will focus on 2007 reflections and music news related to both this year's releases and 2008's potential. The standard NRT posts will resume in 2008.
As 2007 winds down, most of the Internet begins to consider their favorite releases of the last twelve months. Austinist is no different: our top albums of 2007 (a collective list based on all the writers' top picks) is in the works. Since the dismal options for new releases between now and January are getting us down, we decided to spend a few minutes thinking about what we have to look forward to (aside from the new Mudvayne album, which drops today) in 2008. What are you looking forward to in 2008? What did you love in 2007? Let's hear it: it's not too late to remind us about sleepers or giants that we might have overlooked. Need a refresher? Browse the NRT archives.
While this year featured releases by a slew of big-name artists due for new full-lengths (Interpol, Bruce Springsteen, Wilco and Arcade Fire jump to mind), there's a host of equally big names dropping hints about 2008. Morrissey recently revealed that he's gathering material for a new full-length (as well as adding more tour dates), and Pavement's man-behind-the-curtain Stephen Malkmus is also prepping a record with the Jicks. Malkmus' effort will be released on Matador, and is expected to land in March. Could this mean a SXSW appearance for ole Stevie? We're crossing our fingers.
Matador will also play host to Catpower's new album, Jukebox, which will feature mostly covers (Dylan, Joplin, Sinatra & more) as well as a couple of originals. That's not all for Matador: 2008 will bring a new release from local dark horse Jonathan Meiburg and Shearwater, who will be following up their 2005 gem Palo Santo on their new label.
2008 will also bring us anticipated albums from the Mars Volta, the Vines, and Ringo Starr, who has tentatively titled his upcoming work Liverpool 8. Nick Cave, who released a record this year under the name Grinderman, will release a new crop of songs with the Bad Seeds, and we'll also get a glimpse of what a year in Abbey Road Studios can do for Oasis , as their seventh studio album is slated for summer of 2008.
Naturally most of us are anxious in that weird, horror movie way (what's behind that door? Do we want to know? Maybe we should just walk away) for the new My Bloody Valentine effort, which the band has claimed they will issue as a digital self-release. Oh oh oh - don't forget about Jesus & Mary Chain, who are definitely recording but haven't promised anything as concrete as a year of release.
Another eagerly anticipated record in 2008 is undoubtedly the upcoming Magnetic Fields full-length. We thoroughly enjoyed his Project Song experiment with NPR recently, during which he wrote "A Million Faces." Writing in a studio as opposed to his typical noisy bar setting proved to birth interesting results, and we only have to wait until January 15 for Distortion, so here's to a melancholy end to winter, courtesy Mr. Merritt.
We'll also be treated to a book, courtesy of Broken Social Scene, titled "This Book Is Broken," an oral history of Broken Social Scene.
Other artists scheduled to release something new in 2008 include: Dr. Dre, Metallica, Mike Patton, Beach House, Field Music's School of Language, Coldplay, Peter Gabriel, Doves, Snoop Dogg, Goldfrapp, Weezer, Hot Chip, Marah, Slayer, Social Distortion, Supergrass, Xiu Xiu, and Ghostface Killah with MF Doom, among others.
| 
Among 2007's best releases (in my opinion) have been discs from Jesu, Mofro, Wooden Shjips, The Arcade Fire, Pelican, Jason Isbell and Kinski.
I wonder if they will release the soundtrack to Paul Thomas Anderson's upcoming film "There Will Be Blood." The original music is by Johnny Greenwood, and it sounds like it is going to be pretty epic.
Bottomless Pit's debut album was one of the best albums of 2007 and sadly got somewhere close to no press.
Oh wow...someone else likes Bottomless Pit. Will you add me as one of your Austinist friends?
It should be noted that I just looked at Paige's blog and she actually wrote about Bottomless Pit two days ago! I had no clue and was really surprised/excited to find that out. I wish she had written that piece for Austinist (which undoubtedly has way higher traffic).
BP played Austin at SXSW2006 as well as a show at Emo's last year. Both were phenomenal and I can't wait for them to come back through town.
I'm also glad I got to see Silkworm at SXSW a few years ago. Italian Platinum, Firewater, and Developer -- so great, yet so different. There's a documentary in the works about them and the preview/trailer looks pretty good.
I think the Frog Eyes album was especially awesome and/or underrated.