They're Coming Out, And They Want The World to Know

With the demise of Kim’s and the Barnard administration’s treatise on music piracy in undergraduate mailboxes, it seems that prospects for obtaining new music are slim. However, there are quite a few exciting album releases in the next few months to make work more bearable—or at least take your mind off your copious amounts of reading.

As those who were famous in the 1960s leave their 60s and enter their 70s, they are releasing albums this year to remind listeners that they are still alive. Among them are Jefferson Starship (Sept. 2), Brian Wilson (Sept. 2), Joan Baez (Sept. 9), Jackson Browne (Sept. 23), James Taylor (Sept. 30), Lindsay Buckingham (Sept. 16), and probably the most exciting (at least for me), Pete Seeger (Sept. 30). Given all the nostalgia for their most productive era, these older rock stars will probably drop albums that are more relevant than John McCain.

Speaking of older rock stars, The Police are releasing a CD/DVD set (Oct. 7) from their incredible reunion tour. If you, like me, couldn’t afford to go, this album is a must buy—and the camera will be so close you can count Sting’s wrinkles.

Hip-hop fans will also get their due this fall, with releases by Nelly (Sept. 16), Young Jeezy (Sept. 2), T-Pain (Sept. 30), and Bob Dylan’s favorite, LL Cool J (Sept. 9).
If your style is less bling and more skinny jeans, old favorites Of Montreal (Sept. 7), Deerhoof (Oct. 29), Okkervil River (Sept. 9), Apollo Sunshine (Sept. 2), Calexico (Sept. 9), Fujiya and Miyagi (Sept. 9), Kings of Leon (Sept. 23), Cold War Kids (Sept. 23), and Electric Six (Oct. 21) are all releasing albums. Also out is the new Jolie Holland (Oct. 7) album, which is sure to make you folk it up, maybe even more than the ’60s refugees above.

Of course, there are also the usual kitsch albums including Olivia Newton-John (and friends) (Sept. 3), New Kids on the Block (Sept. 3), Metallica (Sept. 9), Sarah McLachlan (Oct. 7), Tesla (Oct. 7), and AC/DC (Oct. 20), which is, oddly, being released as a Wal-Mart exclusive.

Fusing the old with the new, this fall brings so many new releases that there will be little time for reading, writing, and arithmetic—at least until midterms.