Although 2017 was a fantastic year for music, some hardcore fans couldn’t help but feel left out from the fun when their favorites didn’t join the party. With a new year comes new hope — here are the Texan’s picks to get hyped about.
Arctic Monkeys
After gaining mainstream fame in the U.S. with their 2013 LP “AM,” the Arctic Monkeys toured across the world and then abruptly announced a hiatus. Frontman Alex Turner kept himself busy with his side project The Last Shadow Puppets, and there was little indication of an upcoming Arctic Monkeys project. That was until last year when bassist Nick O’Malley spilled the beans to motorcycle magazine The Ride that the group was recording their sixth album in a “secret location” and that he expects the record to be out this year and if it isn’t, “We got problems.”
Carly Rae Jepsen
It’s been six years since Carly Rae Jepsen broke into the mainstream with “Call Me Maybe,” but she didn’t perfect her art until the fantastic pop roller coaster “Emotion.” Since then, she’s been working non-stop, releasing “Emotion” leftovers on an impressive B-sides project. Rumor has it Jepsen plans to release a new record this year with Robyn producer Patrik Berger. Work is going so well she’s supposedly written 80 songs, an impressive feat for any artist.
My Bloody Valentine
After being AWOL for two decades, shoegaze legends My Bloody Valentine returned to music with 2013’s “m b v”. They’ve been relatively inactive since, but a recent tour announcement spurred questions about a possible upcoming album. In response, frontman Kevin Shields put the odds at 100 percent that the band will have a new album for 2018. A known perfectionist, Shields might be a tad bit optimistic, but that didn’t stop fans from rejoicing when they heard the news.
Tool
Every year, speculation runs rampant concerning a new Tool album, but there’s actually hope this time around! The band’s previous studio effort “10,000 Days” made fans jump out of their seats, but 12 years later the band is still trying to follow it up. Claiming delays due to legal issues, the band’s frontman Maynard James Keenan said the album is in the works. Drummer Danny Carey got more specific when he said he’d like the album to be out by May, and guitarist Adam Jones said the music is completely done, with lyrics “coming in hard.” It’s unknown what sound Tool’s long-awaited fifth studio album will take, but there’s definitely a reason to be excited.
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend underwent quite the upheaval since 2013’s “Modern Vampires Of The City” with songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer Rostam Batmanglij leaving the group, leading to rumors the band might be broken up for good. Frontman Ezra Koenig dispelled those rumors and later took it a step further by announcing his band’s upcoming album “Mitsubishi Macchiato.” It’s unclear what role, if any, Rostam will play, but Koenig confirmed he’ll have a hand in the band’s upcoming LP. Fans have their fingers crossed that this year will be one of Vampire Weekend’s return, and that the album’s name is changed.
