anywho…so, i consume a lot of music. i’m kind of a junkie…truly a disease. much like a crackhead stops getting high after so many tokes on the ol’ pipe, i kind of get numb to new music. so, when i get excited about upcoming albums, it says a lot. there are actually several upcoming albums that i’m really excited about.

first and foremost, i’m looking forward to ray lamontagne’s new record, gossip in the grain which releases october 14. gossip in the grain is supposed to be a lyrical change of sorts for ray as compared to trouble and till the sun turns black. apparently, this is more emotionally revealing and personal. also, it’s the proper recorded introduction of ray’s full band (which has played with him live for several years). the first single, you are the best thing has received mix reaction, but more has favored toward the positive side. it’s hard to say if the 70’s horns sound will be fully indicative of the album’s direction, but i would welcome it if it did.

i’ve also been looking forward to—for quite awhile—oasis’ new album. yes, i’m still an oasis fan, almost 14 years after (what’s the story) morning glory. yes, liam and noel are still, at times, complete douche bags. yes, they still sound like guys who worship the beatles. but yes, they’re music is still relevant and as good as the mid-90’s version of oasis (in a different way). on october 7, they will release their 7th studio album, dig out your soul. much like ray, oasis will unveil a slightly new sound. frankly, i don’t anticipate it being some kind of reinvention of the wheel, but this album does debut songwriting from more than just noel (although i think noel is an amazing songwriter), featuring equal songwriting billing from noel, liam, gem and andy.

just in time for a good 1-day-late birthday present, i’m super-excited about jenny lewis’ new album acid tongue which drops next tuesday (september 23). 2006’s rabbit fur coat is one of my favorite albums of probably the 2000’s. following in the trend of the music featured in this blog, this will apparently be a slight transition from her last album. fur coat was sort of a foray into her alt country and folk roots, whereas, from my understanding, acid tongue will explore some of the more stripped down rock pop sounds of early rilo kiley. recorded in complete analog and with no vocal dubbing, i’m interested to hear how raw this could potentially be.

a couple other albums worth quickly mentioning are lucinda williams’ little honey (october 14) and the kings of leon’s only by the night (september 23). lucinda williams, if nothing else, is reliably good. with her down-home rawness and small town lyrics, listening to a lucinda williams record is like sitting on a truck tailgate, but talking to a bitter ex-girlfriend from the city. this record, surprisingly, is supposed to be, lyrically, a little brighter, so that should be interesting. i’m not just a huge kings of leon fan, but the word on only by the night is that it’s a significant progression from 2007’s because of the times, which i thought was a really solid record. so, this will be one that i check out if i find a few extra bucks lying around at the end of the month.

so, go check out these records, as i will do the same. i’m sure some reviews will follow, so check back soon.