With tulips in bloom and allergies in the air, here’s the second half of a look at some major rock releases coming this spring.
Sea of Cowards, The Dead Weather (May 7): Jack White’s other OTHER band (the one where he’s the drummer) just released the first single, Die by the Drop about 10 days ago. Jack also has notions of making more music with Meg in the White Stripes, another Raconteurs record, a project with Jay-Z and producing an album for his wife, Karen Elson. Dude, take a vacation.
Diamond Eyes, Deftones (May 18): With bass player Chi Cheng still trying to recover from injuries sustained in a horrible car accident in November 2008, the band elected to shelve the album they were working on with him — temporarily, they hope — and moved on with a project featuring Quicksand bass player Sergio Vega. Fans have been most impressed by what they’ve heard so far.
Stone Temple Pilots, Stone Temple Pilots (May 25): Many people — myself included — didn’t give this reunion a hope in hell of lasting much longer than the obligations surrounding a tour that began almost two years ago. Yet STP has hung together long enough to record its first album since 2001. The first single, Between the Lines, is my favourite rock single of 2010 so far.
Songs of Ascent, U2 (June 1?): With the 360 tour set to restart on June 3, U2 may have a new album to work into its set. Those hoping for a shift back to the band’s classic sound after No Line on the Horizon may be in for a disappointment. Bono has been quoted as saying this album features a “marked shift in sound” and is a “reflective, meditative piece of work.” If the rumoured June 1 release date is correct — no guarantees — we should see a single very soon. But other rumours suggest that we’ll get a single in June with a full album in September.
Meanwhile, U2 fans can sort through Artificial Horizon (May 14), a collection of remixes of No Line on the Horizon songs created by artists such as Trent Reznor and Hot Chip, the British electronic outfit. There’s also the possibility of a DVD of last year’s YouTube-streamed show in Pasadena on May 21. And did I mention the Achtung Baby deluxe reissue that may hit stores in September?
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