The Definitive Guide To Every Album You Need To Hear Coming Out The Rest Of This Year

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We’re sorry to say it, but summer is over. Leaves are becoming brown and orange, beers and lattes are becoming pumpkin, and we are in the final stretch of the music calendar. This is the last chance for artists to blow everyone away and drop their bids to make year-end lists. For example: Run The Jewels 2, Oct. 2014. Beyoncé, Dec. 2013. good kid, m.A.A.d. City, Oct. 2012. Take Care, Nov. 2011. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Dec. 2010. Okay, you get the idea.

Here’s the best releases for the remainder of the year, including some you may have missed from last Friday.

Deafheaven – New Bermuda

Release Date: Oct. 2

A good way to start is with black metal to blow your ears out. Despite the internet’s insistence that they are a “metal band for non-metal fans” (us included), Deafheaven just makes good music. Heavy, brutal music, but still transcendent. Just put it on and let go.

Eagles Of Death Metal – Zipper Down

Release Date: Oct. 2

Even though it seems like Eagles Of Death Metal is a side project, do not be fooled. This is not a half-assed band — it’s quite full-assed. Jesse “The Devil” Hughes’ and Josh Homme’s chemistry is explosive, and another record of it is very much welcomed.

Janet Jackson – Unbreakable

Release Date: Oct. 2

Ms. Jackson is making her grand return after seven-year hiatus. Making use of some great features like J. Cole and old friend Missy Elliott, she’s betting that she can finally reclaim her rightful place in pop culture. Here’s hoping.

Wavves – V

Release Date: Oct. 2

Despite being at odds with his label, Nathan Williams and Wavves finally worked out the release of their highly-anticipated V. And the fighting (and waiting) was worth it; V offers depth that’s really uncharted for the fuzz punks.

Bryson Tiller – T R A P S O U L

Release Date: Oct. 2

Bryson Tiller is your favorite artist’s favorite artist (literally). He absolutely has the feel of being the next guy up. We’re not saying he’s going to skyrocket to the top of the charts tomorrow, but there’s no way he doesn’t infiltrate your playlist soon enough, and this is the start.

Autre Ne Veut – Age of Transparency

Release Date: Oct. 2

The soulful singer known as Autre Ne Veut really wowed a lot of people at the height of Alt R&B with “Play By Play,” and its album Anxiety, in 2013. Now he’s back – a little weirder for sure, but just as smooth.

The Game – The Documentary 2

Release Date: Oct. 9

After several delays and pushbacks, The Game is finally ready to unveil the sequel to his masterful debut, 2005’s The Documentary. Sequels typically have a lot to live up to, and this one is no different, but with artists like Drake, Future, Kanye West, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre featured, it definitely seems like a blockbuster.

Selena Gomez – Revival

Release Date: Oct. 9

This seems to be the year all the kid stars want to grow up. Next up: Selena Gomez, who is certainly ramping up the sex factor. The obvious thing would be to point out she’s wanting to disassociate from her child-like past. But honestly, this seems like a liberated, post-Justin Bieber outing more than anything.

Protomartyr – The Agent Intellect

Release Date: Oct. 9

The Detroit post-punks of Protomartyr are back for another helping of riffy, thought-provoking rattlers. The pictures that these guys can paint along with their sinuous melodies and rhythms are truly captivating.

Demi Lovato – Confident

Release Date: Oct. 16

Truth be told, this isn’t a coming out party for Demi Lovato; she’s been here for years making pretty great and powerful pop music. It’s just that now she’s in the front of the picture. Confident seems like her most emphatic statement yet.

Deerhunter – Fading Frontier

Release Date: Oct. 16

It’s hard to come away from a Bradford Cox record without feeling impacted at least minimally. He has a way to cutting to your core. Following a car accident that took place in winter 2014, Cox told Pitchfork it “erased all illusions” for him and was a turning point in his life. Maybe some of that will be featured here.

Neon Indian – VEGA INTL. Night School

Release Date: Oct. 16

It’s been four long years since we’ve had a new album from Alan Palomo and Neon Indian. But everything that we’ve heard thus far from the synthpop genius has boded quite well, and sounds similar to some of his pre-fame demos as VEGA, possibly hence the name.

Coheed and Cambria – The Color Before the Sun

Release Date: Oct. 16

Finally breaking in tradition, Coheed and Cambria are releasing their first album that is NOT a concept album as a part of the Amory Wars. That’s out of seven previous chapters of that series. This is charting new frontier for the prog rockers, but sometimes guys just want to write songs and rock. Hopefully their fans will follow along.

Raury – All We Need

Release Date: Oct. 16

So many people are excited about this kid taking over the world. Raury can really do it all: rap, play instruments, hit you with clever lyrics, lowkey crap on Donald Trump. It’s just all there, and it’s very easy to get hyped over.

5 Seconds Of Summer – Sounds Good Feels Good

Release Date: Oct. 23

The new guys that teen girls are nuts over are back with their second studio album. Pop punk is something that will never die as long as there are kids who are restless and need to have anthems for their (seemingly) complicated lives. Luckily, these dudes are pretty good at it.

Joanna Newsom – Divers

Release Date: Oct. 23

The ornate, fanciful indie folker Joanna Newsom is back with more golden-spun tales for the first time in five years. The long layover may have been too much for fans of her avant-garde, poetically arranged vocals, but songs like “Sapokanikan” hope to make up for it.

Pure Bathing Culture – Pray For Rain

Release Date: Oct. 23

Indie pop duo Pure Bathing Culture brought a little funk to their sound for Pray For Rain. It’s one of the situations where the music sounds so joyful and good, that you don’t realize that maybe the lyrics are bittersweet? Either way, they’ve got our attention.

Beach Slang – The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us

Release Date: Oct. 30

It’s easy to get frustrated with hype cycles and who is being held up as “The Next Big Thing.” Beach Slang seem to have had that title unfortunately attached to their name, but for good reason: they are a great rock band. No frills, no hook, no BS; just good music. Tune out all the annointing and just listen, you’ll get it.

Ellie Goulding – Delirium

Release Date: Nov. 6

Ellie Goulding was always one of those artists who is famous and successful, but never quite broken through to superstardom. Well, 2015 pretty much changed that with her contribution to the 50 Shades Of Grey Soundtrack “Love Me Like You Do.” That track along with her newer smash single “On My Mind” will be featured on her brand new album, Delirium. Maybe this is the one to make her a household name.

Kurt Cobain – Montage of Heck: The Home Recording

Release Date: Nov. 13

The first release of Kurt Cobain music in nearly a decade comes courtesy of the documentary Montage Of Heck. The soundtrack features unreleased demos, covers, and other rarities as a companion to the fascinating film.

Justin Bieber – Untitled

Release Date: Nov. 13

This is the culmination of the Justin Bieber Redemption Tour. After all the making jokes about himself, apologies, and (most importantly) actually good songs, this is the true test. If his 2013 digital mixtape Journals was any indications, he’s capable of putting out a solid R&B album.

Oneohtrix Point Never – Garden Of Delete

Release Date: Nov. 13

Daniel Lopatin has one of the most unique ears in electronic music, with his work in both Ford & Lopatin as well as Oneohtrix Point Never. His approach is truly unlike anyone else in that it’s so challenging yet so rewarding.

One Direction – Made In The A.M.

Release Date: Nov. 13

What’s the point anymore? What’s the use without Zayn? Well, the FOUR lads are forging ahead with their perfectly confectionery pop. (While the rest of us wait for Zayn’s solo takeover.)

Ty Dolla $ign – Free TC

Release Date: Nov. 13

Ty Dolla $ign has been spending so much time making hits and hooks for other people, it’s high time for him to reap some benefits with his first full-length studio album.

Jeezy – Church In These Streets

Release Date: Nov. 13

Jeezy wrote a heartfelt letter about the state of our country when he decided to release the first taste of his new album in “God.” It’s possible that this next record could harken back to The Recession and he could speak to the nation from the most genuine and real place that we all needed to hear.

CeeLo Green – Heart Blanche

Release Date: Nov. 13

CeeLo is doing everything he can to work his way back from his downright terrible comments on rape following his own legal troubles. So he’s going back to the well he knows best: soul music. Will audiences have him back? It’s still too early to tell, but he’s hoping they will.

R. Kelly – The Buffet

Release Date: Nov. 20

What is R. Kelly going to eat or serve at The Buffet? He has had sexy food songs before like “In The Kitchen,” and “Ignition (Remix)” was fresh out of the kitchen. Kellz says he’s going to do every genre on this album, including country. If anyone could make that happen, it’s him. He did yodeling!

Baroness – Purple

Release Date: Dec. 18

A great way to close the year just as winter creeps in would be another helping of the proggy and layered metal from Baroness.

Kanye West – Swish

Release Date: ???

Who knows if this is even dropping this year. But if it does, there is no way it doesn’t make an absolutely indelible impact.

Rihanna – Untitled

Release Date: ???

The teases for this have been relentless. Will Rih drop R8 this year? There’s no way to know for sure. But this album, if it delivers, could truly cement her space as the most important pop star on the planet. Yes, even over Beyoncé.

Drake – Views From The 6

Release Date: ???

No one has had a stronger 2015 than Drake. No one. It’s indisputable. With If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late and What A Time Time To Be Alive to be considered appetizers that most artists would kill for, if Views From The 6 is even half as good as expected, it could be one of the greatest years for an artist ever. Total musical dominance.

TBA

Frank Ocean – Boys Don’t Cry
M.I.A. – Matahdatah
Chromatics – Dear Tommy
T-Pain – Stoicville: The Phoenix
Sky Ferreira – Masochism
Grimes – Untitled
James Blake – Radio Silence
Kid Cudi – Speedin Bullet To Heaven
Jeremih – Late Nights
Coldplay – A Head Full Of Silence
Ariana Grande – Moonlight
Juicy J – Pure THC: The Hustle Continues

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