2010: The Second Quarter - A Forecast

Having cast my eyes fondly back over the first three months of the year in the last post, I now turn my focus toward the next three months. To say that the period from April 1st - June 31st is an exciting one for alternative music is an understatement of grave proportions!

In the line of new releases we have any number of potential greats hurtling towards us with any number of alternative heavyweights having wrapped up work on new releases - the National, Broken Social Scene, Band of Horses and the Black Keys to name but four!

Right in the middle of this quarter, April 17th to be precise, comes the historic Record Store Day. A much publicised event, it is designed to boost sales of records and remind music lovers just why their local store is so beloved and revered. There are a number of exclusives being released on the day, the highlights of which are a Bon Iver & Peter Gabriel split 7" and the Flaming Lips reworking of the Pink Floyd classic Dark Side of the Moon.

At present, we have confirmation of releases from a number of artists but no set dates yet. Any of these records (or lead tracks from them even) could be set to land in Q2 so keep your eyes pealed for the hotly anticipated debut from the Drums, number 4 from Interpol, new work from Of Montreal, Panda Bear, Wolf Parade and perhaps album number three from Arcade Fire and a solo effort from Jack White - though those last two are likely to be in the 3rd or 4th quarter of this year, if at all!

On the domestic front, I'm very excited about the debut offering from Conor O'Brien's Villagers project, Becoming a Jackal, in stores at the end of April. The other major Irish release that has my attention is the as-yet-untitled third album from Cathy Davey due in stores in May.

Below is a list of the releases that I just cannot wait for, all due between now and the end of June. It's shaping up to be a great few months!

6/4: David Byrne & Fatboy Slim: Here Lies Love
13/4: The Tallest Man on Earth: The Wild Hunt
MGMT: Congratulations
3/5: Broken Social Scene: Forgiveness Rock Record
The Hold Steady: Heaven Is Whenever
11/5: The Dead Weather: Sea of Cowards
The National: High Violet
Woods: At Echo Lake
18/5: LCD Soundsystem: It's Happening
Band of Horses: Infinite Arms
The Black Keys: Brothers
25/5: Villagers: Becoming A Jackal
Karen Elson: The Ghost Who Walks
22/6: Stars: The Five Ghosts

Please note that the above are US release dates. The British release is mostly the day before, while the Irish release varies from either the Friday before or the Friday after depending on record company. Check out the band websites and myspace pages for more.

Anyway here's to a great few months. My focus is fixated firmly on the start of May when we'll see releases from 2 of my favourite bands (BSS and the National) and another few that I'm VERY excited about!