Fall Music Preview

By: Xavier Andrews
Posted In: Entertainment

While the summertime usually brings about the biggest singles of the year, the fall season is when labels unleash their most promising albums, in hopes of turning big profits during the holiday season. This autumn promises the new releases of many of the industry’s most prolific artists, with the hope that some artists absent from the music scene in recent years will make their triumphant returns.

Over the past two weeks we have seen the reemergence of Metallica with their newest, “Death Magnetic,” the band’s first studio album in five years and LL Cool J’s (“Exit 13”) final album for Def Jam, the label he almost single-handedly made famous.

Hip-hop fans who are coming off of a summer of new releases will have something to talk about. Common will release “Invincible Summer” on Sept. 23 and T.I. follows the next week with “Paper Trail.” T.I.’s single “Whatever You Like” has been the number one song in the country for three weeks, which bodes quite well for the album.

T-Pain will release his next album, “Thr33 Ringz,” on Oct. 14. Other notable releases are the second solo CD from OutKast’s Big Boi, and Missy Elliott’s “Block Party”, both of which are expected in the first weeks of November.

Fans of pop music should be pleased with the albums slated for release this fall. The Pussycat Dolls’ “Doll Domination” is out Sept. 23. Pink releases “Funhouse” on Oct. 28. Her single “So What?” is poised to dethrone T.I. on the singles chart in the coming weeks.

This Thanksgiving will likely be a time of celebration for the Carter family. Mr. and Mrs. Jay-Z are both expected to release albums in November. “The Blueprint 3” will be Jay-Z’s third album in as many years and also his third since proclaiming retirement in 2004. No title has been announced nor lead single released for Beyonce’s third solo album, but Rolling Stone reports that it will be out Nov. 25.

The fall season also anticipates releases from rock music. Salve favorite Gym Class Heroes just released “The Quilt” on Sept. 9. The coming weeks will see releases from Buckcherry and the Lemonheads on Sept. 16, Cold War Kids and Kings of Leon on Sept. 23, and the second album by former Audioslave and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello on Sept. 30.

Bob Dylan will release a collection of unreleased tracks recorded from 1989 to 2006 on Oct. 7. That same date Oasis puts out their latest, “Dig Out Your Soul.” October also promises the first AC/DC studio album in eight years, “Black Ice.”

Country fans can have fun accepting or rejecting new albums from artists famous for their work in other genres. Jessica Simpson has gone country with her newest CD, “Do You Know,”and Hootie and the Blowfish lead singer, Darius Rucker, takes his career in a more country direction with “Learn to Live.” Both albums are already in stores. Also look for Faith Hill’s album in late September and Taylor Swift’s new CD in November.

The fall music season would not be complete without a list of records that are scheduled to be released in the coming months but will most likely be pushed to 2009. Guns N’ Roses’ next album, “Chinese Democracy,” which has infamously been in-the-making for 14 years, may finally see the light of day this December. The band has a few leaked tracks on the Internet, and one of them actually made it on to the set list for video game Rock Band 2.

Interscope’s Aftermath branch may have a great fall season. The label has scheduled releases for its two biggest stars, Dr. Dre and Eminem. Eminem’s last album of new material was 2004’s “Encore.” His untitled follow-up is set for release in November. Dr. Dre is approaching 10 years since his last record “2001.” Earlier this summer Dr. Dre said that the album will be in stores this December.

If you are hoping to get your music in the form of live entertainment this fall, shows are lined up for fans of all types of music in the area. Lupo’s, an intimate venue in Providence, will be hosting a variety of musicians in the coming months.

For fans of hip-hop, Nas will perform on Sept. 19, while Method Man and Redman take the stage on Oct. 10. Lupo’s will also host underground rap duo Atmosphere on Oct. 15.

Rock fans can catch New Found Glory on Sept. 28, Itchy Fish (a Pearl Jam cover band) on Oct. 3, and NOFX on Oct. 13. The Black Crowes and Hanson are due on stage Oct. 14 and 16, respectively. Phish front man, Trey Anastasio, performs Oct. 21. Lupo’s favorite Slightly Stoopid takes the stage Halloween night.

Fans of pop music can catch Sara Bareilles (whose “Love Song” was an inescapable hit last year) at Lupo’s Nov. 6. However, if you are hoping to catch your favorite pop singer from the 80’s, you will have to travel to the TB BankNorth Garden in Boston, M.A. Janet Jackson performs Oct. 1, Madonna performs Oct. 15 and 16, and Tina Turner performs Nov. 16 and 17.

The sole festival in the area is Farm Aid, with performances by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Dave Matthews Band, and Kenny Chesney at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, M.A. on Sept. 20.

Last but not least is the Newport Blues Café on Thames St. in Newport, R.I., a fine establishment for the 21+ crowd. Eddie Money performs on Sept. 25. Numerous cover bands will also take the stage throughout September and October.