2007 is proving to be an amazing year for music. With so many albums coming out in the next two months I am breaking it down for you with my top picks. If you see an album in the list and want it reviewed let me know and I will try to post it.

The Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
Rollingstone magazine calls this album the most anticipated of the year. Filter magazine and Q magazine have given the album an "A" and there is a lot of hype behind it. Personally, I love it, but I have had friends tell me that it was a little too art rock for them to get into. It's kinda true. While "Intervention" and "My Body is a Cage" are very mainstream friendly, the albums first track "Black Waves" is very out there and pretentious. If you can get past the few tracks that tell the listener "Hey I'm in a cool weird art-rock indie band" you will love the rest of the album that is unabashed genius.

Albert Hammond Jr.: Yours to Keep,
The bushy haired rhythm mistrel of The Strokes is going solo. As a huge Strokes fan I figured his solo project was going to go one of two ways: Sound just like The Strokes or off-beat experimentation. I was shocked when I heard his record. The sound is reminiscent of The Strokes but the tunes are far more pop. The songs are upbeat. Listen to "Hard to live (in the city)." Surprisingly his vocals are clearer and less raspy then Julian Casablanca's. The songs go down smooth.

Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank
If your favorite thing about Modest Mouse's last album was the undercurrent of backwoods twanging guitars and the spouts of derranged laughter then you're in luck! This album, as far as I'm concerned, is superior to their last album. Although the album lacks the commercial accessibility of their hit "Float On," the first single "Dashboard" is a fantastic pop tune that mixes the current sound of dance punk with their Talking Heads formula. Listen to "March into the Sea" and "Spitting Venom" if you want to get the chills like you just made a wrong turn at 3 am in the black bayou.

Kaiser Cheifs: Yours truly, Angry Mob
Maybe I should listen to this album a few more times, but my initial impression is that it falls flat of my expectations. Their new single "Ruby" is insanely catchy, but they are far too talented to be using such cheap tricks as rhyming "Ruby Ruby Ruby" with "to me to me to me." I still really like the album, I'm just a little dissappointed that they have hit a sophmore slump. I feel like I am giving them the short end of the stick. My favorite part of their album "employment" was their immaturity and punkesque bastard attitudes. This album is mature and a more sensitive, older Kaiser Chiefs which might work for you. I am still trying to adjust.

Klaxons: Myth of the Near Future
There album was already released in the UK but reaches the states in March. They are a new band, their image is demented, candy kid, psychedelia, and they put on crazy dance parties. They have already had a few hits in England. listen to "Gravity's Rainbow" and "Magick." They both have an original sound and have strong melodies. I guess the real reason i like them so much is that unlike other Nu Rave bands their songs are melody driven, not beat driven. They have actual lyrics instead of just a phrase looped over and over again.

New Releases through May 1st:

3/6 The Arcade Fire, Neon Bible (Merge)
3/6 Kristoffer Ragnstam, Sweet Bills (Bluhammock)
3/6 Albert Hammond Jr., Yours To Keep (New Line Records)
3/6 The Cinematics, A Strange Education (TVT)
3/6 Air, Pocket Symphony (Astralwerks)

3/13 Ken Andrews, Secrets of the Lost Satellite (Dinosaur Fight)
3/13 The Fratellis, Costello Music (Cherry Tree/ Interscope)
3/13 Aqualung, Memory Man (Sony)

/20 Modest Mouse, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (Epic)

3/27 Kaiser Chiefs, Yours Truly, Angry Mob (Universal)
3/27 Let’s Go Sailing, The Chaos In Order (Yardley Pop/GR2)
3/27 Kate Havnevik, Melankton (Universal)
3/27 Klaxons, Myth of the Near Future (Universal)

4/3 Idlewild, Make Another World (EMI)

4/10 Bright Eyes, Cassadaga (Saddle Creek)

4/17 Mando Diao, Ode To Ochrasy (Mute)
4/17 Christopher Blue, Roomtones (Sarathan Records)

4/24 The Electric Soft Parade, No Need To Be Down-Hearted (Better Looking Records)

5/1 Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Baby 81 (Red Ink)

5/15 Rufus Wainwright, Release The Stars (Geffen)