There were a lot of great albums in 2010, and we caught a lot of great shows too. But what's in store for 2011?
Will Katy Goodwin leave the Vivian Girls after La Sera's
full-length drops in February? Will Alex Ebert's (Edward Sharpe and the
Magnetic Zeros) solo debut, Alexander, generate as much buzz as his 10-piece entourage did in 2010? We'll soon find out.
But until then, check out some of Crossfade's most anticipated January releases.
Cake Showroom of Compassion 1/11/2011
Cake's celebrating 20 years of music with the release of their sixth full-length studio album, Showroom of Compassion, off the group's own label, Upbeat Records. According to an interview with SoundSpike, John McCrea's been writing the album his "whole life." Some of the songs were written as a teenager, others he wrote last year. Nevertheless, Showroom of Compassion is a new album, as the group's experimenting with new sounds, including a "classy" piano. As long as McCrea's on vocals and Vince DiFiore's on trumpet, we're psyched. They kick off a North American tour in Boca Raton on January 14.
Tennis Cape Dory 1/18/2011
This past summer, our sister paper in Denver introduced us to the "utterly delectable melodies and harmonies" of Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore, the husband and wife duo that make up Tennis. Inspired by an eight-month sailing trip up the Eastern seaboard, the couple released a three-track EP, Baltimore, in July. It featured "Marathon," a Lo-Fi, fuzz-pop track that references Miami's own Coconut Grove in the opening line. Seven months later, Tennis is set to release their first full-length album on Fat Possum Records. They're spending the better part of January abroad, playing several gigs in Western Europe, and then hitting the states for a cross-country tour. They're playing two shows in Florida (Orlando and Tampa) in March with La Sera, and Tallahassee's Holiday Shores.
Smith Westerns Dye it Blonde 1/18/2011
Smith Westerns are four-piece garage-rock outfit from Chi-town whose members are barely old enough to buy cigarettes. But don't let their fake IDs detract you from buying their upcoming album, Dye it Blonde, also on Fat Possum. The group's self-titled album was incredibly catchy, loud, and fun, while Dye it Blonde presents a crisper, mellower, more mature sound. Check it out when it drops on January 18.
The Decemberists The King is Dead 1/18/2011
Are we die-hard Decemberists fans? No. But after seeing them live a few years ago at Lollapalooza, we changed our minds about these folksy folks. They're all brilliantly talented musicians, and when we heard "Down by the Water," the first single off The King is Dead, we were damn ready to drop $165 on the deluxe box set. But when our credit card was declined, we settled for the $9.99 digital download. As for catching them live, it likely won't happen in South Florida. The band hasn't scheduled any shows down here as of yet.
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