It's that time of the year again, and whether we're (checks watch) 23 months into a global pandemic or not, hope still springs eternal in the hearts of music fans. Yes, as music goes, there are few things as exciting as seeing the names of artists you know and love alongside album titles and release dates.
If there's one thing we can be sure of at this point, it's that nothing is really for sure – those future concert dates we're excited about, especially. While live music is still seeing its share of fits and starts, albeit with the promise of a more "normal" looking calendar in the months ahead, new music releases are full steam ahead. As certified music nuts, you and us, it's hard to imagine where we'd even be if we couldn't declare, "The 2022s are rolling out!"
So what's got your teeth rattling with anticipation? Here's us, and these are the new releases we're most looking forward to in the first half of the year ahead (plus some early sounds from them).
Alisha Sweeney, Host/Local Music Director
- Mitski - 'Laurel Hell' (2/4)
- bluebook - 'Optimistic Voices' (2/12)
- Khruangbin & Leon Bridges - 'Texas Moon' EP (2/18)
- Hurray for the Riff Raff - 'Life on Earth' (2/18)
- Let's Eat Grandma - 'Two Ribbons' (4/8)
Jason Thomas, Host/Music Director
- Spiritualized - 'Everything Was Beautiful' (2/25)
- Kae Tempest - 'The Line is a Curve' (4/8)
- Wet Leg - 'Wet Leg' (4/8)
Katie Bradley, Host
- Anna von Hausswolff - 'Live at Montreux Jazz Festival' (1/14)
- Broken Social Scene - 'Old Dead Young (B-Sides & Rarities)' (1/14)
- Boris - 'W' (1/21)
- Sasami - 'Squeeze' (2/25)
Bruce Trujillo, Host/Especial
- Combo Chimbita - 'IRE' (1/28)
- Mitski - 'Laurel Hell' (2/4)
- Khruangbin & Leon Bridges - 'Texas Moon' EP (2/18)
- Hurray for the Riff Raff - 'Life on Earth' (2/18)
- Ritmo Cascabel - 'Ritmo Cascabel' (4/21)
Zach Gilltrap, Producer/Host
- Alt-J - 'The Dream' (2/11)
- Shamir - 'Heterosexuality' (2/11)
- Spoon - 'Lucifer on the Sofa' (2/11)
- Cypress Hill - 'Back in Black' (3/18)
- Placebo - 'Never Let Me Go' (3/25)
- Father John Misty - 'Chloë & the Next 20th Century' (4/8)
Jessi Whitten, Host
- Mitski - 'Laurel Hell' (2/4)
- Shamir - 'Heterosexuality' (2/11)
- Hurray for the Riff Raff - 'Life on Earth' (2/18)
- Sasami - 'Squeeze' (2/25)
- Nilufer Yanya - 'Painless' (3/4)
Jeremy Petersen, Host/Inside Track editor
- Aurora - 'The Gods We Can Touch' (1/21)
- Spoon - 'Lucifer on the Sofa' (2/11)
- Big Thief - 'Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You' (2/11)
- Phife Dawg - 'Forever' (3/22)
- Fontaines D.C. - 'Skinty Fia' (4/22)
Willobee Carlan, Program Director
- Alt-J - 'The Dream' (2/11)
- Spoon - 'Lucifer on the Sofa' (2/11)
- Tears for Fears - 'The Tipping Point' (2/25)
- The Lazy Eyes - 'Songbook' (3/18)
- Wet Leg - 'Wet Leg' (4/8)