After a winter full of cold nights and record snowfall, one can only hope that Spring will not only bring better weather, but also some substantial music releases that have been lacking these first two months of 2008.  In March, April and May, there are many anticipated albums from both newcomers in the industry and accomplished veterans that have the potential to please the ears of many.  So, start saving your loose change and forfeit some of that late night pizza money, because here are the most anticipated albums coming your way in the next few months.

The Hush Sound is due to release their third full-length album “Goodbye to Blues,” on March 18, on the label Fueled by Ramen/Decaydence. The band has enjoyed quiet success in the mist of many of their label-mates’ mainstream success. Their last album, “Like Vines,” featured the song “Wine Red,” which had video airplay on MTV. However, with this album, the band should undoubtedly take a step forward like so many of their peers have been able to make. One of the two songs already released on the band’s MySpace is entitled “Medicine Man.”

The Counting Crows will awake from their two years of silence, with their newest album, “Saturday Nights and Sunday Morning,” set to hit stores on March 25. The Counting Crows are thought of by many, as well as myself, as one of those quintessential 90s bands. While the band has had major success with numerous releases, the interesting thing to watch will be whether they return to their older sound and abandon the pop rock sound that the band morphed into with their last successful release, “Hard Candy”.

Panic At The Disco, who infiltrated the hearts of many young chaps around the world with their first album, “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out,” in 2005, will release their newest album, “Pretty. Odd.” on March 25. For as many fans as Panic has gained in the past two years, there seems to be an equal number of ‘haters.’ With this album, the band hopes to change the minds of many,  apparently stripping down their sound and getting back to basics. “Nine In The Afternoon,” can be heard on the band’s MySpace, and seems to serve as testament to the band’s abandonment of the heavy synth sounds and overdramatic vocals.

R.E.M. realistically has nothing left to prove. As one of the most accomplished and critically hailed bands in the last twenty years or so, R.E.M. should be expected to release nothing but good tunes. The release date of their new album, “Accelerate,” is April 1. It will be interesting to see what the band chooses to do after their relatively quiet presence in the 21^st century. One can only hope that this album will not only quench the musical thirst of former listeners, but also provide young listeners something enjoyable.

Thrice will be releasing the second and final installment of their four-disc endeavor, “The Alchemy Index,” on April 15. The final two discs, “Earth” and “Air,” have some major owning up to do, as the first two discs “Fire” and “Water” enjoyed major critical success.  The two albums are slated to feature a more stripped down sound than Thrice has been previously known for.  Many of the songs should be comparable to lead singer Dustin Kensrue’s solo album, “Please Come Home.” 

Weezer are set to release their sixth album to date, which is currently untitled, on April 22. The name alone gives hope to many old fans that the band will return to their musical roots, instead of releasing any more songs that bare even the slightest resemblance to “Beverly Hills.”  The album should be a return to their original sound, featured on their albums, “Pinkerton” and their first album, referred to by all as, “The Blue Album”.  For this reason, this album could prove to be the most important album to date for the band.

Jack’s Mannequin, Andrew McMahon’s (Something Corporate) side project, will be releasing his second ‘solo’ album, “The Glass Passenger,” on April 22. McMahon was diagnosed with Leukemia on June 1, 2005. However, after a stem cell transplant, McMahon has been hard at work with Jack’s Mannequin. McMahon handles almost entirely all the song-writing duties for each band. The band’s first release, “Everything In Transit,” included many great songs that were a break away from the pop-punk sound that helped Something Corporate make a name for themselves. “The Gladd Passenger” should only build on the success of “Everything In Transit,” and the album should be full of lyrical depth--a majority of the songs were wrote during McMahon’s battle with Leukemia.

Death Cab For Cutie will be releasing their eighth studio album, “Narrow Stairs,” on May 13. The band had been one of the most popular underground bands for nearly ten years before their last album and major label debute, “Plans,” was released in 2005 on Atlantic Records. The group will be releasing “Narrow Stairs” on Atlantic as well, and the outcome should be nothing short of outstanding. One can expect that from a band with such a flawless album history.

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