SOUND BITES

With the release of their sixth album, Alice in Chains now officially have as many albums with William Duvall as their lead singer as they did with Layne Staley during the band's rise as part of the Seattle scene in the early '90s. This means that we now have the option to assess the two halves of Alice in Chains' career on more or less equal footing. If we choose to separate these two phases of the band, it's a little easier to make more rational judgments; after all, we can't honestly compare Layne and William in any way other than their vocal similarities; Duvall isn't burdened by a crippling addiction, and Staley sadly didn't live long enough to enjoy the clarity and reflection that is often afforded my middle age. So, then, why hold an album like Rainier Fog up beside an established classic like Dirt and expect to draw true parallels? That said, of the three albums released in this current incarnation, Rainier Fog offers the most variety and hi...

Upon its original release twenty years ago today, there wasn't a lot of hoopla surrounding Alice in Chains' second EP. A tidy seven song package designed to hold over fans eagerly anticipating a follow-up to their breakthrough sophomore album Dirt , Alice in Chains' Jar of Flies certainly didn't feel like a major event. Thought of as a sombre addendum to Dirt and a baby brother to Sap (the 1992 EP that preceded Dirt ), it didn't strike anyone as more than a place for lighter and/or weaker material. We couldn't be blamed for lowered expectations; Sap , while home to a few worthy tracks, didn't take itself too seriously and didn't leave much of a lasting impression. However, Jar of Flies was soon discovered to be no mere stopgap release. The playing, acoustically leaning is it was, had the same weight as Dirt 's best moments; it's apparent from the opening seconds of Rotten Apple that real care was taken to give these songs not just a c...

Just like last year, allow me to qualify this by saying that this isn't designed to be the "worst" of 2013. No, this space is reserved for bands I actually like and respect who underwhelmed and/or disappointed and/or outraged with their activities this year, whether through uncontrollable circumstances or their own volition. Let's get this over with!

One of the year's most anticipated releases has to be the upcoming third album from New Yorker art-rockers Vampire Weekend. Their light, unassuming style of indie rock has endeared them to bloggers and TV ad execs alike; their sophomore album, 2010's Contra, actually debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts upon release (not a smash hit as it was released on a quiet January Tuesday, but a #1 nonetheless). Now, as we near the third album's spring release, a few buzzwords are being thrown around in relation to it. Darker. Organic. Nocturnal. Whether this bodes well for the sound of the record is to be determined, but it got me thinking. Throughout modern history, bands have often made bold moves, twists in their artistic story arc that have polarized fans, critics and label heads. For many bands, this act of commercial defiance happens at a certain specific point in their careers. The "difficult" third album.

Usually, this is the time of year when the reflections on the twelve months that were are complete and this place becomes a ghost town for at least a couple weeks because there's nothing interesting being released until April. In fact, if you noticed during my chronologically ordered nominees rollout, you'll find that only 7/50 came out in the first quarter of the year (with five of those being in March, and none in January). Maybe the labels are panicking to get their properties out there before no one cares about albums anymore, maybe my music addiction's spiraled too far out of control. Whatever the case, the first three months of 2013 are logjammed with potentially and guaranteed awesome albums alike. So, we took a look back, and will remember 2012 fondly; now let's dive into 2013 and start devouring more tasty riffs! After the jump are my 15 most anticipated releases coming in the early part of 2013: