Aural Intercourse: Fourth quarter comeback

By Mike Prevatt

Arguably, the fall season is to pop music what the summer is to films--at least for this year. This is the time of year when the heavy hitters come out, where albums are free from the distraction of the Summer Singles, angling for Grammy and year-end list attention, and poised for the lucrative Christmas shopping season. For most of 2004, the most noteworthy releases have been the sleepers--Modest Mouse, Kanye West and Loretta Lynn, to name a few. However, a slew of commercially and artistically successful acts are up to bat this autumn, and for some of them the ball's already headed over the left-field wall. Here's a partial list of the hottest fall releases (dates subject to change) headed to a big box discount center or proprietary MP3 retailer most convenient to you.

Nelly (Sept. 14). The urban crowd is mighty prolific this time of year--see R. Kelly's pre-trial double-disc set--and the St. Louis hip-hop star is no different. Not only will he release two different albums--Sweat and Suit--but each one boasts several collaborators, from Fat Joe and Missy Elliott to Christina Aguilera and, ahem, Tim McGraw. He's nothing if not inclusive.

Green Day (Sept. 21). With any luck, the seventh full-length from the enduring Berkeley trio will piss off right-wing pundits, as American Idiot lays into our country's political and social climate. It's looking good so far: The leadoff single that shares the album's title is nearing No. 1 status on modern rock airplay charts.

Mos Def (Sept. 28). Finally, the respected hip-hop figure's sophomore effort will see the light of day. It's been five years since Def released his lauded debut, 1999's Black on Both Sides, and since then he's carried a full load with his acting career, hosting duties on HBO's "Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry" and sporadic touring with his rock act, Black Jack Johnson. The new album--The New Danger--will be his first for Geffen.

R.E.M. (Oct. 5). The promotion for the Athens, Ga., trio's 13th full-length has eclipsed that of any other R.E.M. album in recent history, starting with last year's best-of release and tour. Already, Around the Sun is being previewed on Apple's iTunes Music Store with a free medley/sample download, and the album's first single, "Leaving New York," can be found there as well.

Beck (Oct. 26). The rule tends to go as follows: Beck releases an album that sounds most like the alterna-hip hop he popularized with "Loser" and "Where It's At," and follows it up with a more reflective, folk-flavored--and usually under-promoted--record. However, early word says the successor to 2002's bleak Sea Change will balance the funky white-boy flavor with his more tender acoustic side.

Eminem (Nov. 16). That Interscope hasn't diced up its golden goose already is either a testament to the quality it seeks in its artists, or evidence of how much power it's bequeathed to its biggest seller. Encore, the hip-hop icon's fourth studio album, will follow the launch of his radio station with Sirius satellite radio.

Destiny's Child (Nov. 16). Even with all her success as a solo artist, Beyonce Knowles is sticking with the R&B act that first brought her fame--though some songs on the trio's third album will feature just single members of the band.

Gwen Stefani (Nov. 23). Well, it was only a matter of time, right? The No Doubt singer--and debut actress, with the upcoming Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator--is capitalizing on her star appeal with her first solo record, which, like Nelly's two releases for the season, is heavy with collaborations. The sound is said to be more '80s-oriented and dance-flavored than her work with No Doubt, with assistance from peeps like Outkast's Andre 3000 and Missy Elliott.

U2 (Nov. 23). The Irish band's 11th studio album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, has already garnered high praise among privileged music journos who have sampled the disc, and radio programmers champing at the bit to play the leadoff single, "Vertigo." The buzz? It sounds like classic U2, driven by a more aggressive guitar sound. Fellow it-influence the Cure went that route with its new album and it tanked. However, career consistency should be on U2's side.

Quickies

This continues to be Scot rookie act Franz Ferdinand's year, evidenced by last week's Mercury Music Prize win in the U.K. for its eponymous, gold-selling debut release. The quartet nabbed the prestigious honor--and nearly $35,000--over acclaimed albums by artists such as the Streets, Joss Stone and Basement Jaxx. Previous recipients have included Dizzee Rascal, Badly Drawn Boy and PJ Harvey.

Attention local bands looking to pander to supposedly influential industry people: Austin's South By Southwest, the mother of all pop music conferences, is accepting showcase applications at sxsw.com. Deadline is Nov. 8.

And, according to the New York Post, the record industry will for the first time hold special presentations in New York for corporate interests, introducing the artists and albums emerging in the next year or so for marketing opportunities. With file trading still affecting the industry's bottom line, its biggest labels are looking for other ways to generate income, and high-exposure avenues such as commercials and product ad campaigns--i.e., Lenny Kravitz and the Gap--are seen as viable alternatives to radio and MTV. Which begs the question: Is branding the new outsourcing?

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