August
Whitney Houston, 8/31
I Look to You
Major comeback complete with Oprah moment.
September
Yo La Tengo, 9/8
Popular Songs
The Über-indie band has not lost its taste for thoughtful racket.
Os Mutantes, 9/8
Haih or Amortecedor
First new work in 35 years from Brazilian tropicalia innovators.
The Clean, 9/8
Mister Pop
Long-awaited return of the New Zealand punk trailblazers.
Vivian Girls, 9/8
Everything Goes Wrong
State-of-the-art, slapdash neo-grunge.
Kid Cudi, 9/15
Man on the Moon: The End of Day
Cleveland MC gets assistance from MGMT and Kanye West.
Richard Hawley, 9/22
Truelove’s Gutter
Former Pulp guitarist plays more sad, symphonic songs.
Pearl Jam, 9/22
Backspacer
The less they preen for fame, the better these guys get.
Rain Machine, 9/22
Rain Machine
Kyp Malone, bearded guy from TV on the Radio, goes solo.
Monsters of Folk, 9/29
Conor Oberst, M. Ward, and Jim James (from My Morning Jacket) collaboration album that includes a song called “Man Named Truth.”
Paramore, 9/29
Brand New Eyes
The record that’ll save suicidal teenage girls.
Barbra Streisand, 9/29
Love Is the Answer
After James Brolin anyway.
October
Hall & Oates, 10/6
Do What You Want, Be What You Are
Four-disc set spanning the career of the underappreciated Philly duo. How great was that scene from (500) Days of Summer?
Lightning Bolt, 10/13
Earthly Delights
Very noisy duo, in a good way.
Alec Ounsworth, 10/20
Mo Beauty
Never mind the backlash. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah singer ditches band.
Weezer, 10/27
Raditude
Reclusive genius ventures back into the light with power-pop extravaganza.
November
David Bowie, 11/3
Space Oddity
Gussied-up 40th-anniversary reissue of the Thin White Duke’s freaky-deaky debut.
Nirvana, 11/3
Bleach
Another anniversary reissue, this one, the twentieth. For Cobain obsessives, there’s a white-vinyl edition.
Norah Jones
Still trying to escape light-FM land, this time by collaborating with the likes of Ryan Adams.
Bob Dylan
Untitled Christmas album
Said to include “O Little Town of Bethlehem.”