From Bowie to M.I.A., 2013 brings albums from artists new and old

From exciting debuts to comeback albums decades in the making, 2013 seems to have something for everyone. Here’s a closer look at four of the most hotly-anticipated albums of the year.

“Amok” by Atoms For Peace

Radiohead probably won’t be releasing a new LP in 2013, but here’s the next-best thing – the debut album from Thom Yorke’s new band, Atoms for Peace. (They’re also a supergroup of sorts: the band’s bassist is none other than Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers.) Pre-release singles “Default” and “Judge Jury and Executioner” sound quite a bit like Radiohead, but with a heavier emphasis on the rhythm section.

Given how consistently brilliant the output of Yorke’s main band has been, that’s hardly something to complain about. “Amok” will be released by XL Recordings on Monday, Feb. 25.

“The Next Day” by David Bowie

David Bowie turned 66 on January 8, but he didn’t take the day off. In fact, he chose that date to announce “The Next Day,” his first album in a decade. But that’s not all – he also uploaded the LP’s gorgeously contemplative lead single, “Where Are We Now?”. (According to an NME interview with producer Tony Visconti, though, that track’s a bit of an anomaly — the rest of “The Next Day” is “quite a rock album.”) And a video to go along with the single.

The album’s bizarre, yet surprisingly effective cover art (it’s literally the cover of “Heroes,” but with that album’s title crossed out and a white square in the center covering Bowie’s face). “The Next Day” will be released by Columbia and Iso Records on Tuesday, March 12.

“Matangi” by M.I.A.

For music fans, album delays are an unfortunate part of life. However, M.I.A.’s “Matangi” (initially penciled in for a December 2012 release) may have been pushed back for one of the strangest reasons in recent memory. In an interview with the “Gold Coast Bulletin,” M.I.A. revealed that a completed version of the record was deemed “too positive” by her label, who told her that she needed to “darken it up a bit.”

If “Matangi” lives up to last year’s insidiously catchy single “Bad Girls,” however, it’ll be worth the wait. “Matangi” will be released by Interscope on Monday, April 15.

[TBA] by My Bloody Valentine

Think waiting a few years for your favorite band’s next album is tough? My Bloody Valentine’s fans have been waiting for over two decades for the follow-up to the band’s legendary sophomore album, “Loveless.” That album single-handedly defined the shoegaze genre and turned its makers into indie superstars, but they haven’t released anything since. However, that’s likely to change this year.

On Christmas Eve, MBV took to their Facebook page to announce that their third album had been completed earlier that week. No one has said much about what the new LP will sound like, but if you’re a fan of My Bloody Valentine, shoegaze or 90s music in general, this is one to watch.

My Bloody Valentine’s third album will be released independently through the band’s website.

Other releases to watch out for include: [TBA] by Arcade Fire, “LongLive A$AP” by A$AP Rocky, “The Terror” by Flaming Lips, “MGMT” by MGMT, [TBA] by Vampire Weekend and “Fade” by Yo La Tengo.