So with that being said, here we go:
10) Foo Fighters - "Wasting Light" - April 12, 2011
What can you say about "the Foo" except that they rock. I enjoy listening to all of the new music this band produces and have been a fan ever since "The Colour and the Shape" when I saw the video for "Everlong" (which remains my favorite Foo Fighters song). Dave Grohl (lead singer) has already stated that this album will have a harder edge to it than the previous ones and that excites me because with the exception of a couple of songs (ie. "The Pretender") their last couple of albums were more mellow. I would love to see them get back to their roots, but I'll reserve judgment until after I've heard the album.
9) Tenth Avenue North - "Inside & In Between Live" - March 1, 2011
I first started listening to Tenth Avenue North last year and immediately wondering why I had never heard of them when they released their debut album back in 2008. This band is the perfect blend of contemporary and edgy and they bring solid biblically based lyrics that cry out for healing and hope from God. If you have not heard this band yet, do yourself a favor and jump on grooveshark or iTunes and give them a listen.
8) Falling Up - Untitled Self Produced Album - No Release Date Yet
I became a Falling Up fan when they released "Dawn Escapes" back in 2005. Falling Up is the perfect blend of Rock and Electronic Instrumentation. I was really disappointed in their 2009 album "Fangs!", but I quickly learned that they were only a three piece band at that point. They have since reunited and are producing this album by and for their fans. That gives me quite a bit of hope, but like the Foo Fighters, I reserve to judge it until I have heard it. We'll see.
7) Rebecca St James - "I Will Praise You (Worship Album)" - April 5, 2011
Finally, Rebecca St James returns to give us another album. It's not like she's been busy or anything (touring, book, movies, engagement). I thought her last album in 2005, "If I Had One Chance to Tell You Something" was her best album to date and this singer seems to up the ante every time she releases a new album. Her 2011 release will be her second worship album and since I enjoyed her first one ("Worship God") so much, I cannot wait to get my hands on this one.
6) Family Force 5 - Untitled Album - Sometime Fall 2011
Okay, I loved this band when they arrived on scene in 2007 with "Business Up Front/Party in the Back". They brought a fresh new sound to the relatively new genre of crunk rock and they didn't mimic anything I had previously heard. With high energy driven guitars and vocals, "Business Up Front" garnered my album of the year award in 2007. Fast forward to 2008 when the Fam released their second album, "Dance or Die" which turned out to be a glorified pile of garbage. It's not that it was terrible, it just wasn't what the fans had been shown in their first album. I was ready to write them off until I read the following quote from lead singer Soul Glo Activatur, "Yes, the third album will have more crunk-rock and "rock-and-roll" elements similar to our first album."
5) Coldplay - Untitled Album - Later in 2011
Coldplay is a band that has only gotten better with age. Some have called them the U2 of the new music era and I couldn't agree more. Chris Martin's (lead singer) vocals are astonishing and the sound that Coldplay has been able to produce is nothing short of phenomenal. Their last two albums, "Viva La Vida" and "Prospekt's March" were both extremely well done and like Tenth Avenue North, this is a band that I was late in getting to the bandwagon, but I won't make that mistake with them again.
4) Hillsong United - "Aftermath" - February 15, 2011
The next three albums have already released this year, so admittedly, I'm a little biased on them. Hillsong United's last album, "Across the Earth/Tear Down the Walls" was the album of the year in 2009 and for great reason. it still remains my favorite worship album ever. Aftermath is the band's second studio album and for a live band, it doesn't seem to work so well. That being said, there are still plenty of songs to worship along with and this album is perfect for private personal worship time to God. Not great for a corporate setting, but that's what you get sometimes with Hillsong United. All in all, this is a strong album and it makes bold statements about God. Pick this up if you're looking for some new worship material.
3) Kristian Stanfill - "Mountains Move" - January 11, 2011
I first heard of Kristian Stanfill back in 2006 when he rewrote and arranged the hymn "Jesus Paid It All", adding a brand new chorus to the classic hymn and personally reigniting my love for it. Then, Stanfill released his first album "Attention" in 2009 and immediately garnered my attention. ACC, you might recognize a couple of his songs, even though you don't know it. Obviously, we have his version of "Jesus Paid It All" in our regular rotation, but we just introduced a couple of his songs that are new to you "Beautiful Jesus" off of "Attention" and then his brand new single off of this album, "Say, Say" This new album is phenomenal and I have really enjoyed listening to it. Check it out.
2) RED - "Until We Have Faces" - February 1, 2011
Wow. That's all I know what to say about this album. Wow. Red burst onto the scene in 2006 with "End of Silence" which easily took the album of the year award for me that year. I also wrote this post about the albums of the last decade for me and had I been forced to pick an album that rose above the rest, it would have been "End of Silence." Then, RED released their sophomore album "Innocence and Instinct" in 2009, and although it was a good album, it lacked the punch that "End of Silence" carried. But now, RED has dropped the feel of "Innocence" and returned to their roots with "Until We Have Faces." Perhaps a more appropriate title would be "Until We MELT Faces." This album is hardcore rock at its best and the grunge undertones that made RED so popular are back in full force. I also love the string arrangements that accompany almost every song. RED is so much more than just a simple rock band, they are artists and composers and their music is fun to listen to. Oh, and by the way....they love Jesus to death.
1) Switchfoot - "Vice Verses" - Later in 2011
Switchfoot is one of my favorite rock bands because they have energy driven music, high octane vocals, and lyrics that scream of a desperate need for Jesus. When they went into the studio to record their 2009 album "Hello Hurricane" (which is now my second favorite Switchfoot album behind 2003's "The Beautiful Letdown") they recorded enough songs for four full-length studio albums. However, instead of wasting them all with one massive release, they decided to stagger them over several years. Brilliance. That means that this album and the next one will come from the same vein as "Hello Hurricane". I love the sound of that and with that news, this album will easily nab the number one spot this year if it delivers.
So how right am I about these predictions? Only time will tell. Look back when December 2011 comes around and we'll see how close I really was.
