The new year is shaping up to be promising for music, with a collection of releases by familiar favorites ranging from the Beastie Boys and Lisa Loeb to Waylon Jennings to Andre Nickatina.
“The quality of music in 2005 will depend on what people personally like and how much of that taste is produced this year,” said junior psychology major Andrea Stull, who primarily listens to rap, pop and rock.
The Beastie Boys are releasing an Australian-tour edition to coincide with the group’s headline of Big Day Out 2005. It has a version of the hit “An Open Letter To NYC” with remixes of tracks from the album “To the 5 Boroughs,” according to Tower Records’ Web site.
Country-western fans can expect music from Waylon Jennings, Patsy Cline and Johnny Cash, on albums entitled “Love Songs,” “Duets” and “Life Goes On,” respectively. Taj Mahal will be releasing his new greatest hits collection, “Take a Giant Step.”

Jazz great Miles Davis’ “Amsterdam Concert,” a previously rare album, includes the complete Amsterdam Concertgebouw Broadcast recorded in December 1957 with tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen and the Rene Urtreger quartet. Jazz buffs can also expect a compilation of Louis Armstrong’s work, entitled “Ultimate Louis Armstrong.” Other new jazz collections and re-releases coming in the next year include works by Thelonious Monk, Hermeto Pascoal and Frank Sinatra. Jazz avant-gardist John Zorn will release two new albums next month, “Film Works Vol. 15” and “Rituals.”Fans of singer/songwriter Tori Amos will rejoice about the release of her new album, “Beekeeper,” in late February. That month will also see the release of new albums by the Thievery Corporation, the Frames, 3 Doors Down, Burning Spear, the Cowboy Junkies and Agnostic Front. Eugene’s own the Rock ‘n’ Roll Soldiers will also be releasing their major label debut, “So Many Musicians to Kill,” in the next month. Rock fans will find plenty of releases to keep them happy in the upcoming year, as March sees new music from Mars Volta, Queens of the Stone Age and the Kills, while April brings a new album from Architecture in Helsinki.
A slew of albums are expected in the next year that have yet to receive a confirmed release date. Among these, albums by rapper 50 Cent and punk band AFI and the Alkaline Trio are all expected this spring, as are new albums by Beck and Fiona Apple. The Deftones, the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Coldplay are expected to release albums in the next year. The Flaming Lips have a new album, “At War With the Mystics,” slated for release this summer. The Liars, Massive Attack and New Order are all also expected to release albums. Nine Inch Nails will release its first studio album since 1999’s “The Fragile” and its first release of any sort since 2002’s live collection “And All That Could Have Been.”
The popular hip-hop duo OutKast will be following up its breakout successes “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” with a new album, “10 the Hard Way.” Rockers System of a Down will be releasing a pair of albums, starting with “Hypnotize” in the summer followed by “Mesmerize” in the fall. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer and The Shins all have as-yet untitled releases in the next year.

[email protected]
Kate Webster is a freelance reporter for the Daily Emerald