Whether it's a brand new band or one that is making a comeback, one thing that's for certain: your stereos will be slamming this summer when you check these bands and albums out.
BLUES TRAVELER, "SUZIE CRACKS THE WHIP"
You may only know these guys for their runaway hit "Run-Around", but Blues Traveler is actually celebrating 25 years together this year, and "Suzie Cracks The Whip" marks their first album since 2008's "North Hollywood Shootout". I'm sure that means absolutely nothing to you, but, trust me, this album is the one that you didn't know you were waiting for.
Starting with the radio-friendly "You Don't Have To Love Me", the blistering "Devil In The Details", and the soulful "Love Is Everything", Blues Traveler has never been better since their breakout album "Four". When getting this album, I suggest getting it from Best Buy, which will net you 6 additional tracks, including the dark blues number "Maureen", which left me chilling.
LINKIN PARK, "LIVING THINGS"
After the aptly titled "Meteora", Linkin Park had a swing-and-a-miss with "Minutes To Midnight" (except for the awesome "Giving Up" and the irresistible "Bleed It Out") and got slammed for the under-rated "A Thousand Suns". Now, with "Living Things", Linkin Park comes back to making stellar songs. Labelled as a more personal album, Linkin Park knocks it out of the park with "Burn It Down", "Lost In The Echo", and "Powerless" (my favorite track on the album).
It may not be as amazing as "Meteora" or "Hybrid Theory", but Linkin Park has definitely starting to get their grove back.
ICON FOR HIRE, "SCRIPTED"
Making a stellar debut, Icon For Hire is a brand new band that has other female-fronted bands like Evanescence and Flyleaf a run for their money.
From the blistering lead track "Theatre" to the startling "Get Well", Icon For Hire displays masterful lyrics from lead singer Ariel and the blistering music of guitarist Shawn Jump and drummer Adam Kronshagen. Debut albums like this don't come around every day, so when comes from a completely unknown band like this, it's hard to ignore. Let's see what happens with their second album.
I FIGHT DRAGONS, "KABOOM!"
Whenever the term "YouTube sensation" comes up, we usually get something like Annoying Orange or "Come To Candy Mountain Charlie". Punk-chiptune band I Fight Dragons is one YouTube sensation worth checking out.
Starting with incredible MP3-only albums "Cool Is Just A Number" and "Welcome To The Breakdown" set the stage to amazing harmonies, brilliant music, and soundbits from NES, Atari, and GameBoy games makes I Fight Dragons an incredible band. The band currently is known for their YouTube video "Rickroll + Mario", where they take Rick Astley's song "Never Gonna Give You Up" and combine it with the classic Super Mario Bros. theme song, but, after the drop of their debut album "Kaboom!", hopefully they'll be known for more than that soon.
From incredible singles "The Geek Shall Inherit The Earth" and "Save World Get Girl" to over-the-top catchy title track and surprisingly soulfull "With You", "Kaboom!" has something for everyone to enjoy. I Fight Dragons can be currently seen on the Vans Warped Tour, so it's only a step of things to come for this band.
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