Some 2012 Albums I’m Really Excited About

Something about summertime — perhaps it’s the windows-down driving and deliciously lackadaisical hum of those hot months — always makes me think of music. Here in Winston-Salem, we’ve been experiencing wonderfully warm weather (off and on, but still) in recent weeks, which has made me excited for the quickly approaching summer. Which then made me think about music. Which made me think of new music being released this year, in time for summer.

Whew.

This list is a result of that thought process:

• The Shins, Port of Morrow, out March 13 (tomorrow!): This high-energy quintet is releasing their fourth studio album tomorrow. Yay! Check out their recent live performance on SNL:

• The Hunger Games soundtrack, The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 and Beyond, out March 20: I’ve already mentioned that I went ahead and pre-ordered this album, and I can’t wait until it arrives! Check out the track listing here, featuring some stellar artists.

• B.o.B., Strange Clouds, out May 1: Atlanta-native Bobby Ray (B.o.B.) had me hooked since his 2008 track “I’ll Be In The Sky.” I can’t wait to check out what the rapper has in store for us this time around (in addition to this track, called “So Good,” of course):

• Regina Spektor, What We Saw From The Cheap Seats, out May 12: Come on — who doesn’t love this Russian-American wonder? Here’s a peek at the album art from Regina’s upcoming 2012 release. I can’t wait to hear the music that will be inside!:

• Beach House, Bloom, out May 15: Beach House’s first album since their 2010 release, Teen Dream, is bound to be quality stuff. Just check out this track, “Myth,” from their upcoming album. It sounds similar to Teen Dream which, to fans like me, is great news:

• Ben Folds Five: Though we don’t yet know the details of this album or its release date, I thought Ben Folds Five was worth including on this list. Ben Folds has always been a top windows-down music choice for me, so the fact that he and the rest of “Five” have reunited to create a new album is super duper awesome.

• Sigur Rós: Like Ben Folds Five, this album has yet to be given a name or a release date, but it deserves a place on the list, too. There hasn’t been a new Sigur Rós album since their 2008 release, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly), and though we’ve heard incredible work from frontman Jónsi in the interim, it’s great news that the band is regrouping for another collective album, due out this spring.

What are other 2012 albums you can’t wait to lay ears on?