Maybe this summer doesn’t boast the most exciting concert lineup, but when it comes to new music releases, it’s another story. From indie rock to country to hip-hop, from up-and-coming buzz bands to veterans who have been around for decades, the next few months are packed with dozens of cool new albums. Here’s what you should check out:

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE: NARROW STAIRS
RELEASE DATE: May 13
THE 210 TAKE: Listen to the single “I Will Possess Your Heart” from the sixth album by the indie rock stars from Seattle, and you can tell immediately that this isn’t the standard Death Cab fare — it’s darker and more experimental (and, at more than eight minutes, hella longer). We’re guessing they may turn a few fans off while attracting a few new ones.

USHER: HERE I STAND
RELEASE DATE: May 27
Web: usherhereistand.com
THE 210 TAKE: Man, Usher, you wooed us with “Caught Up” and “My Boo” and then you got all sleazy with “Love in This Club” off your upcoming album. What’s up with that? Sure, it hit No. 1 on the charts, but we’re hoping the rest of the album isn’t as trashy. (True, if we were going to get down and dirty on the dance floor or in a nasty club bathroom, it would probably be with Usher. But still.)

LIL WAYNE: THA CARTER III
RELEASE DATE: June 10
Web: lilwayne-online.com
THE 210 TAKE: The young MC’s follow-up to platinum-selling Tha Carter and Tha Carter II is one of the most anticipated rap albums of 2008. It WAS one of the most anticipated albums of 2007, but its release was repeatedly postponed. Apparently, smoking enormous amounts of weed and getting charged with drug and gun possession can really eat up a lot of studio time.

MY MORNING JACKET:  EVIL URGES
RELEASE DATE: June 10
Web: mymorningjacket.com
THE 210 TAKE: The Kentucky band that mixes indie rock with country and psychedelic flavors releases its fifth studio album still riding high from the success of the 2005 effort, Z. With each album MMJ manages to come up with something unexpected, which is why we’re expecting great things from Evil Urges.

COLDPLAY: Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
RELEASE DATE: June 17
Web: coldplay.com
THE 210 TAKE: The renowned producer Brian Eno is in charge of the fourth album by the hot British band with the super-hot lead singer, Chris Martin. Word is the new CD is heavy on world-music sounds and has a darker feel than previous albums. Sounds like this is a promising new direction for Coldplay.

WEEZER: WEEZER
RELEASE DATE: June 17
Web: weezer.com
THE 210 TAKE: Yes, it’s yet another self-titled Weezer album; the cool kids are calling it the Red Album. The first single, “Pork and Beans,” sounds like a return to the quirky band’s brand of clever pop, but we hear some of the rest of the tracks are a bit more experimental. Just don’t stray too far from your roots, boys. We liked you the way you were.

LOS LONELY BOYS: FORGIVEN
RELEASE DATE: July 1
Web: loslonelyboys.org
THE 210 TAKE: Brothers Henry, Jojo and Ringo Garza consistently serve up memorable bluesy Texican rock. Here’s hoping the third studio album from will make people remember that there’s more to the San Angelo/Eldorado area than fundamentalist religious sects.

CONOR OBERST: CONOR OBERST
RELEASE DATE: Aug. 5
THE 210 TAKE: For the first time in 13 years, the brooding indie hero is putting out a solo album, recorded in Tepoztlán, Mexico. That’s said to be the birthplace of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. Cool. Will it equal his work with Bright Eyes? You can decide for yourself when Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band hit Austin in September for Austin City Limits Festival.

Other upcoming albums to watch out for:

The Old 97’s:  Blame It on Gravity  (May 13) 
Ryan Cabrera:  The Moon Under Water  (May 13)
Jason Mraz:  We Sing.  We Dance.  We Steal Things.  (May 13)
Scarlett  Johansson:  Anywhere I Lay My Head (May 20) 
3  Doors Down: 3 Doors Down  (May 20)
Cyndi Lauper: Bring Ya  To The Brink (May 27) 
Ashanti:  The Declaration  (June 3)
Disturbed:  Indestructible  (June 3)
Jewel: Perfectly Clear  (June 3)
Aimee  Mann:  @#%&*!  Smilers  (June 3)
Radiohead: Radiohead: The Best Of (June 3)
Gavin Rossdale:  Wanderlust  (June 3)
Alanis  Morissette:  Flavors of Entanglement  (June 10)
Jakob  Dylan: Seeing Things  (June 10)
N.E.R.D.:  Seeing Sounds  (June 10)
Alejandro  Escovedo:  Real Animal  (June 24)
Missy Elliott: Title TBD (June 17)
Wolf Parade:  Kissing the Beehive  (June 17)
The Game:  Los Angeles Times  (June 24)
Nelly:  Brass Knuckles  (June 24)
Ne-Yo:  Year of the Gentleman  (June 24)
Alkaline Trio:  Agony and Irony  (July 1)

Jessica Belasco | 210SA contributor