Summer music releases

Audioslave: "Out of Exile"

Release Date: May 24

Audioslave is a good band, albeit in a that-was-cool-10-years-ago sort of way (but it's something that modern rock radio still eats up, predictably). I was excited when Audioslave formed, coupling Chris Cornell of Soundgarden with everyone in Rage Against the Machine except Zach de la Rocha. Audioslave's music should have been a 1990s music lover's wet dream, but so far they've only registered with the "dream" part. Maybe with the release of "Out of Exile" this will change, but judging by their already released single "Be Yourself," it hasn't. And the wet dream has become a nightmare.

Billy Corgan: "THEFUTUREEMBRACE"

Release Date: June 21

Following the release of his book of poetry "Blinking with Fists," Corgan is ready to release his first album since his ill-fated but great-while-it-lasted Zwan project and album "Mary, Star of the Sea." Corgan promises the new album will be about "the world around me in the most beautiful ways I could dream up." But really the only way he will ever connect with the world again is if he can get his own head out of his butt, where apparently he's been searching for higher levels of self-centeredness that normal people either only dream about or spit upon. For the sake of his fans, let's hope he has a bowel movement and doesn't reach new levels of pretentiousness.

Bob Mould: "Body of Song"

Release Date: July 26

This album will be the first totally electric/distorted guitar-driven album by Mould since 1996. Mould is a former member of punk pioneers Husker Du, as well as early-90s band Sugar. Many people claim to be fans of his past bands, especially Husker Du, but I've found many of these people to be a lot like the guy at a bar who calls baseball a "thinking man's sport" just to make himself look productive and smart as he guzzles down his beer and spits on the floor. Or maybe I just care too much. Bob Mould's solo work is consistently good, and will satisfy anyone who likes folk-style songwriting combined with an '80s and '90s alt-rock sound - which he originated, by the way.

Foo Fighters: "In Your Honor"

Release Date: June 14

For the Foo Fighters' first album since 2003's "One by One," Dave Grohl and Co. are releasing a double album. The songs will be split up, with the loud on one disc and the quiet on another. I'm not sure this is a good decision; the best double albums have always been a mix of the loud and soft, from the Beatles' "White Album" to Smashing Pumpkins' "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness." Surely the Foo Fighters know what they're doing. Otherwise, still having that dude from Nirvana might not be enough to save them from a backlash from critics and/or fans.

Weezer: "Make Believe"

Release Date: May 10

If you pay any attention to Weezer fans on the Internet, you're probably aware of the belief that Weezer has been on the decline since 1996's album "Pinkerton," which, for better or worse, is sometimes noted as being the "first" emo album. I, however, have no problem with Weezer's self-titled "Green Album" or "Maladroit." Weezer has a penchant for writing three-minute pop ecstasies, and that's been enough for me to support them through these supposed lean times. I don't really think that Weezer's newest single, "Beverly Hills," fits well into that category - I find it more annoying than anything - but hopefully Weezer can prove that all the nay-sayers are just spouting "make believe."

White Stripes: "Get Behind Me Satan"

Release Date: June 7

This is the release I'm most excited about. It will be interesting to see how, on their first release since 2003, the Stripes respond to a musical climate that's a lot kinder to bands that sound similar to the Strokes or any band with an '80s new-wave sound, rather than ones that draw influence from dead bluesmen and Led Zeppelin. Their first single, "Blue Orchid," is unlike anything the band has done before, having apparently absorbed many of the previously mentioned new-wave sounds, even making the guitar sound synthy. How the sound of this single translates to the sound of the album will be interesting, and will be sure to keep awake many of the people who are still powdering their faces and wearing red and white. With titles like "I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet)" the Stripes might be heading in a more southern or, dare I say it, country direction. But as long as "Get Behind Me Satan" is half as good as "Elephant," or one-third as good as "De Stijl," then I will be completely satisfied.

King is a featured contributor to the Capaha Arrow and OFF! Magazine.