For music lovers, a new year means a new slew of releases from their favorite artists. There’s also the great chance of adding some new bands to their rotation. When it comes to the next 12 months, these five albums will make the year much better.

Pony - TBA - Take This To Heart Records

Last summer, Toronto power-pop act Pony turned heads with their infectious single "WebMD," which was named as one of our favorite tunes of 2020. While their debut album for Take This To Heart Records was set to be released last year, the album will now find its way in our hands this year. We can expect this release to be the soundtrack for virtual parties worldwide.

In the Pines - TBA - Arctic Rodeo Recordings

Over a decade after the release of their self-titled album, Kansas City folk-rock group In The Pines will release their brand new album via Arctic Rodeo Recordings. The band gave fans the first taste of the record with "Bones" back in June. With the obvious COVID restrictions, working on the album took a bit longer, but fans of the group are patiently awaiting its arrival.

:wumpscut: - Fledermavs 303

In 2017, electro-industrial outfit :wumpscut: announced they were done making music. Before 2020 ended, however, they shocked fans with a teaser for their forthcoming album Fledermavs 303. After releasing albums yearly from 2004 - 2016, a break was rightfully needed. Samples of the tracks "Nein Nein (Pest II)" and "Squeal Like A Pig" show :wumpscut: hasn’t lost their touch.

Devin Townsend - The Puzzle - Hevy Devy

"Abstract, stream-of-conscious, super-complicated, complex, ambient nonsense," is how Devin Townsend described their forthcoming album The Puzzle, and fans are already on board without hearing a single song. The album, which will be released exclusively through Townsend's own HevyDevy record label, will be accompanied by a film. Townsend's last studio album Empath was listed in our Top Albums of 2019 piece.

The Distillers - TBA

Three years after reuniting, beloved punk rock group The Distillers are slated to release their first album in 18 years sometime before 2021 is over. The album was produced by Nick Launay, who worked with acts such as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Silverchair, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.