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"Hesitation Marks," Nine Inch Nails: It's been four years since NIN's Trent Reznor announced the band -- which, of course, is mainly him -- was going on hiatus. "Hesitation Marks," its return, has earned mainly positive reviews, with Entertainment Weekly saying a couple tunes rank among NIN's finest. (September 3)

"Fuse," Keith Urban: The country singer has been a little speedier than Reznor -- it's been only three years since his last album, "Get Closer." "Fuse" is a bit of a departure, and Urban has talked about being inspired by the ideas behind U2's "Achtung Baby." One track, "Even Stars Fall 4 U," is "sort of industrial-punk-ish, relative to what I do," he told Rolling Stone. Radio is still with him: "Little Bit of Everything" is at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Country Airplay chart. (September 10)

"Wise Up Ghost," Elvis Costello and the Roots: Costello likes to keep things fresh with his backing musicians, whether it be the Attractions, Elvis Presley sidemen James Burton and Ron Tutt or avant-garde guitarist Marc Ribot. The new album puts his encyclopedic knowledge with the equally well-versed Roots, though the result may be quite dark: the late-night sessions produced "a moody, brooding affair, cathartic rhythms and dissonant lullabies," according to the Roots' Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson. (September 17)

"Nothing Was the Same," Drake: You probably heard "Hold On, We're Going Home" at the VMAs. The album follows in a few weeks. Drizzy describes the work as tracing his journey from boy to man. "This is my most clear, concise thoughts from now and my best recollection of then," he told MTV. (September 24)

"Bangerz," Miley Cyrus: Well, she certainly got people's attention with her performance at the VMAs. Whether it's good or bad attention, and whether "Bangerz" goes much beyond the skin-and-sex she's been teasing, Cyrus has guaranteed that it'll invite some talk. (Perez Hilton is already drooling.) More than that? Come on -- this isn't Lauryn Hill or Carole King. (October 8)

"Lightning Bolt," Pearl Jam: "Mind Your Manners," a track with a little taste of the Minutemen, has been out since July; other tracks have popped up in concert. Fans are already bowing in "we're not worthy" style: "Thank you Pearl Jam for restoring my faith that good music can still become mainstream," said one YouTube commenter. (October 15)

"New," Paul McCartney: Slate.com said the title track of the new McCartney album would fit in nicely on "Revolver" or "Sgt. Pepper." Um, would you settle for "Venus and Mars"? Which is not to say "New" is bad, just that it's no "Got to Get You Into My Life." The most intriguing aspect of the new McCartney is the producers he worked with, including Mark Ronson, Ethan Johns and Giles "son of George" Martin. Now we'll see if he produced material to live up to them. (October 15)

"Prism," Katy Perry: "Roar" is already hovering at the top of the charts, and a clip from "Dark Horse" is making the rounds. The rest of it is due in mid-October, and word is it was inspired by her relationship with John Mayer. All Perry will say is that the title comes from letting "the light in." (October 22)

Untitled new Arcade Fire: The last time we heard from these guys, "The Suburbs" was walking off with a surprise album of the year Grammy. Rumor has it that the new CD will be called "Reflektor," thanks to graffiti discovered in several cities and a shrewd Instagram campaign. What does it sound like? "It's really f***ing epic," said LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy, a producer. (October 29)

"ARTPOP," Lady Gaga: It's not just an album, says Gagapedia (yes, there really is such a thing). It's a two-volume project that will include an app. So far, though, the lead single "Applause" has gotten as much attention for her VMA costume changes and video eccentricities as it has for, well, the music. Par for the course, right? (November 11)

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