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During its first week out, Justin Vernon's sophomore album under the name Bon Iver couldn't quite knock Adele's 21 off the top of the Rhapsody charts, but it did overpower albums by pop queens Katy Perry, Rihanna and even Lady Gaga. That says a hell of a lot for a humble Cheesehead who just a few years ago was holed up in a cabin in the dead of Wisconsin winter, lovesick and depressed as he crafted Bon Iver's celebrated 2008 debut, For Emma, Forever Ago. It also says a lot for an album that unabashedly takes cues from schmaltzy '80s soft rock and earnest singer-songwriter fare. There's certainly no glitz or glam about Bon Iver, but it's nonetheless a minor pop sensation capable of riling up people who normally wouldn't care about just another indie dude. (Though contrarians have been quick to accuse Vernon of being a bearded hipster hack, a shameless Bruce Hornsby/Peter Cetera/Phil Collins revivalist, or — gasp! — just plain boring.)

We must admit that Tuesday is our favorite day of the week here at Rhapsody: that's when new releases come out. Thankfully, the next three months of Tuesdays look absolutely glorious, full of fresh music from ukulele-brandishing rockers, electronic pioneers, strident country hit makers, unabashed pop divas, unrepentant metalheads, CCM luminaries, contenders for Best Rapper Alive honors, soul superstars and, of course, Lady Gaga. Here's the best of what's to come.


Lady Gaga, Born This Way (May 23) Quite possibly the most anticipated album of 2011, Gaga's second full-length bears a heavy load: there's the dreaded sophomore slump to avoid, and her massive celebrity to justify. Then there's the public's increasingly conflicted position on Gaga to contend with: do we find her hyper-theatricality annoying or endearing? Are the new singles ("Judas" and "Born This Way") brilliant meta-nuggets of pop culture or weak Madonna rip-offs? The whole world waits with bated breath to decide. — Rachel Devitt

Beyoncé, TBD (June) Then again, with just one girl-power-hungry, oh-Sasha-it's-fierce lead single packed with distinctive Diplo-and-Switch beats, Beyoncé made the world sit up and go, "Gaga who?" And when her fourth album drops sometime in early summer, you can bet your granny panties B's gonna knock all those lesser divas down like dominoes. — R.D.

Kanye West and Jay-Z, Watch the Throne (hopefully soon) Keep watching. This long-threatened mega-rapper summit will happen eventually, we swear: manic lead single "H.A.M." emerged way back in January, but it's been mostly radio silence since. Still, whenever these guys get around to it, Throne is sure to be a delightfully extravagant bacchanal of Best Rapper Alive narcissism. Hopefully Nicki Minaj drops by, too. — Rob Harvilla

Over the last few years, modern folk men have swept the indie landscape with as much reckless abandon as the pelts covering their faces. The bold and oftentimes bearded troubadours have once again made mandolins hip and banjos a trendy accessory. But it's not all about the hair or the gear. There's often something mystical in the folk artist, like he knows something we all don't and this lingering awareness drives a passion that is translated into electrifying music, even if there's little more than the strum of an acoustic guitar to carry it through. Today's folkies all share this trait, and while they are students of the rustic and raw revival scenes of '50s, '60s and '70s America and Britain, they are also revelers in the uninhibited world of indie rock.

Listen to the entire playlist: Cheat Sheet: Modern Men of Indie Folk

On the Record is a video series where rock stars gush about their favorite records -- in exactly 45 seconds. Click above to watch Ellie Goulding talk about her crush favorite album of all time.

ARTIST: Ellie Goulding RECORD: Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago

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