It's hard to believe that we are nearing the mid-point in the year but yet here we are. There's a lot to look forward to in the first summer month of 2021. Sadly there will be no live Glastonbury, not in June anyway, but there will be Wimbledon starting at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and there will be the delayed UEFA EURO 2020 Football tournament. If all goes according to plan there should be a further easing of the CoVID19 restrictions on June 21st in the UK, the last significant stage of the Government's 'road map' to recovery. Capacity limited gigs and events should continue to take place and more certainty should be available for this summer's festival organisers. As children start their last term before the summer holidays there will be celebrations on Juneteenth for Freedom Day and also June 21st for World Music Day. Billie Eilish looks set to premier another single from her forthcoming album early in the month, Garbage are set to release their seventh album, No Gods No Masters, Maroon 5 are dropping their new album Jordi and Sleater-Kinney are set to share their album, Path Of Wellness. All very exciting stuff, but they didn't make our Top 5; let's see who did. 

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Wolf Alice - Blue Weekend. 

Wolf Alice have had quite an extraordinary year already having released three excellent singles ahead of their forthcoming third album Blue Weekend. Making a very welcome return to the musical fray in February they surprised everyone, except themselves, with the release of their outstanding, delicate, piano lead ballad, The Last Man On Earth. They followed that up with the equally impressive, but far more incendiary, Smile, in April and have more recently released, No Hard Feelings. The quality of each of the three, distinctly different, songs once again highlights the creativity of the adroit four piece band and bodes very well for their new album. 

Griff - One Foot In Front Of The Other.

BBC Sound Of 2021 runner-up and BRIT Rising Star winner Griff releases her hotly anticipated debut album/mixtape One Foot In Front Of The Other on June 18th via Warner Records. After showcasing her huge talent in one of the most memorable performances at this year's BRIT's ceremony, Griff's star is most definitely in the ascendancy. Her rendition of Black Hole, her first single of 2021, was just out-of-this-world. Griff has recently shared the equally compelling title track to her first album and we're loving it, especially the irresistibly catchy chorus. One of the other six tracks on the release is her version of Take A Bow, and that too is just terrific.

MARINA - Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land.

MARINA is set to release her fifth studio album, and follow up to 2019's Love + Fear, on June 11th via Atlantic Records. MARINA started sharing songs from her latest album when she dropped Man's World back in November of last year. The Shampain singer has subsequently released, Purge The Poison (Including a re-worked version with P*ssy Riot), and more recently the title track single from the album, Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land. To coincide with the album launch MARINA is also streaming a live launch party event from the Californian desert where she will perform songs from her latest release as well as some fan favourites. 

Japanese Breakfast - Jubilee.

The multi-talented musician and author Michelle Zauner, aka Japanese Breakfast, is set to release her third full length album, Jubilee, on June 4th. Be Sweet was the lead track to be shared from her latest album when it dropped in early March. This was followed just over a month later by the sonically arresting and contrasting, Posing In Bondage. The last single to be shared ahead of the album is the more playful, higher-tempo, Savage Good Boy, the video for which is a prequel to her previous track. Jubilee looks set to be fresh, vibrant and creatively compelling in equal measure.

John Grant - Boy From Michigan.

It's been nearly three years since John Grant released his last album, Love Is Magic, but finally he's back and he's sounding as good as ever. John's expertise in crafting great, individual, songs has not diminished an iota on his latest material. Boy From Michigan will be Grant's fifth full length studio album and comes some 16 years after he left The Czars. Along the way John has delighted and enthralled listeners with such tracks as Queen Of Denmark, GMF, Glacier, Grey Tickles, Snug Slacks and Preppy Boy. To date Grant has already shared The Only Baby, Rhetorical Figure, Billy and the title track to the album but we know that their are many other songs that will no doubt delight and fascinate, including, Cruise Room and Mike and Julie.