Bruce Springsteen and Ben Harper released to of my favorite albums last year and now they're putting out brand new albums this year.  Do they ever rest?  

Bruce Springsteen has a new album coming out in a couple weeks and right now he's giving away his single "Radio Nowhere" on itunes for free this week.  

I'm a huge Springsteen junkie.  I love his wounded, worn-out voice, how it sounds like he knows he's really shouldn't be a rock 'n roll star but he just loves music so much he has to wail it out anyway.  I love it when he goes all introspective with albums like "the Ghost of Tom Joad," "Nebraska," or "Devil's and Dust," and I love it when he rocks out with the E Street Band on albums like "Darkness on the Edge of Town," "Born in the USA," and "the Rising," or just completely dashes your expectations with last year's "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions."  Magic, the new album, is with the E Street band, so it looks like it's going to be another rollicking rock album.  

Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals also have a new album out called Lifeline.  I'm having a hard time explaining the goodness I've heard from this album...there are videos here (Fools for a Lonesome Train, scroll down)and here (In the Colors) if you want to check it out.  I do know Harper's told fans he and the band will be dressing up a bit more for the new tour, so I'm expecting something very classy.  

The only problem with the Harper is that I'm sworn not to buy anything for myself since my birthday's right around the corner (Springsteen would trump this, as would a new U2 or a new Gaiman book, but his album's coming out of my birthday).  I'm not as massive of a fan of Harper's, so I might wait.  Maybe.