Lay Low for the Letdown

Well the year is halfway over and I haven't released my "favorite albums of the year, so far" list.  However, it's been a slow year.  Sure I've picked up three unbelievable releases in Modest Mouse, Now It's Overhead, and Wilco, and one extremely disappointing one (remember the rules: live albums, EPs, reissues, and compilations don't count).  But that's it!  That's a pretty lame list.  I haven't picked up some new ones like Iron and Wine, Robert Pollard, and John Vanderslice, but that's still a very short list.  Geez, last year had some of the best releases in years with Belle & Sebastian, Beulah, Death Cab for Cutie, the Postal Service, Songs: Ohia, and the White Stripes just to name a few (I know I'm missing plenty...go ahead and fill in the blanks).  The year before had Bright Eyes, Johnny Cash, Coldplay, the Flaming Lips, and Wilco.  Anybody heard anything else worthwhile so far this year?
 
Now the other problem is I don't know what all to look forward to for releases.  I know that the Flaming Lips, R.E.M., and Weezer are in the studio but no release dates have been set.  The only ones I know are confirmed are Guided By Voices (August 24--their last one, if you still want to consider them a "band"), Cake (October 5), and Jimmy Eat World (October 19).  So far I've spent the year replentishing my back catalogue and getting into bands I'd been too lazy or poor to check out.  Keep your ear to the ground and tell me if there are any other releases to be excited about.