Silversun Pickups, Blur/Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn announce new albums

Silversun Pickups and Damon Albarn have both carved out May 8 for their return - on record, anyway.

The L.A.-based rock band and the Gorillaz/Blur frontman (who recently reunited with his Blur bandmates on-stage at the 2012 BRIT Awards) have both announced new albums, entitled "Neck of the Woods" and "Dr. Dee", respectively.

"Woods", which was produced by Jacknife Lee (U2, R.E.M., Bloc Party, Snow Patrol), is the third album for the Pickups; their last LP was 2009's "Swoon". The band is currently scheduled to play the SASQUATCH! Music Festival in George, WA on May 25 and at Toronto's Edgefest 2012 on July 14.

Albarn's latest set, meanwhile, will consist of 18 tracks that were composed for his opera "Dr. Dee" - inspired by the life of John Dee, the scientific advisor to Queen Elizabeth I whose views combined both practical and mystical disciplines - which ran for over a week at the Palace Theater in Manchester, England last July. The album itself was recorded several months afterward in Albarn's London studio with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra.

Albarn will perform songs from the new set - with the help of several backing musicians featured on the album - on April 14 at the OneFest music festival in the U.K.

Below you can find the full "Dr. Dee" tracklisting:

'The Golden Dawn
'Apple Carts'
'Oh Spirit Animate Us'
'The Moon Exalted'
'A Man of England'
'Saturn'
'Coronation'
'The Marvelous Dream'
'A Prayer'
'Edward Kelley'
'Preparation'
'9 Point Star'
'Temptation Comes In The Afternoon'
'Watching the Fire That Waltzed Away'
'Moon (Interlude)'
'Cathedrals'
'Tree Of Life'
'The Dancing King'

Anyone planning on picking up either of these albums when they become available? Or both? Sound off in the comments!