If you are a fan of the music industry, you may appreciate the fact that there music is now available in more ways than ever before. Of course, the “iPod Revolution” brought music to our pockets and fingertips… however, there are also now simply more avenues and means of acquiring music. For example, we are all used to seeing music videos and entertainment news on channels such as MTV or VH1. However, there are now channels and programs that are exclusively for music (rather than shows based on music, or news about performers), which constantly stream music videos and concert events. With this in mind, here are a few exciting recent and upcoming releases to keep an eye on.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers, I’m With You – The Chili Peppers’ first release since the wildly popular double album Stadium Arcadium came out early last month, and delighted fans of the funky, alternative rock band. Featuring much of the same sort of punchy, funky, and all around different but still catchy music that fans have come to love, I’m With You is not a signal of change or growth so much as a demonstration of continued strength. The song is sure to produce at least a couple more Chili Peppers hits.

Blink-182, Neighborhoods – The long-awaited new album from Blink-182 is finally available, and, as the band has been promising for some time now, it’s a little bit different. Most fans will relate it to the 2003 album Blink-182, rather than some of the older (and more inappropriate) music featured on hit albums such as Take Off Your Pants And Jacket or Enema Of The State. Ultimately, however, Neighborhoods has a touch of everything, and shows the same brilliance with some maturation in subject matter. It may take some getting used to, but for the most part it’s still brilliant.

Coldplay,Mylo Xyloto – Coldplay will be releasing a new album shortly, entitled Mylo Xyloto. This is a bit of an interesting move, following a recent EP release. However, Coldplay has already debuted a new single, “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall,” and has been giving fans at concerts sneak peeks of some of the songs off the new album, which is to be released on October 24 of this year. If the recent EP and the iTunes preview are to be trusted, Mylo Xyloto should be just as good as we’ve come to expect from this band.

Finally, on something of a sad note for many fans, REM will be releasing an all-encompassing, post-breakup best hits album some time this November. Already, some of the best and most memorable REM concerts are being replayed as tributes on DIRECTV PACKAGES, and the coming of this greatest hits album promises to further celebrate one of the greatest bands of our time. This should be worth paying close attention to.