For our 7th annual Highlighting feature, we split the year into TWO pieces -- January to June and July to December. Normally, we select our top 25 most anticipated releases for the whole year, but we realize that it's tough to really gauge EVERYTHING that may release throughout a given year when we're making the list in January. So, for 2012, we split the year into TWO pieces -- January to June and July to December, and we're using this format again for 2013. Also, each list contains 15 artists/releases for a total of 30 in total for 2013.

PLEASE NOTE:
We've already selected the first fifteen artists, so please click here to check those out. If you think an artist may be missing on this list, please keep in mind they may have made our list for the first half of the year before their release date was pushed back to the latter half of the year (like Switchfoot, Five Iron Frenzy and Relient K, for example). Without further ado, we give you Highlighting Second-Half 2013!

	8 of 15   #8. Abandon Kansas A Midwest Summer EP Release Date: June, 2013 The former Gotee Records trio has been busy working on new material, but it looks like we'll have to wait until 2014 for a new full-length album from the band in Kansas. In the meantime, though, we've got a sampler EP that has flown pretty quietly under the release radar but is well worth blasting with the top down on this summer.         - John DiBiase Given the fact that that all but two of the nine AK efforts have been extended players, predicting the brief running time of the Wichita trio's latest project was arguably just shy of a slam dunk. Length considerations aside, though, the band's new mini-album - a thoroughly engaging mixture of modern rock and indie pop with ever so slight traces of '80s new wave - should be just the tonic to tide over newcomers and longtime devotees alike until the full-length project drops in 2014.         - Bert Gangl This band is a crazy combo of an eclectic theatrical voice and aggressive alternative melodies. It's like eating a dessert pizza when you listen to these guys! They make you want to grow a wicked mustache, too!         - Ryan Barbee Visit our Abandon Kansas page for more information about them... Second-Half of 2013 Countdown: 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 ©January, 2013 Jesusfreakhideout.com