I wrote this for Debonair Magazine, but they double booked the 2010 music preview, and another writer did the same thing. So I volunteered to just use it here instead. The writing style is a bit less casual than what I would normally post on my own blog.
2009 was, at best, a mediocre year for discerning music fans. Although albums from Wilco, Grizzly Bear, Passion Pit, Phoenix and Girls kept us going through the fierce blizzards and the rainy summer, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “It’s Blitz”! was, at best, disappointing, and Animal Collective’s muddled “Merriweather Post Pavilion” was a step backward from 2007′s accessible “Strawberry Jam.”
Thankfully, tons of our favorite artists seem determined to make 2010 a much better year. January alone saw four well anticipated official releases, as well as several excellent early leaks.
Spoon’s “Transference” is a departure from their usual polished sound, and marks the first time the Austin, Texas rockers have produced their own album.
On their sophomore album, “Contra”, New York’s Vampire Weekend continue to create the kind of elegant, upbeat pop songs that make me feel like traveling somewhere sunny and warm.
If you prefer your winters chilly, Baltimore band Beach House’s “Teen Dream” is a hushed landscape of lush, mid tempo tracks perfect to listen to while sipping cocoa or gazing out the window earnestly.
For those of us who’ve grown depressed from staring earnestly out the window at the grey winter sky, E of Eels has crafted his bleakest album yet, despite some upbeat tracks. “End Times” comes in the wake of songwriter and front man E’s divorce.
English electropoppers and grammy nominees Hot Chip’s latest album “One Life Stand” delivers more honey-sweet vocals, thumping beats and synthesizer hooks.
San Diegans (Diegoans?) The Soft Pack have unleashed their sincere and energetic indie rock into the world with their self titled debut full length.
Among Pitchfork’s favorite new albums so far are Florida band Surfer Blood’s well-hyped debut “Astro Coast” and the classically inspired “Heartland” from Owen Pallett, who has previously released a number of albums as Final Fantasy.
Speaking of “Final Fantasy”, Boston’s own Tim Jacques recently released his third hip hop mashup album, and his second hip hop/video game music mashup, “Vinyl Fantasy 7.” It fuses the lyrics of rappers like Jay-Z, Outkast, Kool Keith and, for some reason, Tom Waits with- you guessed it- the music from “Final Fantasy 7,” one of the most beloved games ever made. Though the album was taken down at the behest of a cease and desist letter, it should be floating around the internet somewhere, and it’s well worth discovering.
I only just realized that Patrick Stickles has been going for the Abe Lincoln look all along
Also available “somewhere” on the web is Titus Andronicus’s upcoming release, “The Monitor.” Here Patrick Stickles continues trying to make us as disillusioned as him on the New Jersey band’s sophomore release. It’s a concept album featuring a guy who moves from New Jersey to Boston and back again, bitching all the way, and for some reason thinking a lot about the Civil War.
Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, known collectively as She and Him, will most likely melt our sentimental hearts yet again when “Volume Two” is released on March 23. Listen to the delightful new track “In The Sun” here.
MGMT were inspired by Lady Gaga and Kanye West when they recorded “Congratulations,” according to Spin.com. The follow up to 2007′s extremely popular electro-pop power album “Oracular Spectacular” and is tentatively scheduled for an April release.
Damon Albarn’s cartoon fantasy side project turned international phenomenon Gorillaz continues to draw from a diverse talent pool on “Plastic Beach,” which features appearances from Snoop Dogg, De La Soul, Lou Reed, Mark E. Smith from The Fall, Gruff Rhys, and both Mick Jones and Paul Simonon from The Clash, according to RollingStone.com.
New LCD Soundsystem material can be sampled on NME.com. The new album from James Murphy is expected out this Spring.
Radiohead and The Strokes were both planning to enter the studio in January, last we heard, and the Arcade Fire are tentatively planning to release their third album in May, with a single out (possibly) soon.
Other albums expected to hit virtual and physical shelves this year include as yet unnamed and undated albums from Canadians Tokyo Police Club and New York’s Interpol, and I’m definitely looking forward to those.
Well, now you know what I’ll be listening to for the first half of this year. You’re welcome.
Titus Andronicus photo from http://www.myspace.com/titusandronicus
