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Arts and Culture

Please Join Us In Wetting Ourselves

A few musical things to look forward to in 2010.

Kate Reid 31 Dec 2009TheTyee.ca

Kate Reid is one half of the writing duo Best Liz & K8.
Joanne Newsom
Joanne Newsom also plans to unveil her free energy device this year.

With Stephen Malkmus and the boys reuniting for a Pavement world tour and Beyonce threatening to go indie, the future looks bright for music in 2010. With that in mind, here's a quick rundown on a handful of records that I'm chomping at the bit to hear.

Broken Bells

Shins fans will be excited to hear that lead singer James Mercer has started a new project/band with uber producer Danger Mouse. Unlike some of his other projects, Danger Mouse's involvement is more extensive with Broken Bells and both he and Mercer have said they have plans beyond this first release. Can I get excited yet? Even though the album isn't officially released until March 9, you can listen to the lead single "The High Road" on the band's website. "The High Road" does a nice job merging Mercer's yelpy vocals with some futuristic glitches and jack-in-the-box tinkling. I can't wait to hear the rest.

LCD Soundsystem

What I like about James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem is that he seems alright with "losing [his] edge" to "better-looking people with better ideas and more talent [who're] actually really, really nice." He wrote a whole song about it, confirming Murphy as the affable dad type who just happens to craft some wicked beats. While Murphy seems content to take a backseat to the next generation of cool kids, his label DFA Records (home to Hot Chip and Hercules and Love Affair among other dance-punk greats), and the upcoming tour in support of the new LCD Soundsystem album due out this Spring, might make it hard for Murphy to take an early retirement.

Joanna Newsom

Joanna Newsom has always been an eccentric dresser -- you can blame her for the mawkish wood nymph look that's been popularized by Urban Outfitters -- so it makes sense that Newsom would nab a spot on a street style blog.

Less predictable was when news of her 2010 album was broken not by a music publication, but by the lustrous fashion bible, Vogue. Newsom spilled the beans to the fashion set at the Opening Ceremony after-party in Tokyo. I presume she was in Japan to hook up with Ys collaborator Jim O'Rourke, to put the finishing touches on her new album. Don't believe me? You clearly don't read enough fashion rags -- Newsom confirmed the album's completion in the glossy pages of W.

Other 2010 releases to watch for:

Arcade Fire -- TBA (May), the Avalanches -- TBA, Beach House -- Teen Dream (Jan 26), Caribou -- TBA (Spring), Crystal Castles -- TBA (April),Dr. Dog -- Shame, Shame (March), Final Fantasy -- Heartland (Jan. 11), Fleet Foxes -- TBA (late 2010), Frightened Rabbit -- The Winter of Mixed Drinks (March 9), Hot Chip -- One Life Stand (Feb 9), Interpol -- TBA (early 2010), the Liars -- Sisterworld (March 8), Magnetic Fields -– Realism (Jan. 26), MGMT -- Congratulations (Spring), No Age -- TBD, Outkast (TBD), Panda Bear (TBD), She and Him -- Volume 2 (March 23), Spoon -- Transference (Jan 19), Vampire Weekend -- Contra (Jan 12), WolfParade -- TBA (late 2010). [Tyee]

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