Most anticipated albums of 2010

This year was fairly uneventful in the world of new music, especially compared to the offerings of ‘07 and ‘08. But luckily for us music lovers, that means that those bands that released albums in the last two or three years are due for their next releases in the coming months. In anticipation of this I have compiled a list of albums that get my dick hard just thinking about their unexplored splendor. Enjoy.

Yeasayer – Odd Blood

Yeasayer’s All Hour Cymbals came out of nowhere in 2007, bending genres and becoming incredibly popular with those in the know. The tell tail sign that they’d really hit it big came when Entourage decided to use their track “Sunrise” in the closing credits of one of their episodes. So after being thoroughly pimped by Vinny Chase and co. the band began its rise to mainstream success. They’ve worked the festival circuit hard over the past two years and are now ready to follow up their masterpiece debut. Odd Blood is scheduled for a February 9th release and its first single, “Ambling Alp”, was released in November. If this song is anything like the rest of the album then we are in for a face-melting, psychedelic treat, and the recently released album artwork definitely backs that claim.

Check out Ambling Alp’s fittingly trippy and NSFW (lots of naked people) music video:

Spoon – Transference

I can’t stop praising the awesome-ness of Spoon. They have taken up the torch that The Strokes dropped so abruptly in 2006. Though, many people were not as impressed with 2007’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga as I was. It may have been a slight departure from the sound of their masterpiece predecessor Gimme Fiction, but it still possessed the swagger and confidence present in the rest of Spoon’s catalog. They could put out an album that sounded like a combination of Jet and Maroon 5 and I’d still be first in line to buy their next one. This band can do no wrong. I highly recommend that you pick this album up on January 19th, and for the next few weeks until then, make yourself familiar with the rest of their output if you aren’t already. You won’t regret it.

The new single, “Written in Reverse”:

Vampire Weekend – Contra

Their endlessly catchy eponymous debut from 2008 was a hit, featuring personal favorites like “Oxford Coma” and “Campus”. It also included the skate-pop single, “A-Punk” which secured the band’s place in the annals of history after being included on the most recent Guitar Hero video game. This band slowly grew on me. Initially I dismissed them as another Manchester Orchestra or Cold War Kids (aka boring). But with the release of the first single, “Cousins”, from their upcoming Contra, I am getting increasingly excited to hear what’s next for this band. Aesthetically, the girl on the cover embodies the feel of this band; preppy. Also, she’s hot.

MGMT – Congratulations

Everybody’s favorite band. Since the release of Oracular Spectacular in 2007 and its subsequent discovery by EVERYBODY ON EARTH about a year later, MGMT has been one of the hottest bands out there. It even earned them a laughable Grammy nomination for Best New Artist… two years too late. Par for the course for those out of touch imbeciles. But I’ve digressed.

Though their live show is something of a let down, as illustrated in the video clip below of the title track from their upcoming release, they don’t fail to disappoint in the studio. Though this should throw up some major red flags for a critical music consumer, this is after all a post exclusive to studio albums, and they kick ass in the studio. They attempted to quell the anticipation for a new album in 2008 with the release of their epic 13-minute single “Metanoia”, and it did the trick for those who dared to take the journey. I am very excited to see how they combat the dreaded sophomore slump, and you should be too.

Delta Spirit – History from Below

These guys are nabbing fans left and right. I rushed to add them to this post before it was published after reading their announcement of the forthcoming release of their second album. It “will be coming out in May and will be called History From Below“. 2008’s Ode to Sunshine was a rootsy, folky, rock album that grew on you with every listen and blew many people’s minds. I think every song on that album has been my favorite at some point or another.

But where these guys really shine is on stage. I have heard tell of their epic concerts, fueled by the band’s raw energy and the gritty voice of singer Matt Vasquez that is criminally understated in their studio recordings. I can’t wait to see them in DC in February, but until then I will be watching their performances for La Blogotheque’s “Take Away Show” series on repeat. The four songs they play throughout downtown San Francisco are breathtaking and the videos highlight the appeal of their soulful songwriting.

Surfer Blood – Astro Coast

So when you’re on your way to pick up that new Spoon album on the 19th, ’cause I told you to, do yourself a favor and grab this one too. Unlike the other bands on this list, this will be the first album from Surfer Blood so I am going out on a limb here. But I feel confident that this album will be huge. Having only heard their single “Swim (To Reach the End)” and a few tracks they generously put up on their Myspace I have already fallen in love with this band. Their sound is that of a spaced out surf band with a dark side scratching at the surface. Just look at that fuckin’ shark on their album cover. And, I mean, their name is Surfer Blood. I don’t know about you, but for me that name congers images of Brian Wilson being gutted by a great white while singing “Good Vibrations”. Pretty cool. I am so incredibly pumped to listen to this album and it is probably my most anticipated album of 2010 because I really have no clue what I’m in for.

So that about does it, happy new year and may it be a fruitful one for the world of music.