The new year of 2010 has finally embraced us all.  I’m not one to celebrate a new year in a giddy fashion like many others.  I cannot stand those mass texts of, “Happy New Years!! :)” from people I only talk to during holidays.  So, as I hosted a little first-day-of-the-new-year and watched as everyone got heavily drunk, I realized, holy fuck, it’s 2010.  Do you know what this means?  Do you?  2010 is going to be a great, great year of releases.  I only say that based on the fact that some of my most admirable artists are releasing their upcoming albums within the next few months of 2010.  I’ll segment this into pieces.  Each piece will contain 6 artists and their upcoming album(s) for the year 2010. –Krista De La Rosa

She & Him: Volume 2

Now, my obsession with She & Him is stronger than my obsession with Robert Downey Jr.  It could be for two reasons: I am head over heels with M. Ward.  As awkward as a character he may be, he has swooned me over many times.  I’ve seen him live many times and I’ve only fallen more in love with his salty black hair, deep brown eyes, and facial structure.  Now, of course, the other reason sums of 150% to why I love She & Him so much: My love for Zooey Deschanel is stronger than any other.  I have never fallen in love with an actress/singer as much as I have with her.  You don’t understand.  I really cannot stress how much I am in love with her.  So, when you put the two together, holy God, how can one NOT be completely in love with their sound?

She & Him: Volume 2 is set tobe released March 23 on Merge.

Volume Two track list:

01 Thieves
02 In the Sun [ft. Tilly and the Wall]
03 Don’t Look Back
04 Ridin’ in My Car (NRBQ cover)
05 Lingering Still
06 Me and You
07 Gonna Get Along Without You Now (Skeeter Davis cover)
08 Home
09 I’m Gonna Make It Better
10 Sing
11 Over It Over Again
12 Brand New Shoes
13 If You Can’t Sleep

By just reading their track list, butterflies fluttered around my stomach.  I already know this album is going to be the soundtrack to my year and life.  I mean, COME ON, track numbers 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 13 are already the soundtrack to my life just by reading the title of their songs.  Zooey and M. Ward never cease to amaze me.  Lord, I cannot wait till this album comes out.  (By the way, their album cover comes out later this Spring.  I think I have pictured almost every possible album cover they may have for Volume 2.)

Vampire Weekend: Contra

Vampire Weekend.  Vampire Weekend. Ezra Koenig,Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Tomson, Chris Baio.  Have you ever seen Ezra and Chris (Tomson)?  Ever?  I have never even seen them in the flesh, yet just watching videos/pictures of Vampire Weekend makes my heart melt into puddles.

The day they released Horchata, I became the happiest girl in this little world.  I mean, that song was on repeat for weeks.  I literally listened to nothing BUT Horchata.  That’s how awesome it was.  And when they recently released Cousins.  Holy shit.  Their video just amazed me.  Like, it left me in awe with how awesome it all was.  This song makes me dance.  I DON’T DANCE.  (Well, okay, I’ve been dancing in a studio since I was 5, but I have no passion for it at all.  So, don’t ever remind me that I admitted to the fact that I was a dancer).  Regardless, this song makes you dance.  And only a song like that is a song worth listening to over and over again.  Plus, Ezra and Tomson look SO good in this video.

Vampire Weekend: Contra is set to be released January 11 on XL Recordings.

Contra track list:

01 Horchata
02 White Sky
03 Holiday
04 California English
05 Taxi Cab
06 Run
07 Cousins
08 Giving Up the Gun
09 Diplomat’s Son
10 I Think Ur a Contra

Beach House – Teen Dream

Now, I would like to get a round of applause from every Beach House listener in the world.  Why?  Because when Teen Dream album leaked in November, I did not indulge in the peer Beach House pressure.  Yes, this is all true.  I am waiting 24 more days to personally purchase and own a copy of this album.  24 more fucking days.

Beach House was produced and engineered by Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio, Grizzly Bear).  These past few days, I have been thinking about how awesome it would be to be Coady.  Then I scribbled on a piece of paper; “Goal: To be another Chris Coady”.  I am going to take over this music world.  Really.  Maybe.  Maybe really.

Beach House: Teen Dream is set to be released January 26 on Sub Pop Records.

Teen Dream track list:

01 Zebra
02 Silver Soul
03 Norway
04 Walk in the Park
05 Used to Be
06 Lover of Mine
07 Better Times
08 10 Mile Stereo
09 Real Love
10 Take Care

Eels: End Times

If you don’t love the Eels, you don’t love life.  If you don’t love this depressing, bearded-beauty album cover, you don’t love humanity.  There is just something so extra magical about the Eels that keep my heart beating.

Eels: End Times is set to be released January 19 on Vagrant Records.

End Times track list:

01 The Beginning
02 Gone Man
03 In My Younger Days
04 Mansions of Los Feliz
05 A Line in the Dirt
06 End Times
07 Apple Trees
08 Paradise Blues
09 Nowadays
10 Unhinged
11 High and Lonesome
12 I Need a Mother
13 Little Bird
14 On My Feet

Spoon – Transference

Now, now, now, I love Spoon very much.  Even though it’s been 5 months since I have last seen them live, my love for their music continues to grow.  So, when I found out about their newest album, my heart dropped.  But then, BUT THEN, they released their recent single, “Got Nuffin”.  Oh My God.  That song, THAT SONG, had to be the greatest thing my ears have ever tuned in to.  Also, let me not forget to add that my obsession with Rob Pope (bassist of Spoon/Get Up Kids) skyrockets beyond all others.  Charming men playing absolutely mind blowing music is the key to my heart.  Spoon has it all.

Spoon: Transference is set to be released January 26 (January 25 in Europe) on Merge.

Transference track list:

01 Before Destruction
02 Is Love Forever?
03 The Mystery Zone
04 Who Makes Your Money
05 Written in Reverse
06 I Saw the Light
07 Trouble Comes Running
08 Goodnight Laura
09 Out Go the Lights
10 Got Nuffin
11 Nobody Gets Me But You

Shout Out Louds: Walk

Okay, Phil Ek produced this album.  PHIL EK.  If you are not familiar with this man, just know that he also produced The Shins, Fleet Foxes, and Band of Horses albums.  So, you know without a doubt that this album will be nothing but glorious sounds.  Shout Out Louds have always been a favorite of mine.  Even when all The O.C. fans became obsessed with them after hearing one of their songs during an episode (I’m not hating, I am a complete O.C. fan), I still was a devoted fangirl to Shout Out Louds.  Words cannot express how excited I am that they are no longer on a “break” and are releasing a new album.

Shout Out Louds: Walk is set to be released February 23 on Merge.

Walk track list:

01 1999
02 Fall Hard
03 Play the Game
04 Walls
05 Candle Burned Out
06 Throwing Stones
07 Four by Four
08 Moon
09 Some Me Something New
10 Too Late, Too Slow