2010 is approaching soon. Twelve new months full of brand new music, from old veterans, young bands and complete upcomers. Just to go up-to-date on what’s happening with the artists that pleasure Flint’s tastebuds, it’s time to give a little checkaround to 2010’s possible offers by artists I’m intrigued about. Rumours, confirmed news, it’s all here.

Not keen on the artists I display? Give a sly prod at the other writers, maybe they’ll reveal their musical stalking results as well?

After the cut, a big list of various names.

APPARATJIK: As previously reported, the Mew/Coldplay/A-Ha hybrid is recording things. Check the “Electric Eye” mp3 or the countless Youtube videos e.g. Ferreting.

ARCADE FIRE: The Canadian posse that’s sole-handedly responsible for one album that will surely be heralded as a true classic in musical history as well as a follow-up that ends up matching its predecessor in every way but hipster popularity is rumouring to release their third long-player next year. You can almost hear countless indie geeks holding their breath in anticipation and, let’s be honest, it is quite an exciting prospect considering the short but unbelieveably amazing track record so far. Not much news have been announced: the band’s working with the same people they’ve worked for the past two albums, and someone’s been rumouring a late spring release. No new songs have been played and it’s doubtful that “Lenin” from this year’s 2009 Dark Was the Night compilation is going to feature, so no one knows what sorts of musical dishes are being cooked. Probably something lifeaffirmingly joyous and gorgeously epic.

THE ARK: I wasn’t originally going to feature the Swedish glam-rockers here because quite frankly they’ve not made much to rejoice about after their first two albums, but I just really wanted to show a comparison shot between the normally scarily hairless Ola Salo between e.g. a few years back and today. Anyway new album next spring.

BRIGHT EYES: Conor Oberst has said that he intends to record one final Bright Eyes album in 2010 and then finish using that moniker so he can continue his boring-as-hell solo outing and middle-of-the-road country folk expeditions. Here’s hoping the final BE album will be a great one – don’t forget, there was always more than just Oberst in that band.

CMX: I’ll keep this short because this is a rather huge new love of mine but I’ve never posted about them here so most of you have no idea who I’m going on about. The Finnish prog-tinged heavy-spiced rock quartet is in the studio right now, with a new album most likely coming out next year. Considering the band’s MO is to approach each album in a new way (either stylistically or in terms of studio or writing process), it’s one to look for.

FYFE DANGERFIELD: Like previously mentioned, the Guillemots frontman will release his solo debut Fly Yellow Moon on January 2010. All the tracks we’ve heard so far, all of which can be sampled from the official website and one which can be downloaded by signing up on the same website, are pretty amazing so January is going to start rather brilliantly.

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE: The band intends to begin recording their next album in 2010, so who knows if it’ll see the light of the day in late ‘10 or if we have to wait till ‘11. Chris Walla has been talking about Wilco’s approach with their last two albums and comparing it to how Death Cab plan to go on with the writing process – from the heavily studio live approach of 2008’s Narrow Stairs that Walla compared to Wilco’s similarly recorded Sky Blue Sky, the band now intends to continue like Wilco did with this year’s self-titled album i.e. primarily studio live but with overdubs to enhance the sound where needed.

EELS: End Times will be out January 19th, either as a regular edition or packed with a bonus EP. The preview track “Little Bird” sounds very Eels-esque (in a good way) and if we were to make any wild guesses, End Times will be a calmer, prettier album after the rougher and tougher Hombre Lobo.

Eels – Little Bird

ELBOW: Hoo boy, where do we start. First of all there’s the hints of a possible studio album that the band’s been at least writing if not recording and which they’ve hinted to be a bit darker than the last album. Then there’s the case of the band interested in taking part in creating a children’s animation and writing a soundtrack for it. Finally, you’ve got the b-sides compilation that they began promising after The Seldom Seen Kid’s release and which better hurry up. In a nutshell, nothing certain but they might surprise us with anything.

ELUVIUM: The piano/ambient wizard has a new album Similes coming out February 23. Seems to be one of those hate it or love it kind of albums in the making – the previously fully instrumental approach has now changed to include singing by the man himself. If the preview track “The Motion Makes Me Last” is to be believed, he’s not much of an interesting singer but we’ll give the album an openminded check anyway won’t we?

PETER GABRIEL: The veteran musician still isn’t pushing out his almost fabled I/O next year, according to what we’ve heard anyway, but there’s a chance for a double album called Scratch My Back to be released – first disc featuring cover songs performed by Gabriel, the second disc featuring the covered bands covering Gabriel himself. Considering the rumoured tracklist that ‘leaked’ on the net some months ago featured names such as Arcade Fire and Elbow, the album should be very interesting. If it ever gets released. This is Gabriel, y’know.

GUILLEMOTS: Outside Dangerfield’s solo album, the full band is busy writing and recording new material and with any luck the new album is out next year. The two new songs previewed live during the Red tour were rather rocking in nature but considering the whole tour was like that, there’s no saying what the studio versions will be like. The band has hinted at the b-side “Fishbone for a Drink” being possible hint about what they’ve been doing (though that was over a year ago now) and then there’s the wild hint once published on their website that they’ve been considering to record a full band version of the piano-only epic early song “Sea Out”. Which would be amazing. Given the band’s track record, should be a good album even if no one will like it because it’s not Through the Windowpane.

HUSKY RESCUE: Ship of Light out January 25th, “We Shall Burn Bright” downloadable from the official website. Brilliant song, excellent band.

JÓNSI: The Sigur Rós frontman continues his side projects after this year’s ambient project. This time it’s orchestral pop and Jónsi’s singing in English. You can download “Boy Lilikoi” from the official website and sample other songs briefly. It’s a surprisingly brilliant song and wonderfully continues that gorgeous pop route of (half of) the last Sigur Rós album. You do kinda wish he had went on with this route with his main band but hey, I’ll take what I get. And this should be an excellent album based on that song.

KEMOPETROL: I’ve kinda fallen out of the loop with this Finnish pop band but regardless of that, they’re currently writing new material and new album should come out next year.

MANIC STREET PREACHERS: New material is being written and even possibly recorded, albeit Nicky Wire has recently revealed they might release the album early ‘11 rather than rush it to make it to ‘10. Working title is It’s Not War – Just the End of Love which almost possibly won’t be the actual release title considering the band’s track record with working titles, and the band has also hinted that the songs are more commercial-sounding again. If it’s exploring their love for pop music, that’s good. If it’s another Send Away the Tigers, please no.

LAURA MARLING: The young British songstress with a gorgeous voice is releasing her second album in March 2010. The lead single “Goodbye England (Covered in Snow)” is being released as a Christmas single mid-December and you can already hear it via this radio rip. It’s beautiful – as was to be expected.

MIDLAKE: The Courage of Others will be out in the very beginning of February. There’s been vague hints at the direction but the important thing is that the band members have been learning to play new instruments (and master their old) in order to perform everything live themselves  rather than relying on sound samples like with the material for the heavily pastoral, orchestral The Trials of Van Occupanther. “Children of the Grounds” has been played live heavily and thus recording exists. It’s a good one.

Midlake – Children of the Grounds

THE NATIONAL: New album should be coming out next year and while no info’s been given, the band has been very busy playing new material live. Here’s “Runaway”.

The National – Runaway

THE NORTHWESTERN: The Hope of the States offshoot project will most likely continue releasing things come next year. So far I’ve not been entirely awed by the songs released but there’s a glimpse of something good in there. We’ll see and await.

R.E.M.: Whilst it’s very unsure if the new R.E.M. album will see the light of day the next year or the year after, we do know it’s being made. The producer is the same as with Accelerate, Jacknife Lee, and Michael Stipe is busy posting little video clips on the official website. Through these clips we know (so far) that they’ve got a song that sounds like R.E.M. in a nutshell, that one song has a beautiful horn section and that Stipe has a small furry animal attached to his face.

SQUIRRELHOUSE: As-of-yet untitled new album out next year at one point or another. “Apocalypso” is a great tune and if the band’s still intending to include the two-parter “Monster” on the next album, we know there’s at least three great ones on the new album.

Squirrelhouse – Apocalypso

VIOLA: Will continue to release monthly new songs. I’ll spam your RSS feed with them whenever they appear, as is the tradition.

Tags: apparatjik, Arcade Fire, Bright Eyes, cmx, Death Cab for Cutie, eels, Elbow, Eluvium, fyfe dangerfield, Guillemots, Husky Rescue, jonsi, Kemopetrol, Laura Marling, Manic Street Preachers, Midlake, peter gabriel, R.E.M., Squirrelhouse, The Ark, The National, The Northwestern, Viola

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 6th, 2009 at 4:41 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.