CarbonStated

the list is somewhat arbitrary. yes, some are being released, but some won't be. we wish they would be. but they won't. comments?

10. The Flaming Lips (June '09ish?) - wayne coyne mentioned they're doing the follow up as we blog. my only appeal to wayne: please do something not about pagan holidae's on other planets or children movies that your target audience doesn't watch. my capacity of neutering nuclear bombs by singing the yeah x3 song has long since been exhausted. we need space exploration, the longing of universal oneness, and robotic interbreeding. they are the pride of my hometown, for sure, but they're verging on corporate whoredom: og&e, dell, apple, mitsubishi. i'm guessing they're playing musical robin hood, but still, give me some bass and a beat i can vibe with. that's all i ask.

9. U2 - No Line on the Horizon (03.03.09) - bottom line: there will some decent songs on this album. yes, they live and die by the rule of 3 bad songs per 1 really good song (see u2 library 1950-present), but come on, bono is a good guy. we should all aspire to be bonolike (sunglasses + 1). the edge redefined the guitar after gilmour and page beat rock to death. perhaps he'll do it again? throw in larry mullen, jr. and adam clayton and you've got an album. should be a feel good joint for '09.

8. Outkast - (possibly '09?) what happened to these guys? speakerboxxx/the love below was the musical shock & awe of '03. i'm not quite sure what happened after the initial surge. film projects? solo albums? just get together and do the damn thing for god's sake. they owe the public, right? how could two dudes, so fresh and so clean, hold out by holing up in john varvatos and yves saint laurent's closet for so long? get the broom's out. another grammy sweep is coming. hopefully.

7. The Boy Least Likely To - The Law of the Playground (03.03.09) - i've been waiting for this one for some time now. the time for twee pop to reign supreme has come. it's so damn cute, but it's so damn bad ass at the same time. how can two such polarities coexist on one album? it's paradoxical for sure, but they do it, and do it well. if you don't believe me, check out "Monsters" from the Best Party Ever (2005).

6. Nickelback - psyche. yea sure, i like your pants around your knees was catchy and all, and it was very nice of you to still say please, but come on, we need more than blatant sexual superficiality. perhaps they'll venture into the jungian subconscious and consider the possibilities of the noosphere on their new album. i'd say odds of that are good to quite good.

5. Morrissey - Years of Refusal (02.16.09) - moz can still bring it. his '06 release, ringleader of the tormentors, was straight up moz. lot's of killing, lots of questionable familial relationships, and lots of ambiguous sexuality. maybe in '09 he can redefine himself, expound on his cosmic views (see right arm tat), and drop a solid, sonically pleasing joint. i would expect nothing less from the mozness, and more would be welcomed.

4. M.I.A. - (wishful thinking '09) - maybe if her boy toy hadn't knocked her up she could release paper planes part deux, a jam we all could rock mid '09, complete with ak's instead of glock's. pineapple express 2 could drop, heath ledger would cease to be dead, and slap bracelets would be hot again. true, i may be mincing my decades, but the truth remains: m.i.a. is awesome. we want her music. we want her shades, her body, and her baby.

3. Dr. Dre - Detox (possibly finally '09) - suburban kiddos intrigued by the gangster lifestyle have been waiting for this joint to drop since the chronic: 2001 hit the streets in '99 (ten years gone! WTF?!?) no doubt true gangster's will love it too. dre is hard ass, and will always be hard ass. '08 was particularly rough for dre, culminating with the loss of his son, but perhaps '09 will offer redemption for dre in the form of public recognition of his bad ass gangster beats. and no we have not forgotten about dre, as em so eloquently punctuated.

2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion (01.20.09) - so weird. yet they do so weird so well. their appeal is not as broad as the number one's sound, but those who listen to a.c. tend to really love what they hear. i know, i know, it's leaked. but what's the fun of premature listening? i don't play just the tip with my music. it's all or nothing with me. this one's sure to redefine up and coming band sounds, a la OK Computer, and that might be a good thing. pitchfork already threw a 9.6 on this bitch. could be a big year for the baltimoreans.

1. Andrew Bird - Noble Beast (01.20.09) - big prediction: bird's 09 album is going to catapult him into a stratosphere of music that only the likes of beck, rh and coldplay currently occupy. he's gonna get big. letterman can't even house him anymore. i see madison square spilling over with eager fans. bird's name will become synonymous with bad ass, but not in a hard ass way. whistling will be recognized as the most ubiquitous musical enterprise readily available to humans, schools will be established in his name, cities erected, etc. it's gonna be hot. go get it.