THE AVALANCHES TBA (MODULAR) Yes, it's really been nine years since Since I Left You turned sample-based dance music on its head. The hold up? A news post on the band's site occupying the top slot for ages has told it best: "Clearing Samples." Well there's no confirmed date, but our trusted sources say that the perennial most-requested-Progress Report outfit finally got those samples signed-off and are ready to follow up their classic debut, and that 2010 is the magic number. For now, here's a teazer for your brains.

HOT CHIP - ONE LIFE STAND FEBRUARY 9 (ASTRALWERKS) After a year that saw them cover Joy Division, get covered by Lissy Trullie, and pursue various side projects, UK dance crew Hot Chip are set to return with a new LP, the Made In The Dark followup titled One Life Stand. The set features, according to Alexis Taylor, the "anthemic" song "I Feel Better," a "big, massive Euro club sounding track." For now, there's the the gothy then uplifting "Take It In."

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS - REALISM JANUARY 26 (NONESUCH) After a year that offered a particularly momentous Merritt milestone in the classic 69 Love Songs' 10th anniversary, Stephin Merritt and his Mag Fields will return with Realism, 13 tracks that stick to the three-minute pop format. That bathroom-door album art pairs well with their last LP cover: Then it was a blurred male latrine indicator for an album called Distortion; here it's a straight-lined girl for an album called Realism. Expect much less Jesus & Mary Chain haze this time around. In fact Stephin says he "thought of the two as a pair," this time "explor

the various genres under the umbrella of folk." According to the album bio, "Merritt's work veers between longing and loneliness, desire and dismissal, romance and revenge, though the melancholic musings of his narrators are cut with sardonic humor. At the end of the disc, Merritt literally leaves his characters shipwrecked." And we're warned not to think of it as autobiographical. Sign us up.

THE NATIONAL TBA (4AD) Matt Berninger kept it quieter on Boxer than he did on Alligator (i.e. no shout songs like "Mr. November"), but the band deepened their instrumentation, wrote some of their most subtly addictive songs, and had their biggest year to date (both in the National and in ambitious side projects like The Long Count). Curious what kind of mood they're in now? Matt tells us: "We started out trying to make a fun pop record. I had the word HAPPINESS taped to my wall. We veered off that course immediately. We've narrowed it down to about 15 songs now and it's going to be our best record (one song you can dance to) but it can't be described as happy." They've been recording for almost a year and as Aaron Dessner put it to us "

emerging from that black hole to start mixing in two weeks." Bryce adds, "There are a ton of songs and we have been working for a year, but as always with us it's the last couple months that change everything so it's too early to say what the overall direction [will be]."

CHARLOTTE GAINSBOURG & BECK -- IRM JANUARY 26 (BECAUSE) Gainsbourg teemed up with Beck who, as she told Jessica in a Progress Report, "tried very different things" for her third studio album, whose name was inspired by the MRI machine (IRM in French) she experienced first hand after having a brain hemorrhage after a skiing accident. It's hard to get a complete feel for the collection after hearing the Kraut rock-lined title track and "Heaven Can Wait," a duet with Hansen, two very different tracks. Then again, looks like we'll just have to wait. As Gainsbourg told us, "[The songs are] all in different styles but one proper album."

Charlotte Gainsbourg (Feat. Beck) - "IRM" (MP3)

FOUR TET - THERE IS LOVE IN YOU JANUARY 26 (DOMINO) Kieran Hebden's fifth album, his first proper full-length in over four years, sounds extremely promising after listens to the ghostly dance track "Love Cry" and the crystalline downcast "Plastic People." Looking forward to the closer "She Just Likes To Fight."

MGMT - CONGRATULATIONS SPRING (SONY/COLUMBIA) We know recent Flaming Lips, Kid Cudi, and Jay-Z collaborators Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden recorded their second album with ex-Spacemen 3 member Pete Kember, that it's being mixed by David Fridmann, and that it features vocals from charismatically disengaged Royal Trux vocalist Jennifer Herrema. Supposedly the guys working on something with Paul McCartney: We're unsure if the fruits of the latter will appear on Congratulations, but clearly, congratulations anyhow.

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM MARCH (DFA) After scoring Greenberg James Murphy is finalizing LCD's third album, which drummer Pat Mahoney told goldcost.com.au is "different than Sound Of Silver and certainly different than the first one ... It still sounds very much like us, like James. It's maybe slower and it has kind of got some more rock stuff back in it. It also has a bunch of disco influences."

PANDA BEAR TBA We don't have a time frame or a title, but in an interview with Pedestrian.tv Noah Lennox talks about the "darker," "raw" new material that's "outside the sample zone" and "totally different" than MPP. Of course, we imagine this so-called "simple arrangement of drums, the guitar and singing" will sound anything but simple. Look for solo dates, too.

INTERPOL EARLY 2010 (CAPITOL) After a post-Our Love To Admire time that's seen Paul Banks masquerading as Julian Plenti amongst other Interpol side-projects, the well-heeled NYC post-punk crew is ready to release LP4, and promise that it'll trump their admittedly flat-feeling major label debut. Drummer Sam Fogarino told PASTE, "The new record falls back towards the first ... In trying to move forward, there was an unspoken realization that you can't let go of your sonic-defining tag." On that point, Sam added: "That big wash of reverb? It's back. I personally brought two reverb tanks to the studio that our engineer fell in love with."

MIDLAKE - THE COURAGE OF OTHERS FEBRUARY 1 (BELLA UNION) We've been excited for this one for awhile now. In fact, Midlake's forthcoming third LP was the subject of our inaugural Progress Report, wherein the band explained the delay: "We didn't know exactly what we wanted, but we know we didn't want to make the same album as last time. We could have made 10 albums with the amount of time we've spent, but that doesn't mean they'd be saying anything great." Instead they committed to 40-hour work weeks in order to move away from the last record's "Fleetwood Mac-y America" with a shift toward, at least in part, "British folk scene of late '60s stuff." You've waited three years for a listen. For now, there's a tracklist.

FINAL FANTASY - HEARTLAND JANUARY 12 (DOMINO) One man symphony Owen Pallett has moved to a new label for his forthcoming followup to the Polaris Prize winning gem He Poos Clouds. It's more than a one-man-band this time around: In his Progress Report, Pallett mentioned working with a 50-piece orchestra in Prague, and has since revealed assists from Nico Muhly, Gentleman Reg, and Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara. According to Mr. Fantasy, "The songs themselves form a narrative concerning a farmer named Lewis and the fictional world of Spectrum. The songs are one-sided dialogues with Lewis, a young, ultra-violent farmer, speaking to his creator." Sounds biblical! And at least at one point, Lewis takes off his shirt. So, biblical and hott. Also check out Owen's "Keep The Dog Quiet" and cooking tips.

JOANNA NEWSOM TBA (DRAG CITY) The rumor mill has begun. Joanna's made a shift from the forests to the fashion set, complete with Armani modeling. So if you're looking for hints about the new record, you're probably reading the wrong magazines. Vogue caught up with Joanna at a fashion botique-opening afterparty in Tokyo, where she told the mag she was in town working on a new album. Why Japan? Probably because Ys recorder Jim O'Rourke pays rent there. And later she told W work on the record is done. Might wanna subscribe to Glamour's RSS for the MP3 premiere.

FRIGHTENED RABBIT - THE WINTER OF MIXED DRINKS MARCH 9 (FATCAT) Glaswegian warm-hearted rockers Frightened Rabbit are four-and-a-half minutes into the best album review of their careers with "Swim Until You Can't See Land," the expansively intimate teaser track (and video) from their forthcoming Midnight Organ Flight followup. The song was billed as a "perfect ... first indicator of the new album," which is a reason The Winter Of Mixed Drinks is making this list. Other reasons: that awesome album title, and this live session of more new tunes.

Frightened Rabbit - "Nothing Like You" (Live On BBC6) (MP3)

MASSIVE ATTACK - HELIGOLAND FEBRUARY 9 (VIRGIN) Grant Marshall laid it out in Massive Attack's Progress Report: "After 1000th Window, which was tied up with trying to be too clever, we just wanted to get back to sparse, lovely songs with simple production. We wanted to get back to the minimalist thing where you don't have to fill the song up with shit." That may mean sparser tunes, but definitely not a sparser cameo list: The band's first record in five years boasts guest vocals from Damon Albarn, Hope Sandoval, Elbow's Guy Garvey, Martina Topley-Bird, Horace Andy, and Tunde Adibempe's "Pray For Rain," from the Splitting The Atom EP released as a tease to the forthcoming full-length.

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THE STROKES LATE 2010 (RCA) We joked about Strokes IV last time, but since then they've confirmed as headliners for Isle Of Wight on 6/12, with more summer fest slots TBA. We think that means we can expect an album, all kidding aside.

ARCADE FIRE MAY (MERGE?) We've heard the Markus Dravs-produced collection's going to be out in May, with a lead single in early 2010.

CAT POWER TBA (MATADOR) It's still in the early stages, and has no title as of yet, but there will be a record. It sounds like it will be a "solo" (or "alone") record, with her on guitar and piano, as opposed to recording with the Memphis Rhythm Band. And, as she told The Courier-Mail, she's "frightened because some of them are sad again and I feel really nervous about that..."

FLEET FOXES TBA (SUB POP) Robin Pecknold told Pitchfork there will "definitely" be an album in 2010. He also mentioned the new songs are "less poppy" and "a little less upbeat" than on the last collection.

SHE & HIM - VOLUME 2 MARCH 23 (MERGE) As we reported, the sequel to Volume 1 will include 13 songs (11 originals, covers of Skeeter Davis and NRBQ, and one Tilly And The Wall guest spot).

OF MONTREAL - FALSE PRIEST (WORKING TITLE) TBA (POLYVINYL) We don't have too much info, but Kevin Barnes did recently write a song about DNA altering drugs.

THE MORNING BENDERS - BIG ECHO TBA (TBA) Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor takes a co-production credit alongside the Morning Benders' main man Chris Chu on a ten-song set that's already buzzing.

JÓNSI - GO MARCH 22 (XL) As we learned upon hearing lead MP3 "Boy Lilikoi," the Sigur Rós frontman's Peter Katis-produced solo album "will be largely acoustic and feature string arrangements from contemporary classical composer Nico Muhly."

XIU XIU - DEAR GOD, I HATE MYSELF FEBRUARY 23 (KILL ROCK STARS) With the departure of Carelee McElroy (now of Cold Cave), Jamie Stewart's joined by new member Angela Seo (piano, synth, drum programming). Stewart and Deerhoof's Greg Saunier handled production. There is a song called "Chocolate Makes You Happy."

SCISSOR SISTERS MARCH (TBA) The glammy crew produced their forthcoming album with British biggie Stuart Price. Jake Shears says that the lead track is "a really epic song that makes you feel really good."

BORN RUFFIANS - SAY IT EARLY 2010 (WARP) The Canadian band follows up Red, Yellow & Blue with a "cleaner, more straightforward" approach inspired by "big hit songs." The LP's currently being mastered at Rusty Santos' studio in Brooklyn. Learn more in today's Progress Report!

JENS LEKMAN TBA (TBA) We've confirmed that Lekman is working on new recordings, but his manager notes: "There's not much to talk about at the moment as we're not sure when it will be finished."

DAVID BYRNE AND FATBOY SLIM - HERE LIES LOVE 
FEBRUARY 23 (TODOMUNDO/NONESUCH) As previously reported, the 2CD song cycle about the life of Imedla Marcos includes cameos by Santigold, Florence Welch, Tori Amos, Natalie Merchant, Cyndi Lauper, Sharon Jones, St. Vincent, My Brightest Diamond, Steve Earle, and others.

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