1.Megan Slankard (untitled) Megan is one of my favorite singer songwriters from California. Her upcoming album does not have a title, but is set to be released on March 1st. This time she has a full backing band with her so I am curious to see if the album rocks harder then her past stuff. Either way, I am looking forward to it.
2.Wale: Wale already has a classic mixtape under his belt with “100 Miles and Running” and a good one with “The Mixtape About Nothing”. His style is one of constant references to sports and obscure pop culture, but now the test is if he can turn his lyrical ability in to  actual songs the way Lupe Fiasco did or if he will be one of those mix-tape rappers than never puts out a decent album like Can-I-bus.
3.Silversun Pickups (Swoon): I was a big fan of Carnavas and they are working with producer Dave Cooley again on this album so I assume it will be relatively similar good stuff. Most likely a spring release.
4.Janelle Monae:   She pretty much represents Puffy and Bad Boy’s last great hope of releasing credible new music. Monae came out with a great E.P. Metropolis last year. If you have not heard her, the best way I could describe her is a female cee-lo or Andre 3000 with a slightly more theatrical vibe. Her albums should be out before the summer. http://www.myspace.com/janellemonae
5.Eminem (Relapse): The first leaked song from “I’m Having A Relapse” was Eminem back to his sociopathic storytelling self which is a good sign. Dre is reportedly doing all the beats, so unless both Eminem and Dre are completely tapped out, this should be pretty good.
6.U2 (No Line On The Horizon): Not much else that needs to be said about this aside from the fact that it is a new U2 record.
7.Animal Collective (MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILION) I have only recently begun listing to this collective of ever changing avant-garde musicians from Baltimore, Boston, and New York, but it is interesting stuff and I like what I have heard so far from their new record.
8.Damone: On their myspace blog, the best thing to ever come out of Waltham MA said they are pretty much done with their new album and now are just in the mixing stage. So hopefully we will be able to crank the new record while riding done Moody st. by the summer. On the side note, they just posted a pretty sick cover of GNR’s You Could Be Mine on their myspace. http://www.myspace.com/damone
9.Dashboard Confessional: I still get mocked now and then because I have every single Dashboard record, but fuck it until I cave in get married, have 2.3 children, and get a soul crushing job, I will continue to listen with full emo heart to their timeless songs about first dates, break ups, and everything in between and before and after. The recorded periodically all of 07 and canceled their UK shows in December to finish the new album so I suspect a summer release date for this as well.
10.Jay Z (Blueprint 3) While Jay album releases no longer a game changing events, he is still Jay Z. In some sense, he has become the U2 of rap in that way. The album was finished and set to be released before Christmas, but when the first single “Jocking Jay Z” did not do well on the radio,Jay Z and Kanye who is producing most of the album went back in the studio to record a couple of new tracks and tweak a few of the finished ones.