When mega-artists team up for a collaborative project like the new two-piece band, Broken Bells, the outcome is sometimes so good, it’s scary. After two years, James Mercer, lead singer and guitarist of The Shins, and Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton, hot-shot producer and co-founder of Gnarls Barkley (also produced the Gorillaz and 2004’s infamous The Grey Album) have finally revealed the labor of their hard and glorious work with Broken Bell’s 10 track self-titled debut record. Cinematic and unexpectedly dark and eerie, Danger Mouse trades in much of his signature sampling for live instrumentation, creating an entirely new sound for the two distinct musicians.

California psych-rock trio Black Rebel Motorcycle Club released their fifth album and first full-length on their very own label, Abstract Dragon. Beat the Devil’s Tattoo is just as sinister and sin-filled as their 12 years worth of deep southern gothic tunes (tune in on Friday, 3/19 at 2 p.m. to hear them live from SXSW). Glasgow-based Frightened Rabbit creates yet another emotive and dramatically gorgeous third album, The Winter of Mixed Drinks, which may very well land them the stardom they deserve (also playing live on KEXP’s SXSW broadcast on Thurday, 3/18 at 1 p.m.). The almighty British virtual act Gorillaz released their first album in five years since the critically acclaimed Demon Days. Damon Albarn (Blur) and Jamie Hewlett (co-creator of the post-apocalyptic comic book, Tank Girl) united once again, experimenting with glitched-out club beats and Asian-inspired melodies in Plastic Beach. Jason Collett locked himself away with some vintage instruments in a Toronto garage in 2009, emerging with his new release, Rat A Tat Tat, a passion-filled story of an album and worthy follow up to the 2008 beauty, Here’s To Being Here. Five albums deep, the LA-based, Australian fronted Liars experiments with the epic and bizarre in Sisterworld.

The Beggars Group, a family of labels encompassing everything from XL Recordings to Rough Trade, put out a bounty of albums this week. Worth mentioning are Ted Leo & the Pharmacists’s The Brutalist Brick, Tanlines’ Settings, Pavement’s Quarantine The Past: The Best Of Pavement , Lemonade’s Pure Moods, The Morning Benders’ Big Echo, Titus Andronicus’ The Monitor and Janka Nabay’s Bubu King. Secretly Canadian which includes labels Jagjaguwar and Dead Oceans is also celebrating with the releases of jj’s jj no 3, Besnard Lakes’ The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night and White Hinterland’s Kairos.

Check out Largehearted Boy’s list for more great albums and vinyl re-releases before hoppin’ on over to your local record shop.

You may not have heard much of them yet, but Choc Quib Town are creating a stir worldwide. Already nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best New Artist, the Colombian trio creates a funky mix of hip-hop, native folk, and Afro-Colombian rhythms that’s now infecting the airwaves in the U.S. Their American debut, Oro, out today, is actually a collection of hits from their two previous albums, released only in Columbia, and has landed top shelf in KEXP’s rotation and hopefully right in your shopping basket as well. Also out today is the latest from These New Puritans, a complexly cinematic post-punk affair involving a 13-piece orchestra (particularly featuring a bassoon), electronic beats, and dark rhythms composed to seem both triumphant and adversarial — and it’s definitely a winning hand as far as the critics are concerned. New Zealand’s The Ruby Suns also return this week with their third LP of sun-kissed psychedelic pop. If there were any logical space between TNP and The Ruby Suns, then Athens, GA, band Twin Tigers would find it. Their long-awaited Gray Waves is an affecting album emotive pop lyrics and psyched-out guitars.

Clash, trash, and lo-fi/no-fi goodness can be found on the latest out by Portland’s Jaguar Love and two Brooklyn bands, Golden Triangle and Japanther. And if you didn’t get enough psych-pop already, WHY? drummer Josiah Wolf has released his first solo album, which will surely appeal to fans of Animal Collective, El Guincho, and other experimental songmakers. But if roots and blues are more your game, check out the new Alligator Records releases by The Holmes Brothers and Guitar Shorty.

There’s a lot more to choose from this week, including the album from Peter Gabriel, his first in eight years, a covers collection of completely drum- and guitar-less renditions of newer and older favorites from the likes of David Bowie, Paul Simon, Arcade Fire, Elbow, and others. Check out Largehearted Boy’s list for more reasons to cash your paycheck early.

Record label’s are feeling especially generous this week, releasing some of the most anticipated albums of 2010. Austin’s Shearwater once again encapsulates nature’s fragile beauty with The Golden Archipelago, the third panel in a trilogy which includes 2008’s brilliant Rook and 2006’s Palo Santo. While staying within the three-album theme of environmental decay and human’s cataclysmic impact on the natural world, The Golden Archipelago is soaked in starkness and mysticism which only life on an island can foster. Known for her labyrinthine lyrics and harmonious harp, Joanna Newsom releases over two hours of her most ambitious and borderless music to date with the 3-CD magnus opus, Have One On Me. Manchester bedroom-pop project LoneLady (Julie Campbell) celebrates her Warp Record debut with Nerve Up. With the help of My Bloody Valentine and Stereolab producer Guy Fixsen, the post-punk Nerve Up swims in aggressive guitar pluck and clack/clatter percussion.

Seattle’s own Past Lives’ new record Tapestry of Webs reflects the quartet’s maturity, showcasing their inner chaotic cores without going off the deep end. Between Tapestry’s slow pop burn and 80s underground mod, you’d never suspect three-forths of the members are from screamo-punk/metal Blood Brothers. Fellow Seattle band Post Harbor released their second album They Can’t Hurt You If You Don’t Believe In Them: an epic dance between soft and loud, lumnious and overcast. Johnny Cash’s American VI: Ain’t No Grave features the final recordings of the American legend before his death in September 2003. The sixth and final installment of the American Recordings album series will be released on February 26, what would have been the 78th birthday of the Man in Black. Other worth noting releases are Clem Snide’s The Meat of Life, Balmorhea Constellations, Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate’s Ali & Toumani and Holly Miranda’s The Magician’s Private Library.

For more new music check out Largehearted Boy’s list before heading on over to your local record shop.

February is full of surprises. One of them is the release of Gorilla Manor by Local Natives. The indie rock band’s debut album comes up with favorable reviews from tastemakers like Pitchfork. The quintet from California has been touring since 2009, playing different music festivals and making a very special appearance at KEXP’s broadcast in Portland. As of 2010, Local Natives are bringing the sound of American contemporary rock harmony to the Old Continent before heading back to Austin for SXSW. Another highlight this week is the latest by Devonté Hynes, otherwise known as Lightspeed Champion. The British musician reached #45 in the UK charts with his previous album Falling off the Lavender Bridge and is back with Life is Sweet! Nice to Meet You, bringing with it different instrumentation and even a piano étude. Here you’ll find a more mature sound, shown on the album’s first single Marlene.

Also from the UK, and somehow unexpectedly subsequent to their intended break-up in 2007, is Field Music with their third album, a two disc set called Field Music (Measure). The indie rock band formed by brothers Peter and David Brewes worked on different projects for the past years before releasing this funky indie rock styled album. Quite differently expressing an insight to Appalachian tradition is Dear Companions by Kentucky’s Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore, whose voices seem to come from mountaintop miners in rural communities.

New York’s Bear Hands are starting to create a stir, officially debuting with their single What a Drag. The band is already on tour and scheduled to visit Seattle (and KEXP!) on March 2nd. Sanae and Ripley (Wooden Shjips) from Moon Duo also debut this week with their EP Escape, exploring a range of psychedelic music styles. Seattle’s Kasey Anderson releases his 4th album Nowhere Night’s, a mix of blues and poetry, while blues/punk Rock ‘n Roller Nick Curran joins with The Lowlifes for Reform School Girl. Brooklyn’s ArpLine, featured recently on our Song of the Day podcast, is releasing their new album in the Radiohead-inspired “pay what you wish” format.

And not to be missed on this Mardi Gras day is Preservation: An Album to Benefit Preservation Hall, a benefit album featuring legendary and emerging artists like Jim James, Tom Waits, Andrew Bird, Dr. John, Angelique Kidjo, Richie Havens, and many others performing with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at the venerable New Orleans venue. Check out these and others releases on Largehearted Boy’s list before heading out to your local store.

This week features a gold mine of amazing new releases hailing from legendary musicians to up-and-coming, best new artists of the year contenders. Brooklyn band Yeasayer released their second album, Odd Blood, the followup to their breakthrough debut, All Hour Cymbals. While the hallucinatory pop maestros still remain within the mish mash realm of Eastern-flavored experimental, Odd Blood is definitely more bizarre, festive and serious; a work of men that have seen the world (check out their recent live in-studio 2/2, also re-broadcasted this morning. The boys are playing Neumos 4/20).

One of the most significant American poets of the past century, 60-year-old Gil Scott-Heron released I’m New Here, his first album in 16 years. The Godfather of proto-rap is still speaking revolution, but this time, he trades in his signature jazzy-blues for cover songs and spoken-word over dark, electronic soundscapes. Street beat, trip pop duo Phantogram releases their delicious, digitalized debut, Eyelid Movies after a taunting year of mind blowing performances. Fellow trip hoppers Massive Attack once again create impressive panoramic ambiance with Heligoland, but it’s the cameos that make this record pure artwork including artists Tunde Adebimpe of TV On The Radio, Adrian Utley of Portishead and Damon Albarn of Gorillaz to name a few.

German producer Pantha du Prince (a.k.a. Hendrik Weber) creates an icy kingdom of chilly synths and crystal chimes with his third album, Black Noise. London hot shots Hot Chip put out another beatastic classic with One Life Stand. The Minneapolis rapper Dessa (the only female in hip hop collective Doomtree) lays out her dense and inspiring poetry on her new album Badly Broken Code (playing the Nectar Lounge with P.O.S. 2/12). Twin country-folk sisters The Watson Twins took a bold leap with their third album, Talking to You, Talking to Me, incorporating more groove heavy tunes to their organic twang. And, DC brother duo Bluebrain, formerly of the band The Epochs, released their dancey electro debut Soft Power.

Make sure to take a look at Largehearted Boy’s list before heading to your local record shop.

This week features some unusual new releases with Texan electro folk band Midlake stealing the spotlight. The former high school jazz band kids diverge from the 70’s-esque, psych-pop sound of their 2006 breakout album, The Trials of Van Occupanter, and adopt a more organic, haunted vibe with The Courage of Others (they’re playing Portland’s Wonder Ballroom 3/6 and Bellingham’s Nightlife Lounge on 3/7). Mope-punk band The Soft Pack (who performedlive on KEXP on 1/23) dropped their original controversial name, The Muslims, and released their debut self-titled record (third career album) under their new and improved moniker. Don’t worry, they still rock the English new waver stuck in sunny SoCal attitude and sound.

Malian band Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba’s I Speak Fula is the first release for the new world music label Next Ambiance, a joint project of Sub Pop and KEXP DJ Jon Kertzer host of “The Best Ambiance” (every Monday 6-9 p.m.). Between Kouyate’s award-winning record, Segu Blue, and his band’s phenomal mix of Afro-beat and blues, Kertzer couldn’t have picked a better outfit to unveil his new label (Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba are playing The Triple Door 3/16). The Album Leaf celebrate their 10-year anniversary with the commending A Chorus of Storytellers (playing Neumos 2/6), and Toro Y Moi put out the beatastic Causers of This (playing Chop Suey w/ The Ruby Suns 4/8).

Other worth mentioning albums are Pierced Arrows‘ Descending Shadows, The Brunettes‘ Paper Dolls, and yes, Lil Wayne’s Rebirth! Take a look at Largehearted Boy’s list for more information and additional new releases before hitting up your local record shop.

Music fanatics everywhere can breathe once again as this week’s new releases promise only the most excellent albums to come in 2010. Prolific folk artist Stephin Merritt has created yet another masterwork with Magnetic Field’s new album, Realism. Releasing 19 albums in 19 years under several get-ups, Realism is as inspirational and instrumentally seductive as Merritt’s latter works, staying true to his pessimistic outlook on love while shifting away from Magnetic Field’s signature abrasive sound. Complete with the flugelhorn, the harpsichord, children’s music and even the author Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler) on accordion and backing vocals, Realism is a must-have for any indie folk collection.

Dream pop duo Beach House released their breathtaking third album and debut Sub Pop record, Teen Dream. The whimsical “Norway” and the wandering “Silver Soul” are the star tracks of the nighttime soundtrack, and guarantee to transport any listener to another world. Retribution Gospel Choir focus on big guitars and pop hooks with their second album 2. Unlike their debut, 2 separates the three-piece band from singer/guitarist Alan Sparhawk and bassist Steve Garrington’s former slowcore project, Low, giving them a well-deserved identity of their own.

San Fransisco sextet Citay released their riff heavy, jam monster, Dream Get Together. Influenced by momentous 70s sound, the soft-loud album is epic and energetic, refreshing from much of today’s dismal, downer melodies. Toronto punkers Fucked Up released a double-disc compilation of 25 of their hardest-to-find and uncollected 7″ and 12″ tracks with Couple Tracks: Singles 2002 - 2008, giving mosh pit lovers everywhere more of an excuse to thrash. British producer/multi-instrumentalist Kieran Hebden (a.k.a. Four Tet) explodes into the new year with his fresh and hypnotic fifth studio album There Is Love In You (”Love Cry” was featured as Monday’s Song of the Day). And, Welsh band Los Campesinos! ripen from their giddy pop beginnings with their third album, Romance Is Boring, saturated with fuzzed electric guitar, and catchy strings and horns.

All in all, this is a week of musical awesomeness with power labels generously releasing multiple albums. Sub Pop cranked out AFGCT’s self-titled album, along with those of Beach House and Retribution Gospel Choir. Matador released their various artist salute to the city of Austin, Texas with Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010 along with Fucked Up’s album. Drag City put out several records, including Major Star’s Return to Form, Scout Niblett’s The Calcination of Scout Niblett and The Red Krayola’s Five American Portraits. Even Thrill Jockey got multiple album action with Chicago Underground Duo’s Boca Negra and Robert A.A. Lowe & Rose Lazar’s Eclipses. Don’t forget to check out Largehearted Boy’s list for even more outstanding records before heading out to your local record shop.

This week features everything from long anticipated albums to new releases of the underrated and obscure. Austin’s indie darlings Spoon took a step back from their Top 10 Billboard 200 record Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga with their seventh studio album Transference. In fact, the quartet turned inside-out this time around, trading in their signature jovial melodies for shifting textures and undercooked rhythms. Beat master RJD2 breaks in his new record label, RJ’s Electrical Connections, with his forth album, The Colossus. Drawing on the multiplicity of sound and styles of his previous albums, RJ’s forth release is once again an example of his overachieving mentality, balancing forceful funk with moving ballads, not to mention he’s singing again.

Birmingham, Alabama’s eccentric rockers Vulture Whale not only cranked out their Bamboo You EP, but truly morphed into a legitly tasteful pretend British band influenced by American music (think Guided By Voices). All six songs waver between humorous and deeply inspirational, complimented by frontman Wes McDonald’s entertaining faux British accent. CMJ band Surfer Blood has finally given the world some music with their debut release Astro Coast. Recorded in their University of Florida dorm room, the album has been compared to the Pixies, Vampire Weekend and even Weezer’s Blue Album-era. Self-recorded on a four track tape machine, EELS eighth studio record End Times, is a lovely “divorce record” about the personal trials and tribulations of the band’s leader Mark Oliver Everett aka E. But perhaps the most tantalizing albums of the week belongs to Seattle’s Feral Children and their second haunting LP Brand New Blood. A complete musical manifestation of the Pacific Northwest’s gloomy and mystifying territory, it’s definitely a soundtrack to what’s left of winter, which in our case will last for another six months.

Get the full list from Largehearted Boy’s list before you head out to your local record shop (or use what’s left of your holiday gift certificates!).

The first big releases of 2010 are out of this world… sometimes literally! Vampire Weekend’s highly anticipated followup to their breakthrough debut, Contra, finds the band still rooting through the African soil as they maintain, but expand, their signature sound. Indeed, the sophomore effort, which has already won over even the most potentially jaded reviewers, reaches out to other lands — Latin American and Caribbean — for a more worldly and satisfying sound. Owen Pallett, now disposed of the Final Fantasy moniker, once again heads to the fictional world of Spectrum for the latest in his sci-fi saga, Heartland. The ambitious yet quirky symphonic concept album follows the fictional character Lewis, a farmer frequently moved to violence and existential crises in Pallett’s fictional world, and will keep critics buried in text and subtext for the rest of the year!

Perhaps more firmly grounded are the other worthwhile releases this week, which include a rootsy solo debut from Rilo Kiley drummer, and Mystic Valley Band member, Jason Boesel, which includes appearances from David Rawlings, Blake Mills, Nik Freitas, Benmont Tench, and Blake Sennett, among others. Nana Grizol, the project of Athens, GA’s Theo Hilton, taps into the Elephant 6 scene by recruiting members of Elf Power, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Music Tapes, et cetera, for a satisfying album of “melodic folk punk” (the label’s own words, but apt). On the new instrumental album by New York hip hop producer Tony Simon, aka Blockhead, each song becomes “a musical journey” exploring a multitude of routes and passages. Home to us in the Northwest come three excellent releases: Laura Veirs‘ well-received July Flame, The Cute Lepers‘ second LP of punk/power pop goodness, Smart Accessories, La Siembra, la Espera y la Cosecha, a shimmering combination of European and American folk by Spanish songwriter and current Portland resident Raúl Pastor Medall, aka Rauelsson.

Check out these and other releases found on Largehearted Boy’s list before heading out to your local record shop:

Not much at all hitting stores this week, according to Largehearted Boy’s list, so this is a particularly good time to focus on a couple of bands that you’ll hopefully see more of in the upcoming year and who are bold enough to shove their way past the others to be first through the door in 2010.

Nashville brothers JEFF the Brotherhood are a drum and guitar duo who don’t sound like any other drum and guitar duo you’ve heard before… most of the time. Jake and Jamin Orrall crush punk, metal, surf, garage, and psych rock into a dense package, and although Weezer isn’t the best comparison, the duo lay enough pop hooks atop crunchy rhythms that your mind’s gonna go there anyway, as in, why doesn’t Weezer make songs this good anymore? That is, until the psychedelia takes hold and you’re off to a different realm.

Brooklyn trio The Octagon share JEFF’s punk tendencies but eschew the layered psych for purposefully lo-fi raw intensity. Unlike certain young lo-fi punker upstarts, the members of The Octagon are accomplished musicians of their own right (drummer Will Glass, for example, has performed with sound sticklers Dirty Projectors), and they never let the limitations of their 4-track cassette recorders hinder their punchy melodies. Most songs punch out at less than three minutes, and there’s enough variety here to ever keep you from feeling bored.

Beyond those two, you might want to check out the latest from folky-turned-crooner Findlay Brown or even Kanye West’s concert from VH1 Storytellers if you’re so inclined. For you audiophiles and collectors are a boatload of vinyl issues, mostly of the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson, but the Spacemen 3 reissues should seem particularly enticing.