January-February: Hipster bloggers are most interested in Vampire Weekend’s second album, Contra (Tuesday). Meanwhile, Finnish melodic metal band HIM is hoping that their new album Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice (Feb 9) will be their North American breakthrough.

March: I’m most interested in Broken Bells, a collaboration between Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, Beck, Gorillaz) and James Mercer of the Shins (March 9). Canada’s supergroup featuring ex members of OLP, I Mother Earth and the Tea Party had a top ten single in “Awake” before (a) they had a record deal; and (b) before they had an album. I’ve heard a chunk of this stuff and it’s very good. A debut album will be out March 10. My Chemical Romance will have a as-yet-untitled album in stores March 30. Watch for a single in the coming weeks.

April: The Deftones have two albums in the pipeline, one of which is called Eros, but it’s been shelved since a car accident sent bass player Chi Cheng into a coma. A new Chi-less CD — no title yet — is on the schedule for April 26.

May: Broken Social Scene has promised to release a new CD.

The rest: Now that Adam Yauch’s cancer is under control, the Beastie Boys will finally get around to releasing Hot Sauce Committee Part II in the coming months ... I’m convinced there will be a new U2 studio album before the next leg of the U2:360 tour kicks off in the spring. Rumours are it’ll be called Songs of Ascent, but there’s no indication on what approach they’ve taken ... Gaslight Anthem will follow up the excellent The ‘59 Sound with a new record in June ... There should be a second album from Jack White and the Dead Weather this summer ... Linkin Park is readying their fourth album for release this fall ... MGMT’s second album will be called Congratulations and should be out in the third quarter ... Finger 11 is working on their sixth album for release before the end of the year ... A new STP record? Believe it ... The Strokes? Apparently, but we don’t know when.

Also coming in 2010: Godsmack, Gorillaz, Jimmy Eat World, Kid Rock and Seether.