Big Money ... No Whammies ... Come on 2009!

Like exuberant contestants on that 80's classic Press Your Luck, burgeoning indie artists and their record companies are looking for big spins in 2009. Will the usual sleeze-ball on the right make off with the cash, or will this be one of those episodes where the unassuming shy girl at the middle podium hits the jackpot? Who's gonna get that first whammy?

The scheduled releases for winter 2009 include some anticipated follow-up efforts to some excellent past albums, and a few potential freshman phenoms. A complete list of albums scheduled to hit shelves and internet outlets can be found at Pitchforkmedia.com (http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/148203-the-pitchfork-guide-to-upcoming-releases-winter-2009). Here's a short list of the albums Pulled Pork is looking forward to this winter.

January 20th

Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino)

Bon Iver: Blood Bank (Jagjaguwar)

Robert Pollard: The Crawling Distance (Guided by Voices Inc.)

January 26th

Franz Ferdinand: Tonight: Franz Ferdinand (Domino) (UK release)

January 27th

The Bird and the Bee: Ray Guns Are Not the Future (Blue Note)

Bruce Springsteen: Working on a Dream (Columbia)

Johnny Cash: Johnny Cash Remixed (Compadre)

February 3rd

Handsome Furs: Face Control (Sub Pop)

Heartless Bastards: The Mountain (Fat Possum)

Iran: Dissolver (Narnack)

February 9th

Lily Allen: It's Not Me, It's You (Regal) (UK release)

February 17th

Abe Vigoda: Reviver EP (PPM)

...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead: The Century of Self (Richter Scale)

Asobi Seksu: Hush (Polyvinyl)

M. Ward: Hold Time (Merge)

Morrissey: Years of Refusal (Attack/Lost Highway) (U.S. release)

February 24th

Black Lips: 200 Million Thousand (Vice)

March 3rd

Neko Case: Middle Cyclone (Anti-)

March 10th

Bishop Allen: Grrr... (Dead Oceans)

March 17th

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy: Beware (Drag City) (U.S. release)

April 7th

Lady Sovereign: Jigsaw (Midget/EMI) (U.S. release)

The Thermals: Now We Can See (Kill Rock Stars)

April

Art Brut: Art Brut Versus Satan (Downtown)

Ida Maria: Fortress Round My Heart (Upper 11) (U.S. release, out now internationally)

Other artists that Pulled Pork anticipates a new release from are The National, Jeremy Enigk, and Doves. All of these albums will arrive with high expectations.