I got a bit confused in December. I found myself including albums that had not yet been released on my year end list. Ahhh, the wonders of the pre-release digital era. Thieves without thumbprints are we all. Digital Ash in a Digital Urn. Patrick Wolf's Wind in the Wires. Bloc Party's Silent Alarm. LCD Soundsystem. These were the albums that swirled through my days as winter approached the yuletide. And none of them could be spoken for or about as the year closed.

Now, with the new year finally here, I've been scouring the internet for signs of Spoon's The Beast and Dragon are Adored. A rather fruitless Sherlockian effort thus far, I must admit. It's no longer enough to be dominated by new releases. I need to be secluded within those not yet unveiled, an insider's insider. And when I fail to find something I know must be finished, must have had those final studio fingerprints applied, I feel cheated. Please, to those of you out there, assure me we're on the same page. Let me know the nonreleases that are dominating your thoughts this first week in January. . .