Sam Eastgate, frontman for English electro rockers Late of the Pier, recalls when he swore off the synthesizer. "I found one behind the shelves in our living room," says the 21-year-old, whose father played in obscure '80s rock act My Dog Has No Nose. "It was a weird plastic thing covered in dials. I thought, 'I'll never learn to play that.' "

Long story short: He did.

It's freezing outside, but here at SPIN.com HQ we're combating frostbite with hot new tracks courtesy of our favorite artists, including Justin Timberlake, Neil Young, the Decemberists, and Kelly Clarkson, all of which were unveiled just this week. Throw in news about Metallica, Lil Wayne, and Ryan Adams, and 2009 is shaping up to be a pretty hot year -- take that Old Man Winter!

Here's a rundown of the essential albums available online and in record stores today: