Get your Kixx

• POP pickers can thank this column for an early Christmas present this week - as we introduce next year’s big thing, The Kixx.
A four-piece pop rock band already tipped to top the success of McFly and The Jonas Brothers, the Reading-based band have released their debut single this week.
Apology, an infectious pop rock track, is in stores now.
• Experimental classical composer Hauschka has announced a new LP is set to be released.
The Snowflakes And Car Wrecks album, out in February 2009, is a collection of material recorded during the sessions which produced his critically acclaimed Ferndorf album earlier this year.
• Top hip hop label Ninja Tune has announced a series of albums to be released in the coming months.
The label will put out new material from artists including The Qemists, Diplo, the Long Lost and Sway and Amon Tobin’s collaboration Two Fingers in early 2009.
• Swedish pop group Peter, Bjorn And John have announced that their fifth album will be released in 2009.
The as-yet-unnamed release will be preceded by a new track, Lay It Down.
• Out of this world musical project N.A.S.A. will hit stores in February next year.
The hip-hop album will feature input from artists as diverse as Santogold, Kanye West, Kool Keith, Tom Waits, George Clinton, KRS One, David Byrne, Karen O and even ODB.
• Leading lights of British hip hop Dan le Sac and Scroobious Pip have teamed up with American rapper Pos Plug Won of De La Soul for a new single.
The group, who are currently on a tour of British libraries, will release Thou Shalt Always Kill on January 19.
• If all of this is music to your ears, you can read more from the pop world online at www.echoisaacashe.blogspot.com - and this week the website behind this column unveils it’s top 10 Albums of the Year 2008.
Please log on to www.echoisaacashe.blogspot.com from December 17 to see the list, and to vote for your favourite one.