The industry may not be the powerhouse that it once was, but that being said, 2010 promises to be another exciting year, just so long as you have the right ears to listen with. Here’s a rundown of what to expect in terms of bands, albums, tours, and comebacks.

Haydain Neale, lead singer for jacksoul, was respected for more than his Juno-award-winning jazz-soul-fusion songs. His infectious spirit and his warm presence were well-known, well-loved by fans, friends, and family alike. Sadly, this past Sunday, November 22nd, 2009, Haydain Neale’s signature, soulful voice was silenced forever. He was 39.

The same year that man landed on the moon, hippies celebrated groovy tunes in Woodstock and Charles Manson got a few of his chums together for Helter Skelter, Steven Tyler, while on vacation in Sunapee, New Hampshire, met a bunch of guys with a similar interest in music. Yes, the summer of ’69 was also the first summer of Aerosmith’s creation as the dominos fell for Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer as they started a 40 year course that made rock and roll history. That history came to rather sudden halt over the weekend as news leaked that Tyler was leaving the band and that Aerosmith was breaking up.

Amidst a flurry of noise, light, and the pounding sounds of Canadian rock band Moneen, AUX Television had its official launch at Toronto’s Supermarket club in mid-September. Hosts and programs were introduced between noisy sets and the clang of cocktail glasses. The day after that launch, the real work began, though the station had already been around since November 2008 in its online form. The station had its official television launch on October 1st, and as if to highlight its music-centric credentials, featured the Canadian television premiere of “Radiohead: Live From The Basement” that evening. Begun online in November 2008, the station bills itself as “what’s next in music television.” Its roster has expanded from its online roots, but AUX remains firmly focused on music, and on serving the numerous Canadian music fans and bands who may have felt under-represented by, and disconnected from the content of main commercial rivals Muchmusic and MTV.

Behind the glitz, the glam, and the sing-a-long moments, concert tours are motivated by the promotion of a current album. With a band of U2’s stature, high expectations are put in place months before the actual event, with many fans compiling ideal set lists and critics sharpening their proverbial pens. It came as a surprise that so many tracks off of their latest studio release, No Line On the Horizon, feature so prominently in the current sprawling 360 Tour, while other, more recognizable tunes have been left off.

Horror imagery was there at the start of filmmaking, so it should come as no surprise that it was there at the start of the music video as well, and like cinema, it remains a prevalent influence on the medium. So on this occasion we count down 10 cool music videos suitable for Halloween rotation. For these purposes we’re focused on videos made with the artist’s involvement and intended for the purpose of broadcast as a music video. So no golden oldies overtop of generic clips or fan vids. Maybe next Halloween.