Black Lips, 200 Million Thousand
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David Medsker: Yuck. The singer can’t sing, and the band has no identity.

Beau Dure: After the first song, I was prepared to write a defense of R.E.M.-style jangle rock by another Georgia band. After the second song, I decided it wasn’t worth it. They veered into Nick Cave “We hate the audience — please follow us around blindly and buy shit” territory.

Dw. Dunphy: The initial word on this album seemed to be centralized on the vocals, as in, “Ugh, the vocals…” But I’m a tolerant guy and can take all sorts of musical eccentricity. Plus, the indie sites are falling all over themselves to praise Black Lips. They can’t all be wrong, can they? Hmm, maybe they can. Or maybe I’m just getting too old. I distinctly remember the stuff I listened to in high school and how all the adults branded ‘em “atonal hollering.” Now that I’ve fully confessed that I find these songs nothing more than atonal hollering, I can start boiling all my meals into easily digested soups, rewash and reuse my Baggies and go to bed at 7:00pm every night.

Black Lips, curse you. You’ve made me my grandfather.

Ted Asregadoo: Man, these songs are horrible. Under “Influences” on their MySpace page, I wonder why they didn’t list “Drunk guy singing unintelligible songs while laying in the gutter outside a dive bar”?

Jeff Giles: So this is what “flower punk” sounds like. It’s funny — without looking at a list of their influences, I’m pretty sure I’d dig whatever’s on any of the band members’ iPods, but the Black Lips themselves are close to unbearable. It’s got a slight “Velvets on meth” vibe to it, which means nine out of ten music bloggers will be typing up their reviews one-handed. “Starting Over” could be a great song if a talented band recorded it.

Ken Shane: I know that everyone wants to be in a garage band these days and get on Little Steven’s radar, but this doesn’t exactly reek (and good garage band rock should reek) of authenticity. It’s feels to me like they’re trying a little too hard with bad vocals and bad recording. There are just a lot of bands out there doing it better. This particular band is kind of fun, but it gets old pretty quickly.

Scott Malchus: Wow, these guys remind me of the terrible, jangly college music you’d hear in some dive club that no one ever went to because all they served was Keystone light and the music sucked. The term garage band is actually an insult to most of the garage bands I’ve heard in my life. Is it the singing or is it the totally shitty production value, I don’t know. Maybe they’re going for a Let It Be sound, but there’s no way these guys even come close to the Replacements.

Jon Cummings: They sound to me like they’re going for a Replacements vibe — which can lead to some fine tunes, but also to a lot of self-destructive amateurism. Both those qualities are like catnip to alt-rock critics, of course, but WTF is up with the aren’t-I-cool-I’m-so-off-key vocals? My personal tastes can handle lo-fi production values or tuneless caterwauling, but not both. The ‘Mats — much less the Velvets — they’re not, at least not yet, but if they’d take the vocals at least semi-seriously they might get there.

JJ Cale, Roll On
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Beau: I’ll never be hip enough to like music like this. My bad.

David: Am I the only one that gets JJ Cale mixed up with John Cale? I hope so, for JJ Cale’s sake. This seems pleasant enough, like a typical Sonny Landreth record.

Ken: I’m a big fan of this guy. I saw him live once, and he’s the ultimate minimalist. No drama, no histrionics, just that voice, and a so laid back he’s almost asleep demeanor. So cool. Clapton, still repaying debts for Cale songs like “Cocaine,” and “After Midnight” that were big Clapton hits, is always at his best when he’s playing with Cale. The songs seem so simple, but the groove is simply undeniable.

Jeff: It’s a little too cleanly produced for me, but I like this. J.J.’s always all right in my book — he even kept Clapton awake for an entire album’s worth of material a few years ago — and I’m glad to see the old curmudgeon is still making new music.

Ted: “Cherry Street” and “Who Knew” are very strong tracks, but the first one featured (“Roll On,” with Eric Clapton) is a letdown. Sure, Cale’s style is laid back, but not so much that it ends up being laconic and uninspired.

Dunphy: Of my many moods, “trad blues” comes by the least. If I do get one of those, Roll On would fit the need, but I’d probably pull out Plant/Krauss’ Raising Sand long before then. I mean, Raising Sand had a gimmick that pulled you in — Plant singing the kinds of songs he’s been dying to for ages, where Cale is just doing what he’s always done so well… So well that it’s hard to jump up and down about more of it. And by this point, is a Clapton guest spot manna from heaven or a stale cheeseburger?

Scott: It’s always nice to hear Clapton and Cale jamming together, no matter how trivial the song is. “Roll On” has that ’70s laid back feel, that’s for sure. “Who Knew” is a little more interesting; I like the jazzy feel to it. “Cherry Street” seems to be borrowing from “Lay Down Sally.” This is okay if you’re kicking back with some brews and barbequing in the back year, but it doesn’t thrill me. I’m not going to rush out to find this record, that’s for sure.

Jon: It’s amusing that Cale is getting more mainstream exposure now than he has his whole career. How much of that is due to a certain class of mid-to-late-boomer male who insists on pretending it’s still 1978 and the Slowhand album is still atop the charts? (This would be the same subspecies that gives every new Jimmy Buffett album a few weeks on the charts.) I suppose it’s nice for Cale that Clapton is so willing to share (or give away) credit for his performances these days, but the day I started replacing all my vinyl copies of half-decent studio albums from the ’70s and ’80s with greatest-hits CDs was the day I stopped being interested in albums like Roll On.

Chris Isaak, Mr. Lucky
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Jon: And now to completely contradict myself: I own every Chris Isaak album, and I’ll happily make an effort to get this one, too. Sure, they’re all interchangeable, and sure, I could put them all on my iPod, hit “shuffle” and then be completely unable to tell you which tracks are from which albums. So what? I’m a huge fan. Add in the fact that he duets on the new album with Trisha Yearwood (whom I lovelovelovelovelove), and I am so very there.

Ted: Chris Isaak is the second-best thing to come out of Stockton, CA (the first is my wife). Regarding these songs, Isaak says: “For better or for worse, the songs on this album do reflect where I am at in my life right now in one way or another.” Well, it sounds like Chris is groping in the dark for some good material. “We Let Her Down” is the proverbial letdown, while his duet with Trisha Yearwood (“Breaking Apart”) makes me wish she was the only one singing, because Yearwood is able to infuse the song with the needed heartache that’s lacking from Chris. The bright spot in this collection is “Cheater’s Town” which, to me, is one of most interesting things Isaak has recorded in a long time.

Beau: This isn’t bad, but it doesn’t stick in the ear.

Scott: I’ve always been more a fan of Isaak’s individual songs rather than his complete albums. They all sounded so similar and dreamy that I usually fall asleep half way through listening. But if these songs are an indication of the entire record, I’m buying it. Sounds like the recorded in a nice open space and this let the sound of Isaak’s music really breathe. “We Let Her Down” is fantastic and the duet with Trisha Yearwood is beautiful. I’m looking forward to this one!

Dunphy: “We Let Her Down” is a pretty good song and if I wasn’t 90% sure it was a red herring, I’d put Mr. Lucky on my list. Even so, “We Let Her Down” is structurally early ’90s pop. Take away Isaak’s insanely unique voice and you have a song that could have been on Robin Zander’s solo album. As for the other two songs, I have no qualm with either but I fear for Garth Brooks. He, more than anyone, ought to know what happens when Trisha Yearwood goes duetting.

David: Wow, this is really, um, gentle. Even for Isaak.

Jeff: It’s sort of hard to believe that it’s been seven years since Isaak released an album of new material — but on the other hand, maybe he knows one Chris Isaak record is all anyone needs, and now that he’s put out a greatest hits set, a live album, and the most depressing Christmas album ever, he’s slowing down.

Scott: If one Chris Isaak album is all anyone needs, I may actually buy this one. I can’t stop listening to those tracks!

Ken: More mood music, similar in some ways to Cale. This time out it sounds like he’s rocking a little harder. He’s injected a bit of the Springsteen chug into “I Let Her Down.” He has that great voice that’s reminiscent of Roy Orbison in its operatic range. That’s especially evident on the moody “Cheater’s Town.” Tricia Yearwood is perennially underrated, and “Breaking Apart” is a lovely, heartbreaking duet. I like these songs and I’d buy the album on the basis of hearing them.

Van Morrison, Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl
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Ken: Ah, a curmudgeon. I love them. I’m told I’m one myself. Has there ever been a better R&B singer? Classic music, a compelling performer — I’m not sure what more one could ask for. I’m in.

Beau: I like it. I think it’s a good idea. This is a critical favorite most people haven’t heard, and it’s truly unique as opposed to the Velvet Underground crap that turns up on most critics’ top-whatever list. Bring it.

David: Albums like this bring out the cynic in me. Over the last couple years, Van’s catalog has gotten the ‘reissue, repackage, repackage’ treatment of a dead singer. This sounds fine and all, but you don’t get much more nonessential.

Jon: I never experienced Astral Weeks until it came out on CD in late ’87, which I consider a blessing. (I spent a trippy evening at a friend’s apartment that fall, listening to the CD over and over again — or did it just seem to be more than once?) I strongly considered attending the concert from which this album emerged, but in the end decided to preserve my memories of that evening half my life ago — and my vision of a younger, thinner Van spinning out the definitive Celtic-folk-rock song cycle. I don’t think I’ll sully that vision with this album, either.

Dunphy: Can you imagine the hours the CD designer spent picking just the right photo to make Van The Man not look like a neckless hand puppet, only to have them all undone with the promo video? Live albums virtually scream “contract fulfillment” and ‘celebrations’ of classic albums come off even worse; more than, “We need to jump this contractual hurdle…” it seems to say, “…and I don’t want to make up a setlist either.” Poor Van The Hand Puppet.

Ted: A money-grab product from a guy who, by the looks of it, doesn’t really need the money. To me the performance captured on video shows Van in various states of boredom — while the band is clearly enjoying the moment. Maybe they were thinking about the cash they were going to get from the diehard fans who are going to buy the CD/DVD.

Jeff: I’ve already read reviews justifying this by saying Morrison is a more assured vocalist now than he was when he recorded the original album, but really, this is pretty pointless — and an example of the sort of self-fellating late-career product that I always assumed Van would never insult us with. Guess I was wrong. Anyway, it sounds great, but it really just makes me want to listen to the original.

Scott: Yeah, so the music is wonderful, but what the hell is he saying? Oh, “Sweet Thing,” right. I guess you have to be a dedicated fan to buy this, because it’s not that much of a thrill for me.

Jon: I think the general idea of these “Classic Albums Live” concerts is fine–if you can get the fans to blow $100 a ticket to hear big ol’ Van (or big ol’ Ann Wilson, or whoever) play an album in person rather than put in the CD of the skinny young version, more power to ya. But to then buy another CD of the same music, sung and produced less well and with applause between songs? That I don’t get.

Dunphy: It probably comes down to the adoration of the super-fan. There are bands that are existing now solely on the goodwill of their cult following, and these CDs are really only meant to roust a few more bucks from them.

I went to see Roger Waters and the Dark Side of the Moon tour two years in a row. Now this might be a whole different animal because Waters really gives you a huge show, but it’s an approximation of a 30-something year old album everyone knows. I have no desire to buy a CD of those performances but I guarantee you, there are super-fans out there who’d buy up on day one.

David: I’ve learned a lot about myself in the last few years in terms of how far my love of an artist or band will take me in terms of buying concert tickets, reissues, live albums, etc. For example, I will never be in the audience when one of these Astral Weeks Live albums is recorded, and I won’t buy it, either. There just isn’t anyone I like that much. Is that sad, or just the inevitable byproduct of a cynical business?

Dunphy: It’s not sad at all. I got to that place many years earlier. I love movies and I was working actively to build the library for the super-duper home theater I probably will never have. It seemed like every time I bought a DVD, the company would release a bigger, better edition of it only a year later… Then only half a year later. Then the span between the release and the Special Edition release started collapsing into less than weeks.

I caved occasionally, but I’m pretty dead-set against being double-dipped, and that’s all I see these sorts of CDs being – shoddy double-dips, and the shows more than not are just souped-up oldies festivals disguised as a Night Of Something Hugely Important!

Various Artists, War Child Presents Heroes
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Ted: Well, if the Lily Allen cover of “Straight To Hell” is any indication of the quality of the cover songs, this is one covers album that will be on my “must have” list.

Ken: And here’s how a cover version can be completely wrongheaded. The Clash’s “Straight to Hell” as performed by Lily Allen has lost all of the fire and rebellion that were integral to the original. Somewhere in heaven, Joe Strummer is in tears. Nice loop, though.

David: I’ve been wanting to hear this one since the second I heard about it. I’m digging the Scissor Sisters’ cover of “Do the Strand.” Man, they matched artist with song pretty well, didn’t they? The Hold Steady covering “Atlantic City”? Franz Ferdinand covering “Call Me”? I hope this does well. It’s a good cause, and they clearly put some thought into it.

Dunphy: The only track I’m getting to hear is Lily Allen’s cover of The Clash’s “Straight To Hell,” and I have to admit I’m not hating it. Her inherent urchinisms aren’t irritating me like they do on her own songs. What does irritate me is the prominence Parlophone has placed on her track to promote this compilation — sort of acting more as promotion for her new album It’s Not Me, It’s You. It could be that I’m not seeking out other tracks with due dilligence. It could be that, even though I don’t mind this track, I’m not inspired enough to go chasing after more. It’s probably a little of both.

Jeff: This sort of VA comp is usually pretty dodgy — even that killer BBC compilation from a couple of years ago had plenty of filler — but I can’t help being excited about this. I’m all but certain it will kick the artfully tousled ass of Dark Was the Night, the star-studded compilation I’m currently reviewing.

Jon: Is it legal to argue against this album? “Jeez, this is all we need — a torch-passing set of supposedly ‘classic’ songs performed by contemporary acts chosen for the occasion by the original artists themselves! And all to benefit children in war-torn regions? Who cares?” Some of the choices are inspired, to be sure; let’s just hope the product is of a higher quality than most of these things turn out to be. (I thought that Instant Karma comp for Amnesty Int’l a couple years ago was a complete dud.)

Beau: Do they know they’re rocking the Casbah at all?

The Archies: The Archies Christmas Album featuring Betty & Veronica (Fuel)

Joseph Arthur and the Lonely Astronauts: Temporary People (RED)
In which Arthur caps off a madcap year (he’s released four EPs) with the full-length record his fans have been waiting for. The AMG’s John Bush has already compared Temporary People to the Replacements and early Wilco. Personally, I’ve never heard much ‘Mats in Arthur’s music, but I’m still intrigued…despite People‘s abominably crappy artwork. Hear some samples here.

Mary Chapin Carpenter: Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas (Rounder/ZOE)
Another Christmas record? In late September? You betcha. In fact, as you’ll soon see, this week brings seasonal releases from a slew of artists, most of whom would seem to make for rather unlikely yuletide singers. Not Carpenter — she can tackle an uptempo, country-flavored tune when she wants to, but she’s always been at her best when she slows down and drapes that beautiful voice in a ballad’s quiet spaces. She does just that here, delivering an introspective set of Christmas tunes that focus on the traditional (read: non-commercial) aspects of the season. Twelve tracks and not a “Rudolph” in the bunch — you’ve got to like that.

Ani DiFranco: Red Letter Year (Righteous Babe)
I haven’t listened to anything she’s done since Living in Clip, but I might need to break that streak with this, Ani DiFranco’s 18th(!) studio release — early indications are that moving full-time to New Orleans has colored her music in all the right ways, and with the suddenly ubiquitous Rebirth Brass band popping in, I’m cautiously optimistic that Red Letter Year might live up to its title. Hear some early samples here.

Dion: Heroes: Giants of Early Guitar Rock (Saguro Road)
Time Life continues its latest run on exhuming commercially left for dead artists with this CD/DVD set from Mr. DiMucci, which features covers of moldy oldies including “Summertime Blues,” “Come on, Let’s Go,” “Be-Bop A-Lula,” and “I Walk the Line.” You can bet every single member of Sha Na Na already has Heroes in heavy rotation.

Enigma: Seven Lives Many Faces (Virgin)
I’m not sure which is more surprising — that Enigma is still around and making records, or that Virgin is still a label. I’d have thought EMI would have sold the rights to the logo for office furniture by now, but I guess there’s still enough life left in both franchises to keep ‘em around. If you’ve heard one Enigma album, you’ve pretty much heard them all — but the same could be said for Jim Brickman, Yanni, and John Tesh, and people don’t seem to have gotten tired of their shticks yet, so why not another one from Enigma? Hear samples, if you must, at this link.

Melissa Etheridge: A New Thought for Christmas (Island)
There was a time in the mid ’90s when, try as I might, I couldn’t date a woman who didn’t looooooooove Melissa Etheridge. I’m not sure how many times I’ve heard “Come to My Window,” but I do know it’s up there in the “many too many” range — and still, I have to admit, I’m sort of intrigued by the idea of a Christmas album from Etheridge. As a vocalist, she has essentially one speed (gritty ‘n’ bluesy), and judging from the track listing, A New Thought for Christmas plays to that strength, with Etheridge tackling stuff like “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” “Merry Christmas Baby,” and the 10,000th cover of “Blue Christmas,” along with a handful of new originals. Head here to hear before you buy.

Dan Evans: Goin’ All Out (Universal/Fontana/EMG)
Fans of My Biggest Loser will remember Evans as the bespectacled, troublingly androgynous contestant who signed up last season with his mom, and nearly walked away with the game. Personally, I have no desire to hear Evans’ musical stylings, but I’m of the opinion that anyone who gets up on national television and exposes his man-boobs in a desperate bid to get healthy (and succeeds!) is well within his rights to use any newfound notoriety to jumpstart the career of his choosing. In other words, I’m not clicking on this link, but I refuse to pass judgment on anyone who does.

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones: Jingle All the Way (Rounder)
Yep, it’s a holiday album from Mr. Fleck and his Flecktoned combo. A horrible title? Absolutely, but if you’re at all familiar with Fleck’s music, you know it’s rarely dull — and that applies to Jingle All the Way, too, thanks to arrangements that make room for bluegrass-tinged classical, klezmer, and Tuvan throat singing. As you’d expect, the album is heavy on songs in the public domain (“Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night,” “O Come All Ye Faithful”) and seasonal classics from Guaraldi and Torme. Nothing that’s going to make you stop hating Christmas music, certainly, but it’ll liven up an office holiday party nicely. Sample it here.

Ben Folds: Way to Normal (Epic)
We covered this in our Fall Music Preview, and as I’m still waiting on my copy, I don’t have much else to add yet — except that, having heard “You Don’t Know Me” and “Hiroshima (B B B Benny Hit His Head),” I’m optimistic that Way to Normal will prove a more entertaining, durable listen than the uneven Songs for Silverman.

Faith Hill: Joy to the World (Warner Bros.)
…And it’s another Christmas album! If you’re looking at this and thinking “I could have sworn Faith Hill already had a Christmas album,” you’re not alone, but apparently not — Joy to the World, featuring a cover photo that makes Hill look like Barbie after swallowing an entire bottle of Paxil, is being billed as her first. The trend in recent years has been for artists to try and put their own personal spin on their holiday releases, but Hill takes the opposite approach here, relying on the standard orchestras ‘n’ swingin’ combos approach that you’d expect from a ’50s Christmas record. It seems unlikely to reverse Hill’s commercial slide, but if your grandparents are coming over for dinner this Christmas, make them happy and drop a few bucks on Joy to the World.

Jennifer Hudson: Jennifer Hudson (Arista)
I’ve never watched an episode of American Idol and I haven’t seen Dreamgirls, so all I know of Hudson’s singing is what I’ve read — which has been mostly complimentary. Except, that is, for this album’s advance reviews, which accuse Jennifer Hudson of being unnecessarily loaded down with trendy guest spots and over-the-top production unbecoming a vocalist with actual talent and power.

Jack’s Mannequin: The Glass Passenger (Sire)
I wasn’t a fan of Something Corporate, but Andrew McMahon’s debut as Jack’s Mannequin, 2005′s Everything in Transit, was a pleasant surprise — equal parts power and pop, with urgent piano and muscular rhythm tracks adding heft to McMahon’s mewling vocals. The Glass Passenger was written during and after his struggle with leukemia, which obviously lends his love songs some extra weight; unfortunately, according to our esteemed David Medsker, it’s also given a traction-free production sheen befitting its title. You can read his disappointed musings on the new album here. (I’d add my own two cents, but the promo copy Warner Bros. sent me is watermarked and copy-protected, and my computer wouldn’t recognize it. Right into the trash.)

Jeff Lorber: Heard That (Peak)
What does it take for a smooth jazz keyboard player to get a little extra attention for his 19th identical-sounding studio album? I don’t know, but recording a cover of a hit from a younger artist — like, say, Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab” — certainly can’t hurt, right? You know you’re intrigued now, so head over here to check it out.

Taj Mahal: Maestro (Heads Up)
I haven’t heard Maestro yet, but Taj Mahal is one of my favorite artists, so I’m totally picking this up, and probably writing about it here. Timed to celebrate Taj’s 40th anniversary as a recording artist, Maestro features a slew of special guests, including Los Lobos (hooray!), Ben Harper (boo!), and Jack Johnson (what?). No matter who he’s playing with, though, Taj is still Taj. Do not miss this album.

Kellie Pickler: Kellie Pickler (BNA/19)
Again, I’ve never watched an episode of American Idol, so I can’t speak to Kellie Pickler’s vocal prowess or lack thereof. I can, however, tell you that looking at the cover of Kellie Pickler makes my eyes hurt, and cripples my already-shaky faith in major label artwork departments. Isn’t she a country singer who made a big deal about being a small-town girl? In fact, wasn’t that the title of her debut? So why has she been made to look like a thrice-divorced alcoholic grandmother on the cover of her second album? There are some Idol contestants whose work I actively avoid (hello, Taylor Hicks!), but I really don’t have any anti-Pickler prejudice — and yet, after looking at that album cover, I’m 90% certain that what lies within is a garish, poorly produced attempt at pop crossover status. Click on this and let me know if I’m right.

Joshua Radin: Simple Times (RED/Mom & Pop)
This is one I’ll be reviewing in a few days, so I’ll limit my comments here, except to say that I’m ever more baffled that the whole “I’m going to whisper while I strum my acoustic guitar” thing hasn’t played itself out yet — and that I still can’t see Radin’s name without thinking of Joshua Kadison, which always makes me queasy.

Todd Rundgren: Arena (Hi Fi)
Here’s another one we’ll be reviewing soon. How soon? For all I know, Robert Cass’ writeup will have already run by the time this posts. I’ve heard mixed things about Arena, which is par for the course as far as Rundgren is concerned; the only real question is, Rundgren being Rundgren, which course we’re talking about.

Pete Seeger: At 89 (Appleseed)
At last, an album I’ve already reviewed (for Bullz-Eye). It shouldn’t surprise you at all that I gave At 89 four stars, or that the more I listen to it, the more I like it, or that I wish I had enough money to buy a copy for every man, woman, and child in America. Pete Seeger is a hero, a living treasure, and a man whose music is still every bit as fresh and vibrant as it was 60 years ago. Am I making myself clear? Buy At 89.

James Taylor: Covers (Hear Music)
Seriously, what is it with the horrible album covers this week? According to Covers‘ booklet, the cover shot was taken by Timothy White; I’m guessing it was the Timothy White, and Taylor picked it for this album as a tribute to the late, great Billboard man. However, I’m also reasonably certain that some hack with an Intuos pad has colorized this photo, turning an already unflattering shot into an album cover most foul. As for Covers itself, meh; Taylor selected mostly predictable stuff for this set, like “Hound Dog,” “Summertime Blues,” “On Broadway,” and “Wichita Lineman.” (The one relatively recent song is the Dixie Chicks’ “Some Days You Gotta Dance,” probably sparked by the episode of CMT Crossroads they taped together.) On the other hand, Taylor’s such an old pro — and such a craftsman — that none of it is bad, just rather dull. Which is what many people have been saying about his records for 30 years, I guess.

Brian Vander Ark: Brian Vander Ark (Red Eye/Second Motion)
You may remember Brian Vander Ark from his old band, the Verve Pipe, and their annoying ’90s hit “The Freshmen”; this self-titled effort is his third solo release, and accompanies Red Eye-distributed reissues of his first two albums (2003′s Resurrection and 2006′s Angel, Put Your Face On). I hated the Verve Pipe when they were successful, but enjoyed their later, mostly unheard work; for an idea of which Vander Ark shows up here, visit his MySpace page.

Various Artists: Les Paul & Friends: A Tribute to a Legend (immergent)
In which a slew of special guests (including Slash, Richie Sambora, Mick Hucknall, Joan Osborne, Joe Bonamassa, Peter Frampton, and Johnny Rzeznik) gather to fete the 93-year-old legend, producing combinations both strange (Rzeznik covering U2′s “All I Want Is You”) and wonderful (“The Good Luck You’re Having,” featuring a guitar summit between Paul and Bonamassa). In a sadly ironic twist, the featured star being honored posthumously here isn’t Paul, but Hiram Bullock, who succumbed to throat cancer during the summer.

Alkaline Trio, Agony & Irony (Epic)
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These Chicago-bred emo pioneers have been gradually sanding down the rough edges of their sound for years — and with their Epic debut, a glossy sheen is officially all that remains. Longtime fans are already grousing about Agony & Irony, but the album’s FM-ready sound is already yielding dividends for the band: Alkaline Trio was featured on an episode of The Hills in May. That won’t be of much comfort to those pissed-off purists, but it should give a pretty big boost to the band members’ bank statements. By their next album, their transformation into the emo version of the Goo Goo Dolls should be complete; in the meantime, they should get a semi-credible hit or two out of Lit-esque tracks like “Love Love Kiss Kiss.” (MySpace)

James Brown, Gravity (Volcano)
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Not James’ finest hour, to be certain — but it does contain his last major Top 40 hit, the Rocky IV soundtrack anthem “Living in America,” and it probably represents his last more or less consistent album. It’s hard to decide which is more surprising: That Gravity was out of print, or that Volcano — the imprint that once was Scotti Brothers — is still in business. Those Survivor and “Weird Al” Yankovic royalties must be more lucrative than anyone could have imagined…

John Coltrane, Dakar (Prestige)
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One of Coltrane’s earliest albums gets the Prestige reissue treatment here — no bonus tracks, but it’s remastered, and considering that these sessions were recorded in 1957, the difference is probably noticeable, to say the least. Coltrane’s foils for Dakar are Cecil Payne, Pepper Adams, Mal Waldron, Doug Watkins, and Art Taylor — and though Adams and Waldron contribute some solid songs, this isn’t one of Coltrane’s essential releases (check out the way his solo trips and falls down a flight of stairs on “Witches’ Pit”). For completists and jazz fanatics only.

Miles Davis, The Musings of Miles (Prestige)
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Six early sides from Davis, recording here with most of what would become his First Great Quintet (FGQ member Paul Chambers hadn’t yet been added to the mix; the low end is held down here by Oscar Pettiford). Nothing spectacular here, really; if it wasn’t Miles’ name above the title, there’s no way this set would be seeing its umpteenth reissue this week. (Prestige is handling the honors this time around, but there are versions of The Musings of Miles with the DCC, Fantasy, JVC, and Original Jazz Classics logos on ‘em too.) Like Dakar, this one is for the fan who has to have everything Miles did.

George Duke, Faces in Reflection (Verve)
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The Zappa sideman’s classic 1974 release has shockingly never been issued domestically on CD — a situation rectified this week by Verve, which offers a remastered version packaged in a gatefold sleeve. Duke would go on to record plenty of radio-friendly stuff later in his career, but not here — this is a boiling blend of funk and fusion, with a little bit of soul on the side. (Title of the fourth cut: “Psychosomatic Dung.” It’s as funky as you’d hope.) With drummer Leon “Ndugu” Chancler and bassist John Heard providing an anchor, Duke is free to wander all over the map, largely via experiments with an early ARP synth. The $23 price tag will be enough to scare away anyone who isn’t already a (big) fan, but if you don’t care about owning the gatefold, you can just pick up the mp3s.

Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets, Talk to You By Hand (Hepcat)
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He’s far from a household name, but jump blues fans have been well acquainted with Anson Funderburgh and his Rockets for years — since 1981, to be exact. That was the year the band helped launch Black Top Records with his debut, Talk to You By Hand. Black Top’s catalog has been a horrible mess since the label folded in 1999, which is why this album is seeing reissue via Hepcat, an imprint I’ve never heard of. No matter which logo is being slapped on the back, though, this is a set well worth owning for fans of Louis Jordan or Roomful of Blues. (Fun Funderburgh fact: Beavis & Butt-Head creator Mike Judge played bass for the Rockets in the late ’80s.) (MySpace)

Go West, Futurenow (Borough)
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In which the onetime Kings of Wishful Thinking regroup after a 16-year absence to bring the world more of the machine-driven white soul it didn’t ask for. Let’s give ‘em credit, though: At least they didn’t slap a “2008 version” of “We Close Our Eyes” onto the album, right? (MySpace)

Vanessa Hudgens, Identified (Hollywood)
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Remember when Hollywood Records was the Disney-funded joke of the record industry? Well, it still is — but at least the label has figured out how to sell something besides Queen product. Unfortunately, that “something” consists mainly of an endless stream of plastic-coated tweeniebopper pop from the likes of Ashley Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens, the Betty-and-Veronica duo from The Disney Channel’s insanely successful High School Musical franchise. Identified comes hot on the heels of 2006′s V — and not a minute too soon for Disney, which has probably been counting down the seconds until it could drop something in the marketplace that would make people think of something other than “naked photos” when they hear Hudgens’ name. Identified won’t displace memories of Hudgens’ naughty bits, but it’s perfectly competent dance pop for kids who aren’t quite sophisticated enough for Christina Aguilera. Virtually guaranteed to go at least gold. (MySpace)

Kansas, Two for the Show: Legacy Edition (Legacy)
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Setting aside the fact that it’s ridiculous for any live album without the words “Frampton” or “Budokan” in the title to receive a deluxe “30th Anniversary Edition” reissue, Legacy’s Two for the Show upgrade restores the album to its original running order for the first time on CD — and then some. Originally a 14-track double live LP, then a 13-track single CD, Show is now a 24-song remastered double CD. Is any of it essential? Certainly not, but it at least continues Legacy’s recent streak of using the reissue market to correct old mistakes. (If only it could make Drastic Measures retroactively disappear.)

Los Lonely Boys, Forgiven (Epic/Or)
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Speaking of Forgiven, I will never forgive this band for recording its horrible hit single “Heaven.” But that’s just me, and judging from the number of units Los Lonely Boys have sold, you’re probably excited to hear their Steve Jordan-produced third studio album. (MySpace)

John Mayer, Where the Light Is: Live in Los Angeles (Columbia)
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You know, in my day, an artist had to put in a few decades of hard time before he started dropping a live album after every new studio release (see: Stones, Rolling). And as much as this shit pisses me off, I have to admit it makes a certain amount of sense where John Mayer is concerned — since scoring big as an adult contemporary balladeer with his first full-length, he’s worked overtime to establish his credentials as a blues-loving guitar god, and continually recasting his catalog in a live setting is one of the best ways of doing that. Where the Light Is captures Mayer live at L.A.’s Nokia Center last December, performing three sets — one acoustic, one with a full band, and one with his blues trio. Needless to say, “Your Body Is a Wonderland” isn’t here. The double-disc set includes one new track, “In Your Atmosphere,” which I haven’t listened to even though I’ve got a copy of the album sitting right here next to me. It’s nothing personal, John. (MySpace)

Van Morrison, Various Reissues (Universal)
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Last year, we spent the month of March looking at a different Van Morrison album every day, and I was surprised to discover how many of Morrison’s records had fallen out of print — and now we know why: Universal was prepping remastered, bonus-tracks-included versions of those titles, and the first batch of them (Veedon Fleece; Live at the Grand Opera House Belfast; No Guru, No Method, No Teacher; Enlightenment; A Night in San Francisco; and The Healing Game) arrives on shelves this week. Adjust your budget accordingly.

My Chemical Romance, The Black Parade Is Dead (Reprise)
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Speaking of acts that release too goddamn many live albums, here’s My Chemical Romance with a live CD/DVD extravaganza, offering a song-for-song live performance of The Black Parade, recorded in Mexico City last year, paired with footage of the show — and a show from Hoboken. It might be filler, but at $18, fans get plenty of bang for their bucks here. I personally have no use for MCR, but my esteemed colleague David Medsker enjoyed The Black Parade, and he’s pretty smart, so maybe they don’t totally suck. (MySpace)

Night Ranger, Hole in the Sun (VH1 Classic)
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Over a year after everyone who wanted it paid import prices for it (or just downloaded it illegally), the ’80s hitmakers’ decade-in-the-making quasi-reunion reaches American retailers courtesy of VH1 Classic, the cable station/label dedicated to providing limited promotional resources to new music from old artists. Hole in the Sun was recorded without longtime keyboard player Alan Fitzgerald — and was completed just prior to the firing of guitarist Jeff Watson, a sacking that kicked off a rotating door of guitarists and keyboard players. Granted, there can’t be very many people who really give a shit who’s in Night Ranger at this point — and they were never exactly the Velvet Underground — but it’s at least somewhat telling that, since 2003, Fitzgerald, Watson, Michael Lardie, Reb Beach, Joel Hoekstra, and Christian Matthew Cullen have all cycled through the lineup alongside Jack Blades, Kelly Keagy, and Brad Gillis. Hole in the Sun was almost universally panned when it was released in Europe last year; at least this time, the band can count on almost nobody noticing it’s out. (Those of you who paid extra for the import, take heart: the new version includes marginally less horrible artwork and a pair of acoustic versions of old hits. Added value!) (MySpace)

Gerald Albright, Sax for Stax (Peak)
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He’s become known mainly for his smooth jazz sides, but Albright’s chops are too big for any single genre — and this collection, which finds him tackling Stax classics like “Cheaper to Keep Her,” “Knock On Wood,” and “Who’s Making Love,” promises to be at least twice as interesting as anything he did for Atlantic in the ’90s. Of course, this is still Gerald Albright we’re talking about, so don’t go into Sax for Stax expecting anything approximating actual grit, but it’s hard to mess up these songs too badly. Stream tracks from the new album at Albright’s MySpace page.

Deborah Bonham, Duchess (Rhino/Atco)
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In which the littlest Bonham cuts out on her own with a stack of sides influenced by classic soul and British Invasion rock. She doesn’t stand a chance of emerging from her dad’s shadow, but given that her big brother is drumming for Foreigner now, odds are it’s Deborah who will be sharing the best press clippings at the Bonham family table this Christmas. Listen to the album at her MySpace page.

Ry Cooder, I, Flathead (Nonesuch)
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Cooder’s crazy-ass California trilogy, which started off promisingly with Chavez Ravine before plummeting into the kooky depths with My Name Is Buddy, reaches its conclusion here, in a song suite about…well, who knows, really, but there is an appearance by an “alien who races around in a souped-up flying saucer on the desert salt flats.” Dear Lord. This time around, Cooder has penned a 104-page novella to go along with the music; some of us liked it better when he just played guitar.

Bobby Digital (RZA), Digi Snax (Koch)
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Bobby Digital is back — and he’s joined here by David Banner and “various Wu-Tang members.” It’s a pity that so many of the genre’s most talented artists are stuck releasing product through Koch, but hey — the majors’ loss is the indies’ gain, I guess. Digi Snax serves up 16 new adventures from the fictional ghetto superhero; from the looks of the album artwork, they involve a horde of scantily clad girls in surgical masks. Finally, a rap album I can relate to. Hear all kinds of new stuff — and get RZA’s cellphone number! — at his MySpace page.

Alejandro Escovedo, Real Animal (EMI/Back Porch)
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He’s danced with hepatitis and lived to tell the tale — and Escovedo’s ninth album, which finds him sharing a label with Charlie Sexton and the Subdudes, teams him up with Tony Visconti for a typically rootsy, wide-ranging trip down memory lane. Escovedo’s list of famous admirers includes Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, John Cale, Rosie Flores, M. Ward, Vic Chesnutt and Charlie Musselwhite, and Real Animal has already been raved about by my Bullz-Eye colleague Jim Washington — now listen to it at Escovedo’s MySpace page. (And buy it, of course.)

Morten Harket, Letter from Egypt (Universal)
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The a-ha frontman embarks on his second solo journey, following 1996′s Wild Seed and a few well-received (outside the United States, anyway) a-ha records. You’ll have to part with $21 to get the import from Amazon, but if you even know who Morten Harket is, you’re probably enough of a fan that you’ve had this pre-ordered for weeks. Still on the fence? Dig those cheekbones (and listen to some new stuff) at Harket’s MySpace page.

Less Than Jake, GNV FLA (Sleep It Off)
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Holy shit, Less Than Jake is still around? The answer, apparently, is yes — they might be indie artists now, but considering they were once on Capitol, going the self-release route is probably an improvement. If you guessed that the title of the band’s seventh (!) album is a nod to their hometown of Gainesville, Florida, give yourself a gold star for the day — and then head over to the band’s MySpace page for an advance listen to some of the new tracks.

G. Love & Special Sauce, Superhero Brother (Brushfire)
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Parlaying alarmingly sloppy diction and rudimentary songwriting skills into a recording career that has lasted a decade and counting, G. Love provides inspiration to somewhat talented people from all walks of life. Love has done more with less than anyone besides … well, besides Jack Johnson, actually, which is why it’s so perfect that Love and his Sauce have been signed to Johnson’s Brushfire imprint for the last few years. The band’s last release, 2006′s Lemonade, benefited from John Hammond’s guiding hand. Will Superhero Brother be so lucky? Sample some tracks and judge for yourself.

Edwin McCain, Nobody’s Fault But Mine (Time Life)
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Driving through the middle of North Bumfuck, Massachusetts a few months ago, I noticed a sign over a dingy corner bar that read “NEXT FRIDAY EDWIN MCCAIN,” and I wondered for the first time whether it might be time to forgive the man responsible for “I’ll Be.” I still think the answer is probably “no way,” but I’m willing to admit that I could be wrong; after all, having your new album come out on Time Life Records is probably punishment enough. Oh, but wait, this is a covers record. Anybody need to hear McCain covering “Some Kind of Wonderful” or “I Can’t Get Next to You”? If you answered “yes,” I don’t understand you at all, but have yourself a sneak peek at McCain’s MySpace page.

Motley Crue, Saints of Los Angeles (Eleven Seven)
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I once knew a girl who was known to threaten to run you over with her Mustang (license plate: MOTLY66) if you so much as breathed a negative word about Motley Crue, but I have to think that by now even she has wised up to the human suck surplus that is Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Nikki Sixx, and Mick Mars. Goddammit, when are these guys going to stop making records? How many humiliating reality shows do its members have to participate in before the band stops being a reliable concert draw? I’m sure Saints of Los Angeles is going to be just as terrible as everything they’ve done post-Dr. Feelgood, but if you insist on tempting fate, go ahead and try before you buy.

Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville (deluxe reissue) (ATO)
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Has it really been 15 years since Liz Phair caused a massive simultaneous rock-crit orgasm with her delightfully filthy, wonderfully lo-fi debut? It has, and yes, you’re getting old. This deluxe reissue will help take some of the sting out of your expanding gut and receding hairline, adding four cuts and a DVD documentary to the album that has hung like an albatross around Phair’s neck since 1993. And yes, it is somewhat depressing that she’s trading in on Guyville now — but it isn’t as depressing as that “H.W.C.” song she recorded a few years ago, and anyway, she’s on Dave Matthews’s ATO label now. Good things are bound to follow.

Reckless Kelly, Bulletproof (Yep Roc)
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The shit-kickingest act on the Yep Roc roster returns this week, with beer on its breath, yellow in its eyes, and an album recorded at Willie Nelson’s Pedernales Studios. After you use the CD booklet to separate the weed from the seed, turn up the volume and enjoy what the band is referring to as a “call to arms” and “an opening salvo in Reckless Kelly’s campaign to spread the nearly religious dedication of its Texas followers to fans all across the U.S. of A.” Hear some cuts and hop on the bandwagon here.

Sigur Rós, Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (XL/Beggars Banquet)
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That sound you hear is the bodies of 48,000 hipsters vibrating in excitement. (Well, either that or it’s this album’s ninth track, “Fljótavík.” It’s hard to tell.) The band hired Flood to produce and recorded outside of Iceland for the first time here, stopping on on places like Abbey Road and Sterling Sound, and expanded its sonic palette to include an orchestra, a boys’ choir, and a more acoustic aesthetic. The odds that it will still sound like a lot of pretty but pretentious hooey most likely remain fairly high.

Various Artists, Big Blue Ball (Real World)
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No, it isn’t a concept album about what happens after Robert watches too many episodes of The Ghost Whisperer back-to-back — it’s Peter Gabriel’s long-in-the-making “pan-global collaboration” with a slew of artists, including Karl Wallinger, Stephen Hague, Joseph Arthur, Sinead O’Connor, Papa Wemba, Vernon Reid, Jah Wobble, Tim Finn, and many more. (And I do mean many.) Like pretty much everything Gabriel does, Big Blue Ball was supposed to come out a long time ago; by Gabriel’s own estimation, these songs were finished tracking back in 1995. He refers to the album as “a fine wine ready to be drunk,” but this kind of meticulousness rarely bodes well for an album. Visit the project’s MySpace page and decide for yourself.

Watson Twins, Fire Songs (Vanguard)
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The scary Shining-lookin’ twins that Jenny Watson used for backup on her Rabbit Fur Coat album strike out on their own here, and while I found Fire Songs to be disappointingly short on fire and long on Natalie Merchant-esque beige balladry, it’s nothing if not pretty — and really, how often to you get the chance to listen to backwoods duets sung by twins who traded the south for Silverlake? Pour yourself a sample glass at the twins’ MySpace page.

Chicago – Stone of Sisyphus (Rhino)

Coldplay – Viva La Vida (Capitol/EMI)
Speaking of “in the tank,” here comes EMI’s great white hope for the second quarter of 2008! Are garish artwork and echoes of U2 enough to keep the label’s top shareholders from having to sell off their third chateaus? Judging from the second single (and title track), the answer is an unqualified “yes.” Judging from most of the rest of the record, on the other hand…

Jason Falkner – Bedtime With The Beatles 2 (Adrenaline)
In which the terminally underrated power-pop superhero follows up his wonderful (and stupidly out of print) Bedtime With the Beatles, offering nine more lullaby renditions of classic tracks from the Fab Four, including “Norwegian Wood,” “Penny Lane,” and — oddly — “Here Comes the Sun.” My daughter can’t wait!

Mick Hucknall – Tribute to Bobby (Rhino)
Hucknall disbanded Simply Red last year, joining Roddy Frame and Ian Broudie in the ranks of artists whose solo debuts were made in name only. For his maiden voyage, Mr. Red pays tribute to the music of Bobby “Blue” Bland — a well-deserved tip of the hat, to be sure, but one whose commercial significance cannot possibly be underestimated. Still, Mick’s in fine voice, and he’s probably got more money than he’ll ever be able to spend, so good for him!

Judas Priest – Nostradamus (Sony)
People haven’t been buying albums for a decade, and metal hasn’t sold for dick in a couple of decades — so what does Judas Priest do in 2008? It records a double album about a 16th-century occultist. Who’s got balls? The Priest has balls!I haven’t listened to a concept album since Tarkus triggered a fit of projectile vomiting back in 1991, and I’m not breaking that streak now, but hey — you’ve got to admire the band’s moxie, right?

The Offspring – Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace (Sony)
Wait, what? This band is still around — and this is their eighth album? How did this happen? And why?

Katy Perry – One of the Boys (Capitol)
Perry’s press flacks are referring to this album’s leadoff single, “Ur So Gay,” as “hilarious” and “zeitgeist-capturing,” but what they really mean to say is “profoundly stupid” and “transparently trendy” — terms that could be applied to pretty much this entire album. (My full-length review for Bullz-Eye is here.)

Sister Hazel – Before the Amplifiers: Live Acoustic (Rock Ridge)
I could have sworn Sister Hazel released a live album just a couple of years ago — and I would have been right: Live Live came out in 2004. But I guess there’s a difference between a live album and an acoustic live album, at least as far as this band’s inexplicably rabid fans are concerned. More power to everyone concerned.

Teddy Thompson – A Piece of What You Need (Verve Forecast)
Teddy’s last record was a disappointing collection of covers, but he seems to have gotten back on track here; he hooked up with producer Marius de Vries, who helped midwife the “more adventurous” album Thompson was looking for. When he’s on target, Teddy Thompson is arguably the most talented of his next-gen rock scion peers. I’m cautiously optimistic.

UB40 – Twentyfourseven (Reflex)
Ali Campbell fans, this is your last chance to catch the bleating reggae singer fronting UB40 — he quit the band in January, leaving his former compadres to look under the cushions for a replacement (they eventually settled on Campbell’s younger brother — Christmas is gonna be awk-ward this year…)

Dennis Wilson – Pacific Ocean Blue (Legacy Edition) (Legacy)
Hey, what do you know? I’m reviewing this one tomorrow. Check in at midnight for in-depth critiquin’!