New releases: July 7, 2009

Last week was Wilco, and this week it's a new release from Son Volt. It's almost too much to bear. Take a deep breath, stay with me ... we'll get through this.

Bombadil -- Tarpits and Canyonlands (Ramseur)
Drive-by Truckers -- Live from Austin, Texas [CD/DVD] (New West)
Jayhawks -- Music from the North Country: The Jayhawks Anthology (Sony Legacy)
I've got everything the Jayhawks ever released (except the Bunkhouse album, siiiiigh) and more, but a look at the tracklist on this two-CD set (plus DVD, if you spring for the deluxe version) has a lot to offer us loyal fans. Disc one is essentially a "best of," but the second disc is a delicious assortment of rarities, including "Falling Star" from Bunkhouse, that seems to me well worth the purchase.
Jim Lauderdale -- Planet of Love (American Beat)
Son Volt -- American Central Dust (Rounder)
The Young Fresh Fellows -- I Think This Is (Yep Roc)

The Olympic Ass-Kickin Team / National Champions

Unabashed disciples of Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones, the Olympic Ass-Kickin Team plays hook-filled guitar rock loaded with large doses of Terry Anderson's twisted wacky sense of humor. "You Had Me At Get Lost" tells the tale of an infatuated ex who finds physical abuse and restraining orders signs...

New releases: June 30, 2009

Wilco! Wilco! Wilco! Ahem. The full (to the best of our knowledge) list:

Levon Helm -- Electric Dirt (Welk)
Brad Paisley -- American Saturday Night (Arista)
The Sweetback Sisters -- Chicken Ain't Chicken (Signature)
Kevin Welch -- Beneath My Wheels (Compass)
Wilco -- Wilco (The Album) (Nonesuch)

Another Rock Legend Dies

Sky Saxon, lead singer and founding father of the seminal sixties garage band The Seeds died Thursday. Their hit single from 1967, "Can't Seem To Make You Mine", has been covered by everyone from the Ramones to Alex Chilton (okay, everyone except Michael Jackson-who also died Thursday-just in case you...

New releases: June 23, 2009

Bjork -- Voltaic (Nonesuch)
Shawn Colvin -- Live (Nonesuch)
Dinosaur Jr. -- Farm (Jagjaguwar)
Patterson Hood -- Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs) (Ruth St./Thirty Tigers)
The Mars Volta -- Octahedron (Warner Bros.)
Tift Merritt -- Buckingham Solo [Live] (Fantasy)
Charlie Robison -- Beautiful Day (Dualtone)
Sons of Bill -- One Town Away (Thirty Tigers)
Regina Spektor -- Far (Warner Bros.)