New releases: Aug. 23, 2005

Yes, Townes Van Zandt is no longer with us -- but when was the last time that stopped an artist from putting out a CD? In the case of Tupac Shakur, that's a bad thing that's taking away from his legacy. One posthumous CD might have been OK, but almost 10 years later we're still hearing "new" tracks, and I'm pretty sure I can hear the bottom of the barrel being scraped mercilessly.

The legacy of Townes Van Zandt, however, has been treated more respectfully. This week's release of "Be Here to Love Me" comes in conjunction with a documentary about his life and music, also titled "Be Here to Love Me," that's been making the film festival circuit. From everything I've read (alas, I haven't seen it) it's a loving portrait and tribute of his life, his music and his influence, both personal and professional, on other singer-songwriters, including Lyle Lovett, Steve Earle (who says "Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that!"), Lucinda Williams and pretty much everyone else who's awesome, ever. The two CDs in the soundtrack release definitely hit the highlights ("Pancho and Lefty," "Flyin' Shoes"), but the songs were selected more as a way to advance the documentary's narrative, according to director Margaret Brown. So it's not merely a greatest-hits package -- I think the idea is for it to be a way to let Townes tell his own life story even as it unfolds on the screen.

Unless you live in London, which has the only remaining dates listed, it looks like you're out of luck for seeing the movie on screen, but the documentary's Web site says the DVD is slated for release in early 2006. Until then, you can tide yourself over by letting Townes tell it from the soundtrack.

UPDATE: My bad! London is just the last film-festival screening. "Be Here to Love Me" will be released in theaters in December, so be on the lookout! And it looks like plans are to release it on DVD in early 2006. But yes, until then, like I said -- you can snap up the soundtrack and let ol' Townes tell it.

THE LIST:
Townes Van Zandt -- Be Here to Love Me (Tomato Music)
Amy Rigby -- Little Fugitive (Signature)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club -- Howl (Red Ink)
The Kennedys -- Half a Million Miles (Appleseed)
Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon -- Sixty Six Steps (RCA)
The New Pornographers -- Twin Cinema (Matador)
Delbert McClinton -- Cost of Living (New West)
Ozomatli -- Live from the Fillmore (Concord)