New releases: Oct. 4, 2005

My friends, it is not yet October. It is not time to be thinking about Christmas. But when I saw that the Reverend Horton Heat is releasing a Christmas album, I started looking for mistletoe.

Make no mistake: Nothing puts me in a more bah-humbug mood than Christmas music. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it thoroughly sucks. Much of that suckage can be attributed to colossal repetition. I don't care how wonderful the latest version of "Silent Night" is -- I'm most likely going to hate it. Not because it's a bad song, but because I am permanently sick of that and most other excruciatingly popular Christmas carols. It's unfair, I know. It's not the fault of "Silent Night" that it's overplayed, but the fact remains.

Many artists are aware of this Christmas-carol fatigue, so they set out to help by writing original Christmas songs for us. Very sweet, but unfortunately, those also usually end up sucking. It's like when your great aunt tries to be nice and gives you the gift of fruitcake. It's a nice thought, but it's a terrible thing to have.

But I'm tempted to do an about-face and put the Reverend's "We Three Kings" on my Christmas list this year. Why the exception to policy? Uh, because he's the Reverend. The album has only one original song, but I'm willing to bet it doesn't suck. Because he's the Reverend. Also, sick as I am of most traditional carols, I must admit I'm mighty intrigued by how "What Child is This?" and "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is going to sound when psychobillied. Hmmm ...

So maybe I'll break tradition and buy a Christmas album this year. If I can rock out to Chris Isaak's Christmas album from a few years back -- a rare Christmas CD I actually like -- and the Reverend, I might just get into the spirit after all.

The (potential) good'uns coming out Tuesday, Oct. 4:
The Reverend Horton Heat -- We Three Kings (Yep Roc)
Cross Canadian Ragweed -- Garage (Universal South)
Sara Evans -- Real Fine Place (RCA)
Ben Harper/Blind Boys from Alabama -- Live at the Apollo (Virgin)
Fiona Apple -- Extraordinary Machine
Franz Ferdinand -- You Could Have It So Much Better (Sony)
My Morning Jacket -- Z (ATO)
Warning: This one apparently is one of those "content/copyright protected CDs," so know that you're being treated like a criminal even as you do as the music industry asks and buy the CD in a store at full price. What do I mean by that? I mean that you may well attempt to play your own, legally purchased CD in your own legal equipment, but it may or may not work. Last time I bought a CD in this format ("Howl" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) it wouldn't play in my iPod or my car. I was not pleased.
Ronnie Bowman (former Lonesome River Band lead singer) -- Mountain (Koch)
Johnnie & Jack -- (box set) Johnnie & Jack and the Tennessee Mountain Boys (Bear Family)
Toshi Reagon -- Have You Heard (Righteous Babe)
Various artists -- Putumayo Presents: Celtic Crossroads (Putumayo)