New releases: Feb. 14, 2006

Remember, kids: Nothing says love this Valentine's Day like a sparkling new CD. Show her you love her with one of next week's new releases:

Mountain Heart -- Wide Open (Skaggs Family)
April Verch -- Take Me Back (Rounder)
I really liked what I heard of this artist on a "The Nashville Nobody Knows" podcast last year. Check it out here if you'd like a taste.
Shawn Mullins -- 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor (Vanguard)
Yep, that Ninth Ward. The studio Mullins had been using to record this album was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina while he was on the road, so it had to be finished elsewhere. But along the way Mullins scored some co-writing credits with Matthew Sweet and Pete Droge (fellow band members in The Thorns) and Glenn Phillips. There's also a guest appearance on one track from Nickel Creek mandolinist Chris Thile.