New releases: July 18, 2006

Just when the summer (for those of you who live where it's summer) is starting to get a bit oppressive, we get a breath of fresh air via ... smog. Alt-country supergroup Golden Smog -- Dan Murphy of Soul Asylum; The Jayhawks' Gary Louris, Marc Perlman and Kraig Johnson; and Wilco's Jeff Tweedy -- returns with another disc of delicious quirk. Check back here Monday for a full review.

The list of your recommended new releases for the week of July 18, 2006, goes a little something like this:
Golden Smog -- Another Fine Day (Lost Highway)
Don Rigsby and Midnight Call -- Hillbilly Heartache (Rebel)
Bruce Cockburn -- Life Short Call Now (Rounder)
Los Lonely Boys -- Sacred (Sony)
The French Kicks -- Two Thousand (Vagrant)
Chip Taylor -- Unglorious Hallelujah (Back Porch)
The Meat Purveyors -- Someday Soon Things Will Be Much Worse! (Bloodshot)
Best CD name I've seen in a long time.
Scott H. Biram -- Graveyard Shift (Bloodshot)

Go get 'em.