New releases: Aug. 28, 2007

Listen.

I'm going to make this real easy for you.

Lyle Lovett's new album comes out next week.

You can cross everything else off your to-do list, just focus on getting to the music store Tuesday at 10:01 a.m., sharp, and snagging Lyle Lovett and His Large Band's "It's Not Big It's Large" (tee hee), brought to you by the kind folks at Lost Highway.

You shall reach an acceptable level of ecstasy (see what I did there???) if you buy the basic CD, I'm sure. But I'd recommend -- and I rarely do this -- springing for the deluxe version, which contains a bonus CD/DVD with recording footage and discussions and some extra takes.

Why? Because it's Lyle, one. And you go all out for Lyle, because Lyle goes all out for you. Second, for those of you who don't get why the ladies looooove Lyle, a DVD might make you understand. It's not that he's hot, per se. It's that he's sexy. Damn sexy. If you've seen him live, you get it. If you haven't yet had that privilege, a DVD will probably clue you in. You'll thank me later.

So forget about your work commitments, your bills, your spouse, your favorite TV show. Just pick up "It's Not Big" and let ol' Lyle take care of the rest.

ADDENDUM: I would like to take a moment here, by the way, to thank Lyle, Lost Highway, and the Powers That Be for releasing the deluxe version of this album at the same time as the regular one. Because I love me some Lyle -- quite possibly more than anyone else on the planet loves Lyle except, of course, Lyle's mama -- but I'd be pretty bent out of shape about having to buy an album twice.