New releases: Oct. 13, 2009

I was in Target today, and, well, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was SURPRISED, dammit, to find some Christmas decorations and cards lurking in the back corner, and the cheesy theme-CD display by the greetings cards spewing out Christmas tunes. I mean, can't I just enjoy my Halloween candy in peace? Sheesh!

But apparently Target is not alone in cranking up the Big Christmas Machine in early October. The folks at the record companies think it's high time, too. So this week's list is CHOCK full of Christmas releases. Deal with that how you will. Here are the holiday offerings, followed by the rest of this week's list:

Oct. 13, 2009 (Christmas in October!)
John Cowan -- Comfort and Joy (Koch)
Jerry Douglas -- Jerry Christmas (Koch)
Neil Diamond -- A Cherry Cherry Christmas (Sony)
Bob Dylan --Christmas in the Heart (Sony)

Oct. 13, 2009 (not Christmas)
Thad Cockrell -- To Be Loved [digital] (Major 7)
The Flaming Lips -- Embryonic (Warner Bros)
John Gorka -- So Dark You See (Red House)
I Was Totally Destroying It -- Horror Vacui (Greyday)
Lonnie Walker -- These Times Old Times (Terpsikhore)
Los Lonely Boys -- 1969 [EP] (Mega Force)
Erin McKeown -- Hundreds of Lions (Righteous Babe)
James McMurtry -- Live in Europe [CD/DVD] (Lightning Rod)
Grant-Lee Phillips -- Little Moon (Yep Roc)
Brian Setzer -- Songs from Lonely Avenue (Surfdog)