Ry Cooder - I, Flathead
I, Flathead finds Ry Cooder once more in conceptual turf–lyrically and narratively. His basic story revolves around some salt flats ne’er-do-well car jockeys (including our narrator/hero Kash Buk), and a little extraterrestrial who can fix or invent anything from anything. He, in turn, is followed from galaxy to galaxy by a sinister character known only as the Passenger. Cooder digs deep into rockabilly, blues, country, Norteno and swing with son Joaquim and a host of other notables including Flaco Jimenez. This is a whole new genre: sci-fi Americana.

Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal
Alejandro Escovedo’s ambitious 2006 album The Boxing Mirror was recorded as Escovedo was recovering from a near-fatal bout with Hepatitis C. 2008’s Real Animal is a leaner, more tightly focused session; in fact, this is the strongest rock album Escovedo has made since his 1997 album with Buick MacKane. If The Boxing Mirror was a work influenced by the shadow of mortality, Real Animal is an album about life — both as survival and as the faces and moments that fill our days on this Earth.

Sigur Rós - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
With their fifth full-length album, Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust (translated as With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly), Sigur Rós have taken the poppy, sunshine-y leanings of their previous album a step further into the light. The result is a leaner, more direct sound that has plenty of emotional impact, and an album that stands alongside their finest work to date.
 
Three 6 Mafia - Last 2 Walk
After its street date was pushed back for over a year, Three 6 Mafia’s follow-up to the multi-platinum Most Known Unknown finally arrives and three of the pre-release singles are missing. Plus, the group has shrunk down to a duo – DJ Paul and Juicy J – so if you’re thinking Last 2 Walk sounds like a troubled and maybe even forced album, you’re right on both counts. It’s uneven, but the best tracks are welcome reminders of the group’s early days.

The Anniversary - Devil on Our Side: B-Sides and Rarities
Babyshambles - Oh What a Lovely Tour(CD/DVD)
Jessie Baylin - Firesight
Be Your Own Pet - Get Damaged
Big Blue Ball - Big Blue Ball
Big Brother & the Holding Company - The Lost Tapes
Paul Bley - About Time
Blondie - Parallel Lines (CD/DVD)
Cajun Dance Party - The Colourful Life
Camper Van Beethoven - Popular Songs of Great Enduring Strength and Beauty
Mark Chesnutt - Rollin’ with the Flow
Cute Is What We Aim For - Rotation
Eric Darius - Goin’ All Out
Anthony David - Acey Duecy
Dwele - Sketches of a Man
Elephant9 - Dodovoodoo
G. Love & Special Sauce - Superhero Brother
The Grip Weeds - Infinite Soul: The Best of the Grip Weeds
Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair
Warren Hill - La Dolce Vita
Billy Idol - The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself
Amos Lee - Last Days at the Lodge
P.W. Long - God Bless the Drunkard’s Dog
Love as Laughter - Holy
Edwin McCain - Nobody’s Fault But Mine
Mötley Crüe - Saints of Los Angeles
Thomas Newman - WALL·E (Original Score)
Nurse with Wound - Huffin’ Rag Blues
Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass - The Room Over Mine
Liz Phair - Exile in Guyville (Deluxe Edition)
Jay Reatard - Singles 06-07
Reckless Kelly - Bulletproof
Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog - Party Intellectuals
RZA as Bobby Digital - Digi Snacks
Shinedown - The Sound of Madness
Watermelon Slim & the Workers - No Paid Holidays
The Watson Twins - Fire Songs
Various Artists - Eccentric Soul: The Tragar & Note Labels
Original Soundtrack - The Wackness