For Those About To Rock

Jackson's spot on cartoon shaped 'Simpsons'

Measuring Michael Jackson's legacy requires a scale whose size and shape I can hardly fathom.

There isn't much to add to the retrospectives and eulogies that isn't already floating out in cyberspace in some form.

Initially, I was fascinated by the strong push to remember Jackson at his best.

"I know he was mired in controversy the last decade of his life, but I think it's time we let him rest in peace and learn to separate the art and the artist," Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, the drummer for The Roots, told Pitchfork.com. "That is the MJ I will forever remember."

I was never a big Jackson fan, but I understand the impulse behind those such as ?uestlove. The best way to deal with loss is to "think of the good times so they become the only memories you have." That's what a friend said when I was little.

I may not have been a big Jackson fan, but I know he was a distinct voice. I respect and admire his undeniable effect on music. It's not that he had big singles or that he made Thriller, the best-selling record of all time.

It was the way he did it. He made music videos into an art form. He crossed musical and racial boundaries. He moonwalked his way right into music history. He changed the game.

In a sadly ironic way, his passing has provided him a comeback far greater than the 50 dates scheduled to start Monday at London's O2 Arena ever could have. He had six of the top 10 records the week after he died and became the first artist to sell more than 1 million digital downloads in a week.

I know I haven't made too many trips up and down the dial since June 25 without finding at least one station playing "Beat It" or "Billie Jean" or "Thriller" or "Bad" or "Black or White" or "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" or any of his hits. Even if you weren't a fan, you knew his songs.

For me, silly as it sounds, I'll best remember Jackson for having a changing touch on another important piece of pop culture history: "The Simpsons."

"Stark Raving Dad" was the show's third-season premiere episode in September 1991. In an episode in which patriarch Homer is sent to a mental institution for wearing a pink T-shirt, Jackson delivered one of the show's most memorable guest appearances. He played Leon Kompowsky, Homer's roommate who pretends to be Michael Jackson to make himself feel better.

I didn't see the episode until at least seven or eight years later. I wasn't allowed to watch "The Simpsons" when I was little.

I knew the King of Pop was on the program, though. It was what all the cool kids at school were talking about on the playground at recess.

Later, when I was a teenager permitted to watch the show, I binged. I recorded every episode I could find to VCR cassettes, watching and re-watching them, including the Jackson one.

Eventually, DVD box sets replaced the tapes, and after hearing the news of Jackson's death, I came home and plucked "Stark Raving Dad" off the shelf.

On the episode's DVD commentary, Jim Brooks, a producer on the show, notes, "at the time, this was the biggest guest in the show's history."

He was a huge guest to land who also handed Bart a No. 1 single in several countries with "Do the Bartman."

Those were just a few ways in which Jackson changed life for the yellow man. Guests were already an essential component of the program. Dustin Hoffman, Penny Marshall, James Earl Jones, Jon Lovitz, Danny DeVito and recurring guest Kelsey Grammer had already made appearances by the start of the third leg.

Many modern guests get a one-line cameo, but Jackson's episode-long appearance legitimized going on "The Simpsons" for future guests. Even Tony Blair did a spot when he was still prime minister of England.

"The Simpsons" also instituted a rule after Jackson chose to use a pseudonym for his appearance — if you wanted be on the show, you had to cop to it and put your real name in the credits.

For "Stark Raving Dad," Jackson was credited as John Jay Smith, but the subterfuge didn't last. Everyone knew it was him.

That's because Jackson's voice was too distinct.

And in ways that reach far beyond a prime-time cartoon show, his voice always will be.

This Week, Nick Would Buy ... #80

Son Volt, American Central Dust (Rounder)

There's a certain cosmic humor in the newest Son Volt record following the latest from Wilco by one week.

Both bands have their roots in Uncle Tupelo, but when tensions strained between that group's singers, Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar, Tupelo said, "uncle."

That was 15 years ago. Farrar's Son Volt started out more successful — "Drown" was a minor radio hit — but, in the long run, it's Tweedy's Wilco that's been the one to watch.

Both bands wound up delivering on the artistic and creative reasons Tupelo bagged it — Tweedy was tired of being pigeonholed into the "alt-country" arena while Farrar was content to craft melodic folk.

On American Central Dust, the third platter since Son Volt returned from hiatus in 2005, Farrar and company are said to tone things down from the more experimental The Search, issued in '07.

American Central Dust is Son Volt's sixth album and first for Rounder.

If I Were Really Rich ...
— Against Me!, The Original Cowboy (Fat Wreck) | A collection of demos from the band's second record, As the Eternal Cowboy.
— Maxwell, BLACKsummers'night (Sony) | I'm not the biggest fan, but it's worth noting that this is the neo-soul singer's first slab since 2001's Now.

Also New This Week
— The Alchemist, Chemical Warfare (E1)
— All-Time Low, Nothing Personal (Hopeless)
— As You Drown, Reflection (Metal Blade)
— Atmosphere, Leak at Will [EP, digital download] (Rhymesayers)
— Berlin, All the Way In (Fuel 200)
— Big D and the Kids Table, Fluent in Stroll (Side One Dummy)
— Bowerbirds, Upper Air (Dead Oceans)
— Broken Records, Until the Earth Begins to Part (4AD)
— Death by Stereo, Death is My Only Friend (Adrenaline)
— Drive By Truckers, Live From Austin, Texas (New West)
— Vicente Fernandez, Necesito de Ti (Sony Int'l)
— Florence and the Machine, Lungs (Island)
— Jeff Garlin, Young & Handsome: A Night With Jeff Garlin (Shout! Factory)
— The Jayhawks, Music From the North Country: The Jayhawks Anthology (Sony Legacy)
— Job for a Cowboy, Ruination (Metal Blade)
— Kris Kristofferson, Border Lord/Jesus Was a Capricorn [Package reissue] (Wounded Bird)
— Kris Kristofferson, Spooky Lady's Sideshow/Shake Hands With the Devil [Package reissue] (Wounded Bird)
— Kris Kristofferson, Surreal Thing/Easter Island [Package reissue] (Wounded Bird)
— Kris Kristofferson, Who's to Bless and Who's to Blame/To the Bone [Package reissue] (Wounded Bird)
— LMFAO, Party Rock (Cherry Tree)
— Marcy Playground, Leaving Wonderland ... In a Fit of Rage (Deep South)
— The Minus 5, Killingsworth (Yep Roc)
— Hannah Montana, Hannah Montana (Disney)
— Paul Oakenfold, Perfecto: Vegas (Thrive/Red)
— Barack Obama, Days of Hope (Micro Werks)
— Oneida, Rated O (Jagjaguwar)
— Original broadway cast recording, Rock of Ages (New Line)
— Owen, The Seaside EP [EP] (Polyvinyl)
— The Rural Alberta Advantage, Hometowns (Saddle Creek)
— stellastarr*, Civilized (Bloated Wife)
— Suffocation, Blood Oath (Nuclear Blast)
— Tiny Vipers, Life on Earth (Sub Pop)
— UUVVWWZ, UUVVWWZ (Saddle Creek)
— Yo La Tengo, I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One [Vinyl reissue] (Matador)

2009 musical superlatives (so far)

So what if it's July 3? It's not too early to start sizing up the best of the year so far.

FIVE ALBUMS WORTH A SPIN

Animal Collective, Merriweather Post Pavilion (Domino)
You'll see this again on year-end lists. The optical illusion cover is a trip, but that's only the start of it. After its 2007 predecessor Strawberry Jam exposed them to a wider audience, Merriweather lived up to the hype and is the critical darling pick for 2009. It works out that its good, too. Most of their efforts start with a bizarre, repetitive noise — you think, "they're not really going to turn that into a beat, are they?" But they do. And it hooks you in. That's why they call 'em hooks.
Peep this: "My Girls," a triumphant ode to the husband and father as provider.

Dave Matthews Band, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King (RCA)
Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I'm a teensy bit of a DMB fan, but this is best batch of songs the group's written in 10 years. This slab became a tribute to LeRoi Moore, the band's saxophonist who died during its making, though early made of his early recordings made the final cut. The biggest weakness here are Matthews' lyrics, which run the gamut from tacky to tawdry. Musically, however, DMB hasn't sounded this coherent since Busted Stuff.
Peep this: "Time Bomb," a volcanic eruption unlike anything the band's done before.

Various artists, Dark Was the Night (4AD)
Just looking at the roster of these double disc benefit platters is enough to make one salivate: Feist, Bon Iver, The National, Grizzly Bear, Kronos Quartet, The Decemberists, Iron & Wine, Sufjan Stevens, My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire, Andrew Bird, TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek. And it's organized by two members of The National for a good cause — raising funds and awareness about HIV and AIDS.
Peep this: "Sleepless," The Decemberists' contribution, a string-laden crooner which eclipses a number of the offerings on their own 2009 offering.

M. Ward, Hold Time (Merge)
The Oregonian singer/songwriter rocks without abandoning his folky roots. On the numbers that don't work as well as they should, Ward still has his distinctive drizzly voice to carry things. This isn't as memorable as Post-War and the production values are a vast improvement over Duet for Guitars #2, but it feels like the next natural step.
Peep this: "Epistemology," which mixes mandolins and a catchy groove to a contemplation about one's own limitations in life and love.

Wilco, Wilco (The Album) (Nonesuch)
Ahh. There we go. This is the more like the record I was expecting in 2007 instead of Sky Blue Sky, a fine effort in its own right, but a bit of a tame one considering they'd just added uber-guitarist Nels Cline to the roster. The fact that it's nearly self-titled is apropos — it combines Wilco's many strengths and, track by track, assembles a sort of "here's what we've done so far" effort. Some tracks rock, some tracks meander beautifully, some tread that cozy Sky Blue Sky landscape. It's all here.
Peep this: "Wilco (The Song)." See below.

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FIVE SONGS WORTH YOUR .99 CENTS

Bon Iver, "Blood Bank" from Blood Bank [EP] — What the heck is this song about? Pregnancy? Donating blood? Who cares. Its whispery melancholy keeps you coming back. It's also Justin Vernon's best lyrical effort to date ("Ain't it just like the present to be showing up like this?").

Bob Dylan, "Beyond Here Lies Nothin'" from Together Through Life — You might've caught it in HBO's trailers for the second season of "True Blood," but if not, this gives you a pretty good glimpse of Bobby D's 33rd studio record. Accordion sparks a devious tune and, after a decade of it, Dylan's rusty death rattle is now weirdly comforting.

Grizzly Bear, "Two Weeks" from Veckatimest — Given the hype, the album didn't (hasn't?) grab me as much as I expected, but this song is dangerous. I hear the comparisons to Dr. Dre's "Still D-R-E," but I just don't care — this virus is more contagious than swine flu.

U2, "Magnificent" from No Line on the Horizon — The album was touted as the second coming, but for me, U2's 14th pie didn't quite hit all the X's. Like many experiments, there are times when it doesn't work at all and times when it really does. Count "Magnificent" as one that does, even if Bono sinks to stating the obvious ("I was born to sing for you"). It's a shame the rest of the record doesn't crackle like this.

Wilco, "Wilco (The Song)" from Wilco (The Album) — It's nice to see a band whose taken itself so seriously at times relax a little and pen a self-aware anthem to its fans in the process. Jeff Tweedy's songs are full of jokes and nearly poetic phrases, but so rarely do you have the experience of the band telling you that they'll love you.

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FIVE SONGS I DIDN'T EMBRACE UNTIL 2009
(I mean, hey, this is my blog!)

Depeche Mode, "I Feel You" from Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993) — Skipping the track for years because of that first hideous 10 seconds of skreetching noise, I kept listening to find there's an interesting song there. And the keyboard-fueled chorus is even sort of triumphant.

Peter Gabriel, "Down to Earth" from the Wall•E soundtrack (2008) — I loved the movie, but the song didn't grab me until I saw it again on DVD. It's a perfect fit for the film, but what really ices it is that Gabriel — a lover of music from around the globe whose incorporated a vast variety of sounds — works as sort of an ambassador inspiring our futuristic descendents as they return to our home planet.

The Magnetic Fields, "The Book of Love" from 69 Love Songs, Pt. 1 (1999) — The "series finale" of ABC's "Scrubs" may have introduced millions to the Peter Gabriel version, but hearing it made me go back and revisit the original with new appreciation. Gabriel's version is nice, but that's the problem. It's too nice with its strings and his relatively smooth vocal. This song is about a cynic coming to grips with his sentimentality — it needs the unethusiastic droll of Stephin Merritt.

Josh Ritter, "The Temptation of Adam" from The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (2007) — Ritter, the son of neuroscientists, has built a reputation as a stellar lyricist. I think I'd long overlooked this effort because of its lack of a distinct chorus, but I was sorely mistaken — the apocalypse never sounded as metaphoric and romantic as it does when the pen's in Ritter's hand.

Steely Dan, "Dirty Work" from Can't Buy a Thrill (1972) — Dismissing the group for years as too geeky and cheesy for their own good, I finally learned to stop worrying and love Steely Dan. Clever and musically adroit, they're still all the things I used to hate, but like a friend you've known for a long time, now I find these quirks endearing instead. "Dirty Work" proves to be an especially guilty pleasure, its keyboard textures and horns supplying a firm layer of cheese, but there's some undeniable funk here. And it has a conscience, too!

This Week, Nick Would Buy ... #79

Wilco, Wilco (The Album) (Nonesuch)

After having it streaming via the band's official site for the last month and a half, buying a physical copy of this on Tuesday will be a formality.

2007's Sky Blue Sky disappointed by going too far backward into the band's folk and country roots, a mellow misfire considering it was the first effort with Nels Cline and Pat Sansone aboard. It wasn't unreasonable to expect to see Wilco venture further its their own weirdness at that point, so Sky was grounded when experimentation seemed like the right move.

Wilco feels like the collective effort of a band playing to its many strengths — the pop-infused lessons from Summerteeth color the jaunty pop of "You Never Know" while its the A Ghost is Born-era willingness to experiment that informs "Bull Black Nova." And "Wilco (The Song)" is just big, self-aware hug.

The album is Wilco's seventh studio effort and fourth for Nonesuch.

Also New This Week
— Ace Hood, Ruthless (Def Jam)
— Anaal Nathrakh, In the Constellation of the Black Widow (Candlelight)
— Fox Bat Strategy, David Lynch Presents: Fox Bat Strategy: A Tribute to Dave Jaurequi [EP] (David Lynch)
— Buddy Guy, Playlist: The Very Best of Buddy Guy (Sony Legacy)
— Levon Helm, Electric Dirt (Vanguard)
— Jefferson Airplane, The Woodstock Experience [2CD] (Sony Legacy)
— Janis Joplin, The Woodstock Experience [2CD] (Sony Legacy)
— Jeremih, Jeremih (Def Jam)
— Killswitch Engage, Killswitch Engage (Roadrunner)
— Lila Downs, The Very Best of Lila Downs (EMI)
— Lillain Axe, Sad Day on Planet Earth (Blistering)
— Los Lonely Boys, Playlist: The Very Best of Los Lonely Boys (Sony Legacy)
— Maino, If Tomorrow Comes ... (Hustle Hard/Atlantic)
— Moby, Wait for Me (Little Idiot/Mute)
— Ted Nugent, Motor City Mayhem: 6,000th Concert (Eagle)
— Obituary, Darkest Day (Candlelight)
— Brad Paisley, American Saturday Night (Arista Nashville)
— Santana, The Woodstock Experience [2CD] (Sony Legacy)
— Sly and the Family Stone, The Woodstock Experience [2CD] (Sony Legacy)
— Stephen Sondheim, Road Show (Nonesuch)
— Rod Stewart, Atlantic Crossing [Remaster] (Rhino)
— Rod Stewart, A Night on the Town [Remaster] (Rhino)
— Suicide Silence, No Time to Bleed (Century Media)
— Rob Thomas, Cradlesong (Atlantic/Emblem)
— Tonya Tucker, My Turn (Saguaro Road)
— Twisted Sister, Stay Hungry [2CD remaster] (Rhino)
— Various artists, Now Vol. 31 (Sony Legacy)
— Various artists, The Woodstock Experience [10CD] (Sony Legacy)
— Whitesnake, Slide it In [Remaster] (Geffen)
— Whitesnake, Slip of the Tongue [Remaster] (Geffen)
— Wu-Tang Clan, Wu-Tang Chamber Music (KR Urban)
— Johnny Winter, The Woodstock Experience [2CD] (Sony Legacy)

Show time: Wilco at Greek Theater, 6.27.09

The moment said so much about Wilco's career.

After the Chicago rock sextet wrapped "The Late Greats," a snarky, inside-joke kiss off to pop radio and its denial of worthwhile artists such as themselves — the best bands are "so good, you won't ever know" — the members launched into their debut single blast from the past "Box Full of Letters."

Lead singer Jeff Tweedy introduced "Letters" as "one of the only videos MTV played of ours because Beavis and Butthead liked it."

The juxtaposition of the 1995 cut against the 2004 offering showed Tweedy's resignation and acceptance of the band's fate. Penning top 40 hits that dominate the airwaves may never happen, so it's with a bittersweet smile and nod that Tweedy sings "The Late Greats."

Measuring the band's success in commercial terms would ignore their devoted fanbase. Sure, they've never had a No. 1 album, but they have a following intense enough to sell out Berkeley's Greek Theater on a Saturday night.

Unassuming is a perfect word to describe Wilco, whose stage set up smacks of humility — just a few rows of colored lights, no gaudy LCD screens, curtains or pyrotechnics.

Another word would be clever. Taking the stage under the twinge of twilight, the set opened with "Wilco (The Song)," a cut from their forthcoming record complete with the fan-hugging refrain "Wilco will love you, baby."

One-quarter of the set was devoted to tracks from Tuesday's Wilco (The Album), the group's seventh LP. Even in their live infancy, they were comfortable additions to the catalog, with "One Wing" serving as a pensive bookend to "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart." On the sunny, encore-opening "You Never Know," lead guitarist Nels Cline worked a double-necked ax.

Tweedy was unusually quiet Saturday, tucking back his typical humorous stories and diatribes. However, he couldn't resist from revealing his son, Spencer, and his new tie-dyed threads courtesy of Berkeley street merchants.

Instead, the music did the talking — "Impossible Germany" smoldered as Cline landed a deft solo. The show-closing "Hoodoo Voodoo" saw Cline trade licks with multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone in an engaging guitar duel.

The highlight of the night was the back-to-back pairing of "Misunderstood" and "Spiders (Kidsmoke)." The former carried its customary, repetitive stutter on the word "Nothing!" while the latter saw Tweedy climb to the edge of the stage and hold out his guitar for an audience member to play. Nearly 20 minutes of music coalesced into a celebratory, foot-stomping closing section which saw the six-member team form a unified assault to close the pair out.

That's what Wilco does best. Maybe "you can't hear 'em on the radio," but if future installments are like Saturday's, their live show won't disappoint.

Michael Jackson dead at 50, TMZ reports

Michael Jackson, "The King of Pop" and the creator of the world's greatest selling album of all time, has died of 50 from a heart attack, TMZ reports.

Jackson's 1982 record, Thriller, has sold more than an estimated 100 million copies worldwide, and includes pop classics "Billie Jean," "Beat It" and "Thriller."

Oscar puts it up to 10

The Academy Awards and those who select them have decided the field for their annual best picture award will increase to 10 nominees from five.

I think this means the telecast will go to five hours from four. Including the awkward red carpet gaffes and interviews, this means the entire process now opens after brunch on Sunday.

I'm surprised and I'm not alone. Leaks about this were nonexistent.

I'm sure the thinking is that this will get both the snobby arthouse films in there to battle with the big money films — picture "Up" going toe to toe with the vastly underappreciated "Sugar."

Ebert talks about the pros and cons rather well in the above link, so I'll just add my .02 cents. I think it's like increasing the size of the rosters at an all-star game — people are always going to gripe about who got left out now matter how big the list is. People complained when records were left off of Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest in rock history.

I'm also a little sad because I've had an annual tradition for more than a decade of trying to see every best picture nominee before the awards ceremony and picking the winner. That's a difficult enough task without Oscar making it twice as hard.

Thumbs up, Pixar

So, not only does Emeryville-based Pixar make consistently good films, they also grant the wishes of dying girls to see their movies.

Since I typically use this space to rant about the capitalization of movies, music and film — and I'm varying degrees of too little, too late on all of those fronts — I thought it was worth mentioning this because of my favorite part of the story:

"Pixar officials declined to comment on the story or name the employees involved."

If I were more jaded, I'd say it's still a publicity stunt. But I'm not. Someone at Pixar made the decision to suggest they do it for the right reasons rather than trying to make the company look better.

That says a lot, but not as much as the action itself.

And then the dude from IMAX says, "OK, gang, here's the grift ... "

When a friend and I see "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" on Saturday, we're going to see it in a real IMAX theater.

A "real" IMAX theater is one that is not a cheap, pint-sized imitation.

In order to do this, our mission will take us — gasp — outside of Solano County.

Uh oh.

Now I've done it.

The truth just popped out.

But, c'mon. As long as I have to suffer through another Michael Bay-directed atrocity, it might as well be on a screen that dwarfs King Kong.

For me, it's a massive, stories-tall wall of image that defines "the IMAX experience."

However, during the last few years, IMAX has franchised, lowering its standards in the process. With the move to showing movies in a digital format also came a willingness to allow smaller-sized screens to call themselves IMAX. Some are as small as one-third the size of the traditional, old school IMAX auditoriums. It almost meant carrying mainstream films, too, instead of nature documentaries about the lifespan of the great white shark and things like that.

This has diluted IMAX's name and compromised the defining characteristic of its brand. Passing off a one-third-size facsimile smacks of thievery and deception. You wouldn't tell your buddy Jennifer Aniston was coming to your kegger when all you had is a cardboard cutout, and you don't advertise you have an IMAX screen when you have a pint-sized knock off. Those rank right up there with tugging on Superman's cape, spitting into the wind and messing around with Jim as well-known no-nos.

IMAX maintains that the sound quality and picture quality are the same the their brand has always carried. The screens are bigger than a standard multiplex, but not overwhelmingly so.

And that's not the same thing, is it?

It'd be like if Coke suddenly decided it was going to introduce a new product that had the Coke name but tasted absolutely nothing like the beverage many know and love. "C'mon! It's still Coke! It still comes in a red can!" Uh huh. Yeah, it's a good thing something like that never happened.

Another story I've heard is that IMAX says their brand has screens of different sizes. That's not deceptive. Neither is slapping your name on an inferior version of your product.

Aziz Ansari — who plays Tom Haverford on NBC's "Parks and Recreation" — recently Twittered about the nightmare he went through to get his $5 back after falling for this IMAX scam. (Naughty language warning: Link to his blog.)

Ansari's example shows why this whole thing bothers me. It's frustrating enough to walk into a theater, see some dinky little excuse for an IMAX screen and ask the theater attendant if this is a joke and you've stumbled into Mini-Me's screening room. The fact that there's an additional $4 or $5 charge to do it, that bugs me.

There's a buck to be made and — what a shock! — somebody figured out how to do it. But the fact these theaters have the audacity to charge extra for this laughable subtitute for the IMAX "experience" is inexcusable. It's the definition of "bait and switch" advertising.

But enough about this. I've got a magic show to catch. Megan Fox is going to make a movie directed by Michael Bay almost worth seeing.

For me, she'll do it on a screen that properly deserves the name IMAX — one that's at least five stories tall.

This Week, Nick Would Buy ... #78

The Mars Volta, Octahedron (Warner Bros.)

After 2008's unrelenting, full-throttle charge of The Bedlam in Goliath, the Volta might've given then-new drummer Thomas Pridgen the keys to drive, but he might've help push things into the red.

Not that brevity or simplicity was ever the Volta's bag. If there's a modern group who serves as poster children for the term "overindulgence," here you go.

But Bedlam's failing was in dynamism. Cedric Bixler-Zavala wailing and howling against a wall of guitars is more spectacular when you throw in a few quiet moments. After 75 minutes of Bedlam's sonic assault, my ears wanted a nap.

Early reviews indicate Octahedron is a sharp reaction — the quiet, brooding sister of Bedlam. Yeah, it's played on acoustic guitars, but so was "Asilos Magdalena" on Amputechture and that didn't stop it from descending into space cadet territory, so how soothing and melodic can Octahedron be?

After the false rumors of an At the Drive In reunion, I just wanna hear the Volta rock again.

If I Were Really Rich ...
— Björk, Voltaic [CD/DVD] (Nonesuch) | Live dispatch from Icelander's latest tour.
— Regina Spektor, Far (Warner Bros.) | Fifth album from the Soviet-born New York resident with the distinctively croaked chorus of "Fidelity."
— Pete Yorn, Back and Fourth (Sony) | Jersey boy repairs to Omaha, Neb., for his fourth platter.

Also New This Week
— Alexisonfire, Old Crows/Young Cardinals (Vagrant)
— The Bats, The Guilty Office (Hidden Agenda)
— Cheap Trick, The Latest (Cheap Trick)
— Cher, 3614 Jackson Highway [Reissue] (Atco)
— The Cliks, Dirty King (Warner Bros.)
— Shawn Colvin, Live (Nonesuch)
— Christina Courtin, Christina Courtin (Nonesuch)
— The Dear Hunter, Act III: Life and Death (Triple Crown)
— Def Leppard, Adrenalize [Deluxe edition reissue] (Island/Mercury)
— Def Leppard, Pyromania [Deluxe edition reissue] (Island/Mercury)
— Dinosaur Jr., Farm (Jagjaguwar)
— Dream Theater, Black Clouds and Silver Linings (Roadrunner)
— Escala, Escala (Columbia)
— Ginuwine, A Man's Thoughts (Warner Bros.)
— Goatwhore, Carving Out the Eyes of God (Metal Blade)
— Isaac Hayes, Hot Buttered Soul [Reissue] (Stax)
— He is Legend, It Hates You (Tragic Hero)
— The Lemonheads, Varshons (The End)
— John Mellencamp, Life Death Love and Freedom [Deluxe edition] (Hear Music)
— Tiff Merritt, Buckingham Solo (Fantasy)
— Merzbow, 13 Japanese Birds, Vol. 6: Kamo (Important)
— Alexi Murdoch, Away We Go (Nettwerk)
— Laura Nyro, Mother's Spiritual [Reissue] (Columbia)
— R.E.M., Reckoning [Deluxe edition reissue] (A&M)
— Paulina Rubio, Gran City Pop (Universal)
— Soundtrack, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Reprise)
— Spinnerette, Spinnerette (Anthem)
— Tonic, A Casual Affair: The Best of Tonic (Polydor)
— Tortoise, Beacons of Ancestorship (Thrill Jockey)