((((( NEW ARRIVALS: CDs ))))) Van Morrison, Trail Of Dead, Black Lips & more

v/a POP AMBIENT 2009 CD
*** "The bliss is finally back -- presenting the 2009 edition of Kompakt's highly-anticipated fan-favorite series, Pop Ambient. On this year's edition are many new faces, compared to the historically familiar roster that has graced previous editions." Includes TIM HECKER, KLIMEK, THE FUN YEARS and more.

AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD The Century Of Self CD
*** New album! Post-major label post-prog.

DAN AUERBACH Keep It Hid CD
*** BLACK KEYS frontman steps out for a solo joint after ::cough:: keeping it hid for so long.

BIBIO Vignetting The Compost CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Seamlessly amalgamating nature and electronics, Vignetting The Compost is at once timeless and innovative; 60s-esque folk guitar and mechanic manipulations of sounds whose instruments of origin are less important than the feelings they evoke, layer upon each other with ease and intricacy. Just when you expect to hear Nico's moan escaping your stereo, Bibio himself comes through with a voice that could have sung next to her."

BLACK LIPS 200 Million Thousand CD
*** "Simple, straightforward songwriting mesh perfectly with the Black Lips distinctive howl to create a time capsule rife with nods to simple pleasures and a world of worry."

JOE HENDERSON & ALICE COLTRANE The Elements CD
*** RECOMMENDED Whooooooaa! Joe Henderson dishes up some transcendent brilliance alongside Mrs. Coltrane -- this is an excellent album of spiritual/cosmic jazz.

ETTA JAMES Tell Mama CD
*** Subtitled: The Complete Muscle Shoals Sessions. "The original classic LP plus 10 bonus tracks."

BEN KWELLER Changing Horses CD
*** Apparently Kweller went all "Whassup, country music!!" on this one. Names like Leon Russell have been bandied about.

THE LAFAYETTE AFRO-ROCK BAND Darkest Light CD
*** RECOMMENDED "Features tracks sampled Jay-Z, De La Soul, Public Enemy & more."

VAN MORRISON Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bowl CD
*** Van Mo' takes his most-classic of classics and flips it upside down, chops and skrew's it(!!) and puts it out on his own label. The sequenced has altered slightly and shorties become jams, jams become shorties.

THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart CD
*** "The Pains of Being Pure At Heart is an instant classic, packed with brilliantly executed pop gems that blend the rush of youthful enthusiasm with crafty arrangements, well-honed tunes and buckets of guitar racket."

THE SISTERS OF MERCY Some Girls Wander By Mistake / Vision Thing 2xCD
*** A two-disc pairing of Sisters singles collection and their final album.