Fountains Of Wayne - Out of state plates ($11.99) [Out-of-State Plates is the byproduct of nearly a decade of Fountains of Wayne's stellar power-pop pursuits. The 28 performances (two other tracks are brief, snarky radio excerpts) culled together on this double-disc anthology may represent demos and previously unreleased leftovers from the band's three albums, but their consistent quality belies any notion of the extraneous. Also spotlighted are two new performances: the rollicking rush 'Maureen' and the infectious, pop-souful 'The Girl I Can't Forget.' ]

Grateful Dead - Truckin up to Buffalo 7/4/89 ($18.99) [A classic July 4th concert is brought to life in HDCD Sound on the first of three historic live releases celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. Drawn from arguably the band's strongest tour of their last 15 years on the road, the two-disc Truckin' Up To Buffalo features the entire concert at Rich Stadium on July 4, 1989. Favorites include 'Bertha,' 'Touch Of Grey,' 'Man Smart, Woman Smarter,' 'Morning Dew,' and 'U.S. Blues.' ]

Indigo Girls - Rarities ($12.99) [Now comes more suggestion of that in Rarities, an album made up of leftovers, odds and ends, demos, other previously unreleased material, and contributions to side albums. The good news is that there is much here to enjoy, all of it wrapped in the Girls' trademark corduroy-and-silk harmonies. Their demo version of 'Ghost' is fraught with fevered longing, a remix of 'Shed Your Skin' delights with its swirling, hypnotic soundscape, and the cameos by Michael Stipe ('I'll Give You My Skin') and Ani DiFranco ('Ramblin' Round') resonate with artistry and star power.]

Lanois Daniel - Belladonna ($12.99) [When Brian Eno recorded his landmark ambient releases of the '80s and '90s, he transformed our perception of space, music, and performance. His collaborator on those albums, and on subsequent production work with U2, was Daniel Lanois. Lanois took the techniques he developed with Eno and went on to produce career albums for Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, and Emmylou Harris. Now the journey comes full circle on 'Belladonna', an instrumental record that captures the often tense emotional dynamics of Eno's pioneering releases. Dense textures evolve into delicate Mexican melodies, capturing the disquieting serenity of American southwest landscapes. This is Daniel's defining moment.]

Mediaeval Baebes - Mirabilis ($14.99) [On Mirabilis, the Mediaeval Baebes drill even deeper (and wider) into their chorale sound, making music with ancient roots and timeless designs. An octet of Englishwomen with a penchant for dressing up in flouncy gothic gowns just this side of Victoria's Secret, they've released several albums mining medieval hymns and plainsong. They're still at it here, matching obscure Latin, Gaelic, and old English texts (along with the odd Robert Burns poem) to music that is often newly composed but sounds as if it came out of a Dark Ages court or monastery. But without ever playing instruments more modern than the violin, they bring a modern arranger's head to tunes that float on percussion, recorder, concertina, cittern, hurdy-gurdy, and strings. Under the musical direction of founder Katherine Blake, the harmonies are richer and more complex than on previous Baebes discs.]

Midon Raul - State of mind ($7.99) [It's rare that an artist arrives onto the pop music scene so fully loaded with the kind of hit-making potential that singer-composer-guitarist Ral Midn possesses. The New Mexico-born, New York-based Midn makes his recording debut with State of Mind, produced by Arif Mardin and Joe Mardin for Manhattan Records. The 13-track collection of Midn originals is a remarkable mlange of soul, R&B, pop, folk, jazz and Latin. The CD places on display his earnest, lyrical songwriting; full-bodied vocals steeped in soul; a singular syncopated, flamenco- and jazz-infused acoustic guitar style; a unique vocal trumpet improvisation; and hopeful disposition. ]

Nelson Willie - Crazy - Demo Sessions ($16.89) [What's stranger: Willie Nelson singing lilting reggae melodies, or a Jamaican chestnut like 'The Harder They Fall' set to an acoustic country arrangement, complete with Dobro? Given Nelson's well-publicized taste for ganja, it's not surprising he's also fond of the island's major musical export. The genre-straddling Countryman, replete with dub effects, skanking beats, ringing steel guitars, and Nelson's signature nylon-string picking, doesn't measure up to his earlier, artful Lost Highway releases. It's easy to understand why this project was shelved by Nelson's previous label for nine years. There are no musical sparks, and the buoyant rhythms trivialize the strong lyrics of Nelson classics like 'Darkness on the Face of the Earth.' ]

Son Volt - Okemah and the melody of riot ($13.99) [Jay Farrar's back-and-forth forays into country and rock music naturally link him to Gram Parsons, yet Farrars further bonded to the late pioneer by his ability to play assorted styles in various groupings and incarnations. After two albums and an EP of solo material that had him dipping his toes in -Revolveresque studio methods, Farrar has reassembled Son Volt (with all new members) for its first all-new recording in seven years. Named for the Oklahoma town that raised Woody Guthrie, the records impulsively executed dozen are as much about turmoil as they are observation, complete with a recorded-live pulse complemented by guitarist Brad Rice (ex-Whiskeytown).]