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.' ]

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.]

Morissette Alanis - Jagged Little Pill Acoustic ($13.99) [The biggest-selling album by a female artist in history, Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill is 16 times platinum and Billboard's Top Pop Album of the 90's. Now, celebrating its 10th anniversary, Morissette and producer/co-writer have recorded the entire album in an acoustic version. Jagged Little Pill Acoustic (enhanced with exclusive content) features the songs in their original order and adds previously unreleased video footage from that era. Jagged Little Pill Acoustic is just what the doctor ordered. ]

Mraz Jason - Mr A-Z ($14.99) [Jason Mraz presents his latest offering and his second studio album-Mr. A-Z. Produced by the legendary Steve Lillywhite (U2, Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, et al) at Allaire Studios near Woodstock, NY, Mr. A-Z is Mraz's most inspired and thoughtful record to date. ]

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).]

Ween - Shinola Vol 1 ($12.99) [ONLY AVAILABLE AT CD World in Eugene. This is a brand new recording by Ween and only available at a select number of independet music store around the coountry. Get them before he all gone.]