One obvious important new album release this week that will, as the ubiquitous ads say "stimulate blood flow to that special area": The Beastie Boys have their first new album in about six years, To the 5 Boroughs.

Springsteen's Missus has an album this week, Patti Scialfa's 23rd Street Lullaby.

Phish has a final album, boo hoo. It's called Undermind. Has this band ever written even ONE memorable song?

Blue Note has what sounds like an interesting series of "Blue Note plays" albums this week, including volumes for Burt Bacharach, Stevie Wonder and the Beatles. Unfortunately there's no information at Amazon for exactly WHO at Blue Note is playing what.

Capitol's new album Ultra-Lounge: Cocktails With Cole Porter includes contributions from Sarah Vaughn, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington among others. That does sound intoxicating.

Shifting downmarket for our closing, note this week a 2 disc ZZ Top best of on Rhino, Rancho Texicano: The Very Best of ZZ Top. That should be enough ZZ to satisfy any but the most depraved.

This week's major releases, from All Music Guide:

Beastie Boys To the 5 Boroughs Capitol
Styles: Alternative Rap, Hip-Hop, Alternative Pop/Rock, Underground Rap

Phish Undermind Elektra
Styles: American Trad Rock, Jam Bands, Alternative Pop/Rock

Laura Nyro Spread Your Wings and Fly: Live at the Fillmore East Columbia/Legacy
Styles: Singer/Songwriter, Soft Rock

Dave Alvin Ashgrove Yep Roc
Styles: Singer/Songwriter, Roots Rock, Americana

Count Basie Jazz Moods: Hot Sony
Styles: Swing, Big Band

The Beach Boys Sights and Sounds of Summer [CD & DVD] Capitol
Styles: Pop/Rock, Surf

Andrea Bocelli Il Trovatore Decca
Styles: Italian Romantic Opera

David Bowie Diamond Dogs [30th Anniversary Edition] Virgin
Styles: Glam Rock, Hard Rock, Pop/Rock, Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Proto-Punk

Call and Response Winds Take No Shape Badman
Styles: Indie Pop

Lori Carson The Finest Thing Meta
Styles: Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock

Patsy Cline The Essential First Recordings Varese
Styles: Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan, Traditional Country, Country-Pop

Larry Coryell Tricycles Favored Nations
Styles: Contemporary Jazz, Modern Creative, Post-Bop

Curve The Way of Curve Anxious
Styles: Alternative Dance, Alternative Pop/Rock, Electronica, Shoegaze

James DePreist Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 7 Delos
Styles: Modern Orchestral Music

Celine Dion A New Day: Live in Las Vegas Sony
Styles: Adult Contemporary, Pop, Soft Rock

Lila Downs Una Sangre (One Blood) Narada
Styles: Afro-Brazilian, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Bolero, Mariachi, Mexican Folk, Ranchera, Rock & Roll, Roots Reggae, Son

4hero The Remix Album, Vol. 1 Raw Canvas
Styles: Club/Dance, Jungle/Drum'n'bass, Broken Beat

The Heptones Deep in the Roots Heartbeat
Styles: Roots Reggae, Dub, Rocksteady

Ondrej Lenard Havergal Brian: Symphony No. 1 "The Gothic" Naxos
Styles: Romantic Orchestral Music

Joseph Malik Aquarius Songs Compost
Styles: Neo-Soul, Contemporary R&B, Chamber Pop

Alessandro Marchi Vivaldi: Orlando finto pazzo Opus III
Styles: Italian Baroque Opera

Bill Morrissey The Essential Collection Rounder
Styles: Contemporary Folk, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Progressive Folk

Original Soundtrack De-Lovely Columbia/Sony Music Soundtrax
Styles: Soundtracks, Traditional Pop, Vocal Jazz, Vocal Pop

Original TV Soundtrack The Simple Life, Vol. 2 Virgin
Styles: Alternative Pop/Rock, Dance-Pop, Pop-Rap, Punk-Pop, Television Soundtracks

Philly's Most Wanted Ring the Alarm Universal
Styles: East Coast Rap

Pink Grease This Is For Real Mute
Styles: Garage Punk, Punk Revival

Terry Reid Super Lungs: The Complete Studio Recordings EMI
Styles: Rock & Roll, Blues-Rock, Hard Rock, Psychedelic, British Invasion

Peter Schmid & Vinny Golia Birdology Leo
Styles: Avant-Garde Jazz, Structured Improvisation, Free Improvisation

Seether Disclaimer [Bonus DVD] Wind-up
Styles: Alternative Metal, Post-Grunge

Artie Shaw The Complete Rhythm Makers Sessions 1937-1938, Vol. 2 Flyright
Styles: Sweet Bands, Swing

Chris Stamey Travels in the South Yep Roc
Styles: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Jangle Pop

Various Artists Blue Note Plays Burt Bacharach Blue Note
Styles: Soul-Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Hard Bop, Jazz-Pop

Various Artists Blue Note Plays Stevie Wonder Blue Note
Styles: Contemporary Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Smooth Jazz, Jazz-Funk, Soul-Jazz

Various Artists Blue Note Plays the Beatles Blue Note
Styles: Contemporary Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Post-Bop, Jazz-Funk, Soul-Jazz

Various Artists Reggae Gold 2004 VP
Styles: Dancehall, Ragga

Various Artists Ultra-Lounge: Cocktails With Cole Porter Capitol
Styles: Lounge, Orchestral Pop, Traditional Pop, Vocal Jazz, Vocal Pop

Alexis Weissenberg Les Introuvables d'Alexis Weissenberg EMI
Styles: Romantic and Twentieth-Century Piano Music

Who Trio The Current Underneath Leo
Styles: Avant-Garde Jazz, Modern Free

Johnny Winter I'm a Bluesman Virgin
Styles: Modern Electric Blues, Modern Electric Texas Blues, Slide Guitar Blues, Blues-Rock

Patti Scialfa 23rd Street Lullaby Sony
Styles: American Trad Rock, Roots Rock, Alternative Country-Rock