If'n you're feeling the need to get your grunge on, Audioslave has a new album this week, Out of Exile. As this album already ranks #6 on Amazon, apparently pretty many people are feeling that need.

For songwriting and playing though, probably the best new bet would be from Robert Cray. He knows what he's doing. The title song "20" apparently is some kind of anti-war thing, a lament from a soldier in Iraq.

Junk food pleasure fest of the week might come courtesy of the Gorillaz' Demon Days. This Blur side project has made more impression on me than the original band. Their platinum first album had the undeniable "Clint Eastwood." Don't know if there'll be anything as good, but I do note a song titled "Dirty Harry." The freaky spotlight, however, apparently belongs to Dennis Hopper for his guest narration on the sure to be a future standard "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head."

Here's the complete list of this week's major new releases, courtesy AMG:

Audioslave Out of Exile Interscope
Post-Grunge, Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock

Gorillaz Demon Days Virgin
Alternative Rap, Alternative Pop/Rock, Hip-Hop, Underground Rap

Stephen Malkmus Face the Truth Matador
Indie Rock, Singer/Songwriter

Sleater-Kinney The Woods [Bonus DVD] Sub Pop
Indie Rock

The Alkaline Trio Crimson Vagrant
Punk Revival, Punk-Pop, Emo

At the Drive-In Anthology: This Station Is Non-Operational Fearless
Post-Hardcore, Indie Rock, Emo

Belle & Sebastian Push Barman to Open Old Wounds Matador
Indie Pop, Twee Pop, Chamber Pop

Dave Brubeck London Flat, London Sharp Telarc
Mainstream Jazz

Canned Heat The Very Best Of [Capitol] Capitol
Blues-Rock, Boogie Rock, Electric Blues

Popa Chubby Big Man-Big Guitar, Popa Chubby Live Blind Pig
Modern Electric Blues

Common Be [Bonus DVD] Geffen
Alternative Rap, Jazz-Rap

Nikka Costa Can'tneverdidnothin' Virgin
Contemporary R&B, Urban, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock

Robert Cray Band Twenty Sanctuary
Contemporary Blues, Modern Electric Blues, Soul-Blues

Head of Femur Hysterical Stars Spin Art
Indie Rock, Pop Underground

Marques Houston Naked Universal
Urban, Contemporary R&B

Dmitri Hvorostovsky Mussorgsky: Songs and Dances of Death; Rachmaninov: Symphonic Dances Warner Classics
Romantic and Post-Romantic Vocal Music

Josquin Capella Lamentationes MD&G
Renaissance Choral Music

Loggins & Messina The Best: Loggins and Messina - Sittin' in Again Sony
Pop/Rock, Folk-Rock, Soft Rock, Singer/Songwriter

Shelby Lynne Suit Yourself Capitol
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Country

Marmalade The Ultimate Collection Castle Us
British Psychedelia, Psychedelic Pop, British Invasion, Soft Rock, Hard Rock

Hugh Masekela Revival Heads Up
Smooth Jazz, Crossover Jazz, Jazz-Pop, Township Jazz

Meat Beat Manifesto At the Center Thirsty Ear
Free Funk, Avant-Garde Jazz, Funky Breaks, Electronica, Modern Creative

John Mellencamp The Lonesome Jubilee [Bonus Track] Mercury
Heartland Rock, Rock & Roll, Roots Rock, Folk-Rock

Cinderella Man Cinderella Man [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] Decca
Film Score

Original Soundtrack The Longest Yard Universal
Southern Rap, Soundtracks, Pop-Rap, Hardcore Rap

Original Soundtrack Lords of Dogtown Geffen
Soundtracks, Hard Rock, Punk Revival

The Raspberries Greatest Capitol
Pop/Rock, Power Pop

Joshua Redman Momentum Nonesuch
Post-Bop, Jazz-Funk, Fusion, Crossover Jazz

San Francisco Jazz Collective San Francisco Jazz Collective Nonesuch
Post-Bop, Modern Creative

Screaming Trees Ocean of Confusion: Songs of Screaming Trees 1989-1996 Epic/Legacy
American Underground, Neo-Psychedelia, Grunge, Alternative Pop/Rock, Hard Rock, College Rock

Seether Karma and Effect Wind-up
Post-Grunge, Alternative Metal

Leif Segerstam Rautavaara: Garden of Spaces; Clarinet Concerto; Cantus Arcticus Ondine
Contemporary Orchestral Music

Shout Out Louds Howl Howl Gaff Gaff Capitol
Swedish Pop/Rock, Indie Pop

Son Volt A Retrospective: 1995-2000 Rhino
Alternative Country-Rock, Alternative Country, Americana

Epic Soundtracks Good Things DBK Works
Alternative Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter

Sparrow The Early Years Absolutely Kosher
Indie Pop, Chamber Pop

Various Artists Classic Southern Gospel
Smithsonian Folkways
Country Gospel, Southern Gospel, Folk Revival, Traditional Folk, Old-Timey

Various Artists Motown Remixed Motown
Motown, Urban

The Wallflowers Rebel, Sweetheart Interscope
American Trad Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock

Jasper Wood Ives: Works for Violin and Piano Endeavour Classics
Modern Chamber Music

X-Ray Spex Germfree Adolescents: The Anthology Castle Us
British Punk, Punk