Top o' the pile this week: Richard Thompson has a new album out this week, Front Parlour Ballads. A new Thompson album is always a good reason to give thanks to the deity of your choice. Amazon is offering free mp3 downloads of the album track "For Who's Sake?" CLICK HERE

Nickel Creek is putting out their first album not produced by Alison Krauss, Why Should the Fire Die?. Word is that it strays further afield than ever previously from their basic bluegrass sound. I hadn't realized they were particularly popular, but I note that this is currently the #6 selling album at Amazon.

Hootie and the Blowfish are releasing Looking for Lucky. They used to be popular.

Likewise, Tommy Lee releases Tommyland: The Ride.

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

The Boo Radleys Find the Way Out: Anthology Sanctuary
Dream Pop, Britpop, Shoegaze, Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Pop

Holopaw Quit +/or Fight Sub Pop
Alternative Country, Indie Rock, Alternative Country-Rock

Nickel Creek Why Should the Fire Die? Sugar Hill
Contemporary Bluegrass, Contemporary Country, Progressive Bluegrass, Americana

Staind Chapter V Elektra
Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal, Post-Grunge

Kaci Brown Instigator Interscope
Contemporary R&B, Urban

Cursive The Difference Between Houses and Homes: Lost Songs and Loose Ends 1995-2001 Saddle Creek
Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock

Salome De Bahia Brasil Tommy Boy
Brazilian Pop, Club/Dance, Bossa Nova, Samba

The Fleshtones Beachhead Yep Roc
Garage Rock Revival, Indie Rock

Bill Frisell East/West Nonesuch
Progressive Jazz, Post-Bop, Modern Creative, Standards, Avant-Garde Jazz

Erroll Garner Penthouse Serenade: The Debonair Erroll Garner Savoy Jazz
Swing

Eliza Gilkyson Paradise Hotel Red House
Contemporary Folk, Contemporary Country, Singer/Songwriter

The Groovie Ghoulies Berry'd Alive Green Door Recording
Punk-Pop

Juliana Hatfield Made in China Ye Olde
Adult Alternative Pop/Rock

Hootie & The Blowfish Looking for Lucky Vanguard
American Trad Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock

Kool Keith The Lost Masters, Vol. 2 Dmaft
Underground Rap

Magdalena Kozena Lamento Archiv Produktion
Classical Vocal Music

Jennifer Larmore Bravura Diva Opera Rara
Romantic Opera Arias

Latterman No Matter Where We Go Deep Elm
Post-Hardcore

Tommy Lee Tommyland: The Ride TL Education Services, Inc.
Alternative Pop/Rock, Rap-Metal, Alternative Metal

The Juan Maclean Less Than Human DFA/Astralwerks
Left-Field House, Alternative Dance, Neo-Electro

Michael McDonald The Ultimate Collection Rhino
Soft Rock, Adult Contemporary, Pop/Rock, Blue-Eyed Soul

Pat Metheny/Ornette Coleman Song X [Twentieth Anniversary Edition] Nonesuch
Post-Bop, Avant-Garde Jazz, Modern Creative, Modern Free

Minotaur Shock Maritime 4AD/Beggars Group
Indie Electronic, IDM, Electronica

Mobius Band The Loving Sounds of Static Ghostly International
Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental, Ambient Pop, Dream Pop

Moggs The White Belt Is Not Enough Absolutely Kosher
Indie Rock

Orange Juice The Glasgow School Domino
Indie Pop, Post-Punk

David Pack The Secret of Movin' On Peak
Soft Rock, Album Rock

Pennywise The Fuse Epitaph
Punk Revival

The Plimsouls One Night in America Fan Club
New Wave, Jangle Pop, Rock & Roll, Power Pop

Proof Searching for Jerry Garcia Iron Fist
Hardcore Rap

Poncho Sanchez Do It! Concord
Afro-Cuban Jazz, Latin Jazz, Jazz-Funk

The Soft Machine Out-Bloody-Rageous: An Anthology Sony International
Canterbury Scene, British Psychedelia, Jazz-Rock, Experimental, Psychedelic, Prog-Rock/Art Rock

Evgeny Soifertis Napravník: Concerto symphonique; Fantaisie russe; Blumenfeld: Allegro Hyperion
Romantic and Modern Orchestral Music

The Suicide Machines War Profiteering Is Killing Us All USA Side 1 Dummy
Punk Revival, Ska-Punk

Richard Thompson Front Parlour Ballads Cooking Vinyl
Singer/Songwriter, Contemporary Folk, British Folk, Folk-Rock

Various Artists John Metcalf: Mapping Wales; Plain Chants; Cello Symphony Nimbus
Contemporary Chamber and Orchestral Music

Various Artists Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen Hollywood
Album Rock, Pop/Rock, Hard Rock

Various Artists Lost Legends of Surf Guitar: Shockwave Sundazed
Surf, Instrumental Rock, Pop/Rock

Tim Zimmerman Classic Hymns Summit
Brass Music