Woo doggies, the hot new releases are popping up like new daffodils this first week of spring. Those Who Know are about to blow a... fuse in sweet anticipation: Macy Gray has a Big new album. Her fourth album has production by Will.I.Am. Joining Miss Macy in the playground of her mind are Nas, Fergie, and Natalie Cole. Regardless of how good the record company does at pimping this to teenagers and radio, with her compositional skills, pure personality, and that Voice, Macy Gray is surely the greatest R&B female artist of her generation.

And now for something completely different, I'm pleased to highly recommend The Rat King, by Ego Plum and the Ebola Music Orchestra. I think this is officially considered "classical" music, though repeat listening brings out more of the arty rock elements. As a roots-oriented fan of such as Johnny Cash and Little Richard, I'm not typically a particularly good audience for this kind of avant stuff - but this guy's got skillz. Judge for yourself.

Tim McGraw is a big name country singer, the one with the big cowboy hat. That's how you know he's country. He's got a new album Let It Go. If it helps you decide, I'm amused to note an Amazon reviewer's description of this as "a thinking-man's commercial country album." You may wish to save room for this on your shelf next to where you keep your thinking man's Mariah Carey and thinking man's Britney Spears albums.

Rhino has some especially tasty Warren Zevon re-issues this week, including at least one or two songs new to even as devoted a Warren fan as me. The re-mastering of the CD for Excitable Boy is getting high marks. But besides bonuses and improved sound, this is the first time the highly lauded live Stand in the Fire or the under appreciated classic The Envoy have ever been put out on CD.

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

Macy Gray Big Geffen/Will.I.Am Music
Contemporary R&B, Neo-Soul

Ego Plum and the Ebola Music Orchestra The Rat King Ebola Music
Avant Garde, Classical

Kaiser Chiefs Yours Truly Angry Mob Universal/Polydor
Indie Rock, Post-Punk

Klaxons Myths of the Near Future Rinse
Indie Rock

Tim McGraw Let It Go Curb
Contemporary Country, Country-Rock

Warren Zevon Stand in the Fire [Bonus Tracks] Asylum/Rhino
Singer/Songwriter, Pop/Rock

Antelope Reflector Dischord
American Underground, Indie Rock

Che Arthur Iron Sickroom
Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Grunge

David Ball Heartaches by the Number Shanachie
Contemporary Country