New Release Tuesday Preview

Every Monday, Alex Young of Consequence of Sound delivers a sneak preview of the top albums being released for the week...

Given the last 72 hours or so, the last thing on many minds is probably new music - I'm sure I'm not the only one playing Thriller on constant repeat. Still, this is a new week and with a new week comes new releases and with new releases comes this post where I attempt to inform and educate. So, let's begin...

For its seventh full-length release, Wilco went the self-titled route. Jeff Tweedy and Co. also mixed things up a bit, incorporating not only a more experimental feel than some of the band's previous releases, but also including the first duet to be featured on a Wilco album, this courtesy of none other than Feist on the track You and I. But you probably knew all this already, considering the band personally leaked the album on its website some six weeks ago and continues to stream the 11-track effort six weeks later. Still, come Tuesday, you'll finally be able to pick up Wilco (The Album) in all its physical, camel-cover glory.

Also celebrating a rather unique release this week will be Mr. Unique himself, Moby. On Tuesday, the acclaimed musician will unveil his ninth studio album, a 16-track work titled Wait for Me. "It seems as if too often an artist's or musician's or writer's creative output is judged by how well they accommodate the marketplace, and how much market share they command and how much money they generate," Moby explained about this release. "In making this record I wanted to focus on making something that I loved, without really being concerned about how it might be received by the marketplace." As a result, expect Wait for Me to offer a "quieter and more melodic and more mournful and more personal record" than some of Moby's previous releases.

This week will also see the Levon Helm's followup to 2007's Grammy Award-winning Dirt Farmer. Entitled Electric Dirt, the 11-track release promises to continue the singer/songwriter's exploration of the traditional roots of classic Americana and folk sounds, but will tap into more forms of the American musical canon (via Billboard). In doing so, Helm incorporates both horn arrangements, as well as a cover of the Grateful Dead's Tennessee Jed on the release.

On the solo front, Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas will offer up his second full-length with the release of Cradlesong. Consisting of 14 songs, headed by the chart topping single, Her Diamonds, the followup to 2005's ...Something to Be is said to revolve around experiences of Thomas' past troubled relationships, behind a melancholic country sound evoking the styles of Paul Simon's The Rhythm of the Saints. The entire album is currently streaming on Rhaposdy.

Other than that, the rest of this week's releases are less-than-noteworthy. So, do yourself a favor, and spend some more time remembering. Once July rolls around, you'll again be inundated with new music ...

Think we missed something? Add your previews in the comments below...