This week's new releases

Each title listed below will go on sale beginning Tuesday, May 1 unless otherwise indicated. Click on any LISTEN link to listen to a free, streaming version of the entire album (typically, available only during the week of release); streaming links go to AOL Music unless otherwise indicated. The week's most noteworthy releases are starred.

Advance Base A Shut-In's Prayer

The Animals The Very Best of the Animals

Geoff Barrow / Ben Salisbury Drokk LISTEN (Bandcamp)

New collaboration between Portishead's Geoff Barrow and soundtrack composer Ben Salisbury, inspired by the comic Judge Dredd

Blinker the Star We Draw Lines

Blockhead Interludes After Midnight

B.o.B. Strange Clouds

Brian Jonestown Massacre Aufheben LISTEN

Ane Brun It All Starts With One

Callaghan Life in Full Colour

Produced by Shawn Mullins

Bobby Conn Macaroni

Dirty Dozen Brass Band Twenty Dozen

Dot Hacker Inhibition

Ilan Eshkeri Coriolanus OST

Evans the Death Evans the Death

Father John Misty Fear Fun LISTEN (A.V. Club)

New project for former Fleet Foxes drummer J. Tillman

Gravenhurst The Ghost in the Daylight LISTEN (3voor12)

George Harrison George Harrison: Living in the Material World DVD/Blu-ray

Martin Scorsese-directed documentary that aired on HBO last fall; a CD soundtrack called Early Takes Volume 1 also goes on sale Tuesday

Lee Hazlewood The LHI Years: Singles Nudes & Backsides 1968-71

Compilation of tracks originally released on the artist's own Lee Hazlewood Industries imprint

Herman's Hermits The Very Best Of Herman's Hermits

Hurt The Crux LISTEN

Mark Isham Once Upon A Time: Original Television Soundtrack OST

Izz Crush of Night

Norah Jones
Little Broken Hearts LISTEN

Last year, Norah Jones contributed vocals to Danger Mouse's Rome project. This week, their collaboration continues with the arrival of Little Broken Hearts, the new Norah Jones album that is produced by Danger Mouse. The latter (best known for his work in Broken Bells and Gnarls Barkley) gives the album a poppier, hipper sound than previous Jones outings like the mega-hit Come Away With Me 82, and the result so far is some of her best reviews in years.

David Julyan The Cabin in the Woods OST

K-Holes Dismania

Kwes. Meantime EP

London producer's debut release for Warp Records

Light Asylum Light Asylum LISTEN (Spin)

Lower Dens Nootropics LISTEN (3voor12)

Marilyn Manson Born Villain LISTEN

Marina And The Diamonds Electra Heart

UK only (30 April)

Marriages Kitsune LISTEN

The Monkees The Birds, the Bees & The Monkees

Rhino reissue of 1968 album

Mystery Jets Radlands

UK only (30 April)

Thomas Newman The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel OST

Anders Osborne Black Eye Galaxy

Pennywise All or Nothing

Ramona Falls Prophet LISTEN

Second album by solo project from former Menomena member

Red Hot Chili Peppers We Salute You EP

Covers of tracks by The Stooges, Neil Young, David Bowie, and more; digital only

Reptar Body Faucet LISTEN

 

Stan Ridgway The Big Heat

Reissue of 1986 album includes four bonus tracks

Diana Ross Live in Central Park DVD

First DVD release of 1983 concert film

Carina Round Tigermending LISTEN

Santigold
Master of My Make-Believe

It seems like Santigold's catchy, self-titled debut (released under her original name, Santogold) has been soundtracking commercials nonstop for the four years since its release. She finally returns with her second album—about a year later than originally expected—this week. Greg Kurstin, Switch (Major Lazer), Nick Zinner (Yeah Yeah Yeahs), and Dave Sitek (TV on the Radio) are among the producers on Master of My Make-Believe. Despite the lengthy gestation period, don't expect any groundbreaking advances this time around; early reviews are a bit of a mixed bag, though most critics find that it succeeds as danecable escapism.

Sea of Bees Orangefarben

Skip the Foreplay Nightlife

The Spinto Band Shy Pursuit

Swans The Burning World

Reissue of 1989 album

Thin Lizzy Fighting 2xCD

Remastered reissue of 1975 album with bonus disc of live and rare tracks

Thin Lizzy Nightlife 2xCD

Remastered reissue of 1974 album with bonus disc of live and rare tracks

Various Avengers OST

Various The Music of Smash OST LISTEN

Various Now 42: That's What I Call Music

Rufus Wainwright
Out of the Game LISTEN (3voor12)

The singer-songwriter's seventh studio set finds the semi-Canadian collaborating with producer Mark Ronson for the first time, and the result is some of Wainwright's poppiest, most accessible work to date, and an album that critics note shows admirable restraint compared to the overindulgence of past outings. Members of Wilco and the Dap-Kings guest, as do Sean Lennon, Nels Cline, and sister Martha Wainwright.

Nick Waterhouse Time's All Gone

Patrick Watson Adventures In Your Own Backyard

More streaming and downloadable new music

Damon Albarn

ALBUM Dr. Dee, out in the US next week, streaming now at 3voor12.

Beach Boys

TRACK "That's Why God Made the Radio," the band's new comeback single, streaming at YouTube (audio/lyrics only).

Action Bronson

TRACK "A Simple Man" downloadable from Stereogum.

Can

TRACK "Deadly Doris," from the upcoming Lost Tapes box set, streaming at Soundcloud.

S. Carey

ALBUM Hoyas EP streaming at Stereogum.

Diamond Rugs

TRACK "Call Girl Blues" downloadable from KCRW.

DJ Shadow

TRACKS "Affectations" and "Dreams of a Piece" downloadable from Prefix.

Dntel

TRACK "Still" (feat. Baths) streaming at Stereogum.

Field Report

TRACK "Taking Alcatraz" downloadable from Pitchfork.

Richard Hawley

ALBUM Standing at the Sky's Edge streaming one week prior to its UK release now at The Guardian.

Here We Go Magic

ALBUM A Different Ship (out next week) streaming now at Spinner.

Maximo Park

TRACK "Hips and Lips" streaming at NME.

Metric

TRACK "Youth Without Youth" streaming at Soundcloud.

Milk Maid

TRACK "Do Right" downloadable from Pitchfork.

Rhett Miller

TRACK "Lost Without You" downloadable from Rolling Stone.

Mount Eerie

TRACK "Lone Bell" streaming at Stereogum.

The Offspring

TRACK "Days Go By" streaming at NME.

Purity Ring

TRACK "Obedear," from the forthcoming album Shrines (out 7/24), streaming at Pitchfork.

Royal Headache

ALBUM Royal Headache (out next week) streaming now at NPR.

Saint Etienne

TRACK "Answer Song" streaming at Pitchfork.

Ty Segall Band

TRACK "Wave Goodbye," from the forthcoming LP Slaughterhouse, downloadable at Stereogum.

Sonny and the Sunsets

TRACK "Pretend You Love Me," from the forthcoming album Longtime Companion (out 6/26), streaming at Pitchfork.

Regina Spektor

TRACK "Small Town Moon" streaming at NME.

Squarepusher

TRACK "Drax 2" streaming at YouTube (audio only).

Sun Kil Moon

TRACK "That Bird Has a Broken Wing" downloadable from Pitchfork.

Tenacious D

ALBUM Rize of the Fenix (out May 15) streaming now at NME.

Tu Fawning

ALBUM A Monument streaming two weeks before its release now at Spinner.

The Uncluded [Aesop Rock & Kimya Dawson]

TRACK "Bats" streaming at YouTube (audio only).

Usher

TRACK "Scream" streaming at Billboard.

Eddie Vedder

TRACK "Skipping" streaming at Rolling Stone.

The Walkmen

TRACK "Heartbreaker" streaming at Pitchfork.

Sara Watkins

ALBUM Sun Midnight Sun (out next week) streaming now at NPR.

White Fence

TRACK "Green Balloon" streaming at Stereogum.

On TV this week (new episodes only)

• Monday: Andrew Bird (Kimmel), Bomba Estereo (Carson Daly), Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers (Leno), Tom Morello featuring Ben Harper (Fallon), Carrie Underwood (Letterman)
• Tuesday: Lee Brice (Leno), Civil Twilight (Kimmel), Father John Misty (Letterman), Jason Mraz (Tavis Smiley), Santigold (Fallon), Ed Sheeran (Carson Daly)
• Wednesday: Bombay Bicycle Club (Carson Daly), Brad (Kimmel), Norah Jones (Letterman), K'Naan featuring Nelly Furtado (Leno), Lady Antebellum (Fallon)
• Thursday: Roger Daltrey (Kimmel), Rachael Yamagata (Carson Daly)
• Friday: Kathleen Edwards (Fallon), Electric Guest (Letterman), James Morrison (Leno)
• Saturday: Rihanna (Saturday Night Live)

Recent artist and industry news

• Chris Ethridge, bassist for the Flying Burrito Brothers, died last week at the age of 65. - Rolling Stone
• Thomas "Tommy" Marth, 33-year-old saxophonist for The Killers, died last week from an apparent suicide. - Rolling Stone
• The band Does It Offend You, Yeah? is no more. - Consequence of Sound
• Is Damon Albarn really done with Blur and Gorillaz? This week, the answer seems to be "no." - Spin
• Credited as "Sleepy Bedtime Mix For Young Ones by Henry Chinaski," this downloadable mix may actually be by The Avalanches, according to various internet reports. (Either way, it's great background music.)

The latest music videos

Rihanna, "Where Have You Been":

The Big Pink, "Lose Your Mind":

Nicki Minaj, "Starships":

Simian Mobile Disco, "Put Your Hands Together":

Of Montreal, "Spiteful Intervention":

Perfume Genius, "Dark Parts":

The Rapture, "How Deep Is Your Love?":

M.E.D. feat. Hodgy Beats, "Outta Control":

Kwes., "bashful.":

YACHT, "Le Goudron":

Blood Orange, "Champagne Coast":

Cornershop feat. Izzy Lindqwister, "Who's Gonna Light It Up":

AU, "OJ":

The Very Best, "Yoshua Alikuti":

Foster the People, "Houdini":

Gravenhurst, "The Prize":

In the studio / coming soon

• My Bloody Valentine fans don't just have those reissues to look forward to on May 7th; the band will finally release their decades-in-the-making third album later in 2012, followed by an EP of new material. At least, that's what Kevin Shields has been telling the British music press this week. - NME
• The Beach Boys (yes, including Brian Wilson) will release a new studio album on June 5th; the title track for That's Why God Made the Radio is streaming above.
• July 24 brings Gossamer, a new album by Passion Pit. - Pitchfork
• Chris Brown has delayed his Fortune album from May 8 to July 3. - Billboard
• Nas has set a new July 17 release date for his next LP, Life Is Good.
• DJ Shadow has compiled two dozen previously unreleased instrumentals for Total Breakdown: Hidden Transmissions From the MPC Era, 1992-1996, due sometime this year. - Pitchfork
• Drake is already at work on his third album, which he discusses with Billboard.
• The release of the new album from The Walkmen, Heaven, has been moved up one week to May 29th.
• Jack White, fresh off the success of his new solo album Blunderbuss, has been selected to write the score to next year's film The Lone Ranger. - Rolling Stone
• The Very Best return with MTMTMK on July 17. - Pitchfork
• Brooklyn's The Men are heading to the studio to record a new album. - Pitchfork
• Eric Copeland of Black Dice will release a solo album, Limbo, on June 5th. - FACT
• Rolling Stone talks to Vampire Weekend about their in-progress third album.

Visit Metacritic's Album Release Calendar for a full listing of upcoming release dates, updated daily.

Tours and festivals

• The lineup for this year's Montreux Jazz Festival has been announced; Bob Dylan, Herbie Hancock, Erykah Badu, Tricky, and Chris Cornell are among the artists headed to Switzerland this summer. - Pollstar
• Find spring tour dates for Gillian Welch at her official site.
• System of a Down is hitting the road with Deftones in August. - Pollstar
• A reunited Jesus and Mary Chain will visit North America's West Coast this summer. - Prefix
• Find a handful of new North American dates for Modest Mouse at Prefix.
• Andrew Bird has expanded his current tour; get the new dates at Pitchfork.
• Find dates for The Walkmen with Florence + The Machine at Pitchfork.
• A Jackson Browne acoustic tour kicks off in July. - Pollstar
• Find summer dates for Alabama Shakes at Pitchfork.
• Rufus Wainwright has added new North American dates; get them at Pollstar.
• Get the latest Death Grips dates at Pitchfork.
• Sharon Van Etten's summer tour has also gotten longer. - Pitchfork
• Sinead O'Connor has canceled her upcoming tour due to struggles with her bipolar disorder. - Rolling Stone