[Weekly roundup of the week's notable CD releases. Free and legal MP3 samples are provided where available so you can try 'em before you buy. Check out our upcoming CD releases calendar for a comprehensive list of 2009 releases.]

Artist: Yim Yames
Album: Tribute To
Sample: “My Sweet Lord” [George Harrison cover]
The solo debut from My Morning Jacket [...]

In no way are Doves a band branded on thievery. The British trio has built a career on unconventional, original and daring music, with only subtle influences sprinkled throughout their first three albums. Their fourth effort, Kingdom of Rust, however, seems to borrow a bit more regularly from some other noteworthy U.K. acts. The result [...]

It’s that time of year again — the turkey leftovers are long gone and we’re hearing Christmas music in every store in town, so it must be time for best-albums-of-year lists.
After screaming matches, insults and a fist fight or two, the dust has settled and the Stranger Dance staff stands before you united with our [...]

The most recent issue of Rolling Stone Magazine lists the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time in an effort to get all of us blogging our raves and rants. Mission accomplished.
I actually have to give the Rolling Stone crew some props for this list because I personally think it’s a harder one then “100 Greatest [...]

Bob Dylan covers are nothing new, but when you’ve got a gorgeous and underrated original, and covers by The Beatles (well, John Lennon), Johnny Cash and Jeff Buckley, you’ve got something extraordinary.
“Mama” was originally recorded during the Bringing It All Back Home sessions in 1965, but wasn’t officially released until 1991 with the release of [...]

[Most of what we post on this site are new releases, but our tastes are all over the map. This weekly feature is a snapshot of what the Stranger Dance staff can't get out of their collective head each week. On any given week, we might be digging a new local act, an old jazz [...]

Like I’ve said before, I like Rolling Stone. It’s mainstream, it has pop tarts – and “The Hills” girls – on the cover too much, but, really, any magazine that employs Matt Taibbi is cool with me. One thing about the Rolling Stone – it loves itself some lists. But hey, don’t we all? The [...]

Bo Diddley (born Ellas Otha Bates), passed away from heart failure this morning. He was 79.
Diddley was a founding father of rock n’ roll, best remembered for his distinctive signature beat. The beat was the backbone to hundreds of songs that followed: Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away,” the Who’s “Magic Bus,” Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride,” [...]

Here’s one for the weekend. Everyone loves a good mixtape, and everyone loves a good cover song, so here’s a mix I made of some of my favorite cover tunes.
The mix spans a good deal of genres (R&B, country, reggae, folk, bluegrass) and artists – from relative unknowns (Clem Snide) to legends (Ray Charles, Aretha [...]

This is big news. The 2008 Summer concert lineup was already off to a good start, but it just got a whole lot better.
Tom Waits‘ publicist just announced a Summer tour across the US and Europe. Details are shaky and no dates or venues have been announced. We’ll update as news becomes available. [Update: [...]