Not much in the way of actual good new music here in the dead of winter. There's Mos Def's True Magic, which from even the packaging screams "contractual obligation." Also, there's a soundtrack for the new Hillary Swank Freedom Writers, including music by Cypress Hill, Naughty By Nature, and of course 2Pac. Maybe slightly more musical at least, John Waite's Downtown - Journey of a Heart features new arrangements of his old material, including a duet of his main hit "Missing You" with Alison Krauss. There are also some twofer re-issues of vintage Four Seasons albums. The nearest thing though to something that would be really good is the belated CD release of a 1987 Austin City Limits concert by Johnny Cash, Live from Austin, TX. I'd be particularly interested in hearing his performance of John Prine's "Sam Stone." For about the same price as the CD though, you could score the DVD - which has been out for a year. Here's the complete list of this week's major new album releases, courtesy AMG. Mos Def True Magic Geffen Underground Rap, Alternative Rap, Hip-Hop Sloan Never Hear the End of It Yep Roc Pop Underground, Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock John Waite Downtown - Journey of a Heart Rounder Pop/Rock Almanac Singers Which Side Are You On? Revola Children's Folk, Folksongs, Folk Revival, Political Folk, Traditional Folk Bobby Bare A Bird Named Yesterday/Talk Me Some Sense Omni Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan, Country-Folk, Progressive Country Dave Brubeck Brubeck in Wonderland Five Four Cool, West Coast Jazz Johnny Cash photo Johnny Cash Live from Austin, TX New West Country-Pop, Traditional Country, Rock & Roll The Four Seasons The 4 Seasons Entertain You/Live on Stage with the 4 Seasons Collectors' Choice Music Pop, Doo Wop The Four Seasons Folk Nanny/Born to Wander Collectors' Choice Music Pop The Four Seasons Half and Half/Helicon Collectors' Choice Music Pop The Four Seasons Streetfighter/Hope + Glory Collectors' Choice Music Pop The Four Seasons Working My Way Back to You/The Genuine Imitation Life Gazette Collectors' Choice Music Pop Stan Getz/Antonio Carlos Jobim Stan Getz/Antonio Carlos Jobim: Their Greatest Hits Verve West Coast Jazz, Bossa Nova, Cool, Hard Bop Green Day 1,039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours (2007 Reissue/Special Package) Reprise punk-Pop, punk Revival, Alternative Pop/Rock Ty Herndon Right About Now Titan/Pyramid Contemporary Country, New Traditionalist Arnold Jacobs Legacy of an Artist Summit Showpieces for Tuba Jefferson Airplane High Flying Bird: Live at the Monterey Festival Music Avenue Psychedelic, Album Rock, Pop/Rock, Folk-Rock Budd and Ella Johnson Gotta Go Upside Your Head Rev-Ola R&B, Jump Blues, Swing, Big Band, Bop Isabelle Van Keulen Shostakovich: Viola Sonata: Violin Sonata Challenge Modern String Sonatas Yo-Yo Ma Appassionato Sony Chamber Music Featuring Cello Anna Netrebko Russian Album Deutsche Grammophon Russian Vocal Works Octopus Restless Nights (Bonus Tracks) Revola Psychedelic Sanctuary The Heart Has Its Reasons Warner Modern Music for Bass Clarinet, Cello & Organ Original Soundtrack Freedom Writers Hollywood West Coast Rap, Original Score, Hardcore Rap, Alternative Rap, Soundtracks, Hip-Hop Philip Glass Notes on a Scandal Rounder Original Score Popo The Popo Buddyhead Post-punk, Lo-Fi, Indie Rock, Electronic Duffy Power Vampers & Champers RPM British Blues, Blues-Rock The Rocking Vickers Complete: Its Alright! Retro British Invasion P.F. Sloan Measure of Pleasure Atco Folk-Rock, Singer/Songwriter Times This Is London (Bonus Tracks) Artpop!/Cherry Red Mod Revival, New Wave Toyah Toyah Toyah Toyah (Bonus Tracks) Cherry Red New Wave, Pop/Rock Various Artists Bayou Blues Blasters Ace Juke Joint Blues, Swamp Blues, New Orleans R&B, Electric Blues, Louisiana Blues, Soul-Blues, R&B, Soul Various Artists Crunk Hits, Vol. 3 TVT Hardcore Rap, Urban, Southern Rap Various Artists Even More Mellow Cats 'n' Kittens: Hot R&B and Cool Blues 1945-1951 Ace Jump Blues, R&B Various Artists Hollywood Rock 'n' Roll Ace Rockabilly Various Artists Hyphy Hitz TVT Party Rap, West Coast Rap, Hardcore Rap Mae West The Fabulous Mae West (Compilation) Rev-Ola Celebrity, Pop, Traditional Pop Marva Wright Do Right Woman: The Soul of New Orleans Shout New Orleans R&B, R Unreformed hawkish Hoosier hillbilly and sometimes candidate Al Barger runs the still squeezin' down the psychodelic Kentucky moonshine at MoreThings.com, what with the paranoid religious visions and the Pentacostal music and visions of God and anarchy running amok and such. Somebody oughta call the cops. Drop Al a note, and try to talk some sense into him, will ya? gadfly at morethings.com