Hermano - Into the Exam Room An unusual CD side project built around John Garcia of Kyuss is the hard-rock record to beat in 2008. Call it sludgy, greasy, or stoner suburban, but thank Zeus for the decidedly electric stomp yard of Hermano's Into the Exam Room, a perfect fantasy soundtrack for Thor and Loki to throw down to in a Ralph Bakshi animated ballet. Formed in 1999 with members of Supafuzz and Disengage, the band's Regain Records release is a hair-raising psychedelic dream, a real headbanger awash in the earthy musk of Eddie Hazel, Slash, Black Sabbath, Warrior Soul, Alice in Chains, Zodiac Mindwarp, and the Butthole Surfers.

Pink Floyd is getting a new hue that fits nicely with the origins of the band's name, constructed from the names of vintage bluesmen Pink Anderson and Floyd Council. Airline Records has announced a March release date for Blue Floyd and the album Begins, reinterpreting two CDs' worth of Pink Floyd classics in the style of Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, and Howlin' Wolf. Taking on this hefty endeavor are five musicians worthy of the task: Allen Woody of Gov't Mule, Marc Ford of the Black Crowes, Johnny Neel of The Allman Brothers, Matt Ebts of the Dickey Betts Band, and Berry Oakley Jr. of Bloodline.

One of the most memorable releases of 1996 gets a special treatment next week in Geffen Records' deluxe edition of Beck's Odelay. With an additional 19 tracks in the expanded, two-CD edition, the bonus B sides feature a hard-to-find SubUrbia soundtrack cut, remixes by Aphex Twin, UNKLE, and Mickey P, and two unreleased songs from the original album's sessions. Other oddities include a cover of Skip James' "Devil Got My Woman" recorded at the famed Sun Studios, and a mariachi spin through "Jackass."

 

Television Alert

 

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno presents Buckcherry on Thursday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts The Redwalls tonight and The Whigs on Monday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien boasts John Mayer on Thursday and Wilco on Friday overnight; and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson offers Ringo Starr and Dave Stewart on Thursday and Natasha Bedingfield and Tuesday overnight.

 

New Releases Coming Tuesday, January 29:

 

Able Baker Fox - Voices (Second Nature) featuring members of The Casket Lottery, The Holy Fire, and Small Brown Bike

Ayreon - 01011001 (Inside Out) with guests Ty Tabor, Derek Sherinian, and Michael Romeo, this new two-CD prog-rock opera from Arjen Anthony Lucassen is also available with a limited-edition DVD

Ron Blake - Shayari (3rd Mack Ave Records) with guests Regina Carter, Jack DeJohnette, and Christian McBride, and covers of Bobby Hutcherson's "Teddy" and Sammy Cahn's "Please Be Kind"

Bullet for My Valentine - Scream Aim Fire (20-20/Jive) also available on vinyl, the Revolver magazine cover boys will share the main stage with Avenged Sevenfold and Atreyu on the Taste of Chaos Tour in February

Sarah Brightman - Symphony (Angel/EMI) with guests Andrea Bocelli, Fernando Lima, and Paul Stanley of Kiss

Popa Chubby - Deliveries After Dark (Blind Pig) he may be a big man, but wrestles that guitar like a mongoose on a snake, knocking me out with his blistering, surf-rock take on the theme from The Godfather

Dave Corp - The Sweet Life (Sluggo's Goon Music) six-track CD EP of cityscape fusion jams

Dub Trio - Another Sound Is Dying (Roir/Virtual Label) with guest vocalist Mike Patton

Eddy Meets Yannah - Once in a While (Compost) sophomore CD from the Croatian electronica duo

Emigrate - Emigrate (Pilgrim/Motor Music) new from Rammstein guitarist Richard Kruspe

From Leaf to Feather - Themes of an Imaginary Winter (Milan) championed by Nic Harcourt of KCRW-FM

Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead (Sub Pop) featuring a limited-edition bonus B-sides and outtakes CD if you pre-order direct

Human Bell - Human Bell (Thrill Jockey) new from Nathan Bell of Lungfish and Dave Heumann from Arbouretum

Ida - Lovers Prayers (Polyvinyl)

Joe Jackson - Rain (Rykodisc) highly anticipated return, promised to be in the vein of 1982's smash Night & Day; also available on 180-gram audiophile vinyl and in a deluxe format with a bonus DVD

Louis XIV - Slick Dogs & Ponies (Atlantic) featuring the single "Guilt by Association"

Gary Louris - Vagabonds (Rykodisc) 180-gram-audiophile LP release

Shelby Lynne - Just a Little Lovin' (Lost Highway) gorgeous, relaxed interpretations of nine songs made famous by Dusty Springfield, and a new original, "Pretend"

The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath (GSL) featuring a puzzle encrypted in the CD cover art; solve it and claim a bonus Circle Jerks cover song online

Morrissey - "That's How People Grow Up" (Polydor/Decca) import-only single available on CD and twin seven-inch wax

Willie Nelson - Moment of Forever (Lost Highway) with new covers of songs by Bob Dylan and Kris Kristofferson

The Pack A.D. - Tintype (Mint) out-White-Striping the White Stripes as an orgasmic blues two-piece, this debut from two young ladies from Vancouver is also available on vinyl LP boasting a bonus track and a free digital download of the album

Robert Pollard - Superman Was a Rocker (Happy Jack Rock Records) all-new album launched from early instrumental demos with Guided by Voices bandmates, with new vocals

Radar Bros. - Auditorium (Merge) keep an eye out for the video for "When Cold Air Goes to Sleep," directed by Bradley Beesley

Daddy Rings - The Most High (Rockers Town/Groove Attack) top-notch new reggae with guests Gentleman and Paul Elliott

Sons & Daughters - This Gift (Domino) Glasgow, Scotland, band produced by Bernard Butler of Suede

SSM - Break Your Arm for Evolution (Alive) return of the vox-heavy trio, now flirting with robot love under the hand of the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach

Chris Stills - Chris Stills (V2) domestic release of his second album, featuring two songs sung in French

Saviours - Into Abaddon (Kemodo) on tour now with Sweden's Witchcraft

Travis Sullivan's Bjorkestra - Enjoy! (Koch) cool 18-piece orchestral jazz re-groove of songs by Bjork, led by the free-form/downtown-scene alto saxophonist

Tab the Band - Pulling Out Just Enough to Win (North St. Records) dynamite debut album from guitarist Tony Perry and bassist Adrian Perry, sons of Aerosmith's Joe Perry

Chris Walla - Field Manual (Barsuk) new from the Death Cab for Cutie guitarist

Webb Wilder & the Beatnecks - Born to Be Wilder (Blind Pig) featuring a cover of Ian Hunter's "Big Time"

Xiu Xiu - Women as Lovers (Absolutely Kosher) presented as two wide-groove, 45 RPM 12-inch vinyl discs, with cover art by Jamie Stewart's brother Joe

various artists - Randy Jackson Presents the American Music Club, Vol. 1 (Concord) no, not American Music Club the band, but hot pop artists such as Joss Stone, Mariah Carey, and Elliot Yamin under the happy man's spell

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