• The place to be this coming Tuesday morning is lined up at the door of your favorite record store, as the Epic Legacy imprint is releasing an expanded re-issue of The Clash's double album masterpiece, London Calling, from 1979. I can't decide which part I'm jonesing for more - the 21-song lost rehearsal sessions known as "The Vanilla Tapes" (recently discovered on their original cassettes in a storage space by guitarist Mick Jones) or the bonus DVD entitled The Last Testament: The Making of "London Calling." Highlights from the lost sessions include a cover of Bob Dylan's "The Man in Me" and three early songs that later morphed into "Clampdown," "The Guns of Brixton," and "The Right Profile." The DVD features live and studio footage, videos, and interviews with all the band members and manager Kosmo Vinyl.

• Speaking of The Clash, Messenger Records has just released two rare CDs from guitarist Chris Whitley, previously only available as rarities on his Web site. The two albums, Weed and War Crime Blues, capture him in a sparse, solo setting, recorded at home, a Paris hotel room, and under the Albert Bridge in his expatriate digs in Germany. One of The Clash's most timely political songs, "The Call Up," from the group's Sandinista set, gets a haunting, pensive take by Whitley, as well as Lou Reed's "I Can't Stand It."

• More bluesy political adventures come this Tuesday from Keb Mo and his new Peace ... Back by Popular Demand CD on the Epic/Okeh label. The new album is an all-covers collection of activist anthems, including Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," The Rascals' "People Got to Be Free," John Lennon's "Imagine," and Elvis Costello's poignant "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, & Understanding."

Television Alert:

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Ambulance Ltd. tonight, David Crosby & Graham Nash on Friday, Skye Sweetnam on Monday, and The Thrills on Tuesday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Natalie Merchant on Friday and Green Day on Tuesday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien features the Drive-By Truckers on Thursday overnight and Tears for Fears on Tuesday overnight; The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn shares Saliva on Thursday overnight; Last Call with Carson Daly's house band for the rest of this week is Medeski Martin & Wood; and Saturday Night Live's musical guest this weekend is Usher.

New Releases Coming Tuesday, September 21:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change

The Blind Boys of Alabama - There Will Be Light (Liquid 8) with producer Ben Harper

Jake Brennan & The Confidence Men - Love & Bombs (Yep Roc) new from the former Cast Iron Hike vocalist, featuring a cover of Frank Black's "If It Takes All Night"

Meredith Brooks - Shine (Kissing Booth) featuring the title-track theme to the Dr. Phil television show

Ian Brown - Solarized (Fiction) new import-only solo album from the Stone Roses founder

C.I.A. - Attitude (NMS Music) re-issue of this metal side project of Nuclear Assault's Glenn Evans

Client - City (Toast Hawaii/Mute) with guest Martin Gore of Depeche Mode and Carl Barat and Pete Doherty of The Libertines

Col. Les Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains - The Big Eyeball in the Sky (Prawn Song/Red Ink) all new with Buckethead and Bernie Worrell

Elvis Costello - Il Sogno (Deutsche Grammophon) classical album recorded in 2002 with the London Symphony Orchestra

Elvis Costello & The Imposters - The Delivery Man (Lost Highway) with guests Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams, and a new version of "The Scarlet Tide" from the Cold Mountain soundtrack

The Cramps - How to Make a Monster (Vegeance) starting a 34-date tour next week to support this two-CD set of rare tracks from the vault circa 1976 and 1977

Willy DeVille - Crow Jane Alley (Eagle) featuring a cover of Bryan Ferry's "Slave to Love"

Dwarves - Must Die (Sympathy for the Record Industry) with guests Nash Kato of Urge Overkill, Dexter Holland of The Offspring, and Nick Oliveri of Queens of the Stone Age

John Fogerty - Deja Vu All Over Again (Geffen) new from the Creedance Clearwater Revival founder, with guest guitarist Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits

Green Day - American Idiot (Reprise)

The High Water Marks - Songs About the Ocean (Eenie Meenie) recently off tour with The Apples in Stereo and Apollo Sunshine

Hot Water Music - The New What Next (Epitaph)

King Missile III - Royal Lunch (Important) new protest spoken-word rock from John S. Hall, featuring the track "America Kicks Ass"

Kevin Kinney - Sun Tangled Angel Revival (Compadre) new from the Drivin' 'n' Cryin' founder, with guests Edwin McCain and Widespread Panic's Dave Schools

Nathan Larson - Film Musik (Commotion) compilation of film scores by the former member of Shudder to Think

Lowen & Navarro - All the Time in the World (Red Hen) all new from this stellar singer-songwriter duo

Mad Caddies - Live in the Key of Eh (Fat Wreck) recorded live in Toronto this past spring

Buddy Miller - Universal United House of Prayer (New West) with guests Emmylou Harris and Jim Lauderdale

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Welcome to Woody Creek (Dualtone) all new pickin' 'n' grinnin', featuring cool covers of The Beatles' "Get Back" and Gram Parsons' "She"

Octet - Cash & Carry Songs (Plain Recordings) pop electronica from this French duo

Orbital - Blue Album (ATO/RCA) the group's final album, with guests The Sparks and Dead Can Dance vocalist Lisa Gerrard

Jonny Polonsky - The Power of Sound (Loveless) featuring A Perfect Circle and Vandals drummer Josh Freese on two songs

Poster Children - On the Offensive (Hidden Agenda) EP of politically charged covers

Potluck - Harvest Time (Lost Koast) straight outta the marijuana fields of Humboldt County, California, comes this rap duo of 1 Ton and UnderRated

River City Rebels - Hate to Be Loved (Victory) produced by Sylvain Sylvain of the New York Dolls

Melvin Seals - The Mix (Rainman) new from the keyboardist and musical director of The Jerry Garcia Band

Shark Tale - original motion picture soundtrack (Geffen) featuring Christina Aguilera and Missy Elliott's duet cover of the 1976 Rose Royce classic "Car Wash"

Elliott Sharp - Radio Hyper-Yahoo (Gaff Music) guitar and spoken-word project with guests Eric Bogosian, Maggie Estep, and Steve Buscemi

Straylight Run - Straylight Run (Victory) featuring John Nolan and Shawn Cooper of Taking Back Sunday

Skye Sweetnam - Noise from the Basement (Capitol) featuring a cover of Blondie's "Heart of Glass"

These Arms Are Snakes - Oxeneers or the Lion Sleeps When Its Antelope Go Home (Jade Tree) featuring former members of Botch and Kill Sadie

various artists - The Late, Great Daniel Johnson: Discovered Covered (Gammon) tribute album with the Flaming Lips, Tom Waits, Beck, Sparklehorse, Mercury Rev, and more

various artists - Warp Vision: The Videos 1989-2004 (Warp) DVD featuring 32 music videos from Aphex Twin, Autechre, Sweet Exorcist, and more

Virginia Coalition - OK to Go (Blu Hammock) featuring a cover of Blackstreet's Dr. Dre-penned "No Diggity"

John Waite - The Hard Way (No Brakes) new solo album from The Babys vocalist on his own artist-controlled label

Saul Williams - Saul Williams (Fader Label) excellent new album from this political poet that gets deeper with each listening, with guests Zach de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine and Serj Tankian of System of a Down

Year Future - "The Hidden Hand" (Gold Standard Laboratories) three-track CD EP

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