The Andy Langer Show Andy Langer

We're recycling some old favorites this week. First, David Bowie releases his 20th anniversary DVD/two-CD set of the Glass Spider Tour. If you didn't like the gig in '87, you can probably skip this one. But for fans, it's a must-have showcasing his Sydney and Montreal performances with such energy and grandiosity that only the Goblin King can bring. Up next, Oh No! Oh My! comes back with Between the Devil and the Sea. The Austin-based band and perennial blogger darling doesn't disappoint singing witty pop lyrics with a bit of jangly sting. Although the entire album is worth a download, we recommend "Obi Wan" if you're feeling cheap. Last, jack-of-all-trades Ethan Hawke teamed up with songwriter Jesse Harris to produce the soundtrack of his upcoming film Hottest State. Although the album isn't perfect all the way through, the depth of its guest list is enough to make you buy it: Willie Nelson, Bright Eyes, Emmylou Harris, Cat Power, the Black Keys, and more. Be sure to download Nelson's "Always Seem to Get Things Wrong," which ironically, he gets so right, and Bright Eyes's "Big Old House." Also out this week, Junior Senior's Hey Hey My My Yo Yo and Okkervil River's The Stage Names.

We cover nothing new this week. OK, so technically that's a half-truth -- the albums are original but the artists featured have been around for quite some time. Corey Harris starts us off with his new record Zion Crossroads. Fans that know him as a bluesman will be hard-pressed to discover that he's turned reggae, but his authenticity hasn't changed. If you're still unconvinced, download "Heathen Rage." Up next, the British band Placebo attempts greater fame with Extended Play 07. We can't figure out why they haven't taken a greater hold in the States having played alongside legends like David Bowie and Michael Stipe; maybe, it's their androgyny or their accents. Whatever the holdup, their new CD takes a tune from each record and tacks on three live tracks, making this a must-have for Placebo lovers. A real treat is the live version of "Pure Morning," a track they rarely play. Finally, Shivaree releases a new cover album packed with love songs from the sleaziest dudes in music today. Tainted Love: Mating Calls & Fight Songs features tunes from Rick James, Michael Jackson and Ike Turner, but the real beauty is Ambrosia Parsley's deadpan delivery. "Don’t Stop" by Michael Jackson and Motley Crew's "Looks That Kill" have never sounded this awkward. Also this week, new albums for Common and Korn.

This week, it's all about the single. Some of these tracks have seen a proper release, others are tucked away within a larger album, but all have one thing in common: They're worth the 99 cents at iTunes. First up, twee-voiced Metric frontwoman Emily Haines whose song "The Bank" actually name-checks Huey Lewis. James Lavell's UNKLE production collective returns a full decade after their breakthrough effort, Psyence Fiction which included cameos from DJ Shadow and Richard Ashcroft. This time around, Josh Homme provides vocals for the killer track, the funky stomper, "Safe in Mind." It takes a supreme talent to get Frank Sinatra to visibly perk up during one of his swing-a-ding duets -- and Keely Smith was just the talent to bring that out of Ol' Blue Eyes in the song, "How Are Ya' Fixed For Love," from 1958. If you're going to own one some from buzz-band Eastern Conference Champions, better make it "Nice Clean Shirt" -- everything else on their full-length sounds like it's trying too hard. And finally, a duet that sounds like it came straight out of 1994 -- the Manic Street Preachers and former Cardigans lead singer Nina Persson join forces on "Your Love Alone is Not Enough," showing what it would be like if the Cardigans rocked instead of popped. Also: "Preview," a new song from the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs.

Mid-July marks a summer lull for music lovers. New releases have slowed and we're left with a handful of sophomore albums. First, British pop band The Editors leaves us wondering if they're the identical twins of Interpol. You can hardly tell the difference. But is that such a bad thing? You decide if the CD is a downer by downloading "Smokers Outside the Hospital Door" and "The Racing Rats." Another UK import, the Magic Numbers, debuts their U.S. release of Those the Brokes -- an album that's been such a hit overseas that we had to review it in our August issue. Grab your copy on newsstands now. Last, the Chemical Brothers have done what they do best: put out another album of hit-worthy singles in an incongruent sequence. Their full-length, We Are the Night, isn't worth 99 cents, but a few singles by Fatlip, Willy Mason, and the Klaxons are worth the cherry pick. Alison Sudol, Rooney, and Raul Malo are also reviewed this week.

The new record from former Drive-By Truckers' frontman Jason Isbell is easily one of the month's best records -- and quite possibly the best debut of the year. Hailing from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and recording in the same studio once used by Aretha Franklin, Isbell flexes his singer-songwriter muscles on Sirens of the Ditch, especially on ballads like "Dress Blues" and "Down in the Hole," both of which are featured on this week's podcast. Slow songs seem to be all the rage these days. The Gourds, a impossible-to-describe band from Austin best known for their cover of "Gin and Juice," also make a turn towards tears-in-your-beer ballads, with "Promenade." Also out this week: Interpol is back with their third album, Our Love to Admire, which sounds too much like their last two records; Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, sure to end up in many top ten lists by the end of the year; and the return of Crowded House, whose new album, Time on Earth, is their first record in fifteen years.

You'd think the Tuesday before the Fourth of July would be a big day for the music industry, a time when record labels would dump new product on listeners eager to provide a soundtrack for outdoor grilling. Well, then you'd be wrong. This week is a notoriously slow one, with the only notable release coming from Southern rapper T.I. -- so this week's podcast is a mixed bag, looking back at a few releases covered last week and ahead to what's coming up next week. Up first? "Send You No Flowers" off the Bad Brains' comeback record, Build a Nation, which features the original lineup and was produced by Beastie Boy Adam Yauch. Bloggers are already buzzing about Vampire Weekend, an odd-ball blend of Paul Simon, world music and The Strokes. Hear what all the fuzz is about on "A Punk," off the band's download-only three-song EP. Also this week: A look at the charity-record Healing the Divide, featuring a duet between Tom Waits and the Kronos Quartet; Jonathan Richman's new instrumental music; and readers request another track from Kelly Willis' first album in five years.