Phil Selway steps from behind his drumset as the timekeeper & backbeat of Radiohead for his upcoming solo release Familial. The quiet, acoustic record is described by Selway himself as “10 hushed folk songs in the tradition of Nick Drake.” Selway’s emotional subject matter links this album to the tradition of Radiohead and their songs of the heart & heartache. The album will drop August 30th.

San Diego’s lo-fi pop trio Wavves dole out surfy, snotty punk that, like their home city, is sunny, vapid & devoid of culture. But San Diego is fun and that’s what their forthcoming release, King Of The Beach is all about. Simple, unrefined musicianship is bolstered by tricky arrangements from producer, Dennis Herring, who most recently made Modest Mouse sound “talented.” The Wavves make a perfect summer soundtrack. Turn it up…drive fast.

Your dad had Bruce Springsteen with his scratchy voice, tumbledown lyrics and American Flag. Who knew he’d become a legend? Well…today we’ve got The Arcade Fire. Equally unassuming: scratchy voice, tumble-down lyrics and a Canadian flag. The vibe is hauntingly similar. Their third album The Suburbs should be every bit as raw and heartfelt as their last two records. If so, maybe these guys will still be on tour 25 years from now.

Sting’s current world tour featuring the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra is like nothing you’ve ever heard. And you’d be lucky to find a ticket at this point. Therefore, this tour-accompanying release titled Symphonicities is worth a listen for true Sting fans. The RPO takes classic Sting tracks and reinvents them with the power and beauty of an orchestra -  about 100 classical musicians, who turn them into colossal pieces of music much easier to hum along to than Stravinsky or Dvořák.

It’s so catchy the lyrics practically memorize themselves. Expo 86, the third studio release from Montreal synth-rock unit Wolf Parade drops today. The title refers to the 1986 Vancouver Expo and their hooky, melodramatic jams take listeners straight back down memory-lane to the 80s. Guitars, drum machines, keyboards – there’s something for everyone. Like their two previous records, lots of everything equals popularity…get it before everyone else does.

If you’re among the clueless, Derek Trucks is a guitar player who first gained notoriety by playing with the legendary Allman Brothers Band at age 12. The rest, as they say, is history. Currently, he fronts The Derek Trucks Band – putting on incredible live shows from coast to coast.  When it comes to the blues, hearing it live is the only way to go – on stage Trucks is at his virtuoso best. And…that is precisely why Columbia’s Legacy Recordings imprint is releasing the new live collection, Roadsongs. Captured in Chicago, at the height of their 2009 Already Free Tour, the release catches the man & his band in all their glory.

The story surrounding the collaboration of Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse & David Lynch is as twisted as a Twin Peaks episode. Originally planned was the release of Lynch’s 100-page photo book accompanied by musical composition. A record-label dispute released the book solo. In March 2010, Sparklehorse’s frontman, Mark Linous, was pronounced dead. With him, any hope of an album. To our surprise, on July 13th Dark Night of the Soul drops. Will it live up to its notorious past?

Nada Surf proves to be more than a one-hit wonder with yet another album in their impressive catalog. Taking a break from songwriting, If I Had a Hi-Fi features 12 covers from Spoon, Depeche Mode, The Moody Blues, Kate Bush and more.

After a decade long hiatus, STP surprises the rock world with news of a full length album release featuring brand new material. May 25th just became Christmas morning.

My parents met at a Stones concert in 1965. This one’s for them. Exile on Main St. stands as one of the greatest albums of all time. Pressed on vinyl & CD, the Super Deluxe Edition includes 18 remastered originals along with 10 unreleased tracks, 30-minute documentary DVD & 50-page photo-book. This is the holy grail.