Uncut

Underrated US singer-songwriter employs appealing simplicity

Retro new wave/post-punk Middle Eastern style from Israeli quartet

Over-adventurous offering from former Green On Red guitarslinger

New volume of basement lo-fi by unreconstructed rocker in folk clothing

Metal-fixated collaboration between The Fucking Champs and Trans Am

Versatile jazz guitarist's sample-based outing, produced by the eclectic Hal Willner

The Scorcher frees himself for an eclecticism off-limits to his pioneering country-punk band

Patchy major label debut from rad-fem electro-punks

New studio album and greatest hits package from "The Way It Is" man

Since it's hard—and possibly verboten—to say a bad word about Tom Waits, unholy shaman of whacked-out Americana, I'll content myself with expressing a few mild reservations. From the startling departure of Swordfishtrombones—over 20 years old now—Tom's every subsequent move has been worth following with avid fascination. But with 2002's simultaneously released Alice and Blood Money, it seemed he was veering off into wilfully art-wank Hal Willner territory.