Uncut

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.

When Nancy Sinatra performed in Oslo in 2002, Norwegian newspaper VG carried a front-page photo with the headline "Tragic". Yet when she performed this year at Morrissey's Meltdown in London, a wander through the auditorium during the legendary "These Boots Were Made For Walking"elicited scenes reminiscent of a walkabout by Robbie Williams. Style rules over substance, in the capital at least. And it's undoubtedly style rather than content that's on show on this quasi-comeback album, for which she dresses herself in the musical equivalent of the finest threads.

East Midlands space cadets unveil heavy guitar weaponry

"Three Lions" man's first new material in five years