Album

Rock'n'soul action from vocalist Shawn Smith and Pearl Jam's Stone Gossard

Two from Brighton's FatCat, fast shaping up as one of UK's leading independents

Lisa Gerrard, spiritually intense wailer and ex-Dead Can Dance member is, we'll wager, no close relation to Steven Gerrard, the Liverpool midfielder. But you never know. She's gone all Maori on us here for a New Zealand indie film, and aren't they the fellas who do those scary war-dance routines before playing thug-ball, or rugby, or whatever it's called? Lisa, after working on Gladiator, Ali and others, is now a big Hollywood soundtracks player, which is comically absurd but blissfully reassuring.

First time on CD for post-Morrison freakout album recorded in California

Compilation of mail-order metapop from people who brought us the Langley Schools Music Project

Stunning punk-prog produced by Rick Rubin, featuring Red Hot Chili Peppers Flea and John Frusciante. Band "sound manipulator" Jeremy Ward, 27, was found dead on May 25

Revamped Glaswegians stay close to adopted West Coast roots on fourth LP

Cynical, articulate UK singer-songwriter sends home thoughts from abroad

Uncle Tupelo founder paints his masterpiece

More wonder and thunder from down under. Mick Harvey's extensive track record (Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey, Crime & The City Solution) more than qualifies him to score a coming-of-age issue movie set in "a small coastal town in Australia". Interestingly, the debuting director, Paul Goldman, shot the videos for Boys Next Door's "Shiver" and The Birthday Party's "Nick The Stripper", so he and Harvey have been communing aesthetically for a while. Harvey's been getting award nominations already for this, and it seems there's little he can't turn his hand to these days.