Album

Emerging in 2001, these Detroit brothers lash the hard-livin' loucheness to traditional country ache. Frontman/songwriter Kurt Marschke's wail is Jaggeresque and there's lonesome balladry aplenty ("27 Hours", "Such A Crime") plus enough "Happy"-like fretwork to suggest what might have been had Gram'n'Keef really got it on. "Entitled" pits the sideways chug of The Breeders' "Cannonball" against early Replacements sneer, and dobro/pedal steel player Peter Ballard tints the big skies with a yearning airiness. Seriously impressive.

New York sextet release their hip hop debut, produced by feted duo DFA

1986 album from Tokyo-born but US-based singer-songwriter

The King's penance ignored

The Orrible Oo's classic video jukebox rockumentary gets a 25th anniversary makeover

Cut from classic troubadour cloth, North Carolinan Holcombe has been recording for 20 years, though dogged by bad luck (dropped by Geffen, his previous album, A Hundred Lies, was only released after fans Steve Earle and Lucinda Williams found him a label). His husk of a voice and country-blues finger-picking is reminiscent of Eric Andersen and Tim Hardin, but closest to JJ Cale. The 48-year-old's stream-of-consciousness lyricism is unique, though, bearing the scars of a troubled past.

Mellow country vibes from the Parkerilla

It's a neat concept, seeing how a particular culture regurgitated Los Beatles. Portugal emerges as a tryer: chap singing through his forehead on "I'll Follow The Sun", "When I'm 64" played on a wasp, a total botch made of "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" (which is bollocks anyway, to be fair) and a surprisingly loose grasp of rhythm all round. But, occasionally, Portugal triumphs: an atmospheric "Blackbird", a surfing "I'll Get You" and a delightful fado reading of "Hey Jude" taken at a canter on the pretty Portuguese guitarra.

NY white-funk collective compiled

Never mind the bats, release the DVD! A fair-value set of 20 promos from the durable out-of-tune gothsters, many directed by longtime cohort John Hillcoat. Anton Corbijn helms "Straight To You", and renaissance man Mick Harvey bosses the excellent "Deanna" and "Wanted Man".There's an undeniable sense that Cave's talents withered long ago, and the duets with Kylie, PJ Harvey and Shane MacGowan are distraction tactics, but this is a comprehensive, cool-enough collection.