Jamey Johnson - That Lonesome Song (2 X 12" vinyl)
Mercury

The last song on this album, "Between Jennings and Jones," describes Johnson's music in a nutshell. Referring to Waylon Jennings and George Jones, the song describes a singer who leaves Montgomery, Alabama for hopeful stardom in Nashville packing nothing more than a sound "somewhere between Jennings and Jones." Throw in a little Merle Haggard and a little Toby Keith and that's exactly where Johnson resides. The album starts with "Released," a brief non-musical piece depicting Johnson's release from jail before continuing with "High Cost of Living," a blunt revealing of the cocaine addiction that got him there in the first place. The two pieces set the tone for the album; Johnson performs these songs as a repentant man who's trying to get past the consequences of his mistakes. You'll hear lots of familiar sounds on That Lonesome Song; "Angel" and "The Door is Always Open" sound a lot like Jennings, "Place Out on the Ocean" moves to a Jimmy Buffett lilt and "Mowin' down the Roses" tunes into a funky Little Feat groove. But Johnson has a voice that honors these guys, he doesn't mimic them, and this album is a good start at landing this talented artist a spot in music history somewhere between Jennings and Jones. buy it

The Killers - "Human" b/w "A Crippling Blow" (12" Picture disc single)
Island

"Human," from the band's Day & Age album, is not the most exciting single that the Killers have ever released. But then again people don't normally buy picture discs for the musical content---the collectibles are more for show. As for the artwork, the "Human" side features a portrait of singer Brandon Flowers done in a (probably computer generated) pointillism style while the "A Crippling Blow" side features a black and white photo of the band standing against a tree. "A Crippling Blow" is not on Day & Age but maybe it should have been; it's a lot more fun than "Human." This one plays at 45 R.P.M. despite its 12" format. buy it

MGMT - Metanoia (10" E.P.)
Columbia