Brandon's Buzz

Pardon the truncated record store report this week, but — at least on the face of it — there’s not a hell of a lot out there this week to jump up and down about. But don’t let first appearances deceive you: there might just be a pleasant gem or two awaiting you among what follows.

• Those ’90s heroes Sister Hazel are still plugging away at it;
  their latest effort is the aptly titled Release.

 

• Rising country star David Nail has just gone and made his atrocious cover of the unheralded Train classic “I’m About to Come Alive”
  the title track of his debut album.

 

• Her under-the-radar debut landed her a surprise Grammy nod for
  Best New Artist; let’s see how R&B diva Ledisi follows it up with her sophomore release, Turn Me Loose.

 

• Speaking of atrocious, all hail the return of Eurotrash dance outfit Cascada, who are back with their latest full-length project,
  Evacuate the Dancefloor.

 

• After an extended hiatus, Third Eye Blind are back and trying to re-catch lightning in a bottle with their new album, Ursa Major.

 

• After knocking our socks off with her cover of “Born to the Breed” from last year’s Judy Collins tribute project, the fabulous Amy Speace returns with her latest album, The Killer in Me.

 

• Alt-rock hero Brendan Benson steps away from The Raconteurs
  for a solo offering, My Old Familiar Friend.
• Country queen Reba McEntire is up with her 25th studio album,
  Keep On Loving You. (As near as I can tell, the title track is not a cover of the REO Speedwagon rock classic, as much fun as that might have been.)
• And finally, season two of the CW’s guiltiest pleasure
  Gossip Girl arrives on DVD.