♦ Bret Alexander – Gentleman East: In a lot of ways, this one is probably the best of the half-dozen or so Badlees side projects that came out during the great post-UTDH hiatus, even if it’s not my favorite (that would probably be Perfect Smile). The foundation of what makes(made?) the Badlees great was the songwriting, and this record is Alexander’s songwriting distilled to it’s purest form; the instrumentation is spare, keeping the focus on the lyrics and melody, especially on quieter tracks like “No One Hears Me Singing,” “I Want to Win In This World” and the excellent story-song “Memphis Restroom.” It’s a great, listenable disc that diplays the best of influences (Springsteen, Dylan, Robertson, Waits, Westerberg), in a wry, introspective fashion, even if it feels like it’s missing some of the humor and sense of fun you get with a Badlees record. But then, that’s what solo projects are for, trying out new avenues of expression. Sometimes those avenues go to really interesting places; which is the case for the best (hidden) track on the record: “These Are the People That Own the World” was kind of a forgettable track on the Badlees Renew record, but here, with a few change-ups in presentation and tone, it becomes an essential classic.

♦ Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians – Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars: This band was one of those good, workmanlike acts that played out in late 80s, hitting largely through videos, thanks to a charismatic lead vocalist, who was expressive, hippy-cute, looked great in a pair of high-waisted 80s jeans, and managed not to look too silly while squatting in the big video. I was a fan. “What I Am” is, of course, the classic track from this record, a slouchy, jam-band-esque track that everybody knows and likes, if not loves, and continues to live on as a minor nostalgia classic. That song, and the rest of the record, are really defined by the sound of simple, clean, Knopfler-esqe electric guitar lines interwoven with an equally meandering fretless bass. It’s a shame they only released two records before mostly disbanding. For my money, the best track on the disc is “Circle,” which was a follow-up single (I actually have the cassingle! of this one someplace), which has a great melody, a nice jazzy bassline, and some really interesting and understated guitar feedback effects. Halalalalalala plink plink.

♦ Johnny Lang – Lie To Me: In the mid-90s, there was kind of a run on scrawny white teenage boys with real guitar chops putting out SRV-style blues records. Mr. Lang was one of them (Kenny Wayne Sheppard was another), and he really, really tries to sound like a grizzled old bluesman, and almost manages it. But, just like Taylor Swift or Justin Beiber singing about heartbreak or love gone wrong, the lack of actual life experience with such things comes through in the end (he was 17 when this record was released). Lang had (and continues to have) amazing guitar chops, as evidenced on the title track and “Back for a Taste of Your Love,” but it all kind of feels like an incredible simulation of the blues rather the real thing. I haven’t heard as much of his later stuff, admittedly, though I expect as he’s aged, it’s gotten more authentic. As it was in ’96, having him cover Sonny Boy Williamson’s “Good Morning Little School Girl” just feels like a stunt that went terribly, terribly wrong.

♦ Lita Ford – The Best of Lita Ford: I suppose I bought this one as a symptom of my being an 80s hair metal/hard rock completist. That said, it’s really a better record than one would expect, if you’re looking for a decent driving rock song performed by a former member of the Runaways who didn’t get any lines in the movie and who popularized the pointy abomination that is the BC Rich Warlock electric guitar. The big hits are here, those being MTV and middle school dance staples “Kiss Me Deadly” and “Close My Eyes Forever,” the duet with Prince of Effing Darkness Ozzy Osborne. And funnily enough, those two tunes still really work. What you don’t necessarily expect are the big arena-sized rock anthems like “What Do Ya Know About Love?” and “Larger Than Life,” which are certainly not high art, but are exactly the kind of high-energy tunes you want when you’re driving home down the interstate after wrapping up the work week. Just watch out for the lead foot some of these tunes seem to inspire.