This week is one hand-packed snowball to the chest compared to the avalanche of releases that plowed us over last week.

Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand
CD (Vice)

These Atlanta psychedelic garage punks have played their guitars with their dicks, pissed in each others mouths, and puked on Kelly O. Reckless stage antics aside, they have also made some pretty terrific records over the years. Their follow-up to the catchy, light, and somewhat clean Good Bad Not Evil is 200 Million Thousand, a ramshackle affair that finds the Black Lips getting dark and dirty in the basement once again, where layers of seasoned grime coat the recording. Be careful when making out to "I'll Be With You"; you might roll into something sticky.

Pan-American - White Bird Release
CD (Kranky)

Pan-American, the solo project of Mark Nelson, who played with post-rock experimentalists Ladbradford, is best enjoyed on days when the gap between grey skies and dark waters is blurred, when sunlight shutters behind the clouds. Dave Segal explored the plains and foothills of White Bird Release this week:

The tracks are gentle instrumental meditations that could be Tortoise at their mellowest, although the latter gradually swells into Gas-like ambient grandeur.

Ultimately, White Bird Release finds Nelson continuing his quest to freeze time through shivery drones, sighing quavers, and an icy-jointed form of ambient dub. Like all Pan•American releases, the new one surreptitiously swathes you in peaceful, easy feelings, which only a fool would reject in the stressful 21st century.

Van Morrison - Astral Weeks Live At Hollywood Bowl
CD/LP (Listen to the Lion)

Van Morrison's classic 1968 release, Astral Weeks, remains to be one of the most important/critically-lauded records in the history of rock music. Forty years later, Morrison rebirths the glorious splendor of the album, from the stage of the Hollywood Bowl, along with the many hits that would follow him throughout his career.

MC Lars - This Gigantic Robot Kills
CD (Oglio)

I love nerds and all, but I wish someone would kidnap all these nerd-rappers and put them back in their laboratories so they can actually use their massive brains to help change the world, not make it feel slightly more retarded.

Also being released today: Lamb of God's Wrath, Clem Snide's Hungry Bird, J.J. Cale's Roll On, School of Seven Bells Alpinism on LP, a Bill Frisell best of collection, K'Naan's Troubadour, and what appears to be the entire Ben Harper catalog being released on vinyl. (Damn, that's a lot of jam.)