New Releases Tuesday (6/7)

This June 7th marks a "Super Tuesday" for the record industry as too highly anticipated albums from two mega-star bands hit store shelves. Yes, unless you've completely ignored all media sources for the past two months, you know that new Coldplay and White Stripes records are out today, which is sure to cause long lines at your nearest Sam Goody location (at least that's what the record execs are hoping). If neither of these artists are your cup of tea, here's a couple of other releases that are trying to sneak in through all the major label hype. Teenage Fanclub - Man-Made - Merge New album from veteran Scottish-popsters...recorded in Chicago and produced by Tortoise's John McEntire, it's the band's very first album to be recorded in the States and their first for legendary American indie-label, Merge. Here's more from RollingStone.com: Teenage Fanclub laid down tracks in February and July of last year at McEntire's studio. "We certainly experienced the extremes of Chicago weather-wise," Blake says. The band packed lightly, and had to call on a Windy City friend, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy, for help. "Being cheap Scots, we didn't bring much equipment because we were worried about being charged excess baggage," Blake says, laughing. "Our penny-pinching almost got the best of us because we realized we had a song that needed two acoustic guitars. I got in touch with Tweedy, and he very kindly donated another one for the sessions." Turin Brakes - JackInaBox - Astralwerks "Quiet" British folk duo return to the scene after their outstanding 2003 release, Ether Song. Here's what South Wales independent record shop Diverse Vinyl has to say: After recording Ether Song in LA, the band went back to the self-produced ethos of their debut, writing and recording the entirety of JackInABox at their own studio in Brixton. Being stuck in “difficult third album” territory is never a pleasant place for a band to be, but the band are obviously very comfortable back in their own studio; the LP recalls the atmosphere of The Optimist LP, with a new-found confidence in both the songwriting and their delivery.The result is JackInABox, a sunny and direct album, full of characteristically robust pop melodies and spine-tingling harmonies. Annie - Anniemal - Big Beat Record Domestic release of the debut album from hipster-adopted Norwegian pop princess Annie. Amazon.com sez: Not since the days of The Tom Tom Club, Bananarama, and "Lucky Star"-era Madonna, has dance-pop been this fun, this bouncy, this unabashedly optimistic (1999 single "Greatest Hit" even samples the latter's "Everybody"). So don't say you haven't been warned: Anniemal is a pretension-free zone. With its "Oh no, oh no / You've got it all wrong / You think you're chocolate / But you're chewing gum" refrain, 2004's insanely addictive single "Chewing Gum" is the jewel in this sparkling crown. The R2D2-like bloops and bleeps and Annie's sweet "ah-ah-ahs" and "la-la-las" just make it shine all the brighter. Hippie-disco extravaganza "Come Together," which tops the seven-minute mark, is another standout, while the sentimental "My Best Friend" is, arguably, the only clunker on one of 2005's most notable releases. !!! - Take Ecstacy with Me - Touch & Go New single from the Brooklyn dance punks who were responsible for one of 2003's hottest jamz, "Me and Giuliani Down by the School Yard (A True Story)." Check out a full stream of the new single here