Neil Young’s first solo album after the breakup of Buffalo Springfield is pretty stunning to listen to 40 years after its release, especially in such pristine remastered form.

Four years after their eponymous debut, British quartet Engineers are back with a sophomore effort that methodically shifts their sound from pleasant—albeit sleepy—dream pop, to actively engaging shoegaze. However, while Three Fact Fader’s highpoints often recall a more accessible Lush or Slowdive, Engineers are careful to treat their predecessors as reference points rather than crib notes.

The 30 songs on The Singles Collection effectively compile Creedence Clearwater Revival’s first 15 singles in chronological order. All the most recognizable material is here, and, as such, this collection is nearly identical in content to the band’s Chronicle Vol. 1 greatest hits album, excepting the addition of a few more tracks.

You know it was bound to happen. Bristol noisniks Fuck Buttons, aka Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power, have hooked up with a big name boardsman-in this case DJ, remixer, and producer Andrew Weatherall-and toned down their aural apocalypse.

For those who are hoping The BQE represents the long-awaited next installment in Sufjan Stevens’ slow trek across the U. S. of A, look elsewhere. For those who are hoping to get some of Stevens’ trademark Americana lyrics and witty storytelling, you, too, are barking up the wrong tree.

It’s interesting how the music that was “alternative” during the ‘90s has become the classic rock of today. This phenomenon is most apparent with Pearl Jam, their songs now seeming almost as much a staple of classic rock radio as, say, Led Zeppelin. However, in terms of sound and sentiment, one of the bands whose true ethos seems closest to that of classic rock fare is Foo Fighters.

If you’re inclined to look down on the concept of “essential” “Weird Al,” don’t. In a career spanning nearly 30 years, Weird Al has surpassed the Dr. Demento show that spawned him as a cultural institution; survived and thrived while the artists he’s parodied have faded to obscurity; stayed consistently funny while SNL continues to tank; and become a modern musical icon to rival just about any other of his time, so widely recognized that even your mom knows who he is.

Christmas albums are tricky business. Many artists seem attracted to the Christmas song for some reason, but few albums (compilations or otherwise) are anything more than curiosities. These are impulse purchases, things you think sound interesting but will probably listen to only once before realizing you don’t really want to hear The Flaming Lips singing a holiday tune or Twisted Sister rocking around the Christmas tree or Bob Dylan croaking out “Silver Bells” while you enjoy your holiday ham. Perhaps the most risky of endeavors is what Tori Amos has chosen for her recent holiday release—artistic reinterpretations of classics alongside original tunes.

Three years ago, Under the Radar reviewed a Christmas album by hair metal goofs Twisted Sister, and with all due respect to Bob Dylan, who is perhaps the best songwriter of all time, Christmas In The Heart is a similar curiosity.