The stars aligned this fall for the as-yet-untitled sixth album by the Thermals, which was recorded in Hoboken, N.J., with John Agnello and completed just hours before Sandy wreaked her havoc on the East Coast. Clearly the cosmos wanted us to hear the record, which is due this spring … Ghost Brothers Of Darkland County (Hear/Concord) is described as a “Southern gothic supernatural musical.” This bizarre concept could only come from the unexpected collaboration of Stephen King, John Mellencamp and T Bone Burnett. Set for a March 19 release, the record features a star-studded cast including Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Neko Case, Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey, Meg Ryan and many more … After celebrating its 30th anniversary with a string of sold-out shows, 10,000 Maniacs will top off this milestone with its first new album in 13 years. Music From The Motion Picture is out January 15 … Yep Roc will issue the new Josh Rouse album, The Happiness Waltz, on March 19 … Mary Gauthier’s very first live LP, Live At Blue Rock, is out February 7 via In The Black … Omnivore will take us back to the ‘70s with the release of two albums’ worth of never-before-released music: Buck Owens’ Honky Tonk Man and Don Rich’s Sings George Jones. Both are out January 23.
—Emily Costantino
