Plus: Dan Zanes [ tickets ], Twilight Singers, more

The Raconteurs [ tickets ]
"Broken Boy Soldiers"
(V2)

The Raconteurs are an indie-rock supergroup featuring vocalist/guitarist Jack White (The White Stripes), bassist Jack Lawrence and drummer Patrick Keeler (both from The Greenhornes), and singer/songwriter Brendan Benson.

The band will hopefully tour to support this debut album. Thus far, the group has only slotted a handful of UK and European festival dates and announced that it will play one US gig, on Aug. 4 at Lollapalooza in Chicago.

T Bone Burnett [ tickets ]
"Twenty Twenty--The Essential T Bone Burnett"; "The True False Identity"
(Sony)

Get ready for T Bone mania. Not only is the singer/songwriter releasing a new studio album ("The True False Indentity") and a career retrospective ("Twenty Twenty--The Essential T Bone Burnett"), but he's also mapped out his first tour in some 20 years.

"The True False Identity" is Burnett's first studio album since 1992's "The Criminal Under My Own Hat." He's obviously been busy during that solo-recording hiatus, working as an acclaimed producer, songwriter and soundtrack composer. He's best known for producing the Grammy-winning smash soundtrack to the film "O Brother Where Art Thou?"

Burnett was backed on this album by some of his longtime performing partners, including drummer Jim Keltner, guitarist Marc Ribot, bassist Dennis Crouch and keyboardist Keefus Ciancia. That's the same group that will be touring with the singer.

Jakob Dylan, son of Bob Dylan and leader of The Wallflowers, will also join Burnett as a "special guest" during most of his 15-city tour, which kicks off May 23 in Chicago.

Ashley Parker Angel [ tickets ]
"Soundtrack to Your Life"
(UMVD)

Ashley Parker Angel was once best known for being a member of the band O-Town.

These days, however, he's vastly more famous for starring in MTV's reality TV show "There and Back," which chronicles his attempt to re-establish himself in the entertainment industry. That exposure has translated to brisk pre-order business for the singer's debut album.

Could this album be his ticket back to the top? You won't need a reality TV show to find that out. All you'll have to do is watch the charts.

Dan Zanes and Friends
"Catch That Train!"
(Festival Five)

Dan Zanes has had a very interesting career. He first came to prominence as a member of the '80s rock band Del Fuegos, which he later left to start his own band, The Dan Zanes Trio, in the mid-'90s. That trio was a hit with hipsters and regularly packed such cool spots as CBGB.

In 2001, Zanes redirected his attention toward producing family-friendly music. "Catch That Train!" is the latest in the Dan Zanes and Friends children series. Past efforts have included such Friends as Suzanne Vega, Rosanne Cash and Sheryl Crow. This time around, Zanes pals around with the likes of the Blind Boys of Alabama, Natalie Merchant and Nick Cave. The Kronos Quartet even makes an appearance here.

Twilight Singers
"Powder Burns"
(One Little Indian)

The Twilight Singers [ tickets ], a recurring project for former Afghan Whigs frontman Greg Dulli, return with a follow-up to 2004's "She Loves You." Dulli is accompanied on this disc, the band's fourth overall, by such talents as Joseph Arthur, Ani DiFranco, Scott Bennett and Afghan Whigs bassist John Curley.

Other new releases:
Armin Van Buuren, "State of Trance 2006" (Ultra)
Cam'ron, "Killa Season" (Diplomatic Man)
Dir En Grey, "Withering to Death" (Warcon)
Dirtie Blonde, "Dirtie Blonde" (Jive)
Tim Easton, "Ammunition" (New West)
Hoobastank, "Every Man for Himself" (Island)
Mason Jennings, "Boneclouds" (Sony)
Melvins, "Houdini Live 2005" (Ipecac)
Christina Milian, "So Amazin'" (Def Jam)
Gerry Mulligan, "Original Sextet Complete Studio Master Takes" (Lonehill)
Rock Kills Kid, "Are You Nervous?" (Reprise)
Starfield, "Beauty in the Broken" (Sparrow)
Thievery Corporation, "Versions" (Eighteenth Street)
Wishbone Ash, "Clan Destiny" (Eagle)
Zutons, "Tired of Hanging Around" (Sony)

Soundtracks and scores:
"Over the Hedge" (Sony)