New Album Releases: Lupe Fiasco, R.E.M., Kurt Vile, Bruce Cockburn and more

(New albums are typically released on Tuesdays, i.e., today. What can you spend your hard-earned pennies on this week? Find out below.)

Bruce Cockburn's Small Source of Comfort

*Bruce Cockburn, Small Source Of Comfort
American Noise reviewed Cockburn's latest, saying: "Personally, Bruce Cockburn has always been one of my favorite artists. As a fellow Canadian, I appreciated his vigour, his social commentary and his political vitality. He sang in a straightforward manner with no holds barred, and pulled no punches. His slower material had a few hooks and a lot of wit, incisiveness, and keenness. This time around though, Mr. Cockburn's attempt at a relaxing, tranquil acoustic album falls short of the mark for even this type of environment."

Dinosaur Bones' My Divider

*Dinosaur Bones, My Divider
Stereo Subversion reviewed Dinosaur Bones' debut, saying: "On their first full length LP, My Divider, Canadian five-piece Dinosaur Bones pull off a polished and powerful sound that's driving and whimsical. While listening to the album you'll hear a lot of familiar sounds. They draw heavily from influences, but manage to do so without falling into the pit of mimicry. There's not a lot of information available online about the band: it seems they want the album to be taken at face value, which is certainly respectable. With some seriously catchy tunes, My Divider does a lot of things right."

Riley Etheridge Jr.'s Powder Keg

*Riley Etheridge, Jr., Powder Keg
Skope said of Etherdige's latest: "Americana singer-songwriter Riley Etheridge, Jr., whose new album Powder Keg is due out in March, 8, 2011, has signed to Rock Ridge Music for the release. Says Etheridge of the partnership: 'I am excited about the potential of working with Rock Ridge Music. They are smart, experienced and fun folks who have a group of cool artists and creative ideas.'"

Lupe Fiasco's Lasers

*Lupe Fiasco, Lasers
Guardian gave Lasers 2 out of 5 stars: "Lupe Fiasco established his selling point as a contrast to the crunk sensibilities of mid-00s hip-hop: a nerdy backpacker throwback unafraid to be vulnerable and smart. Six years on, soft-serve feelings have become the genre's commercial default, with the likes of Drake and B.o.B seeming to compete to see who can be the drippiest. But instead of retaining his distinctiveness, as mainstream rap has become more like Lupe, so he's begun to sound more like everyone else on Lasers: synthy choruses that Taio Cruz would reject as too generically Auto-Tuned, trite empowerment anthems as subtle as a Katy Perry hit. There are nods to the club - a guest by the name of MDMA pops up on tracks called Coming Up and Beautiful Lasers, though the vibe is less "Lupe Fiasco discovers Ecstasy" and more "Lupe Fiasco discovers 2011 chart trends."

*The official video for "The Show Goes On" by Lupe Fiasco