Albums come out every Tuesday. Some are good, some are bad, and some stay under the radar–forever. It can be tough to keep up with all of the albums coming out, but you deserve a shot. So here’s a little update from the music world for you:

Mr. Bright Eyes himself, Connor Oberst, released a self-titled solo album today. He and his fellow musician friends, The Mystic Valley Band, trotted off to Mexico last winter and recorded this little gem. ‘Gem’ might not be the word you would use to describe something that Connor does if you’re only familiar with Bright Eyes and hate the whole whining-boy genre.

However, Connor manages to really step out of all of that on this record with songs that are cohesive and story telling, with driving rhythms and a sound much more reminiscent of Bob Dylan than Gerard Way. Thank god.

The Faint, who I thought I didn’t like released an album today, Fasciinatiion. Despite having not been a huge fan in the past, I still am impressed by their dance beats and ability to make me go, ’shit, I’m tapping my foot to this’. I can’t deny that.

Tuesday Honorable Mentions:

Brazilian Girls: New York City (Download)

Lewis Black: Anticipation (Buy)

Nappy Roots: The Humdinger (Buy)

Hawthorne Heights: Fragile Future (Download)

Santana: Multi-Dimensional Warrior (Buy)

Trapt: Only Through The Pain (Buy)