Let's all take the week off. New releases are practically taking the week off. Retailers should staff down in anticipation. But we sometimes get this around a holiday weekend. No surprise.

So what's out today? A few albums on Victory Records, by The Forecast, Silverstein and Junior Varsity. Nothing that's going to be knocked out of the park. None of these are in the realm of Hawthorne Heights.

Maybe you caught Peeping Tom on Conan the other night, or saw the prime placement on the MySpace music page? It's the latest project of the prolific Mike Patton, and this one is far more accessible and mainstream. The album pairs Patton with different guests on every track: Rahzel, Norah Jones, Amon Tobin, Kid Koala, Bebel Gilberto, Kool Keith, Jel & Odd Nostrom, Doseone and Dub Trio.

Les Claypool, bass player and all-around weird frontman for Primus, has a solo album out called Of Whales and Woe. It's out on his own Prawn Song Records.

Look for more and bigger albums next week. There will be new albums by AFI, Cheap Trick, Young Juc, Live, Katie Melua, Be Your Own Pet, Ice Cube, Sound Team, Paul Oakenfold and Zero 7 (with a few songs featuring blogger favorite Jose Gonzalez).

• Dave Alvin: West of the West (Yep Roc)
• Ammon Contact: With Voices (Ninja Tune)
• Asobi Seksu: Citrus (Friendly Fire) Website
• Belle & Sebastian: Late Night Tales (Late Night Tales)
• Boards of Canada: Trans Canada Highway EP (Warp)
• John Bucchino: It's Only Life: Songs of John Bucchino (P.S. Classics)
• Cadence of Raw Produce: Creative Commerce (Domination)
• Celtic Frost: Monotheist (Century Media) Website
• Les Claypool: Of Whales and Woe (Prawn Song)
• Crash Romeo: Minutes To Miles (Trustkill)
• DJ Ese: Side: Two + Instrumentals (Embedded)
• Drowsy: Snow on Moss on Stone (Fat Cat)
• The Epoxies: Synthesized (Dirtnap)
• The Forecast: In The Shadow of Two Gunmen (Victory)
• Herbert: Scale (K7)
• Hitman Bloody Money: Soundtrack
• Junior Varsity: Great Compromise (Victory)
• Keene Brothers: Blues and Boogie Shoes (Fading Captain)
• Kris Kristofferson: Live from Austin, Texas (New West)
• Legendary Pink Dots: Your Children Placate You From Premature Graves (Roir)
• Jamie Lidell: Multiply Additions (Warp)
• Mac Dre: Presents Thizz Nation, Vol. 6 (Thizz Entertainment)
• Molemen: Chicago City Limits Vol. 2 (Molemen)
• Nachmystium: Instinct: Decay (Southern Lord)
• Noxagt: Noxagt (Load)
• Peeping Tom: Peeping Tom (Ipecac) Stream album at MySpace page
• Quiet Drive: When All That's Left Is You (Red Ink) MySpace page
• Radio Dept: Pet Grief (Labrador) Download “The Worst Taste In Music”
• Rescue Me: Soundtrack (Nettwerk) Songs by Ray LaMontagne, Black Keys, Wolf Parade, Stereophonics, Twilight Singers, more.
• Silverstein: 18 Candles: The Early Years (Victory)
• Space Needle: Recordings 1994-1997 (Eenie Meenie)
• Ralph Stanley: A Distant Land to Roam: Songs of the Carter Family (Columbia Nashville)
• The Sleeping: Questions and Answers (Victory)
• Sunday in the Park with George: Cast Recording (P.S. Classics)
• George Thorogood: The Hard Stuff (Eagle)
• Tied & Tickled Trio: A.R.C. (Morr)
• Various: 80's Hits Stripped (Sidewinder)
• Various: Ultra Weekend 2 (Ultra)
• VAST: Turquoise and Crimson (2blossoms)
• Wax Tailor: Tales of the Forgotten Melodie (Decon)