New releases: Paul Weller, Wedding Present, Lee Ranaldo, Frank Black, Toy Dolls, B-52s

Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs.

ARTIST : Paul Weller
RELEASE: Sonik Kicks
BACKSTORY: The former Jam leader this week releases his 11th solo album in the U.K., a 14-track record featuring appearances by Noel Gallagher and Graham Coxon. The album, featuring lead-off single “That Dangerous Age” and the already released track “Around the Lake,” will be released in the U.S. next week (see full tracklist here).
BUY: Amazon.co.uk (CD, CD+DVD, vinyl)

ARTIST : The Wedding Present
RELEASE: Valentina
BACKSTORY: David Gedge and Co. this week release their eighth studio album, a 10-track set recorded in France, California and England throughout 2011. The record, featuring tracks such as “You’re Dead” and “You Jane,” was mixed by Andrew Scheps, who has worked with Metallica, Iggy Pop and Johnny Cash (see full tracklist here).
BUY: Amazon.com (CD)

ARTIST : Lee Ranaldo
RELEASE: Between the Times and the Tides
BACKSTORY: The Sonic Youth guitarist this week releases his latest solo album, an unusually rock-oriented collection of songs that features contributions from Wilco’s Nels Cline, Alan Licht, John Medeski, Sonic Youth bandmate Steve Shelley and ex-SY cohorts Jim O’Rourkeand Bob Bert (stream full album here).
BUY: Amazon.com (CD, vinyl)

ARTIST : John Foxx and the Maths
RELEASE: The Shape of Things
BACKSTORY: The Ultravox co-founder and synth pioneer this week in the U.K. releases the standard single-disc version of his second album under The Maths banner, featuring 14 new songs (including “Rear View Mirror,” “Invisible Ray,” “Vapour Trails” and “September Town”). A double-disc special edition was released last month.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk (CD)

ARTIST : Toy Dolls
RELEASE: The Album After the Last One
BACKSTORY: Eight years after the release of Our Last Album?, the classic U.K. punk act returns this week with their 12th studio album, featuring such tracks as “Credit Crunch Christmas,” “Gordon Brown Gets Me Down,” “Down At The Old 29,” “Don’t Drive Yer Car Up Draycott Avenue” and “Decca’s Drinking Dilemma.”
BUY: Amazon.co.uk (CD)

ARTIST : Frank Black & The Catholics
RELEASE: Live at Melkweg
BACKSTORY: The Pixies leader this week releases a live album recorded with his band The Catholics on March 24, 2001, in The Netherlands on the Dog in the Sand tour. It covers the Catholics’ catalog and features versions of Pixies classics such as “Mr. Grieves,” “Monkey Gone to Heaven” and “Where Is My Mind?”
BUY: Amazon.com (CD)

ARTIST : The B-52s
RELEASE: With the Wild Crowd! Live in Athens, Ga.
BACKSTORY: The Athens, Ga., party band this week releases DVD and Blu-ray versions of their new live album, recorded in February 2011 in the band’s hometown; the film features performances of classics such as “Private Idaho,” “Rock Lobster,” “Roam” and much more (see full tracklist and enter to win a copy here).
BUY: Amazon.com (DVD, Blu-ray)

ARTIST : Erasure
RELEASE: Essential
BACKSTORY: EMI this week releases, in the U.K., one of its new Essential series of best-of sets for the classic synthpop duo. The 16-track CD features such favorites as “Who Needs Love (Like That),” “The Circus,” “Chorus,” “Always,” “Sometimes” and “Ship of Fools” — but somehow omits “A Little Respect” and “Chains of Love.”
BUY: Amazon.com (CD)

ARTIST : Stiff Little Fingers
RELEASE: Assume Nothing, Question Everything: The Very Best Of
BACKSTORY: The Irish punk act celebrates its 35 anniversary with the release this week of a new double-disc, 42-track greatest hits set that includes such tracks as “Roots Radicals Rockers & Reggae,” “Won t Be Told,” “Gotta Getaway,” “Last Train From The Wasteland” and “Love Of The Common People.”
BUY: Amazon.com (CD)