In Brief

. The L.A. semi-legend’s first album in 18 years (due Tuesday) celebrates his friends and hangouts in dryly witty, blues-flavored rockers and ballads. Abetted by producer Tom Waits, who sings on the two tunes he co-wrote, Weiss also veers gleefully into such eccentricities as the gravelly chant “Do You Know What I Idi Amin.” But the more warped humor in such seemingly straightforward numbers as “Deeply Sorry” proves more effective.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.

Hear the Music

* Excerpts from these albums and other recent releases are available on The Times’ World Wide Web site. Point your browser to: http://arstechnica.netblogpro.com/soundclips