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Every week we dive into the new releases in music and home video to help you decide how to spend your hard-earned dollars, and offer up samples for you along the way. It's Tuesday Taste. Let's do it: 

MUSIC

FAITH NO MORE, Sol Invictus. The aggro-rock crew is back with its first album since 1997, and it's like they haven't missed a step. Mike Patton is one of the best vocalists in the biz, whether crooning something sweet or screaming like he's going to pop a lung, and the band remains furiously diverse in its tastes. They headline at Bumbershoot this year, so you have plenty of time to get reacquainted and dig the new stuff, like this live version of "Superhero" from a recent record store appearance: 

THEE OH SEES, Mutilator Defeated At Last. This crew, originally from San Francisco, defies easy labels, delving into folk, pop, garage-rock and psychedelia at various points in their tunes. Now relocated to LA, the music on their latest is some of their best. Here's a sample, a song called "Web": 

Each week we delve into the new music and movie releases to figure out what's great and what's ... not so great. We relay that info to you every week in Tuesday Taste. Here we go: 

MUSIC

It's not quite as big a week of music releases as we've had lately, but you might want to check out new releases from Rhett Miller, Paul Weller, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell and The Tallest Man on Earth. Even David Duchovny of The X-Files and Californication has an album coming out. 

Here, though, are the ones I'm most interested in this week: 

CROCODILES, Boys. The San Diego noise-rockers are back and sounding, well, a bit less noisy on their new effort. Pop hooks and fuzz are the rule, especially on new tune "Crybaby Demon." Here's a taste: 

SNOOP DOGG, Bush. Snoop has ditched the reggae thing and gone back to basics with Pharrell Williams, the man behind some of his biggest hits, back in the producer's chair on Bush. 

SURFER BLOOD, 1,000 Palms. The Florida band has a long, spotty history of highs (like opening a Pixies tour) and lows (a domestic violence accusation), but always managed to make some shiny guitar-pop. Their new one tries to recapture past glories: 

Each week we dive into the new releases in music and home video to help you decide what to buy, watch and listen to, and what to skip. It's called the Tuesday Taste, and this week is full of some great tunes. Let's do it: 

MUSIC

This week is full of fine new releases, and picking highlights is a fool's game. But I'm just the kind of fool to do it! There are so many new albums out that at least warrant a listen that I can't even focus on Mikal Cronin, Ivan & Alyosha, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Metz and Mumford and Sons. Go spin those new records when you can. 

In the meantime, here are the three releases I'm most excited for this week: 

My Morning Jacket, The Waterfall. The Louisville crew has spent a few years gathering their thoughts and whipping up some new epic riffs, and I'm giddy from what I've heard so far from the new music. And rumor has it they have enough songs recorded to put out a new set perhaps later this year or in 2016. You can stream the whole thing here, and here's a sample: 

Best Coast, California Nights.  The duo mesmerized me with their past recordings, and seeing them live last year just cemented me as a new fan. Here's a new vid for the title track of California Nights: 

Each week we delve into the new music and home video releases and find the best of the bunch. It's the Tuesday Taste, and this week's has a few delicious morsels for you. 

MUSIC
No doubt the hardcore Wu-Tang fans still recovering from their half-assed recent release might look for something better from Raekwon's new solo disc, and Guided by Voices fans this week can delve into another solo set from bandleader Robert Pollard. Oh, and the new Zac Brown Band album will probably sell a zillion or so copies to people who dig that burley dude's country-rock stylings.

I'll pass on that one. And next week has a ridiculous amount of great new releases, so saving money is better than buying questionable releases. There is one release this week worth particular attention, though, and it comes from Blur, with a set called The Magic Whip. The Damon Albarn-led crew has been gone a while, but you can bet the same groovy, pop-rock sensibilities Albarn brought to Gorillaz and his solo work will show up on this one. Here's a taste of a new tune called "There Are Too Many of Us": 

MOVIES & TV
The mainstream releases include the awful Jennifer Lopez vehicle The Boy Next Door, and the movie version of Paddington, the cute little bear. But there are some much better options for you: 

Every week the entertainment biz drops a slew of new albums and movies on the market, and we're here every Tuesday to sift through it all to give you the best of the week's new releases. Let's get to it. 

MUSIC
It's a pretty monster-sized week for new music, coming hot on the heels of Record Store Day, and new releases from Joywave, Passion Pit, Rocky Votolato, Wire, Yelawolf and They Might Be Giants all warrant a listen. Here are the three new releases I'm most excited about:  

Built to Spill — Boise's finest! — took six years between albums, and the band has undergone some lineup changes in the intervening years. You wouldn't notice, though, listening to the new Untethered Moon, another set of searing guitar solos and dreamy excursions courtesy of main man Doug Martsch. Here's a pretty damn funny video for "Never Be the Same:"

Alabama Shakes seemed like one of the most overrated band's in recent memory when I saw them just as their debut album was being released. There was no denying the magnetic appeal of lead singer Brittany Howard, but the rest of the band were boring on stage, coming off as a competent bar band and little more. On their recordings, though, Howard's voice and guitar is the focus, and that's a good thing. Sound & Color is their new album, here's a taste: 

Hey there, dude. How is your costume coming along? You getting ready to sculpt that goatee or pin back the hair you've been strategically growing out since the first time we did this thing a year ago? Bowling ball polished? Beer money secured in one of the many pockets on your Walter Sobchak vest?

Good to hear. If this isn't making any sense, you should know that we're hosting our second-annual Suds and Cinema Presents: The Big Lebowski Wednesday night at the Bing Crosby Theater and it's gonna be one hell of a time, OK?

Doors open at 6 pm so you can get a beer and do some people watching, with the costume contest beginning at 7:30 pm, followed by the movie. It's $4 at the door and beers are also $4. Here are even more details.

There will be beer from Perry Street Brewing — who just announced a pre-party they are calling, in the parlance of our times, "rad" — before and during the film, so please arrive thirsty. Brain Freeze will also be on hand with free ice cream in flavors inspired by the film.

As if that's not enough truly far out fun, you can head to the Rain Lounge at Scratch following the movie for a special White Russian after-party featuring the locally made vodka of 21 Window Distillery.

We'll be cranking the Creedence inside the theater and fear not, there will be no Eagles.

Now, back to the issue of the costume. We don't want you to stress, so here are some tips we dug up from AltDaily for some easy Lebowski costumes. Click here for a complete guide — but below is a sample.

Every Tuesday, we delve into the week's new music and DVD releases to let you know the best way to spend your dollars. It's called Tuesday Taste, and here are some samples of the best this week has to offer: 

MUSIC

Arizona-based Calexico consistently creates sounds and songs that sonically stretch well beyond their little corner of the world. The group, led by Joey Burns and John Convertino, are regular collaborators of Neko Case, and their new album Edge of the Sun is another excellent set of music. Here's a taste: 

Eels leader E (aka Mark Oliver Everett) has always been one of rock's great experimentalists, crafting a catalog that veers from genre to genre, and using an ever-changing lineup to capture the sounds in his head. The new live album Royal Albert Hall is an excellent primer on Eels music, spanning 28 songs that show Eels to be true treasures of modern rock. Fun sidenote: Journey's ex-singer Steve Perry was a semi-member of the band last year. Here's a sample from the live set: 

Each week we offer the skinny on some of the best new music and home video releases. We call it Tuesday Taste, and here's the lowdown for this week: 

MUSIC

Waxahatchee, aka Katie Crutchfield, continues her remarkable trajectory as a songwriter on Ivy Tripp, her third full-length. It's a bigger, brasher sound for someone most known for conversational vocals and intimate lyrics, but it totally makes sense on Waxahatchee's latest. Here's a taste of Waxahatchee live: 

Toro Y Moi is the performing name for Chaz Bundick, and on his latest, What For?, the songwriter and producer delves into some tasty pop that leans heavily on the synthesizers rather than the guitars of past efforts. Here's a tune called "Empty Nesters:" 

This weeks' new releases in music and DVDs features a light load on the movie side, but a seriously killer batch of great new tunes. At Tuesday Taste, we tell what's worth your time among all the options. To wit: 

MUSIC

I'm almost embarrassed to say that the new Van Halen live album is pretty high on my list of today's new releases of things I want to hear ASAP. Although, judging by the band's performance on Jimmy Kimmel last night, maybe that's not such a great idea. Besides, there are an insane number of highly anticipated albums arriving this week, including Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Lower Dens, NYC punk-turned-roots rocker Jesse Malin, Ron Sexsmith, Brit folk-rockers The Staves, William Elliott Whitmore and some dude named Ringo. Here are some others: 

Death Cab for Cutie starts life without sonic ace Chris Walla, who stayed around long enough to record their new album, Kintsugi, before leaving the band. How Ben Gibbard and Co.'s sound evolves from here remains a mystery, but the new tunes sound like primo Death Cab with a dash of Postal Service's electronic flourishes. Here's a taste of new tune "Black Sun:"

The Sonics are almost as much a legend as they are a band. The Tacoma garage-rockers hit in the mid-60s with a killer, aggressive sound that inspired some to proclaim them the first punk band. Cited regularly by Seattle's rock royalty as a major influence, the band is definitely something to be reckoned with, even in their reformed state. Here's a cut from their new album, This is the Sonics:

Oh, hey there Suds and Cinema lovers. We just wanted to let you know that the next installment of our venerable beer-meets-awesome-movies series is in response to the many, many loyal fans who asked us to bring back one of last year's films...and that film is The Big Lebowski.

Last year, we had one hell of a night at the Bing Crosby Theater when we screened the film to almost 700 folks, many of whom were dressed in the costume of their favorite characters. And we're hoping to recreate that magic by again having the freshly one-year-old Perry Street Brewing provide the beer for the event on April 15. The beer flows at 6:30 pm and the movie follows at 7:30 pm.

As always, entry is $4 and beers are $4, too.

And, yes, we'll be hosting a costume contest for several categories, including Best Dude, Best Walter and several other wild card categories to be announced later. There's also an after-party at Rain Lounge featuring White Russians made with Spokane's own 21 Window Vodka. During the movie, you can feast on special Lebowski-themed ice cream flavors from Brain Freeze Creamery.

If you're not into the whole remembering things without electronics thing, here's a link to the official Facebook invite. Let us know if you're coming, man.

Here's a look at last year's Lebowski night. It was far out.