You know what Tuesday means: eight slamming albums drop and we set you loose. From one of our most well-loved bands to a country legend and a YouTube celebrity, we're still bringing you the best new music. Don't stop believin'.

Middle Distance Runner

With the release of their new EP, MDR is destined to take their career to the next level, touring with Mobius Band, Tigercity, and The Epochs. The EP features new versions of Naturally , Up In A Tree , and Man Of The People , as well as three previously unreleased tracks, all of which were reviewed in detail by Brightest Young Things.

Big Pun

After his debut single "I'm Not A Player" in 1997, Big Pun became the first Latino rapper to sell over one million records. His career was tragically cut short by a heart attack three years later, but posthumous releases still went platinum and tribute albums began to appear to great acclaim. In Memory Of... Vol. 1 collects some of his greatest tracks and collaborations with Fat Joe, Terror Squad, and Cuban Link, as well as the immortal Off the Books feat. Beatnuts and Cuban Link . Called by Rolling Stone "one of the most gifted MCs ever to breathe life into a microphone," Big Pun will always be remembered as a legend.

Jake Shimabukuro

Jake Shimabukuro caught his break with a video of him playing While My Guitar Gently Weeps on his ukulele in Central Park. He quickly earned the title "Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele" from millions of adoring fans and has since played shows at The Knitting Factory in LA, BB King's in New York City, and The Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, as well as touring with Jimmy Buffett. We've got a bunch of his albums for you to check out, with virtuoso renditions of classics by Chick Corea, The Beatles, Cyndi Lauper, and sublime Hawaiian originals.

Friendly Fires

"Hot Chip without the existential baggage" is Time Out London's brilliant description of dance-punk trio Friendly Fires. Their cover of Chicago house classic Your Love brought them to the attention of electronic music magazines throughout England and the US, and the band New Young Pony Club recently dubbed them their favorite new group. While they're finishing up a debut album, you can listen to three of their EPs on Amie Street and see what all the fuss is about!

Merle Haggard

All Music Guide calls Merle Haggard "the most important country artist to emerge in the 1960s." While his music was rooted in country, Haggard incorporated elements of jazz, blues, and folk, pioneering the sound associated with Bakersfield, California. The Fightin' Side Of Me includes fifteen of Haggard's thirty-seven #1 hits featuring the themes of jail, betrayal, drinking and wandering -- just what you'd expect from someone who's escaped from prison several times!

Triska

Triska wants you to feel good. In 2004, they released an album about winter called Stay Warm, and one reviewer called Heidi Triska's voice "gorgeous... [it] snuggles around the ears like earmuffs." Their immediately likeable follow-up album, Lido, opens with the playful, sing-song words "Don't drink and drive," and later "I only wish that you're glad." The two musicians list Belle and Sebastian, Norah Jones, and Yo La Tengo among their influences, and will warm up even your coldest winter day.

Sarah Vaughan

Sarah Vaughan, along with Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, is one of the most important female jazz vocalists of all time. Jazz Club Presents: Sarah Vaughan features sultry renditions of sixteen popular jazz standards, including You Go To My Head , Round Midnight , It Might Be As Well Spring , and Misty . After listening to just a few bars of this record, you'll understand why Sarah Vaughan was dubbed "The Divine One."

Matt Wertz

Amie Street is psyched to bring you Matt Wertz's second album, Twentythree Places. This 2003 release is filled with Wertz's signature acoustic pop, and showcases the musical roots that helped him develop into the well-rounded songwriter/performer that he is today. In addition to Wertz's passionate voice and comforting guitar, the album is filled with lush pop orchestrations as well as simple acoustic arrangements. So whether you're a loyal fan or not, Twentythree Places will show you exactly why Matt Wertz has gained thousands of fans around the world.