Maybe it's because the labels decided to hold back on the big guns knowing that the election probably means smaller crowds than usual at the record store. Whatever the reason, there is no way to sugarcoat the fact that this week's lineup of new releases is a likely frontrunner for weakest we've seen this year.

No way around it. This is gonna' be a short column.

Brad Paisley is probably the strongest contender of the lot to make any kind of impact on this year's holiday sales chart. The country guitarist extraordinaire sticks to what he does best on his new one, which is appropriately titled Play. This is an instrumental album which allows Paisley to show off his considerable chops on both solo and duet performances with people like B.B. King, Keith Urban, and Steve Wariner.

Q-Tip makes his return to the record store with The Renaissance, which is the first album in nearly a decade from the celebrated hip-hop producer and founding member of A Tribe Called Quest.

Lou Reed's Berlin: Live at St. Ann's Warehouse is the CD companion piece to his concert DVD where Reed performs the Berlin album live for the first time in 30 years. Travis' new album Ode to J. Smith is reportedly the result of a whirlwind recording session which finds the Brit-popsters sounding edgier.

ZZ Top are, well ZZ Top on Live from Texas, which is also the companion to a live DVD. This week's holiday greetings are brought to you by Harry Connick Jr. and Sarah Brightman.

Before we turn you over to Mark Saleski, NAR reminds you that if you aren't going to be in the record store, make sure you at least go vote.

Here's what I know: this is saxophonist Peter Brötzmann with cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm. It was recorded in an "industrial urban warehouse district." It's on the Atavistic label (read: not easy listening).

Brötzmann scares me. He claims to be playing a saxophone but half the time it comes out sounding like a flame cutting machine gone wrong. You should be scared too.

This will in no way sound like Kenny G with Yo-Yo Ma.

Here are all of this week's new album releases courtesy of All Music Guide:

Danielson
Trying Hartz
Secretly Canadian
Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock

Hinder
Take It to the Limit
Universal Republic
Post-Grunge

Megapuss
Surfing
Ada/Vapor
Indie Rock, Neo-Psychedelia, Experimental Rock

Brad Paisley
Play: The Guitar Album
Arista Nashville/Sony BMG Nas
Neo-Traditionalist Country, Instrumental Country, Contemporary Country, Guitar Virtuoso

Q-Tip
The Renaissance
Universal Motown
East Coast Rap, Alternative Rap, Hip-Hop

Drew Andrews
Only Mirrors
Minty Fresh
Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Rock

Nicholas Angelich
Brahms: Piano Quartets Nos. 1-3
Virgin Classics
Romantic Chamber Music

Sarah Brightman
A Winter Symphony
Manhattan
Holiday, Adult Contemporary, Christmas

Peter Brötzmann
The Brain of the Dog in Section
Atavistic
Free Improvisation, Modern Free

Dennis Brown
The Best of Dennis Brown: The Niney Years
Universal
Roots Reggae, Smooth Reggae, Lovers Rock

Jackson Browne
Solo Acoustic, Vol. 1 & 2
Inside
Singer/Songwriter

Willie Clayton
Soul and Blues
Malaco
Retro-Soul, Soul-Blues, Deep Soul, Southern Soul, Soul, Chicago Blues, Chicago Soul

Harry Connick, Jr.
What a Night! A Christmas Album
Columbia
Traditional Pop

The Corporation
Get on Our Swing/Hassles in My Mind
Big Beat
Psychedelic Pop

Rodney Dangerfield
Greatest Bits
Shout! Factory
Standup Comedy

Pascal Devoyon
Grieg, Schumann: Piano Concertos
EMI
Romantic and Post-Romantic Music for Piano and Orchestra

Dragonette
Galore
London
Club/Dance, Pop

Grampall Jookabox
Ropechain
Asthmatic Kitty
Experimental Rock, Indie Rock

Heather Harper
Richard Strauss: Four Last Songs; Songs with Orchestra
EMI
Post-Romantic Vocal Music

Honeyhoney
First Rodeo
Ironworks/Universal Republic
Alternative Country, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Crossover Jazz

Frida Hyvönen
Silence Is Wild
Secretly Canadian
Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Rock