Don't be misled by British punk pioneer Graham Parker's new album title, Songs of No Consequence. Judging by this raw, evocative record, he isn't letting his life in the scenic Hudson Valley mellow him out in the least.

Featuring the Figgs, his long-time cohorts (and former Capital region rockers), Songs of No Consequence is vintage Parker with a current-events twist. From the "bah bah, ba bah" chorus of "Bad Chardonnay" to the "nah nah, na nah nah nah" of "There's Nothing on the Radio," his honest, brutal rock and roll lives. Who else would admit he's "Seen this mighty continent from the backseat of a van / where the scenery just disappears / like the members of your band"? There's not a contrived bone in his body, and as always with Parker, these are songs of consequence.

The media-bashing "Vanity Press" hits home, as does the resigned "Ambivalent," but it's the hard-driving "Did Everybody Just Get Old?" that leads to yet another issue—who made the rule that you had to be 20 years old to be on the charts and be relevant? They must not have known Graham Parker. www.grahamparker.net.

The debut CD by the Woodstock-based band Water Witch is both inspired and also aspires to be original in an unoriginal era.

Combining acoustic and folk sounds with rock, and even jazz, ambient, and improvisational styles, and wrapping it around poetics of yearning, learning, and unfolding spirituality, the music is emotional, physical, and rhythmically driven. With his bandmates, singer/songwriter Leland Door (also known as Evergreen Inn owner Theodore Finkle) creates a musical depiction of Mother Nature and Earth discussing the modern world, human life, and our impact on all things. The mystical, magical, and often-maligned universe is manifest throughout the album in chant-like meditations, soaring hawks, love, ancient lore, and the inner truth we all seek.

Water Witch is a great band to see live, or simply to hear on your own. Far beyond, it is a haunting release of mountain soul. For more information, call (845) 254-5392.

Tim Sutton and Mike Tuttle, whose past and current projects include Wooden Rope, Goblet, and Ratboy, combine their vocal/production gusto as Suttle and wave it in your face on In a Slinky Style.

These two musical magnates soak up everything and grate it finely, bringing you the alchemical distillate of their hip-hop, rock, drum and bass, and dub influences. Sutton's vocals bounce between written verse and freestyle, always leaving you guessing which is which. Tuttle's beats and loops weave scratchy guitars, left-field samples, choruses of children, and Sutton's answering machine in an inspired call-and-response. Tripped-out tracks like "Maybe It's Because" or "U-Turn" echo Suttle vocals over wah-wah guitar sequences  and retro rhythms a la Sly Stone or Al Green. Funky cameos include long-time Sutton pals Matt Senzatimore on drums and Shane Kirsch on saxophone.

The project, recorded over a year at Tuttle Sound Labs in Kingston, is less an experiment and more a nod to influential bands like Gorillaz, Beck, Thievery Corporation, et al. But In a Slinky Style remixes the flow and puts the "fun" back in "funk."