wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Every week, the Soundcheck staff digs through our inboxes for the best new releases.

Al Green, "Lay It Down" (Blue Note)

Four decades into a legendary career, Al Green could just sit back and collect the royalties from his recording catalog. But the Memphis-based singer still loves making records. And he’s turned to the members of the hip-hop generation to enliven his latest album, called "Lay It Down." The drummer ?uestlove of hip-hop outfit The Roots co-produced the disc, which features guest appearances from R&B singers John Legend, Corinne Bailey Rae and Anthony Hamilton.--Brian Wise

Chumbawamba, "The Boy Bands Have Won" (Trade Root)

Chumbawamba started as a loose collective of anarchist punks in the early 80s – and no one was more surprised than they were when their song "tubthumping" became a summertime pop hit in 1997. Now, they’ve reinvented themselves as an acoustic band. Like so many of their earlier records, the title is a skewering of the music industry. And the songs? Well the band describes them as "calmly stating their case about the state of the world. Then buggering off." --John Schaefer

Rachid Taha, "Rock el Casbah: The Best Of" (Wrasse Records)

Think The Clash’s song Rock the Casbah, Arabic version. Growing up in France, Algerian singer Rachid Taha has often been a victim of prejudice and discrimination. On his album, "Rock el Casbah: The Best Of," he gives an angry take on intolerance, re-interpreting the hit by his punk idols. –-Gisele Regatao