Various Artists
G.I. Disco
(BBE Music)

Somehow I never thought of disco as being a major U.S. export to Germany. But G.I. Disco: The History of the Cold War’s hottest ’80s club music in West Germany, an entertaining and informative collection compiled by two Berlin DJs, shares music American servicemen, stationed in West Germany during the Cold War, brought overseas. American Forces Network radio spread the sound across the continent. Of the 12 tracks included here, only the Timex Social Club’s “Rumors” was a charting single, so those unfamiliar with the genre will enjoy finding some interesting pre-hip-hop grooves. Most notable are ’60s chanteuse Barbara (“Yes I’m Ready”) Mason’s soulful “Another Man” and “Get Loose” by Akeem, featuring dance music Renaissance man Leroy Burgess. Soul fans will be interested in the inclusion of the B.B. & Q. Band, which once featured Luther Vandross on backing vocals. —Jeffrey Siegel

The Corin Tucker Band
1,000 Years
(Kill Rock Stars)

The first solo album from Sleater-Kinney frontwoman Corin Tucker doesn’t resemble her main band or her side-project Cadallaca. Instead, 1,000 Years finds her mostly in singer/songwriter mode, expanding her palette with acoustic guitars, swooning strings, and delicate piano. Folksy songs showcase her new skills but they also feel too restrained, ready to burst at the seams with a passion that never arrives. Tucker possesses one of rock’s most expressive voices, and it’s bewildering to hear her downplaying the emotional intensity throughout. The album’s most gripping songs are aggressive rockers in which the band uncorks taut riffs and Tucker lets her voice rip. While Sleater-Kinney fans may be disappointed that this lacks that band’s fervor, chemistry, and chiseled structures, many songs gain traction with repeated spins, suggesting this new direction may yet prove fruitful. —Jeff Jackson

Blue Water White Death
Blue Water White Death
(Graveface)

Ethereal acoustic guitars drone in the background while quivering, pensive vocals and jarring noises are injected sparsely into the mix. Strings, organs and pianos creep in around the edges, along with almost subsonic undertones and something like aboriginal chants that are felt more than heard.

More than anything, most of this album is an ambient sonic pastiche; there’s really no “song structure,” unless there’s some form of music out there that’s composed by trees, rocks and streams. As such, it’s ripe for employment in film soundtracks or video games. Its few moments that are somewhat traditionally structured have a vaguely medieval feel, in the vein of The Moody Blues or Pentangle, and lyrics are suitably esoteric: “Shave your arms to seem amphibian/ in a week it won’t feel good at all” (“Death for Christmas”). Obviously, reverb abounds. —Tom Sturm