A first-time solo record from a rock & roll figurehead, a big ol’ supergroup CD and a singer-songwriter surprise are the needles in this week's haystack.---

Must Have:
Jack White’s Blunderbuss is a meditation on disillusionment with love, but is less self-disclosing than one might assume on his first LP with his name stamped on the cover. As expected, White offers a guide through classic rock, blues and country.

”Sixteen Saltines”

Holy supergroup, Batman!:
Diamond Rugs is a collaboration between John McCauley and Robbie Crowell (both of Deer Tick), Ian Saint Pé (The Black Lips), Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), Hardy Morris (Dead Confederate) and Bryan Dufresne (Six Finger Satellite). Nuf said! The self-titled debut makes us want to drink some whiskey (yup, this early in the morn ... it’s fine, just fine), and hope they can make time to get in the studio again.

”Gimme a Beer”

The Big Surprise:
The Texas-bred singer-songwriter Sarah Jaffe makes the jump from moody crooner to unconventional and unpredictable artist on the John Congleton-produced The Body Wins. Her sophomore album is all over the place but doesn’t diverge too far in musical scope or lyrical vision.

Why Are You Still Making Music?:
It would almost be too easy to make fun of Eve 6 here, but instead, I just can't come to terms with The Dandy Warhols’ Into The Night. Sure, they were part of the ‘90s wave of alt-rock that was pumped through the airwaves when signing a major-label deal actually meant something -- and they made it through to the other side when that all collapsed. But the droning ‘60s psychedelia meets New Wave (again and again) that they do just ain’t doin’ it for me. Stop it -- right now.

Honorable Mentions:
The Raveonettes’ Into the Night EP, Suckers’ Candy Salad, Loquat’s We Could Be Arsonists and Ty Segall & White Fence put out Hair.