2008 has yet to reveal its true heavy hitters release-wise, and it's just as well: I haven't even had time to absorb a thousand or so top ten lists, my own personal reflections on 2007, and my expectations for the new year. Even so, there is a handful of intriguing things this week, provided you like Various Artists.

Typically, I'm into Various Artists only when the compilation features new, unreleased and / or collaborative pieces that I can't find elsewhere. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when I picked up I'm Your Fan and devoured John Cale's "Hallelujah," though the rest of that record is pretty uninspiring. I can make an exception here and there for a great mixtape or soundtrack, though. Wes Anderson's soundtracks are always brilliant, mostly because even though the songs are (usually) old news, they're associated with something interesting enough to give them a new life. Who can deny Nico's sudden gravitas as Margot approaches Richie at the bus station? Various Artists can even promote exploration of things I might have missed out on originally. Little Miss Sunshine introduced me to Devotchka, for instance. Most of the time, however, soundtracks that compile a bunch of already released songs strike me as sort of lazy, unless the point is to revisit some other time period or culture. Reality Bites is a good example of that, despite Ethan Hawke's "I'm Nuthin.'"

The truth is that getting Various Artists right is tough to do, and usually, a soundtrack or compilation survives either because of concept or originality.

This week, the Juno soundtrack presents us with this problem of unoriginal original soundtracks, but delivers the blow with unapologetic saccharine. Juno's precious collection of precious songs for precious people is just what you'd expect from any half-indie film post-Garden State: a couple of ballads, a cover (Sonic Youth's version of "Superstar"), a feel-good oldie (the Kinks) and a recurring theme (the Moldy Peaches / Kimya Dawson). It's soundtracking by the book, but people are going nuts for it.

The movie was only on 40 screens nationwide when the soundtrack hit #11 on the iTunes list of overall album charts, and was the most popular soundtrack on iTunes by a mile at the same time. The movie's star (along with "Arrested Development"s Michael Cera), Ellen Page was interviewed by Pitchfork, and apparently, Peter Gaston at Spin uttered, upon watching the credits, "I need this soundtrack." Full disclosure: I haven't seen the movie, or perhaps I'd have more of an attachment to its audio companion. At the moment, I feel like Jason Reitman made a movie, then tossed me a cassette tape (probably taped over something else, you know it when there are little pieces of Scotch tape on the top) and a piece of gum.

I doubt I'll pick it up, but I will be giving the Queers' Various Artists romp a chance. The album features Queers covers by the likes of Parasites, Screeching Weasel, Femurs and New Bomb Turks. Ben Vermin for life.

Other VAs out today: The Wire: And All the Pieces Matter - Five Years of Music from the Wire, Cool as Folk, and Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Tracks from the Wire.
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Amanda Shaw: Pretty Runs Out
Bangles: All Over the Place (reissue)
Beatles String Players: String Quartet Renditions of the Beatles
Bangles: Different Light (reissue)
Bangles: Everything (reissue)
Billy Childish: Christmas 1979
Fish: 13th Star
Jack Bruce and Robin Trower: Seven Moons
Johnny Cash: The Johnny Cash Show: The Best of Johnny Cash
Kate Nash: Made Of Bricks
Lou Reed: Street Hassle (reissue)
Marah: Angels of Destruction!
Martin & Wood Medeski: Let's Go Everywhere
Reverend Organdrum (Reverend Horton Heat): Hi-Fi Stereo
Sia: Some People Have Real Problems
The Shondes: The Red Sea
Spiritualized: Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space (import reissue)
Various Artists: Beyond Hamsterdam: Baltimore Tracks from The Wire (soundtrack)
Various Artists: Cool as Folk: Cambridge Folk Festival
Various Artists: God Save the Queers
Various Artists: Juno (soundtrack)
Various Artists: The Wire: And All the Pieces Matter - Five Years of Music from the Wire (soundtrack)
Wisely: Wisely
Wussy: Left for Dead