Latest releases reviewed

VARIOUS Return to Sin City: A Tribute to Gram Parsons Image Entertainment ****

It's always the ones who die young who cast the longest shadows. 30 years have passed since his death in a motel room in the Mojave desert, but Gram Parsons continues to exert a bigger influence with every passing year, with all manner of acts claiming a link and paying their respects to the original grievous angel. Many of these acts had no hesitation in turning up when Gram's daughter, Polly, organised two tribute shows in Los Angeles last July. From Jay Farrar's fine take on Drug Store Truck Driving Man to Lucinda Williams's aching, emotional Sleepless Nights and A Song for You, standout performances begin to crowd each other out in this veritable Last Waltz of a show. Whether it's country royalty like Dwight Yoakam and Steve Earle or the new school like Kathleen Edwards and Norah Jones (even pulling in Keith Richards for Love Hurts), Gram Parson's guiding light never seems far away. www.gramparsonstribute.com

Jim Carroll

GRAHAM COXON Live from the Zodiac EMI ***

It comes as something of a surprise to realise that the ex-Blur guitarist has released five solo albums. It wasn't until the most recent - the underrated Happiness in Magazines - that Coxon stepped out of Blur's shadow and replaced his tradmark Pavement-influenced lo-fi sound with something poppier and more robust. This DVD gathers together a show from Oxford and a short acoustic set from the ICA last year. Also tacked on are three of the videos from Happiness in Magazines. Solid, but mainly for the confirmed fan.

Brian Boyd