Kevin Bryan delivers his verdict on some of this week's alternative CD releases.

Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, "Live From Ebbetts Field" (Wienerworld)- Michigan born George Frayne formed this eclectic outfit in 1967, adopting the alter ego of Commander Cody as he helped to concoct a heady melange of rock, country, jump blues and western swing which generated a string of reasonably successful albums during the early seventies. This hitherto unavailable live recording captures Frayne and company's 1973 show at a quirky venue in Denver, Colorado, where the typically wide-ranging set list included their inimitable covers of everything from "Jailhouse Rock" to Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried."

Thurston Moore, "Rock n Roll Consciousness" (Caroline)- Avant-garde rock has rarely sounded more uplifting or expansive than this mesemerising new offering from guitarist Thurston Moore. This challenging character has crafted five lengthy tracks which mine a rich vein of anthemic and surprisingly accessible sonic experimentation, aided and abetted by a strong supporting cast including My Bloody Valentine bassist Deb Googe and Moore's old Sonic Youth sidekick Steve Shelley on drums. "Cusp" and "Aphrodite" are the best of a thought-provoking bunch.

Ashley Hutchings, "Street Cries" (Talking Elephant)- This interesting collection first saw the light of day in 2001, and found roots music veteran Ashley Hutchings re-inventing a string of dark traditional songs with new lyrics more suited to the early years of the 21st century. Many of the leading lights of the folk fraternity were roped in to deliver his new hybrid creations and the finished product is well worth forty minutes or so of anyone's time, with Cara Dillon's plaintive "He's Young But He's Growing," Vin Garbutt's jaunty "Three Jolly Burglars" and June Tabor's icily compelling "These Cold Lips" providing the perfect introduction to Hutchings' ambitious marriage of the old and the new.

Magna Carta, "The Fields of Eden" (Talking Elephant)- Chris Simpson's subtly memorable acoustic outfit released several very well received folk-rock albums during the early seventies and the gifted Yorkshireman is still keeping the Magna Carta name alive more than four decades later. The man who was once dubbed "the English Paul Simon" recorded this excellent set in 2014, joining forces with former Steely Dan guitarist Elliott Randall and former colleague Doug Morter to create the sort of reassuringly melodic package which has become his trademark over the years.