Yeah, yeah, OK, we know about the limited edition Conan O'Brien vinyl that Jack (White Stripes/Raconteurs/Dead Weather) White is releasing on his imprint Third Man. Not sure if we're going to race to the site to buy Coco's rendition of Eddie Cochran's "20 Flight Rock," but at least playing will keep Conan off the street until his new TV show starts airing.

But there are a couple of worthy releases tucked away in White's Third Man catalog, which he maintains mainly to issue PVC product by his various bands and his missus, supermodel Karen Elson.

A few months back we met BP Fallon at a South By Southwest Music Conference show. The elfin Fallon is a poet; he's also had some experience in the music biz, working as a press rep for Led Zeppelin and T. Rex, serving the Beatles at Apple and managing guitar man Johnny Thunders. Quite the CV. Fallon has released a Third Man 7-inch that includes the charming homage "I Believe in Elvis Presley."

Wanda Jackson has a Third Man single, too. If you're a rockabilly fan, Wanda doesn't need an introduction: On Capitol in the '50s, she recorded such classics of the genre as "Fujiyama Mama" and "Let's Have a Party." Her 7-inch for White is a cover of Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good," backed with a version of Johnny Kidd & the Pirates' "Shakin' All Over."

Righteous.

In case you missed it, the New York Times ran an interesting piece on the distribution of indie films by indie record labels.

It appears this is becoming a more common occurrence -- although, as one editor of our acquaintance once noted, two examples of anything equals a trend. But something is going on when an indie like Chicago's Drag City brings a picture by a writer-director like Harmony ("Kids") Korine to market.

We're not sure you can characterize such experienced labels as Drag City and Bloomington, IN's Jagjaguwar as "DIY" anymore, as the Times' headline does, but their entry into the film side is a fascinating wrinkle. Whether this phenomenon adds up to more than a handful of screens --  or, in some cases, alternative venues -- for some esoteric pictures is anyone's guess.

Light In the Attic Records' Web site dropped a bomb on their site last week with the surprising news that the mysterious, long-running band the Residents' label Ralph Records has closed its doors. A terse announcement on Ralph's Web site says, "Thanks for everything. It's been a fun ride."

One of the longest-lived indies around, Ralph issued the Residents' outré proto-punk material since the early '70s, when the band moved from Louisiana to San Francisco (if in fact they ever did -- we said they were mysterious). The imprint also released music by guitarists Fred Frith and Phil "Snakefinger" Lithman, early Bay Area electro-rock group Tuxedomoon and the art-damaged MX-80 Sound (whose lineup included Marc Weinstein, one of the co-founders of music retail behemoth Amoeba Music). Ralph's output was distinguished by its striking packaging, which employed the talents of artists like Gary Panter.

In recent years, Ralph has essentially operated as part of the Residents' mail order operation. The label gave up the ghost in the midst of a busy year that saw the masked and anonymous combo mount a large-scale tour and make an appearance at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival, curated by the group's long-time fan Matt Groening.

Singer-songwriter-guitarist Kenny Edwards, who died Wednesday, performed side-by-side with some of Southern California's heaviest talents of the '70s. After leaving the Stone Poneys, the group he founded with Linda Ronstadt in 1965, he joined Bryndle. While that band was not a success the first time around, it produced no less than three singer-songwriters -- Karla Bonoff, Wendy Waldman and Andrew Gold -- who became leading lights of the mellow L.A. scene.

The YouTube live footage above dates from Bryndle's mid-90s reunion; shot at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium, it is hosted by country musician Ricky Skaggs. Edwards is accorded last-but-not-least status among his better-known band mates, but he still gets a chance to show his stuff on mandolin (Skaggs' principal instrument) and performs a solo number at the end of the clip.

Edwards was on tour with Bonoff when he became seriously ill earlier this month, and was air-lifted back to California days before his death.

Sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words. A New York PR firm sent along some verbiage today about a new album, "If a Band Plays in the Woods...?" by the band Philistines Jr. SoundCheck's interest was piqued by some attached artwork of an instrument, the Dewanatron, that plays a key role in the group's music.

Invented by siblings Brian and Leon Dewan, this obviously homemade and handcrafted gizmo for four hands was apparently cobbled together from a junkyard's worth of vintage hardware -- including, if our eyes don't deceive us, the dials from a couple of old rotary phones. Trent Reznor and the Magnetic Fields' Stephen Merritt have allegedly bought a Dewanatron of their own.

And it sounds kinda cool. The Philistines Jr. album is out Oct. 19 on Tarquin Records/EmBarque.

Maggie Gyllenhaal has started to talk up a biopic about Bill Monroe in which she would co-star with her hubby Peter Sarsgaard. Happily, T Bone Burnett ("Walk the Line," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?") will evidently be on board to handle the music chores.

Judging from what Gyllenhaal has to say about the project, the feature will focus on bluegrass godfather Monroe's long-running relationship with his outside woman Bessie Lee Mauldin (pictured left). She actually served as the twice-married and divorced musician's bassist and recorded with his Blue Grass Boys between 1953-1964. Mauldin is said to have inspired one of Monroe's greatest songs, "Can't You Hear Me Callin'." She spent her last years before her death in 1983 as a receptionist for Johnny Cash.

With Mick huddling with Scorsese and Keef wrapping his autobiography, Ronnie Wood decided to get off his bum and make a solo record. Eagle Records will issue the Stones guitarist's "I Feel Like Playing" on Sept. 28. The guest-laden package features collaborators like Kris Kristofferson, Bobby Womack, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, the seemingly ubiquitous Slash and Faces amigo Ian McLagan.

Last week, Wood, keyboardist McLagan and drummer Kenney Jones regrouped as the Faces at London's O2 Arena, with Simply Red's Mick Hucknall and the Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock (?!) sitting in for Rod Stewart and the late Ronnie Lane, respectively. SoundCheck can't imagine what that sounded like.

Wood will soon be heard in the company of his Stones cohorts Jagger and Richards: All three musicians appear (albeit on separate tracks) on Jerry Lee Lewis' all-star set "Mean Old Man," due from Verve on Sept. 7. Woody plays on the title track, and it's one of the better numbers on the collection.

(BTW, Stones fans will no doubt be disappointed by Jerry Lee's duet with Keef on "Sweet Virginia," since a certain four-letter expletive is expurgated on the singer-pianist's version. "You've got to scrape that shine right off your shoes?" Really, Killer...)

A joker no longer, Steve Miller is setting up shop as artist in residence this fall at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music, according to the singer-guitarist's label Roadrunner Records.

Miller will work with undergrads and hold master classes at the 126-year-old institution, participating in the popular music and music industry programs.

Thornton associate dean Chris Sampson said in a statement, "“This is an amazing opportunity for the students at USC Thornton. Clearly, Steve cares deeply about the next generation of musicians and wants to be a part of their growth. His willingness to share his incredible experience with our students will undoubtedly transform their experience."

OMD is set to release their first album in 14 years, 'History of Modern,' due out September 28 in the U.S.

I can assure you OMD die-hards will not be disappointed, as the album features much of their early '80s sound, coupled with some very fresh, very new OMD stylings. Album is a solid listen from start to finish - and it caps off with what is slated to be the album's first U.S. single release...and surely an instant classic - their track 'Save Me,' featuring Aretha Franklin.

Want a copy of the track? Right now? On your computer? If you pre-order 'History of Modern,' you get the mp3 free...right now.

Click here for more info on the pre-order and free MP3.

In the meantime, check out their just-released video for 'History of Modern' track 'If You Want It':



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Soundtracks a Go Go: Soundtrack albums were making a lot of noise near the top of the U.S. album chart this week. Sony's "Eat, Pray, Love" set, already a chart item thanks to heavy merchandising at Starbucks and other non-trad outlets, logs a 48% gain and rises 18 positions to No. 21 this week, following the Julia Roberts vehicle's arrival on screens. Similarly, ABKCO's "Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World" set, with music by Beck and others, is the top entry outside the top 10 this week, vaulting to No. 24 with 13,000 sold despite disappointing B.O. numbers.

Amazon Power: Much of Arcade Fire's mega-debut at No. 1 last week had to be credited to marketing of "The Suburbs" as a $3.99 "Deal of the Day" download at Amazon.com. Another demonstration of the site's potency: After almost sliding off the chart, Band of Horses' "Infinite Arms" makes a 126-slot leap to No. 64 this week after the collection was low-balled by Amazon.