Today, Mercury Rev's new album, the ambient and atmospheric Snowflake Midnight, releases via conventional and online outlets. Its companion piece, Strange Attractor, a collection of mostly instrumental tracks recorded during the Midnight sessions, also drops today, but for a much cheaper price -- FREE!

Here's a rundown of the essential albums available online and in record stores today:

What? Mercury Rev will release their seventh and eighth albums September 30 in two very different ways. Hailed by critics as a return to form, Snowflake Midnight, the act's proper full-length release, showcases Mercury Rev's brand of dreamy, psychedelic pop while delivering poetic and accessible lyrics that feel timeless in their flow and delivery.

It was a busy week in SPIN.com-land, as we deployed our fearless rock'n'roll vagabond Zack on the road with Radiohead; hosted a stream of the entire new LP from Heavy Heavy Low Low; and debuted tracks from the Verve, Mercury Rev, and School of Seven Bells, among others. Check out this week's booty below:

"We thought this record should sound like it was made by a different Mercury Rev," drummer/keyboardist Jeff Mercel said of the band's forthcoming album, Snowflake Midnight (out Sept. 30). "We began to look at the process.