E-Mail This Article to a Friend DOWNLOAD Garbage time? BY ELI ANDERSON

The end of the year is dumping time for labels — a time when the repackaging departments get to work on must-have items like the Bee Gees’ Love Songs or, better yet, a new version of the Killers CD you already own, only on 11 seven-inch discs. But there are always a few collections — like Oh You’re So Silent Jens (Secretly Canadian; November 22), a compilation of three EPs by Swedish pop phenom Jens Lekman — that actually serve a useful purpose.

JENS LEKMAN

"MAPLE LEAVES"SECRETLY CANADIAN

A crooner’s delight with punchy drums rumbles behind a tale of misunderstanding that has something to do with either the changing of the seasons or Mark E. Smith.

OKKERVIL RIVER

"NO KEY, NO PLAN" JAGJAGUWAR

The new Black Sheep Boy Appendix also hits stores on the 22nd. But this outtake — a big ball of beat, acoustic strums, and folksy emotions — is already available from Jagjaguwar. It does go a bit overboard with the whole fist-pumping, Spingsteenian anthem thing. "Born To Run" for the weepy set? (Okkervil River headline T.T. the Bear’s Place next Thursday, November 10.)

THE STROKES

"JUICEBOX"RCA

The Strokes’ third disc isn’t due till January, but in an effort to pre-empt any unofficial leaks, the band have given a track to iTunes. Unfortunately, the low-grade riffage and startling lack of cool makes one wish there were some way to "unleak" a tune. Let the backlash begin.