Michael Moore does Dylan, and other songs you need to hear this week

FOLK

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Michael Moore, from the forthcoming Occupy This Album (Music for Occupy); streaming here

The lefty director has his open-Mike moment, credibly singing Bob Dylan's protest anthem gently, as if to an audience of children. The pipe tootling and soft tones then give way to a crowd-rousing bullhorn excitation: "We are here to conduct an intervention."

ROCK

Live to Rise

Soundgarden, from Avengers Assemble (Marvel Music); streaming here

"Like the sun, I will live to rise." For their first new song in 15 years, Chris Cornell and company blatantly rip off their own riff. Fittingly, for the soundtrack to The Avengers, it is the Soundgarden hit (and little-known superhero) Spoonman that is revisited.

POP

Skipping

Eddie Vedder, from Every Mother Counts 2012 (Starbucks); streaming here

Aw, so sweet: The heartfelt acoustic ballad begins with a cute cameo by the Pearl Jam singer's daughter, Olivia. In benefit of a maternal-health advocacy campaign, Vedder and others, including Faith Hill, Lauryn Hill and Paul Simon and Edie Brickell, contribute mom-friendly tuneage.

ROOTS

I'm a Memory

Sara Watkins, from Sun Midnight Sun (Nonesuch); streaming here

The former Nickel Creek singer-fiddler goes big with a sweeping, galloping chorus of a song that has "play me, radio" written all over it.

ESSENTIAL VIDEO: HIP HOP

Lost in the Word

Kanye West, with Justin Vernon; streaming here

In an artful, bling-less video by Ruth Hogben, West staggers on a mirrored surface of clouds, while a beauty in a white T-shirt does things more dancerly. Strobe effects induce seizures and a chanting, rumbling and tumbling outro features beautiful women throwing abandon and hair to the wind.