New Music Releases: August 2, 2011

Welcome to August!  Can you believe it’s already here?

Starting to see the “back to school” commercials sort of bums me out. Where did the summer go?

If you are looking for new tunes to enjoy before we say goodbye to the summer of 2011, here are the new choices out today:

Trace Adkins “Proud To Be Here”

It’s Adkins 10th studio album, out one year after his last “Cowboys Back In Town”.

The one thing to note about this album release is that while Trace was finishing it, his Nashville area home went up in flames. Adkins first cared for his family, then decided it was time to finish the release. He even forwarded all the support he received from fans to help the Red Cross. True.

New fans might know him from NBC’s “The Apprentice”, but Adkins has had a long career with plenty of ups and downs along the way. He says this new collection of music is about those experiences.

“There’s so much on this record that’s autobiographical. I draw from the best writers in town, and time after time they capture things I’ve experienced.”

John Hiatt “Dirty Jeans & Mudslide Hymns”

This is Hiatt’s 20th album release and is being called one of his best. Kevin “Caveman” Shirley produced. Shirley has previously worked with Silverchair, Iron Maiden, Rush and Journey. Now THAT is a resume’.

Hiatt closes this album with the track “When New York Had Her Heart Broke”, a song looking back at the tragedies of 9/11.

 O.A.R. “King”

This one of the “must see ” concerts if you are into “jam bands”. This O.A.R.’s debut release on a new record company (Wind Up) and the first since 2008’s “All Sides”. That album had the mega hit “Shattered”. How is this new project different?

O.A.R.’s  Marc Roberge says, “When I first started writing songs I was young and hadn’t experienced many things, so I chose to write from the perspective of someone else, the Wanderer, now, after having traveled the world, gotten married and had a child of my own, I felt like it was time to bring the Wanderer back and finish the stories I started over ten years ago.”

Keb Mo “The Reflection”

This is a collection of pop, jazz and R & B songs. It really is. Check out the all star lineup of guest artists on this album- Vince Gill, India.Arie, Marcus Miller, Dave Koz and David T. Walker.

Keb Mo has been working on this project for the last two years and it is getting great reviews. If you like melodies and rhythm (which I do), you’ll dig this.

“Victorious: Music From The Hit TV Show”

This is the “family friendly” release of the week. If you have teenagers, or if you are fan of the hit tv show on Nickelodeon, this is for you!

The songs are performed by star Victoria Justice and the cast. This soundtrack has a version of the Jackson Five song “I Want You Back”.

That should make for some fun listening in these final weeks of the summer of 2011!