New Music Releases- August 23, 2011

It’s slim pickings for new music this week.

But, if you can hold out for 7 days, the NEW Red Hot Chili Peppers album will be out.

Until then…here are your choices:

Barbra Streisand “What Matters Most- Barbra Streisand Sings The Lyrics of Alan And Marilyn Bergman”

Check out this fun fact- Barbra Streisand has had a number 1 album EVERY decade since the 1960’s. It’s safe to say she isn’t going to lose this feat in the 2010’s (that’s what they are called, right?).

This is a collection of tunes written by her collaborators and friends Alan and Marilyn Bergman. The 10 song collection is a package of those tunes she has never recorded before. Included in the set are the Academy Award winning songs “The Windmill of your Mind” (from the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair); “So Many Stars” (originally a hit song for Sergio Mendes & Brazil ’66); “Nice ‘n’ Easy” (popularized by Frank Sinatra); and “That Face” (first recorded by Fred Astaire).

If you are a hardcore Streisand fan, you’ll get the deluxe 2-cd edition which includes a second disc featuring ten previously released performances of Barbra singing the lyrics of Alan and Marilyn Bergman including “The Way We Were”, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers”, “Papa Can You Hear Me?” and “Pieces of Dreams”.

The Game “The R.E.D. Album”

Fresh off his recent Twitter battle with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (click here to read that story), rapper The Game releases his fourth studio album.

This is a “who’s who” of producer geniuses in hip hop music. Dr. Dre and Pharrell Williams lead the list. Guest performers on the album include Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Chris Brown, and Nelly Furtado.

Wow.

“The R.E.D.” release is two years in the making and has been delayed at least ten times. It looks like this new album will FINALLY make it to the streets.

Sunny Sweeney “Concrete”

Sunny Sweeney grew up in Longview, Texas. That much we already know. Sweeney describes herself like this, “I’m from East Texas, and if you talk to me, you’ll probably be able to tell that. If I get around my friends or family from home, my accent gets thicker for some reason and you will most likely need a translator. I sing country music in a country band, and I play acoustic guitar. I’m a pretty low key boring person when I’m off the road, and my idea of fun is to sit my ass on the couch with all three of my dogs sitting right beside me with a cold beer in my hand and watching trash TV. I know pretty much all the commercials on TV and I sing along. I talk during movies.”

Seriously, Sweeney has been turning heads since her debut release which was promoted with so little fanfare that this new album, “Concrete”, has been considered her debut.

If you are a fan of true, traditional country music, you’ll love this.

Muppets “The Green Album”

I’m not going to lie- this is my PICK OF THE WEEK!

Imagine this- a collection of 12 classic Muppets tunes like OK Go’s version of the “Muppet Show Theme Song”.

It gets better- Weezer does “Rainbow Connection (feat. Hayley Williams)” and The Fray tackles “Mahna Mahna”.

My Morning Jacket, The Airborne Toxic Event, and Matt Nathanson also make appearances on this FUN collection of songs.

In case you didn’t know, the Muppets are BACK. This music release should get you ready for the upcoming film, “The Muppets.” I’ve already got my tickets.