Tuesday Music: Wow, A New Feature!

This summer's forecast for new music looks very, very promising. In response to that, today marks the start of a new feature at Project BS: every Tuesday, I'll take a semi-in-depth look at my picks for the newest releases of that week. You don't have to take my word for it, but I'll at least point out a couple of albums that would be worth checking out, in my opinion. For this week, I'll paradoxically backtrack to last week, June 29th, and fill out the picks with some comedy gold.

Dave Matthews Band - The Gorge Available June 29
In honor of my upcoming trip to Hershey, PA to see DMB in concert again, I have to bring up their latest live release. Fresh off the heels of their dynamite Central Park Concert, DMB has continued their tradition of yearly official live releases with this two-disc-and-one DVD set recorded live in September 2002, at one of the nation's most highly-regarded amphitheaters. The DVD is an interesting twist, since it has no repeats from the two audio CDs.

The Warehouse, DMB's fanclub, voted on the choices of songs for the Gorge release, and it shows - the tracklisting for this is pretty eclectic. I can't imagine the general fanbase voting for some of these songs over others, but having soundboard versions of "The Song That Jane Likes" and "Kit Kat Jam" with lyrics are a definite treat. I like this set because it's different from many of the other live releases, the energy in the performances is over-the-top, and it's definitely a cut above 2001's Folsom Field. The fact that it's being released right in the middle of DMB's summer tour makes it a well-timed and welcome treat. Grab it while it's hot. If you're not a huge DMB fan and don't have a lot of their live stuff, though, go with Central Park first.

Jeff Foxworthy - Have Your Loved Ones Spayed Or Neutered Available July 6
It looks like Jeff Foxworthy's on a bit of a rebound these days, with the success of The Blue Collar Comedy Tour. And hey, I like that, because his comedy was a staple in West Virginia in the mid-to-late 90's, as you can imagine. Most of his jokes from Games Rednecks Play were very close to home for me, which made them all the more funny. I haven't listened to any previews from his latest album yet, but I can bet you that they're pretty funny. So, Mr. Foxworthy gets a pick from me just for being a cool, funny Southerner on the comeback.

That's all for today's picks, but since I had fun with this, I'll be sure to bring it back next week. Over the next couple of days, I'll be writing about my July 4 weekend at home, and then you can look forward to the Hershey Park Journals. And please, feel free to leave comments on other great new albums hitting stores, because I'll probably want to check them out soon.