New Music for Your Summertime Party

Summertime is party time - and if you want a party started right, you need the right music. Lucky for you, there’s a broad range of new releases this week. Whatever your tastes are musically, you’ll find something to satisfy them and help create the right atmosphere — whether you’re in a club, having a dinner party or throwing a barbecue in the yard (or on the roof, as New Yorkers do).

Our pick for a CD that has something for everyone is Four Tet: DJ Kicks. The latest in the long running DJ Kicks series, it sticks to its formula of “performer as DJ.” An artist or group is asked to compile a DJ-style mix CD of the songs that have influenced them, or songs they just really like. Then they contribute one exclusive new song of their own, to round things out. Four Tet shows that his influences are more varied than most — the album goes from Curtis Mayfield to Animal Collective. They’re hand-picked classics by one of the most interesting performers out there today - we doubt you’ll go wrong with this one.

India. Arie’s latest is called Testimony, Vol. 1: Life & Relationships. Her voice is smooth and husky, and the music is R&B flavored hip=hop with an acoustic feel. You can feel the emotion behind the words, when she sings about her failed relationship and her struggle to deal with the heartbreak.

Kurupt drops Same Day, Different Sh*t tomorrow, to bring back the laid-back, streetwise West Coast hip-hop feel. With the beef between Snoop Dogg and Kurupt settled, Young Gotti can release on a regular schedule — no more 4 year waits between albums. If you’re more into the underground sound, DJ Spooky just released In Fine Style: 50,000 Volts Of Trojan Records. Spooky uses his downtempo sound and turntable skills to remix the classic ’70s Trojan releases. On his latest, he puts his unique stamp on reggae classics by Desmond Dekker and Peter Tosh.

Richard Thompson started with Fairport Convention, one of the top British folk-rockers of the ’60s. His love of older forms of music shines through in 1000 Years Of Popular Music. Thompson and his group play a wide range of hits, from medieval English ballads to Gilbert & Sullivan tunes — even a cover of Bowling For Soup’s “1985″.

If that’s going too far back in time for you, maybe the latest by the Pet Shop Boys is a better pick. You probably remember “West End Girls” and their cover of “Always On My Mind,” if you listened to Top 40 radio during the late-80s. They’re still around and still releasing their synth-pop hits. Their newest one, Fundamental, creates the house beats and melancholy ballads they’re known for, and apparently does it well - the album is already a top 5 hit in the UK. There’s also a Fundamental Limited Edition available with remixes and live tracks on a second disc.