Summer months call for hot tracks

“Summertime and the livin’s easy…” 

There really is something about summer that immediately associates the season with great tunes and awesome concerts. So it may be a bit unoriginal, but considering the forthcoming rich musical offerings, I’ll be providing a preview of what to look out for in the hot months ahead. 

In terms of new records, I’ll highlight a few that I’m highly anticipating, starting with the Dave Matthews Band’s “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King.” The album will stand as a tribute to LeRoi Moore, the group’s former saxophone player who died last summer following an all-terrain vehicle accident. Some of his earlier recorded parts will still appear on “GrooGrux.”

As a Dave fanatic, I honestly can’t wait for this album to drop. I already warned my roommate to be ready to hear a lot of Dave come June 2. If you haven’t heard the new single, “Funny the Way It Is,” I’d recommend getting on that because it’s splendid. 

“American Baby” was my summer groove in 2005 when I graduated high school, and I look forward to uncovering my go-to jam for 2009 when I graduate from college.  

Next, at least as of now, Third Eye Blind’s new album, “Ursa Major,” is set to be released June 23. This also happens to be my birthday, and if this record actually comes out, I cannot think of a more amazing gift. “Ursa Major” has been on the verge of gaining “Chinese Democracy” status with how many times its release date has been pushed back (well, not quite that bad, but still). 

From my devoted scouring of the 3EB message boards on their recently revamped Web site, it seems like this time Stephen Jenkins will actually be delivering it to us. I’ve heard a few of the songs live in concert, and all I can say is that they are stupid good. Words cannot truly describe my excitement for this release as it is 3EB’s first new full-length after a six-year drought. 

For the true hip-hop fans out there, Mos Def’s fourth album, “The Ecstatic,” will be dropping on June 9. I saw Mos live back in February and he spit a couple of new tracks. Unsurprisingly, they sounded ill. 

“True Magic,” his previous effort, was respectable, but also somewhat of a disappointment. “The Ecstatic” is meant to be another pure hip-hop record a la “Black On Both Sides,” and if it even scratches the surface of that landmark, I’ll be satisfied.  

Also, when discussing rap, it’s tough to go too long without mentioning Lil Wayne. Though there is a tremendous amount of speculation surrounding it, he is slated to put out his rock debut, “Rebirth,” on June 23, though this is already a re-scheduled release date. 

Although I’m not the biggest Weezy fan, I’m extremely curious to discover what he’s bringing to the table creatively here. “Prom Queen” sort of sucks, but it’s still respectable that Weezy is down with experimenting. Never one to follow the rules, I have a strange feeling “Rebirth” could end up being something quite intriguing. 

Finally, whether you’ve been a dedicated reader of my column, a major critic of my musings, or you’ve simply skimmed it over once or twice when flipping through The Towerlight, I would just like to honestly say thank you. Your support means more to me than I could ever explain. I can only hope you enjoyed reading my thoughts half as much as I enjoyed compiling them. This will be the final rendition of “For the Record,” as the next stop for me is graduation station. 

It’s been a hell of a ride, and my major goal has been to challenge your position as a musical consumer.

Avoid being an uninformed listener and immediately jumping on anything the industry inundates your ears with. It doesn’t take too much effort to find some original musical acts out there. Conversely, don’t immediately dismiss an artist or band simply because they’ve achieved mainstream credentials (ahem, all you Dave haters out there). Just because they’ve had some success doesn’t mean they necessarily deserve to be written off.

Thanks again. One Love. 

Currently Listening to: 3fifths- “Did You?”