Dig These Discs :: Dave Stewart, Active Child, David Guetta, Jeff Bridges

This set of new music goes from "Friday Night" fever on the dance floor, progresses to a guitar-fueled Saturday and then takes the tempo down to the quiet reflection of a Sunday afternoon. Whatever day of the week...you can set the speed to cruise or "pedal to the metal" with these latest August CD releases.

"Nothing But the Beat" David Guetta

Visions of "club land" come vividly alive in the exuberant and electric collection of dance music on "Nothing But the Beat." David Guetta is a master blaster of this genre and he has scored a grand slam of innovative collaborations for his latest CD. The amount of talent assembled includes Ludacris, Nicki Minaj, Snoop Dogg, Timberland, Usher... just thinking about it sets the sweat glistening on the dance floor and the cocktails flowing. Can you say "Party?!" Guetta's all-star selection and grooves truly are amazing, fresh and fun. Looking good, feeling fierce and rocking the moves with laughter and romance are at the very essence of "Nothing But the Beat." Just a few of the stand-out cuts are "Turn Me On" featuring Nicki Minaj who creates a supersonic missile of sounds in jet speed and for sheer pure energy, also check out "Little Bad Girl" featuring Taio Cruz and Ludacris. If you can't get popping to the beats presented, quite simply you'd... better check your pulse. (Available August 29)

"The Blackbird Diaries" (Dave Stewart)

Gritty, slamming, soulful and sensitive with an attitude describe the Dave Stewart's "honky tonk blues" escapade in "The Blackbird Diaries." Stewart pays homage to country legend and singer, Red River Dave. The synchronicity behind this push into the album starts with that... as Stewart puts his own heart and talent into every song. His voice exudes all the qualities of a Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash meets Tom Petty excellence as his guitar playing slides, glides and always plays a solid lick. The band assembled for this recording is the "best of the best" in the field of American musicianship and with additional vocal duets with stellar artists such as Martina McBride, Stevie Nicks, Colbie Caillat and The Secret Sisters... you are bound to share in the love. There is one song on here though which brought to mind the "good or not so good" days of his rise to recognition with The Eurythmics and Annie Lennox... and that is the true-to-life rendering called "Beast Called Fame." (Available now)

Jeff Bridges (Jeff Bridges)

Jeff Bridges takes his love of music one step further with his self-titled debut. Partnering with longtime friend T-Bone Burnett, Bridges proves he has the chops to deliver. The CD is not necessarily all country-flavored. The music ranges from early rock n' roll evoking The Everly Brothers on the opening track, called "What A Little Bit of Love Can Do," to a blue-tinged softness of remorse on several songs. He steps up to the heartbreak and excels in the classic country-western sound as well. A standout of this genre is "Everything but Love." Yet, this is no "my dog died, wife left me...lost my job" kind of mentality. The philosophy and lyrical content paints a broader stroke of feelings to which anyone could relate in a lifetime. In both these aspects of emotion and tone, his debut is of a high standard and extremely rich and well-done. In addition, there is definitely a West Coast flavor ala the California surf meets Nashville thanks to the winning combination of Jeff Bridges and T-Bone Burnett. (Available now)

"You Are All I See" (Active Child)

It's interesting to note that singer/musician Pat Grossi decided that he was going to use the moniker of Active Child for his debut recording. For the most part, the music presented is the polar opposite of "active" and just the right fit for relaxing or taking the time to enjoy his music in the stillness of contemplative thought. His voice is quite ethereal, spiritual at times and a combination of Alison Moyet of Yaz and Annie Lennox. Yes, this former choirboy has a tone and range which is simply unique. His heavenly voice is a perfect combination to a clean and crisp synth sound with the cascading of a harp and touches of powerful beats added for dramatic influence. Active Child (Pat Grossi) creates a memorable debut of richness and spirit in the ten songs presented on "You Are All I See." (Available now)