Welcome back Music Lovers! Steering you through the turbulant waters of popdom, it’s my pleasure to tell you about some awesome sounds that are inspiring me lately.

First off, I have finally found my soundtrack for the summer. It’s the deliciously delightful Jason Mraz’s new project, We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things. This is the kind of record you play while you and a gang of good-looking friends hang out by the beach, drinking diet cokes, or whatever the good-looking people are drinking these days. He alternates sassy, slappy horn-driven jams (ala EW&F), with laid-back, nowhere-to-go, acoustic melodic pop gems. And more. Jason keeps surprising with new twists and production turns, without seeming schizo. This is for you if you like what the uber-laidback Jack Jackson has done, but wonder what he might be like if he actually got a good night’s sleep. Primo pop.

Usher’s new CD, Here I Stand, comes out 5/27 and while he’ll probably achieve urbpopdomination over the next couple of years with this project, he’s no Chris Brown. He seems to have taken direction from the slow parts of Janet Jackson’s albums. Popstars - listen up! We Want Fun! Life is sexy enough without you having to drench us in your muddy version of it!

A couple of popstars who HAVE listened to this advice already - make for a couple great downloads to throw onto your summer mixtape. Check out The Ting Tings and “Great DJ,” “That’s Not My Name,” and “Shut Up And Let Me Go.” I’m also digging on Danish popstars Alphabeat and their smash “Fascination.” And if you can find The Hoosiers “Goodbye Mr. A.” you’ll be glad you did, and sorry that I infected your brain with its insane hook.

If summer means something more melancholy for you, don’t miss Adele. While she and Duffy (”Mercy”) are definitely riding the Winehouse-wave, this 19-year-old Brit has the tunes and the pipes to warrant her own massive audience. “Chasing Pavements” is the current single, but also fab are “Hometown Glory” and “Cold Shoulder.”

Congrats to Nashville singer/songwriter Regie (”One G”) Hamm for writing the winning song in the American Idol songwriting competition. Here’s a great article about him. Funny enough, Hamm has been an incredibly successful songwriter in the Christian music industry, perhaps even moreso than last year’s co-winner Scott Krippayne. As if that’s not funny enough, Hamm also has a cut on the poutine-drenched new CD from Clay Aiken. I’m thrilled for him and his family. Cookie and the tune sound great!

P.S. I can’t wait to tell you about Alanis Morissette’s new CD. I think it’s going to be huge.