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Oklahoma music fans have a lot to look forward to this week.

Ada native and current Tishomingo resident Blake Shelton released his fifth studio album, “Startin’ Fires,” today. The album was originally set for early 2009 release, but the date was moved up because of the enthusiastic response to the great first single, “She Wouldn’t Be Gone.”

Also, David Cook, who lived and played music in Tulsa before winning “American Idol,” released his self-titled major label debut today.

With the holiday shopping season gearing up, variety seems to be the order of week. In the DVD section, new releases range from Disney/Pixar’s “WALL-E” to ventriloquist Jeff Dunham’s first Christmas special to the Hollywood satire “Tropic Thunder.”

Look for more variety in books, with new titles from Denis Leary, Mike Huckabee, James Patterson and Mary Higgins Clark.

Here’s a list of the new CDs, DVDs and books from Amazon.com, VideoETA.com and BarnesandNoble.com:

CDs

Blake Shelton, “Startin’ Fires.”

David Cook, “David Cook.”

Nickelback, “Dark Horse.”

Beyonce, “I Am … Sasha Fierce.”

Il Devo, “The Promise.”

Dido, “Safe Trip Home.”

DVDs

300 (Widescreen Special Edition)
Bones: Season Three
The Clique
Dr. Who: The Complete Fourth Series
Encounters at the End of the World
Garden Party
Gene Simmons Family Jewels: The Complete Season 3
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson
Hannah Montana DVD Game
Hannah Montana: The Complete First Season
High School Musical DVD Game
Jeff Dunham’s Very Special Christmas
Monty Python’s Holy Trinity
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
Tropic Thunder
UFC: Ultimate Comebacks
WALL-E

Books

“Outliers” by Malcolm Gladwell.
“Cross Country” by James Patterson.
“Dashing Through the Snow” by Mary Higgins Clark.
“Do the Right Thing: Inside the Movement That’s Bringing Common Sense Back to America” by Mike Huckabee.
“Dying for Revenge” by Eric Jerome Dickey.
“Private Patient” by P. D. James.
“Why We Suck: A Feel Good Guide to Staying Fat, Lazy, and Stupid” by Denis Leary.

-BAM

Multi-platinum artist Blake Shelton, who was born in Ada and now lives in Tishomingo, will release his fifth album, “Startin’ Fires” Tuesday on Warner Bros. Records. The album is produced by acclaimed producer Scott Hendricks (Faith Hill, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn), except for two tracks.

“She Wouldn’t Be Gone,” the first single from the album, is in the Top 10 on the country singles charts and continuing to climb, according to a news release. Shelton’s powerful emotional vocals capture the soulful pain of lost love and the regret of what could have been.

Shelton will be performing “She Wouldn’t Be Gone” on NBC’s Today Show Friday.

I talked to Shelton last week about the new album and will bringing you more about it in the coming days.

Here’s the album track listing:

Green
Good At Startin’ Fires
She Wouldn’t Be Gone
I’ll Just Hold On
100 Miles
Never Lovin’ You
Country Strong
Home Sweet Home
This Is Gonna Take All Night
Here I Am
I Don’t Care
Bare Skin Rug

-BAM

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert at the CMT Music Awards in the spring. (Associated Press photo) 

Blake Shelton is having a busy week. The Oklahoma country music star is in Nashville, Tenn., this week to attend Wednesday night’s CMA Awards and promote his new album.

“Startin’ Fires,” his fifth studio album, comes out Nov. 18, and he spoke with me today by phone about the new disc, including the hot lead-off single “She Wouldn’t Be Gone.” The passionate ballad jumped from No. 21 to No. 18 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart in just the past week.

On Wednesday night, however, his focus will be on being a good date. He will be supporting his girlfriend, neighbor and fellow country star Miranda Lambert at the CMA Awards. Shelton, an Ada native, and Lambert, a native Texan, live on neighboring farms in Tishomingo.

Lambert is nominated for female of the year at the CMA Awards, and her hit “Gunpowder and Lead” was nominated in the single of the year category.

“I gotta pretty easy night Wednesday. I’m just the purse holder,” he told me. “You know, while she gets her awards, I’m just gonna be hanging out and sneaking a beer or two into the building and keeping it pretty low-key.”

-BAM

Blake Shelton (The Oklahoman Archives) 

Today’s featured event:

NORMAN - Hear Oklahoma country music star Blake Shelton perform at 8 p.m. today at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9.

The Ada native, who now lives near Tishomingo, will release his new album “Startin’ Fires” on Nov. 18. I’ll be bringing you more on the album in the coming days.

For more information, go to www.blakeshelton.com.

For more on the show, go to www.riverwind.com.

For more events, go to www.wimgo.com.

-BAM

“Upward Bound” by Jean Richardson at JRB Art at the Elms in the Paseo Arts District.  

Arts

- Paseo Gallery Walk: See a variety of artwork, attend exhibition openings, hear live music and sample snacks at the monthly Paseo Gallery Walk from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday in the Paseo Arts District. Sneak-A-Peek Saturday, when the district arts will be giving demonstrations, will be from noon to 6 p.m. Information: www.thepaseo.com.

- “Carmina Burana”: The Oklahoma City Philharmonic and Canterbury Choral Society will collaborate on a performance of Carl Orff’s cantata ” Carmina Burana” at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker. Information: www.okcphilharmonic.org.

- Heartland Renaissance Faire: Take in jousting, raptor demonstrations, knighting ceremonies, dancing, music, theater and more at the Heartland Renaissance Faire, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Sac & Fox Casino Heartland Amphitheater, 42008 Westech Rd., Shawnee. Information: 275-4700.

- The Girlie Show: See cutting-edge arts and crafts by women artists from 8 p.m. to midnight Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday at the annual Girlie Show. The show will be at the Oklahoma City Farmers Public Market, 311 S Klein. Information: www.thegirlieshow.net.

Comedy

- Terry Fator: Hear the ventriloquist and “America’s Got Talent” winner bring his act, “Terry Fator and His Cast of Thousands,” to Civic Center Music Hall at 7 p.m. Sunday. Information: www.okcciviccenter.org. He also will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Brady Theater in Tulsa. Information: www.bradytheater.com.

Music

- Blake Shelton: Oklahoma country star Blake Shelton will perform at 8 p.m. Friday at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9, Norman. Information: www.riverwind.com.

- Natalie Cole: Hear the “Unforgettable” songstress and daughter of Nat King Cole at 8 p.m. Saturday at Riverwind Casino, 1544 W State Highway 9, Norman. Information: www.riverwind.com.

- Eli Young Band: Hear the Texas alt-country band at 9 p.m. Friday at the Wormy Dog Saloon, 311 E Sheridan. Information: www.wormydog.com.

- Crooked X, Texas Hippie Coalition and more: Hear the young Coweta-based hard rockers Crooked X and several other bands at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Diamond Ballroom, 8001 S Western. Information: www.diamondballroom.net.

- Boz Scaggs: Get the blues with Boz Scaggs at 7 p.m. Friday at the University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Lab, 100 E Fifth, Edmond. Information: 340-8552.

- Brandon Jenkins: Listen to Americana singer-songwriter Brandon Jenkins at 10 p.m. Friday at the Blue Note, 2408 N Robinson. Information: 524-5678.

- Hundredsomethings: Hear Oklahoma City band Hundredsomethings at 9 p.m. Saturday at Opolis, 113 N Crawford, Norman. Information: www.myspace.com/hundredsomethings.

Sports

- Oklahoma City Blazers hockey: The Blazers take on the Texas Brahmas at 7:10 Friday and the New Mexico Scorpions at 7:10 p.m. Saturday at Ford Center, 100 W Reno. Information: www.okcblazers.com.

- Oklahoma City Thunder basketball: The Thunder tips off against the Atlanta Hawks at 6 p.m. Sunday at Ford Center, 100 W Reno. Information: www.nba.com/thunder.

- Tulsa Oilers: The Tulsa hockey squad takes on Amarillo at 7:35 p.m. Saturday at the BOK Center, 200 S Denver. Information: www.tulsaoilers.com.

-BAM

Since I’ve dubbed it Oklahoma Country Music Day here at BAM’s Blog, I’ve compiled a list of an even dozen of my favorite country songs that reference my fantastic home state. With Oklahoma’s strong country music tradition, it’s no surprise that this list is just a small sampling, listed in no particular order and dictated entirely by my mood.

1. “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma,” David Frizzell and Shelly West. Current Oklahoma country music stars Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, sweethearts who live on neighboring Tishomingo farms, do a really great version of this heartfelt ballad, as you can see from this YouTube video of CMT’s 100 Greatest Duets countdown.

2. “Outlaw Band,” Jason Boland and the Stragglers. Boland and Co. close their latest album ”Comal County Blue” with this song penned by the late Bob Childers, Randy Crouch and Layle Stagner.

3. “Boys from Oklahoma,” Cross Canadian Ragweed.

4. “Okie from Muskogee,” Merle Haggard. Check out this YouTube video of a Merle and Tammy Wynette duet to this classic country song, which you already knew was going on this list.  (Yes, the placement of No. 3 and 4 back to back is deliberate. Yes, I have a cheeky sense of irony.)

5. “Honky Tonk U,” Toby Keith. He outlines how he broke into the music biz, starting with summers at his grandmother’s night club on the Oklahoma-Arkansas line.

6. “Oklahoma Swing,” Vince Gill and Reba McEntire opened the Oklahoma Centennial Spectacular with this terrific two-stepper, as you can see in this YouTube video.

7. “Oklahoma-Texas Line,” Rascal Flatts.

8. “Does the Wind Still Blow in Oklahoma,” Reba McEntire and Ronnie Dunn.

9. “In Oklahoma,” Cross Canadian Ragweed. Cody Canada co-wrote this musical history lesson with Stoney LaRue.

10. “Oklahoma Breakdown,” Hosty Duo. LaRue covered this smoking song on his album “Live at Billy Bob’s Texas,” and you can see his rendition (or at least part of it) in this YouTube video.

11. “I Ain’t in Checotah Anymore,” Carrie Underwood. I’m rounding out this list with a pair of songs by fellow small-town Oklahoma kids paying homage to their hometowns.

12. “Podunk,” Keith Anderson. Check out Miami, OK, in this video, from YouTube.

-BAM

Tishomingo country star Blake Shelton’s video for his current single, “She Wouldn’t Be Gone,” debuted Friday in the No. 1 slot on Great American Country’s Top 20 Country Countdown.

Check out the current GAC Top 20 video chart by clicking here.

Several of the Ada native’s videos have made the top of cable network’s chart, but this is the first time his video has debuted in that position, according to a news release. ”She Wouldn’t Be Gone” was directed by Scott Speer of Picture Vision.

Shelton will be release his fifth studio album, “Startin’ Fires,” Nov. 18 on Warner Bros. Records. The album includes 12 songs and is produced by Scott Hendricks, except two tracks produced by Bobby Braddock and Brent Rowan.

Check out the video, embedded here courtesy YouTube and Warner Bros. In my opinion, the ballad is one of Shelton’s best and most passionate vocal performances.

-BAM

Oklahoma country star Blake Shelton describes “She Wouldn’t Be Gone,” the lead single from his upcoming album “Startin’ Fires” as a vocal challenge with a rich melody.

“This is one of the coolest songs I’ve ever cut as far as being unique and from a fresh place,” Shelton says in a news release. ”I love to sing songs about regret - always have - and mistakes you make along the way. It’s extremely emotional and has a little different slant on things the guy could have done right along the way.”

The enthusiastic response to the album prompted the Ada native/Tishomingo resident’s label, Warner Bros. Records, to move the release date from January to Nov. 18.

Check out the cover art for the album, shown above.

-BAM

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert (Associated Press photo) 

 Country music stars and Tishomingo neighbors Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert recently talked to CMT.com about their new co-headlining tour that they launched last week.

It’s hilarious reading or listening to these two banter because they really give each other a hard time in a rather affectionate way.

To read the very funny Q&A, click here.

-BAM

Blake Shelton (Associated Press photo) 

From Wednesday’s The Oklahoman.

Oklahoma music stars set album releases

As I wrote in my Sunday column, record labels are adding to the list of album releases for the holiday shopping season.

The latest country music star added: Ada native and Tishomingo resident Blake Shelton. Warner Bros. Records has announced Shelton will release his fifth album, “Startin’ Fires,” on Nov. 18.

“I’d like for this album to start some musical fires in some new fans and maybe fan the flames for loyal fans who have been with me for a while,” Shelton said in a news release.

The album was set to come out in early 2009, but the label decided to move up the release because of enthusiastic response to the first single, “She Wouldn’t Be Gone,” an ode to lost love that’s climbing country charts.

Shelton co-wrote two songs on his new disc, including one with his girl-friend, Tishomingo neighbor and fellow country star Miranda Lambert. The couple co-wrote the song “Bare Skin Rug.” Lambert also is featured on the track’s vocals.

Along with Nov. 18, Oklahoma country music fans should mark their calendars for Oct. 28, when releases from Reba McEntire, Rascal Flatts and Toby Keith are due.

McEntire, who was born in McAlester and raised in Chockie, will offer the box set “50 Greatest Hits,” a three-CD set featuring 20 No. 1 hits. It will span her tenure with MCA records, starting with her first hit on the label, 1984’s “How Blue,” and ending with “Because of You,” her 2007 duet with Kelly Clarkson.

Rascal Flatts, which includes Joe Don Rooney of Picher, is bringing its first compilation, “Greatest Hits Volume I” with 13 of the trio’s popular songs.

Keith will release “That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy,” featuring the ballad, “She Never Cried in Front of Me,” currently No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.

In addition, Checotah-raised star Carrie Underwood can be heard on Oct. 14 singing “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” with the King on the album “Elvis Presley Christmas Duets.”

-BAM