On The Shelf: Tomorrow’s New Releases Revealed Today

Welcome to On The Shelf, Idolator’s weekly look at the records hitting store shelves every Tuesday. After a brief hiatus occasioned by holidays and woeful new-release rosters, we’re back; after the jump, we look at new releases from America, Stacie Orrico, Diana Ross, and Stars of Track and Field.

America, Here & Now The artist: “Horse With No Name” troubadours who’ve hitched themselves to a cart filled with the likes of Ryan Adams and Adam Schlesinger. The sound: Amped-up Americana. The first in line: ’70s revivalists, Fountains Of Wayne completists.

Stacie Orrico, Beautiful Awakening The artist: Squeaky-clean pop singer who lists her influences as Jesus, Lauryn Hill, Ella Fitzgerald, and Whitney Houston. The sound: Spunky, R & B-tinged Radio Disney fodder. The first in line: Kids whose mothers think the Hyde-lurking JoJo is too wild of an influence.

Diana Ross, I Love You The artist: The original Dreamgirl heads down the Rod Stewart cover-album path. The sound: Soupy reworkings of “Always And Forever,” “Take My Breath Away,” and “You Are So Beautiful.” The first in line: Michael Jackson.

Stars Of Track And Field, Centuries Before Love And War The artist: Blogger buzz band that got snapped up by Wind-Up. The sound: A product of its Pacific Northwest surroundings: the electro beats of the Postal Service mixed with the massive guitars of Built To Spill. The first in line: Bloggers who forgot that they downloaded this album last spring.

On The CD Front [Pause & Play]