Summer is almost here, and with the season comes a treasure trove of hot new beats for the dance floor. Here are some of the best.

Jason Walker

(JVM)

Jason Walker’s debut album, This Is My Life, so captivated clubs last summer that it went on to achieve three consecutive No. 1 Billboard hits, and, in doing so, confirmed Walker as one of only a handful of young artists capable of breaking through to a global dance audience. Those songs of life and love, delivered in an octave well above any other male artist in pop music, proved conclusively that the small-scale and specific can strike a universal chord. Fans have been hungry for more, and now, at last, a successor is here. Flexible deals with matters of the heart, specifically the end of a relationship. Sadly, these were the issues Walker was experiencing during the process of recording the new album. But misery must work for Walker, as this album is another home run. A gaggle of music royalty lend their talents to the new album: DJ Junior Vasquez, DJ Quentin Harris, Deepa Soul, and even platinum recording artist Billie Myers – best known for touring Lilith Fair with her rock hit “Kiss the Rain” – provides the title track to this artful sophomore album.

Jonny ‘The Gay Pimp’ McGovern

(Gay Nerd)

As fans of Jonny McGovern already know, no topic is off limits in the colorful world of The Gay Pimp. McGovern tackles all subjects, as long as they are hilariously dirty. One needs only to look at the titles on the new album to understand his twisted mind. From “Girl, I F***ed Yo’ Boyfriend” to “Bossy Bottom” to “D**k Swang Out!” McGovern and his raucous crew of trannies and go-go boys rant and rave about life in the underground. A majority of the album is obviously influenced by the likes of Lil’ Kim, The Beastie Boys and 2 Live Crew – but then the talented McGovern gives us a taste of Barry White in the show-stopping single, “Don’t Fall in Love With a Homo (A Song for the Ladies).” It’s another slam dunk for McGovern, who has built a successful franchise with his Gay Pimp brand.

Brett Henrichsen

(Masterbeat)

Brett Henrichsen, the reigning prince of club beats, is back with a brand-new compilation CD from Masterbeat. The new album celebrates the sexual debauchery we all know and love – spring break. Similar to his live sets, Brett Henrichsen wastes no time getting this party started. Beginning with ii0’s “Is it Love” and continuing into Celeda’s “Music is the Answer,” Henrichsen’s trademark sound of aggressive vocals, pulsating drums and fun beats resonate throughout the entire set. Highlights are Kristine W’s “Be Alright” and Offer Nissim’s, featuring Maya, “Be My Boyfriend.”

Finbarr Massi and Dan DeLeon Present Breathwaite

(Iberican)

Listen up, dance floor DJs! Massi and DeLeon’s Iberican Recordings debut has all the ingredients to become a dance floor staple. With its driving tribal rhythm and abundance of edgy electronica, the track gets the party started from the very first beat. Kudos to Argentina-born DeLeon who proves with this release that, in addition to commanding the DJ booth (he regularly spins Avalon in Los Angeles and Space in Miami), he is also a powerhouse in the studio.

DJ Ricardo! & Ultra Records present

(Ultra)

Sure, Rocket magazine reviewed Out. Anthems 2 last issue, but it’s so hot, we’ve decided to give it another mention, as it is an essential for your summer CD collection.

Last summer’s Out. Anthems was the No. 2 most requested download on i-Tunes for three months. Did you think Ultra Records, the biggest dance label in the country, would let it rest with one phenomenon? Of course not. Out. Anthems 2, releasing to stores and on i-Tunes in time for 2007’s Pride season, is as good, if not better, than the original. Once again, the young and talented DJ Ricardo! weaves 16 of Ultra’s hard-pounding records onto one CD. Some of the highlights are Mr. Gee’s No. 1 dance radio single “Elektro,” a brand-new track featuring Crystal Waters, an exclusive new after-hours single from Victor Calderone, and the anthem likely to dominate dance floors this summer, Luiciana’s “Yeah Yeah.” As an added bonus, the album features hilarious drops by LOGO TV’s Jonny McGovern, best known to gay audiences as The Gay Pimp. And we can not not comment on the album cover. It is as delicious as the beats in the album.