New releases for Nov. 13, 2012: The Departed and Tom Skinner release new albums

It’s a big day for red dirt music fans, with two eagerly anticipated new albums now available for our listening enjoyment.

Oklahoma-Texas red dirt rockers The Departed have released their first album of original material, “Adventus,” which is Latin for “arrival,” on Underground Sound through Thirty Tigers.

The band consists of former Cross Canadian Ragweed singer/guitarist Cody Canada and bassist Jeremy Plato, who formed The Departed with Texas guitarist Seth James, Tulsa keyboardist Steve Littleton and Yukon drummer David Bowen when Ragweed split up in 2010. Drummer Chris Doege has since replaced Bowen, who retired for medical reasons, in The Departed lineup.

In June 2011, The Departed released their debut album, “This Is Indian Land,” an 18-track salute to the Sooner State songwriters, from Leon Russell and J.J. Cale to the Red Dirt Rangers and Tom Skinner.

Speaking of Skinner, the beloved red dirt singer-songwriter dropped today a new album simply titled “Tom Skinner,” a rare collection of original music released n 598 Recordings, a new upstart label headed by Mike McClure and partner Chance Sparkman. Skinner plays in McClure’s eponymous band.

An Okie through and through, Skinner grew up in Bristow and started playing music in Stillwater with his brothers during the time Brooks was trying to making a name for himself. Now an Owasso resident and musical megastar, Brooks called on Skinner and his brothers to create the Sante Fe Band, and after a stint of playing around the local clubs, they all moved to Nashville in the pursuit of landing a record deal. As Brooks was turned down by everyone in town, Skinner became homesick for Oklahoma moved back home.

In the late 1990s, Skinner found himself in Louisiana, where he landed a small record deal with Binky Records and recorded two albums. He played the Louisiana circuit for a few years and again found himself back in Oklahoma where he became a favorite of the musicians in the red dirt scene and was a mainstay at the now-fabled Farm, a safe haven on the outskirts of town where musicians ended up at the end of the night. It was at The Farm that Skinner met longtime friend, bandmate and producer McClure for the first time, and their mutual respect and camaraderie is just as legendary as the music they have both created.