"I've always wanted to make a Nancy Sinatra record," explains Sharleen Spiteri, co-founder and front-woman of the popular Scottish 90's rockers Texas. Now on the heels of other Brit singers like Duffy, Winehouse and Adele who steep their songs in retro-60's pop and R+B flavors, Spiteri's debut solo album "Melody" arrives July 21 in the U.K. with an U.S. label deal pending. Self-produced and written, with the exception of "It Was You" utilizing Duffy producer Bernard Butler, the dazzling pop project is a dramatic turn for the singer who has been Texas for 20 years.

She observes, "being on my own meant I could take complete control and make the kind of album I've always dreamed of...It's my dream Nancy and Lee Hazlewood record, but with Johnny Cash, Motown, Elvis, The Righteous Brothers, all these things thrown in. (It's) my ultimate personal fantasy record." Stay tuned for news on a U.S. release.

Watch Spiteri perform first single "All the Times I Cried" live on Later w/ Jools Holland here.

Actor Terrence Howard, best known for his role as an emerging rapper in the acclaimed film "Hustle and Flow," will release his debut album "Shine Through It" on September 30 via Columbia. The self-described foray into "urban country" features Howard's singing, guitar and piano skills along with writing and producing. An early listen indicates a stylish retro neo-soul feel to "Shine" with the LA Times commenting "Howard and his backing outfit, the Band of Kings, conjure up a smooth blend of flamenco guitars, swooning violins, hard drums and dazzling trumpet lines that recall an eclectic combination of John Legend, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass and a dash of Cab Calloway." Young R+B star Chris Brown contributed to the track "The Music Can't Be Wrong."

"I brought in the most incredible musicians," says Howard, "and left them in the room to do what they do, gave them complete autonomy, and they gave me gold. People always give you their best if you give them the room to give their best."

John Legend returns with his third studio album - and his first since 2006's "Once Again" - with the as-yet-untitled new project set for a September 16 street on Columbia/G.O.O.D. Music. Somewhat disappointed that "Again" did not perform as well as his Grammy-winning, double platinum "Get Lifted" debut, Legend is ready to make some changes on the new songs.

"The last record was mellower," he tells BILLBOARD. "The production this time is a little more up-tempo and more pop sounding than the last one." First single "Green Light", featuring Outkast's Andre 3000, goes to radio soon with a video shoot wrapping this month. Legend continues work on the more beat and synth-driven album with aid from will.i.am and The Neptunes.

Robert Smith and The Cure think that 13 must be a lucky number. With a new, as-yet-untitled and oft delayed 13th album arriving September 23 via Geffen (announced as Saturday September 13 on their site, perhaps digitally), the long-running Brit band will release a new single each of the next for months on (of course) the 13th of each month.

Each of the four singles, including May's "The Only One" and June's "Freakshow" will contain additional non-album songs exclusive to those releases. 2007 interviews with Smith have indicated that the album could be a double-disc affair, but the use of additional songs on the upcoming singles may have supplanted that original idea. The band's recent tour booklets have suggested that the name of the forthcoming album may be "4:13." Details to come.

Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush of Sugarland return with their first new songs since 2006's "Enjoy The Ride" with a new studio album "Love On the Inside" arriving July 22 via Mercury Nashville.

"This new record goes as far in one direction as Juice Newton or Linda Ronstadt, and in another direction it bumps up against Gasoline Alley-era Rod Stewart," Bush said. "In another way it scrapes across, like, Green-era R.E.M. and ends up somewhere on some Coldplay record that hasn't come out yet. It's pretty diverse, and it's beautiful. It's a beautiful record, and it's fun."

Calling it "as close as I've gotten to making the record I've always wanted to make," acclaimed singer/songwriter Teddy Thompson returns with his fourth album June 17: "A Piece Of What You Need." Following up last year's critically praised collection of traditional country covers "Upfront and Down Low," the Brit-born, New York-based son of Richard and Linda Thompson says that his new project "feels more like a complete package to me."

Working with producer Marius de Vries (Bjork, Madonna, Rufus Wainwright), Thompson has found what he sees as the right mix of planning and spontaneity. "We put a lot of time and effort into it, but we made it pretty quickly, because we had a plan and did a lot of preparation and pre-production." With "Piece", Thompson delves into everything from uptempo, horn-driven workouts to dark, heavily orchestrated mood pieces.

"For most people, it's gonna be an absolutely miniscule piece of what they need," he admits. "But I'd like to think that I'm contributing some tiny little building block of something worthwhile, rather than just adding to the massive pile of disposable rubbish."

After a few years of making intriguing if often dissonant adventures into psychedelic folk, indie cult fave James Jackson Toth decided to delve into the "un-weird" with last year's "James and the Quiet" album from his recent moniker Wooden Wand. Now with what could technically be called his first "solo" album, the Tennessee-based singer and songwriter takes that more structured writing challenge to the next level with a mercurial and unpredictable album that veers between mesmerizing, 70's retro-rock and edgy modern musings

Soundtrack to the upcoming film documentary "American Teen" will feature three exclusive tracks: a remix of Frou Frou's "Breathe In" (with Imogen Heap and Guy Sigsworth) and new songs from singer/songwriters Ryan Lindsey and Nyles Lannon. Also on board, tracks from MGMT, Cat Stevens and The Ting Tings. Lead track "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You" from rising indie pop outfit Black Kids is at college, alt radio now. The band's debut album "Partie Traumatic" is out July 22 via Columbia/RED.

90's alt-rockers Candlebox have reunited and will release their first new album in more than a decade with "Into the Sun" arriving July 22. The band's 1993 self-titled debut album sold more than 4 million copies. First single: "Stand."

Reggae-rockers Pepper are back with a new album "Pink Crustaceans and Good Vibrations" due July 22.

Former Jam frontman Paul Weller returns with his ninth solo album June 24: "22 Dreams" from YepRoc. Guests on the project's 21 songs include Noel Gallagher and Gem Archer of Oasis as well as Ocean Colour Scene guitarist Steve Cradock and ex-Blur guitarist Graham Coxon. First single up: "Echoes Round the Sun."

Long-running So-Cal punk-rockers The Offspring(pic) release their eighth studio album June 17 on Columbia: "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace." New project, produced by Bob Rock, is led by first single "Hammerhead."

Aussie rockers AC/DC are wrapping up their first new studio album since 2000 with a release date aimed for later this year. Noted rock producer Brendan O'Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam) is working with band.

Disappointed with sale of the last album "Place To Land," country crossover quartet Little Big Town have moved over to Capitol Nashville - and brought their recent release with them for a new launch later this year.

It appears that Astralwerks has the inside track for the U.S. release of "Alas I Cannot Swim", the debut from 17-year-old Brit folk/pop darling Laura Marling. Watch Laura Marling live in Amsterdam with some fine concert clips here. Street date details on "Alas" to come.

John Mellencamp's new "Life, Death, Love and Freedom" will hit stores July 15. A summer tour with Lucinda Williams kicks off July 8 in Philadelphia.

Busy, quirky NY songstress Nellie McKay will release her fourth studio album this fall. The as-yet-untitled disc and follow-up to last September's "Obligatory Villagers" will be, she says, "kick ass." McKay is also working on the score to a new Broadway musical version of the 1999 Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick film "Election."

"Staying With Me" is the first single from the forthcoming Los Lonely Boys album due July 1.

Rap/Pop band Gym Class Heroes follow up their breakthrough 500k-selling album "As Cruel As School Children" with the new "The Quilt" due in August. Guests include Ne-Yo, Lil Wayne, John Oates and Busta Rhymes.

After a pair of gospel-directed solo albums, Destiny's Child Michelle Williams takes a turn to mainstream R+B/pop this summer with the aptly titled "Unexpected" arriving in August. "Stop This Car," which leaked a few months ago (and can be heard on her myspace page here) has now been succeeded by "We Break The Dawn." Check it out here.

Former Bush head Gavin Gavin Rossdale's solo album "Wanderlust" finally has a new release date: June 3. First single: "Love Remains the Same" at radio now. Wife Gwen Stefani guests on the track "Some Days."

Former Squeeze mainstay Chris Difford is back in the spotlight with a new solo album "The Last Temptation of Chris" due May 13 on the legendary punk/new wave label Stiff. Tracks such as "Fat As A Fiddle" and "Come On Down" reveal an artist still at the top of his songwriting game. Listen here. UPDATE: Album is now been pushed back to 2009.

Rising country star Keith Anderson returns with his second album "C'mon!" on June 24. New single "I Still Miss You" is Top 30 at country radio. His 2005 debut "Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll" broke through with two Top 10 hits, most notably "Pickin' Wildflowers."

Amy Winehouse and producer Mark Ronson, the man behind her "Back In Black" sound, are teaming once again for the theme song to the new James Bond flick "Quantum of Solace." The new song will appear on the soundtrack set to be released for the movie's opening at the end of October. UPDATE: Ronson now says that the Winehouse is "not ready" to work again and that the planned Bond duet is off.

A new DVD due June 24 from Apple/EMI chronicles the behind-the-scenes making of the The Beatles' Las Vegas extravaganza "LOVE" with Cirque du Soleil. Titled "All Together Now," the 84-minute documentary tells the story of how the Beatles music and the acclaimed circus troupe came together for a hit show and 2X Grammy-winning, best-selling soundtrack.

"Flavors of Entanglement", the first new studio project in four years from Alanis Morissette, will get the deluxe treatment in more ways than one.

A 2-CD expanded version of the new album featuring five additional tracks and special packaging will be available for the June 10 street date. Produced by Guy Sigworth, best known for his electronica sound for artists such as Bjork, Madonna and Imogen Heap (with whom he worked in Frou Frou), "Flavors" is an eclectic romp that mixes Morisette's edgey, personal lyrics with a sound palette of loops, beats and synthesizer beds. The goal, says Morisette, is to "dance your face off."

A major TV schedule will kick off May 20 with an appearance on Ellen. Two appearances on the Today show (May 23 and June 9), Letterman (June 10), The View (June 11) and slots on Jimmy Kimmel and Howard Stern will follow. A major North American tour will begin in the fall following a European summer stint.

Singer/songwriter Edwin McCain will tackle a full album of Southern styled R+B covers for "No One's Fault But My Own" arriving June 24. "For me it was an absolute blast, completely liberating to be playing, singing and interpreting other peoples' songs just purely for the joy of doing it," McCain explains. "It was amazing to return to that era and mindset and to really understand the beauty and absolute brilliance of the music."

The album was recorded "live in the studio" with a minimum of overdubs or production tweaks. "We just kind of kept in that spirit of 'let's do it live,'" says McCain, "to make it vibrant, just like a live record, not go back and fix stuff and overthink it - it actually adds to the charm." Tracks include Sam Cooke's "Good Time", which can be heard at his website here.

Amy Winehouse's 2003 debut album "Frank" will be re-released with a packed second disc of rarities on June 3 via Universal. The critically-praised, jazzy folk/pop album that launched Winehouse career has been expanded with 18 tracks including five demos (including "Someone To Watch Over Me"), single B-sides, broadcast performances and remixes.

John Mayer's forthcoming live-in-concert DVD/CD release "Where the Light Is" will arrive July 1. Mayer recorded the three-part concert at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on December 6 featuring a solo acoustic set, a band set and a blues set featuring The John Mayer trio.

The 22-song collection features five acoustic tracks (including the Tom Petty cover "Free Fallin'"), eight tracks with his Trio and nine songs with his full band.

The new "live" package will be available as a 2-CD set or as a DVD (regular and Blu-Ray HD). A CD/DVD combo and a multi-disc vinyl set with an enclosed download card are now on hold. Mayer's summer tour with Colbie Caillat and Brett Dennen kicks off the date after street day, July 2.

Brooklyn neo-Springsteen(ish) rockers The Hold Steady will follow up their acclaimed '06 album "Girls and Boys In America" with the new "Stay Positive" due July 12 on Vagrant. While playing 200 shows last year the band found some time to write some new songs and brought in "Girls and Boys" producer John Agnello to help lay down new tracks.

"I don't think anything is a radical departure, but there are things that I wanted to talk about," frontman Craig Finn tells Billboard. "I was influenced a lot [by] getting old, and attempting to age gracefully. The idea is to not wake up washed up. You want to keep progressing, intellectually." He adds: "I think four records in, you're thinking what have we done before? What should we do here? You have these initial habits, but you're fighting those -- and that's healthy, to make things sound different."

James Taylor will release his second album with Hear Music/Starbucks on September 2. Recorded this past January, the album comes from a wide-ranging collection of cover songs with an emphasis on classic R+B songs and early rock standards.

Among the twenty tracks recorded for the new, as-yet-untitled album: "Hound Dog" (Big Mama Thornton), "Roadrunner" (Jr. Walker), "Summertime Blues" (Eddie Cochran), "In the Midnight Hour" (Wilson Pickett), "Memphis" (Chuck Berry), "Sea Cruise" (Frankie Ford) and "It's Growing" (Smokey Robinson). Also included are songs from noted writers Leonard Cohen ("Suzanne"), Tom Waits ("Shiver Me Timbers") and Eric von Schmidt ("Wasn't That A Mighty Storm"). Final track listing for the album is still to be determined.

A North American summer tour kicks off May 22.

Following their sold-out European stadium tour of last year, Genesis will release "When In Rome 2007", an elaborate 3-disc DVD set filmed at Circo Massimo in Italy in July, '07 before 500,000 fans. The concert's 21 tracks are augmented with extensive bonus material including "Come Rain of Shine," a documentary that takes up the entire 3rd disc. "Rome" drops June 10 via Atlantic.

Noted for an expanded role of the band's more ambitious progressive roots, the "Turn It On Again" tour featured a number of extended instrumental medleys mixed in with the usual smattering of hit singles.

Emmylou Harris follows up her 2007 career-spanning box set "Songbird" with a new studio set "All I Intended to Be" arriving June 10 via Nonesuch. Working with producer (and ex-husband) Brian Ahern, Harris says that the new album, her first collection of new material in five years, is "kind of a combination of some of my own songs, some songs that I've wanted to record for a long time and some new things that I came across." She tells Billboard: "You'll get both Emmylou the interpreter and Emmylou the songwriter." Harris was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame on April 27.

The ever-enduring singer/songwriter John Hiatt returns with a self-produced new album "Same Old Man" on May 27 via New West. This is Hiatt's first album since 2005's critically acclaimed 'Master of Disaster,' which contained, says The Washington Post,"some of the best melodies of his career." Time Out New York called it "his most vibrant and soulful album in years." New album features his daughter Lilly adding vocals while multi-instrumentalist Luther Dickinson adds guitar and mandolin.

"Exit Strategy of the Soul" is the title of Canadian singer/songwriter Ron Sexsmith's newest project, due July 10 via Yep Roc. The fourteen-track album, his first for the label, is notable for the extensive use of horn arrangements as well as Sexsmith's own version of "Brandy Alexander" - a song he co-wrote with Feist and which appears on her recent "The Reminder." Martin Terefe produced the new sessions, who also worked on Sexsmith's '05 album "Retriever" and 02's "Cobblestone Runway."

Pop/soulstress Ashanti has finally received the green light for the long-awaited release of "The Declaration", now due June 3 via Universal Motown.

"I'm steering my own ship and taking the lead on everything," she declares of her fourth album - and she found pop hitmakers Diane Warren and Robin Thicke and a virtual who's who of R+B and hip-hop producers including Pharrell Williams, Babyface, Dr. Dre and Jermaine Dupri. New single "That's The Way that I Love You" is heating up the Urban Radio charts.