The Dave Matthews Band continue work on their forthcoming album with the release date now being pushed from summer to late fall. "It literally was a collaborative effort from beginning to end," violinist Boyd Tinsley tells Billboard. "Every song was written by everybody at the same time -- we've never really done that before."

Perennial Beach Boy Brian Wilson (pic) returns to his original label home - Capitol Records - for the release of his upcoming solo album "Lucky Old Sun," due September 2. An elaborate conceptual album based on his boyhood years if Southern California, "Sun" features four spoken word pieces from frequent Wilson collaborator Van Dyke Parks intermingled with Wilson's trademark harmony-rich pop epics. New songs include "Oxygen" and "Midnight's Another Day," a song one smitten critic has described as a "bonafide Brian Wilson classic."

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.

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."

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.

Caroline Records has the August 19 U.S. release of "Alas I Cannot Swim", the extraordinary debut from 17-year-old Brit folk/pop darling Laura Marling. Watch Laura Marling live in Amsterdam with some fine concert clips here.

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.

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 Squeeze mainstay Chris Difford is back in the spotlight with a new solo album "The Last Temptation of Chris" out in the U.K. 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. Album arrives July 22.

Rising country star Keith Anderson returns with his second album "C'mon!" on August 5 as his latest single "I Still Miss You" goes Top 15 at country radio. His 2005 debut "Three Chord Country and American Rock & Roll" broke through with two Top 10 hits, most notably "Pickin' Wildflowers."

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.

India.Arie has stepped out on her own with a new label "Songbird" coming through Universal/Motown. First signing, longtime friend and musical associate Anthony David is described by the Grammy-winner as "Bill Withers meets Mos Def" with his new album "Acey Deucey" out June 24. "In this era soul is not a sound or a color," she says, "it's an intention." Listen here. Meanwhile, India.Arie's own solo project "Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics" is due later this year.

Pianoman Ben Folds has completed work on his new, as-yet-untitled solo album for an August street date from Epic/Sony. New project will include songs he's been premiering on his latest tour: "Free Coffee," "Brainwashed" and "The Bitch Went Nuts", hopefully not referring to his 2007 divorce (his third). Fold's last studio outing was 2006's "Supersunnyspeedgraphic."

Snow Patrol heads back into the studio in April to begin work on their first new album since 2006's breakout release "Eyes Open" and hit single "Chasing Cars." Says Patrol-man Gary Lightbody: "We'll be working right through the summer til we get the album right. Looking forward to getting started."

Dresden Dolls vocalist keyboardist Amanda Palmer is wrapping up her solo debut "Who Killed Amanda Palmer" with producer and collaborator Ben Folds in Nashville. "A lot of the songs are piano ballads that never found a home on a Dolls record," she observes. "because I hadn't wanted to overload the record with slow material. But there's a really intense, exciting energy to the tracks at the same time. It definitely won't drag."

Montgomery Gentry return with a new studio set June 10. Toby Keith joins the country duo on "I Pick My Parties" while John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting is featured on "Roll With Me." A summer tour with Keith begins in June. First single "Back when I Knew It All" is at country radio now.

Queen's Brian May and Roger Taylor will team again with ex-Bad Company/Free singer Paul Rodgers for a European tour as well as a new album scheduled for a September 2 street. All three collaborated on material for the first time on tracks such as "C-lebrity" and "Say It Isn't So."

Pianoman Ben Folds has completed work on his new, as-yet-untitled solo album for an August street date from Epic/Sony. New project will include songs he's been premiering on his latest tour: "Free Coffee," "Brainwashed" and "The Bitch Went Nuts", hopefully not referring to his 2007 divorce (his third). Fold's last studio outing was 2006's "Supersunnyspeedgraphic."

Bluesman Buddy Guy will release his latest "Skin Deep" on July 22 via Zomba.

Toni Childs, described by the NY TIMES as "one of the most promising among a new generation of composers and performers," releases her fourth and long-overdue "comeback" album "Keep the Faith" later this summer from 429 Records. Last album "The Woman's Boat" was issued in 1994. New album is said to re-team Childs with David Ricketts (of David and David), her partner on her acclaimed debut album "Union" in 1988.

Chicago hard rock/metal band Disturbed follow up their double platinum 2005 album "Ten Thousand Fists" with the new "Indestructible" arriving June 3 via Reprise. First focus track "Perfect Insanity" can be heard here.

The Watson Twins, Chandra and Leigh, will release their debut full length album "Fire Songs" on June 24 via Vanguard. The Kentucky born duo, best known for their work with Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis on her acclaimed "Rabbit Fur Coat," combine traditional Americana folk and country elements to their ethereal harmonies and pulsing, soulful and dreamy pop songs.

Michelle Branch continues work on her first solo project post The Wreckers. She's in New York working with noted producer John Leventhal (Shawn Colvin, Rosanne Cash) for release this summer. "I've got a ton of songs already and everything has kinda found it's own sound," she writes on her site. "I don't know what to call it." Check out her video blog here.

Next Beck project will be produced by Danger Mouse of Gnarls Barkley. The new album is said to be in the "early stages of production." Stay tuned.

Can't get enough of Rod Stewart singing covers? Wondering what else is out there besides classic rock hits and crooning standards? Look for a new Christmas song collection this fall.

Paul McCartney is currently keeping busy in the studio with noted dance music producer Youth, working on tracks for a new album. McCartney's spokesman says the former Beatle "began recording last week, but he has been writing for a while. It should be ready by the summer," according to GIGWISE..

Ex-Velvet Revolver and Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland says that the summer reunion dates for STP could lead to another studio album from the band - and their first since the 2001 release "Shangri-La-Dee-Da." "We always felt like we had enough beauty and enough finesse in our music while we were together that could carry us into a long career. So for us to make a record at an older age doesn't seem like a stretch."

Dido's long awaited third studio album gets pushed once again, this time to a September 23 street date. Originally scheduled for a fall 2007 slot, the Jon Brion-produced album was then moved to early 2008 with word of a new single set to arrive in January.

Rilo Kiley's Jenny Lewis is recording new solo album in L.A. Guests include actress Zooey Deschanel, the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson, M. Ward, and Elvis Costello, who duets with Lewis on one song. "Super natural, nice, and simple" says one insider of the sessions.

My Chemical Romance chronicle their Black Parade tour of 2007 with an elaborate 3-disc release later this spring: "The Black Parade Is Dead." Recorded in Mexico, the set includes a full-length DVD, audio CD and a bonus disc of alternate "Parade" recordings. Romance's Gerard Way has indicated that the band will be turning to a more stripped down, punk sound for their next album. "I think the band misses being a rock band," he declared.

The Deftones have completed their sixth studio album - "Eros" - due by the end of the year. The new disc is said to be "more atmospheric than the nods in that direction the band gave on their last record, 'Saturday Night Wrist'."

Irish singer/songwriter Gemma Hayes has completed her third album "The Hollow of Morning" with a label and release date to be announced. Hayes' heralded debut album "Night On My Side" was shortlisted for the prestigious Mercury Prize in 2003. Listen to selected new songs here.

Imogen Heap continues studio work on her forthcoming third solo album - and follow-up to her breakthrough disc "Speak For Yourself." According to a recent video blog, she hopes to have the album wrapped by fall for a late 2008 release. New song "Not Now But Soon" written for the TV show "Heroes" is now posted here.

Peter Cincotti's new "East of Angel Town" album has been pushed back once again to a June 3 release.

Shirley Manson - Scottish chanteuse on leave from her American band Garbage, finishing up her debut solo album with a release scheduled for 2008. Among the contributors to the album: Garbage's Butch Vig, Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan, Beck, Bird and the Bee's Greg Kurstin, White Stripes' Jack White and, in a somewhat odd pairing, fellow Scot Paul Buchanan of moody cult band The Blue Nile.