Working with noted producer T-Bone Burnett (Plant/Krauss, "O Brother"), legendary bluesman B.B.King goes for a retro studio sound on his upcoming album "One Kind Favor", arriving August 26 via Geffen. The fourteen-time Grammy winner looked to recreate the vintage production of his earliest 1950's recordings and with Burnett's guidance assembled a stellar backing band including Dr. John on piano, Nathan East on acoustic bass and Jim Keltner on drums.

Even the tracks are dusted off from the past with songs such as "Blues Before Sunrise" (John Lee Hooker), "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" (Lemon Jefferson) and "Backwater Blues" (Big Bill Broonzy) among the collection's 12 tracks.

"I wanted to go back and sort of re-create that very live sound," Burnett tells BILLBOARD. "We all cut it just sitting around in a circle. I tried to be very true to who [King] was when I first heard him and that energy"in other words, not try to update him in any way."

Acclaimed neo-soulman Anthony Hamilton will finally see the release of his fourth studio album "The Point of It All" on November 4th from Zomba. Originally scheduled for a June release, the project has been slightly reworked for a more contemporary R+B feel. Second single "I'm Cool" hits radio in early September.

"Looking at what's worked and trying to branch out, I want a younger demographic as well," Hamilton observes. "It's good that I have a solid fan base, but I want to give them something they can jam to as well, I want to bring in some other people because I have some stuff to say. I want everybody to have a chance of hearing and loving the music."

Hamilton's 2004 release "Comin' From Where I'm From" has sold in excess of one million copies. He recently contributed duet vocals to two tracks on the Al Green's "Lay It Down" album.

Fleetwood Mac's Lindsay Buckingham combines some older songs with some new tracks for his fifth solo album "The Gift of Screws" arriving September 16 from Warner Brothers. Many of the songs were written in the late 90's for a solo album that got shelved in lieu of a new Fleetwood Mac project. For the new album, both Mick Fleetwood and John McVie make guest appearances.

Says Buckingham: "I`d say this album distills several periods of time. It has false starts to make albums, songs that go back a number of years that took a while to find a home, and brand-new songs. I wanted to bring it all together in one place."

Alt-country queen Lucinda Williams has been trying out some new songs this summer on her tour with John Mellencamp - songs that will appear on her upcoming new studio album "Little Honey."

Scheduled for a September 16 street, the new project will include tracks such as the twangy "Circles and X's", the bluesy "Tears of Joy" and "Honey Bee", a song that one critic described as "Muddy Waters meets Kiss." Williams, whose last album was the early 2007 release "West", was described by Q as "an outstanding talent at the top of her game."

Rachael Yamagata will finally see the release of her long-awaited sophomore album on October 7 via a new label deal with Warner Brothers. The oddly titled "A Record In Two Parts...Elephants and Teeth Sinking Into Heart" will indeed offer two differing styles and is produced by Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley).

The New York-based singer/songwriter gave her patient fans a taste of some new songs with a recent three-track digital EP "Loose Ends." One of the tracks, "The Other Side", was recently premiered on the cable series "The L Word."

Despite earlier rumblings, there won't be a new studio album from The Police ...and there won't be an "unplugged" release either. But for the 2.5 million fans around the world who went to see the trio on their "farewell" 30th anniversary tour over the past year the band is leaving you something to remember them by.

Coming in time for the holidays will be a live CD/DVD package that chronicles the band's tour with a full live concert recorded last December in Buenes Aires, Argentina. Included on the DVD will be a "behind the scenes" documentary "Better Than Therapy" directed by drummer Stewart Copeland's son Jordan.

The Police will complete their extensive tour on August 7 with a special PBS-sponsored concert at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Sarah McLachlan may be taking a family-centric hiatus from the business, but this fall will see two new projects from the Canadian singer.

First up on August 5: an expanded "Legacy Edition" of her 1993 2X Platinum, Grammy Nominated album "Fumbling Towards Ecstacy", a 3-disc set that will include a mostly live DVD originally released in 1994 as well as "The Freedom Sessions" 9-track collection that spotlighted early and alternate versions of songs from "Ecstacy."

And on October 7, fans will get a career spanning "Greatest Hits" collection - no word on whether there will be any new or unreleased songs included.

Country star Brad Paisley steps away from microphone for the release of his pet project "Play", a primarily instrumental guitar album arriving September 2. "It will surprise people," he says of the new project. "It's not all country. We do everything from jazz guitar to one that's very heavy metal." Guests on "Play" include the late Buck Owens, B.B. King and Vince Gill.

Noting the relative dearth of guitar on so many recent albums, he adds with typical Paisley humor, "I'm doing my part, trying to play as many solos as possible."

Rilo Kiley frontwoman Jenny Lewis' forthcoming September solo project "Acid Tongue" will feature a duet with Elvis Costello ("Carpetbagger") as well as some vocal help from The Black Crowes' Chris Robinson and actress and She and Him singer Zooey Deschanel.

The project, recorded in a three-week period in L.A. earlier this year, is Lewis' first since her critically acclaimed 2006 solo debut with The Watson Twins "Rabbit Fur Coat." She will tour this fall with Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes).

Dar Williams has wrapped her latest album "Promised Land" for release September 9. Produced by Brad Wood (Pete Yorn, Smashing Pumpkins) the new collection, her first in three years, will feature guest appearances from Suzanne Vega, Marshall Crenshaw, and Gary Louris (of the Jayhawks).

"Promised Land"'s twelve tracks will also include two interesting covers: "Midnight Radio" from the acclaimed rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch and the Fountains of Wayne song "Troubled Times."

Perennial jam band faves Blues Traveler return with their first album of new material in three years with "North Hollywood Shootout" arriving August 26 via new label home Verve. Produced by Grammy winner David Bianco (Tom Petty), the new album features tracks the band has been recently previewing in concert including "Forever" and "How You Remember It."

According to frontman and lead Traveler John Popper (pic), the album was a more tightly controlled creative process this time around with the band allowing him more artistic say. "You need an ego at the center of it," he says. "So the guys trusted me and let me go with it. Everyone in the band is a virtuoso, so I wanted to be like Phil Jackson. We've done the overkill before."

Signed by Clive Davis after an intense label bidding war, Welsh singer/songwriter Paul Freeman (or simply Freeman, as he is now known) has created enormous buzz with a charismatic live performance and some classic pop/rock songwriting chops. One melodic gem after another tumbles out during the course of a Freeman show - emotional balladry, sweat soaked rockers, hook-laden sing-a-long anthems - to the point that he's gotten the obligatory comparisons to (hold it now) Springsteen and McCartney.

Read more about Paul Freeman at ON THE RADAR.

"Norah Jones Live In Austin", a fourteen-song DVD originally recorded for the Austin City Limits PBS series will be released September 2 from New West. M. Ward collaborates on three songs including "Hands On the Wheel", a Willie Nelson cover.

Platinum-selling Australian alt-country singer Kasey Chambers and her husband Shane Nicholson will see their latest album, the rootsy "Rattlin' Bones," getting stateside release September 16 on Sugar Hill Records. The album has already gone "gold" in Down Under since its release this spring.

Crosby Loggins, son of singer Kenny and winner of VH-1's "Rock the Cradle" music series, is recording tracks for his debut album arriving in 2009 on Jive/Zomba.

Genre-blurring, free-form Brooklyn rockers TV On The Radio follow up their acclaimed 2006 release "Return From Cookie Mountain" with new project "Dear Science," arriving September 23 via Interscope. ROLLING STONE named the band "Cookie Mountain" as the #4 Best Album of 2006 while SPIN heralded them as "Artist of the Year."

In addition to producing the next ZZ Top album, busy label head Rick Rubin will tackle yet another rock trio legend: Crosby Stills and Nash. For the group's first new recordings in nearly 15 years Rubin will have CSN do an album of rock covers. "Rick Rubin's a brilliant man," says Graham Nash, "and what he wants is an album with no CSN songs. He wants to do an album of all the songs we love, all the songs we wish we've written. It's brilliant from this point of view because we usually wait five years to record an album. This way there's no pressure."

SoCal indie darlings Cold War Kids are back with their sophomore album "Loyalty to Loyalty" on September 29.

Iconic folk pioneer Joan Baez celebrates her 50th year as a recording artist with a new Steve Earle-produced album "Day After Tomorrow" arriving September 9 via Razor and Tie. Covering songs from the likes of Patty Griffin, Elvis Costello, Eliza Gilkyson as well as three Earle originals, "Day" will be supported with a PBS special set for early 2009. Describing the recording process, Earle says "The band dug deep and found the pulse of the song and then Joan breathed life into it and we all knew we were part of something special."

Kids? New? Middle-aged former teen band New Kids On the Block have found an imaginative title for their upcoming September 2 release: "The Block." The quintet is also said have recorded a new track "Full Service" with former R+B boy band (and Boston neighbors) New Edition. The "Kids" will tour beginning mid-September with special guest Natasha Bedingfield.

Look for a couple of new tracks for the upcoming "Greatest Hits" album from Foo Fighters arriving November 14.

JoJo follows up her 2006 release "The High Road" with "All I Want Is Everything" scheduled for a late fall released. New, more adult sound and image for the young singer is planned with a solid list of writers and producers, including Timbaland, on board for the album.

Outkast's Big Boi is putting the final touches on his solo project "Sir Luscious Left Foot", tentatively scheduled for a November 4 street. Leaked track "Royal Flush", featuring Raekwon and Andre 3000, has gotten some online and radio attention but first real single "Sumthin's Gotta Give" will undoubtedly have more impact when it debuts at radio in early August.

Ciara's upcoming "Fantasy Ride" has been pushed back from September to November release with the first single still to be determined. In a break from a traditional CD release, Ciara plans on releasing "Fantasy" as a packaged bundle of three different "themed" discs, each with five or six tracks.

Popular Celtic/styled harpist/singer Loreena McKennitt has packaged her first three albums in a specially-priced box set - "The Journey Begin" - for an September 9 release. The collection also includes a bonus six song disc of live recordings and rarities.

Hard rocking Pennsylvania band Breaking Benjamin are back in the studio with producer David Bendeth working on their fourth album scheduled for an October 28th release. Their last two album, including 2006's "Phobia", have both surpassed one million units in sales.

Nelly's oft-pushed new album "Brass Knuckles" gets moved back once again, shifting from August 19 to a new September 16 street.

American Idol finalist Kellie Pickler is back with her second album of country tunes with a new, as-yet-untitled album arriving September 30. First single "Don't You Know You're Beautiful" is at radio now. Her 2006 debut album "Small Town Girl" has quietly sold 800,000 copies.

Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman (pic) will release his second album September 30: "The Fabled City." The Rage guitarist's highly political first solo effort "On Man Revolution" was released last year. Brendan O'Brien has again taken production duties.

Noted Nashville singer/songwriter Gretchen Peters has finished a new holiday music album "Northern Lights" for releases this fall.

Former American Idol finalist Katharine McPhee is working on her second solo album with famed producer David Foster (Josh Grobin, Celine Dion). Moving away from the beat-driven pop of her debut, McPhee and Foster are said to be focusing on heavily orchestrated ballads. Having split with her label RCA, the new project has yet to find a home but is slated for a Christmas release.

Meanwhile David Foster is also helming the debut of 16-year-old Filipino singing sensation Charice Pempengco. Check out the jaw-dropping performance of Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" from the Oprah Winfrey show here. No release or label info yet - stay tuned.

Reunited Brit rockers The Verve (of "Bittersweet Symphony" fame) will release their as-yet-untitled new album August 19. New single "Love Is Noise" is just out now. Listen here.

For more news, check the HOT LIST page.

Annie Lennox wraps up her tenure at Arista with at least two newly recorded songs for a brand new "Best of" album arriving September 23.

The artist recently announced that she will be entering the studio soon to complete new tracks for the solo career-spanning anthology titled "The Annie Lennox Collection". Her most recent album, 2007's "Songs of Mass Destruction," received positive reviews but sold modestly.

The 4x Grammy winner has achieved sales of nearly 80 million units internationally during a career that has spanned more than 25 years. After major success with Dave Stewart and Eurythmics, Lennox began a solo career in 1992 with the release of her best-selling, award winning album "Diva."

Jessica Simpson has joined Michelle Branch, Jewel, Bob Seger and Bon Jovi in the ranks of pop and rock artists that have tacked to the country side for their latest projects. Leading with the Top 3 iTunes Country single "Come On Over" (complete with twangin' steel guitar), Simpson's forthcoming Nashville-centered album, tentatively titled "Do You Know," arrives in stores September 9.

"It has been a long journey building back my confidence to stand there in front of the world," she writes of a recent TV appearance. "But I feel like I have found that place again."

Veteran best-selling blues-rock power trio ZZ Top are looking to get back into the limelight with a new label deal and a 25th anniversary celebration of their ten million-selling "Eliminator" album.

Newly signed by the equally hirsute Rick Rubin to his Columbia/American imprint, the bearded band are looking to move back to a more authentic, stripped down blues style from their earlier albums. Manager Carl Stubner tells BILLBOARD: "We thought this was a great brand that was kind of dusty. My goal was to polish it and do certain things they hadn't done before." Rubin as producer has been successful in refocusing key artists such as Neil Diamond and the late Johnny Cash towards a sparser, introspective style that has connected with critics.

The special 2-disc "Eliminator" package from Rhino arrives August 26 with seven bonus CD tracks (including five live versions) as well as a second DVD disc with four videos and four live performances.

Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls returns with her third solo project on August 5th with "Didn't It Feel Kinder" via Daemon/KOCH.

"I wanted to explore new territory, and I wanted to use a different part of my voice," she says of her harder rocking new songs. Working with an outside producer for the first time on her solo efforts, Ray leaves her acoustic in the wings and delivers politically charged songs energized by some refreshingly ragged rock riffs. Guests include Brandi Carlile, Kaia Wilson and Melissa York.

An expanded two-disc set of Daughtry's self-titled debut album will arrive September 9 with bonus tracks and a DVD. Included DVD are eight music videos and behind the scenes footage while the additional four audio tracks will feature a cover of Foreigner's hit "Feels Like the First Time," acoustic versions of "Home" and "What About Now" and a live version of "It's Not Over."

The American Idol finalist's album has delivered five Top 10 hits and sold more than four million copies in the U.S. since its release in November 2006. It continues to move nearly 10k units weekly. A new album is scheduled for spring 2009.

Singer, songwriter, beloved wacky jokester Ben Folds will see the release of his newest project "Way To Normal" on September 30 via Epic. Produced by Dennis Herring (Modest Mouse, Elvis Costello), the new set is his first new studio recording since 2005's "Songs for Silverman." As noted here earlier, songs include the cryptic "Bitch Went Nuts" and "Free Coffee" as well as a duet with Regina Spektor: "You Don't Know Me."

"It's a fairly un-orchestral record," Folds tells Paste Magazine. "It's a fairly lyric-driven rock record. We"ve looked at taking a few of the songs on the new record and scoring them for orchestra and, uh, it was kind of slim pickins."

Blue-eyed soul crooner Robin Thicke's forthcoming third album "Something Else" has been pushed back to a September release with first single, the slick, heavily orchestrated retro-70's "Magic", making waves at pop and urban adult radio now. Thicke has also made recent appearances on recent releases from Ashanti ("Things You Make Me Do") and Lil Wayne ("Tie My Hands").

New project follows the 2006 platinum breakout album "The Evolution of Robin Thicke", a platinum selling release that spawned the massive R+B crossover hits "Lost Without You" and "I Wanna Love U Girl". VIBE Magazine raved that "Evolution" was "a finely-groomed collection of Latin-tinged rhythms, bare-bones balladry and psychedelic grooves."

Listen to "Magic" here.

Kelly Clarkson is busy in the studio with OneRepublic's hitmaker Ryan Tedder working on her fourth and what many are calling her "comeback" album. The disc is currently penciled in for a November 18 release.

After the disappointing sales for her 2006 album "My December", Clarkson was forced to cancel an arena tour, parted ways with her management company, openly fought with her label chief Clive Davis and hinted that she might be opting for a change to country music. "December" ended up selling two million copies worldwide, about ten million less than her previous hit "Breakaway."

New project is said to be a more pop-leaning affair with Tedder, the creative force behind Leona Lewis' massive hit "Bleeding Love," helping to shape a more radio-friendly sound. Tedder says the new songs feature "big choruses" and "heavy drum programming" (surprise).

Brit rockers Oasis will release their seventh album "Dig Out Your Soul" on October 7, the first of a new three-project deal with current label home Sony BMG. New album reunites the band with producer Dave Sardy who handled the 2005 release "Don't Believe the Truth." First single "Shock of the Lightning" arrives in September.

"I wanted to write music that had a groove; not songs that followed that traditional pattern of verse, chorus and middle eight," says the band's Noel Gallagher. "I wanted a sound that was more hypnotic; more driving. Songs that would draw you in, in a different way. Songs that you would maybe have to connect to - to feel."