Eminem is still hard at work on his first new album since 2004's 'Encore.' And, according to rapper Bishop Lamont, a protégé of Dr. Dre's who also records for the Aftermath record label, Em has recorded some "amazing stuff" for his long anticipated comeback album.

"Em is excited," Lamont told Entertainment Weekly. "He's been quiet too long, and he's got a lot to get off his chest. He went through what he had to go through. And now he's been able to take all the pain and stress and put it out in his music." Eminem gave his own brief update last month, telling listeners to his Shade 45 channel on Sirius Satellite Radio, "Everything is good. I'm just in the studio now working on songs."

Last September, while helping 50 Cent promote his studio disc, 'Curtis,' Eminem told New York radio station Hot 97, "It feels good now, the energy of the label [Aftermath]. I was going through some personal things. I'm coming out of those personal things. It feels good."

In 2006, Eminem – born Marshall Mathers – recoiled from the spotlight after the shooting death of his longtime friend and fellow artist Proof. Although no release date or official announcement has surfaced, Eminem's label, Universal Music, also confirmed the artist is in the studio. As for a possible title for Em's sixth disc, 'King Mathers' has been speculated, since it was mentioned in interviews with rapper Cashis and West Coast producer C Major, who both have ties to Eminem.

Carl Newman (a.k.a. A.C. Newman of the New Pornographers) isn't sure whether to be excited or intimidated about the studio in which he is currently recording his sophomore solo album. "When I got here," he recalls about the Carriage House studio in Stamford, Conn., "I realized that this is the place where the Pixies recorded 'Doolittle,' so it is kind of legendary. In a way, it is almost disheartening ... to know a record is so good that you couldn't even begin to approach it. I just think, 'Aaah, I'll just make my s---ty record and let the ghosts of Pixies lie here.'"

The self-deprecating musician is currently mixing his as-yet-untitled long-player – set for a January release – and is especially enthusiastic about the lineup of musicians who contribute to the new tunes. "My friend John Wurster, who drums with Superchunk and the Mountain Goats, did most of the drumming," he says. "A singer named Nicole Atkins did a lot of singing on it. She's a really killer singer; she kind of reminds me of a cross between Mama Cass and the Shangri-La's."

July, it seems, is a popular month for celebrity baby births. A day before Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt welcomed their twins, Andy Burrows, the drummer from Razorlight, was awaiting his own new arrival. "Me and my girlfriend are having a baby. She's ready to pop, so I have to be around," he told Spinner on Friday after we called him up to chat about his new solo record, 'The Colour of My Dreams.' "We're recording our [next Razorlight] album as well, so I'm quite tired. I'm drumming a lot at the moment, so it's quite a nice excuse to stay in and sleep a lot." Burrows did manage to change up his routine last month, though, as the British rock outfit played the London concert for Nelson Mandela, who recently turned 90.

While hanging out backstage on his one night off as "dad-to-be," Burrows admitted he once crossed paths with Amy Winehouse, who turned out to be a pint-size defender. "She's quite a good person to have around. She's quite protective," he said. "Me and my partner were wandering along and someone [knocked] my girlfriend out of the way, and Amy Winehouse was there swearing at this guy 'cause he'd knocked my girlfriend over. She's a lovely girl."

Burrows is rather lovely himself: While plenty of rockers prepare solo records with dreams of individual superstardom, he put his together and tied it in with the idea of helping out Jack's Place at Naomi House Children's Hospital in Winchester, England. The hospital is hoping to build a new wing, in order to continue its respite and terminal care of children and young adults.

After taking three years to release their previous two albums, Earlimart did what you might not expect these loping Los Angeles dream-pop vets to do: The duo picked up their pace, releasing their sixth album, 'Hymn & Her,' within 12 months of last summer's 'Mentor Tormentor.' "We sought to do the opposite of the last record this time, so we went right into the studio after our tour," frontman and producer Aaron Espinoza recalls to Spinner. "We had toured as a five-piece with a string section and decided to strip things back down. We had no songs; we just cranked the album out on the spot."

Churning out a record in such a rushed manner might make other bands' music sound restless, but Earlimart unfold spacey, extended outros on nearly every track and sing about taking the long way on lonesome highways. Still, the finished product sounds like the antithesis to their recording process: "It was pretty nuts in 'The Ship,'" Espinoza says of the name he gave their studio. "Just as I put down vocals and guitars, Ariana [Murray] would start layering melodies and I'd be out back writing the next song. We were like a factory."

That's not to say that Espinoza and Murray weren't having any fun with 'Hymn & Her,' which, like previous albums, sees release on their own Majordomo label. They boast some sweet, singalong choruses ('For the Birds') and have a song penned after Murray got a new gold tooth to encase a chip from her childhood ('Teeth'). And here, excitement was found in seeing how songs might happen to develop. Says Espinoza, "This album has a bit of a looser feel than our others -- sounds just go where they want to go."

UK artist Tricky is feeling like a virgin again. Well, in a manner of speaking. Just the cusp of releasing his eighth studio album, 'Knowle West Boy,' due September 9, Tricky says that he's never been this excited to record, release and tour new music since his breakout solo disc, 1995's 'Maxinquaye.'

"This is the first album I've wanted to make for fans -- the first album I've wanted to do specifically for people who have been listening to me all these years," he tells Spinner. "I can't wait for people to hear it. I hope to touch their souls with it. I hope I live up to the five-year wait. Usually, I don't give a f--- about that stuff. A guy told me once he was in a coma and his parents played my music to him -- it was a kids' burn unit in Philadelphia -- and they played my music to the kids in there. Stuff like that makes you wanna give. I wanna give my fans more music, more albums, more touring."

Since the release of his last studio album, 'Vulnerable' in 2003, Tricky has been moving from the UK to New York and L.A., recording different tracks for 'Knowle West Boy,' which is a reference to his upbringing as a kid in a rough part of South Bristol. The singer, now 40, admits to being incredibly contemplative about his childhood and other major events in his life. One such notable period inspired the final song on the CD, the bluesy-country track 'School Gates.' The lyrics begin "I used to wait for her outside the school gates/she's 15 and pregnant I guess it's too late."

Fresh off the release of their latest album, 'Evil Urges', My Morning Jacket is busy plotting their next one.

"I'm already writing songs for the new record," frontman Jim James told the BBC. "The process is weird because whenever we make a record, the songs come from one or two years of life that you've lived. Then, when it comes out, it's a year or two later. So, for me personally, I'm working on the next thing."

MMJ is currently supporting the disc with a run of European festivals, but will return to the States to play a hometown gig at Louisville's Waterfront Park in August, among a short run of Southern dates. A fall tour gets underway in Berkeley, Calif. on Sept. 19, with the band closing out 2008 with a headlining gig at Madison Square Garden on New Year's Eve.

It's not often that we get to write "new music" and "Sarah McLachlan" in the same sentence. The Canadian singer-songwriter is quite notorious for taking lengthy breaks between albums, with her last proper studio release being 2003's 'Afterglow.' While McLachlan isn't releasing a follow-up anytime soon, she is releasing an as-yet-untitled greatest hits album on October 7, featuring -- wait for it -- two new songs, as exclusively confirmed by Spinner with her label.

"It is amazing to hear Sarah McLachlan's voice again," her manager, Terry McBride, wrote on his blog. "There is a purity to her magic as it's from a heart that is wide open and bare in its naked emotion. The melodies are addictive, the lyrics personal to each and everyone, and the delivery is both spine chilling and uplifting. The airwaves sincerely need her energy. There will be many tears shed, many in happiness, when these songs get released. The first track will go public one month from now."

McLachlan, who gave birth to her second daughter last year, recently came out of hiding to perform in her hometown of Vancouver as part of the True Colors tour. It was a rare appearance for McLachlan, who has only performed short sets at a handful of shows in the last three years. "It's been awhile for me," she admitted to the fans. "I'm sorry ... I got knocked up again."

When Starsailor finished their set in Zurich, Switzerland recently, they received a very special nod of approval. "We played with the Police, and Sting was at the side of the stage when we came off," frontman James Walsh tells Spinner. "He said, 'I really enjoyed your set and I'm looking forward to seeing you at the Isle of Wight.'"

Having Sting standing in the corner watching might overwhelm some bands, but Walsh says Starsailor doesn't get nervous anymore. "It's still a bit of a thrill to have legends like that watching us. [But] we kind of got used to it," Walsh says. "The highlight for us was when we played with the Rolling Stones and a couple of members of that band were at the side of the stage. Mick Jagger told us that he bought our first record."

Also representing the Stones at the side of the stage that night was guitarist Ron Wood. As a result of that show, Wood lends slide guitar to 'All the Plans We've Made,' the potential title track of Starsailor's forthcoming CD. "It was really cool to have him down at the studio," Walsh says. "He was only in for an hour. He came in, did a couple of takes and that was it. But we made sure we got a couple of pictures."

Meanwhile when Starsailor return to America for a tour, there's yet another icon they'd like to rub elbows with. "When Bono decides to get the boys back together for a tour, we'll be throwing our hands up to do the leg," Walsh says. "I think the missing piece in the jigsaw is a tour like that in the States. That would be a dream come true."

If you're thinking of messing with Jay Reatard's equipment or grabbing his guitar at one of his shows, think again. He's got a temper and he's not afraid to use it. "There's always people that think it's fun to go after the guy with the short fuse, to try to push his buttons," he tells Spinner. "Most of the time I chalk it up to people being drunk. When you get drunk, [you're] thinking... 'Let me do something stupid to be involved in the show.'" Got it? Good.

Reatard's 2006 solo debut, 'Blood Visions,' finally began to pick up accolades and gain attention almost a year after its initial release. He wasn't surprised, as his goals for the record weren't very lofty to begin with. "It's just some songs I wrote in two or three days," he says. "It was a transitional thing. After a while, I got bored and decided to tour for it. Once I did that, it started growing. People started finding out about it and reviews started coming out for it six months after its release."

Glowing reviews and fan appreciation ultimately lead to a deal with Matador Records, with Reatard releasing a series of limited-edition 7-inch singles that will eventually be compiled into a CD release for those not keen on vinyl. Though his first proper album for the label isn't due until next year, In the Red recently released a collection of singles he recorded from 2006-2007 called, appropriately, 'Singles 2006–2007.' The album is chock-full of Reatard's catchy quirk-punk, like the zombie-themed 'All Wasted.' "Memphis has our version of zombies, these massively dehydrated crackheads," Reatard explains. "If you drive down Cleveland Ave. at night, you feel like you're in a Romero flick or something."

The war on drugs may be something of a failed policy as far as government initiatives are concerned, but, musically, the concept has been injected with a newfound vigor. Philadelphia's the War on Drugs may not exactly be what Ronald Reagan envisioned in his campaign against substance abuse, but their new album, 'Wagonwheel Blues,' is as addictive as crack.

The band's unique take on traditional rock music realizes the potential of combining experimental ambience and looped samples with bluesy storytelling and rollicking chord progressions. The nine songs that comprise the record are the work of singer Adam Granduciel, a California transplant who, along with friend and bandmate Kurt Vile, has been formulating a dreamy Bob Dylan-meets-Sonic Youth haze for several years. "['Wagonwheel Blues'] took the last six years of my life," Granduciel tells Spinner. "[It] was recorded in so many different places, at so many stages of my own personal recording experience. I love the way the record sounds."

Granduciel says he never had grand aspirations for the songs he was recording in his home studio, and only hooked up with indie label Secretly Canadian through the good intentions of a friend in the band Windsor for the Derby. "He ended up sending [the label] rough mixes I had given to him to listen to on his computer," he recalls. "He's like, 'Hope you don't mind, I sent these to Secretly Canadian.' I was like, 'That was stupid. Why'd you do that?'"

After nine tracks from Guns N' Roses' long-awaited and allegedly forthcoming 'Chinese Democracy' album leaked onto the Internet last week, the FBI paid a visit to the blogger responsible, Kevin Skwerl, on Monday to investigate a complaint reportedly made by Axl Rose.

Skwerl – a former Universal Music employee turned Web designer – posted the material on his Antiquiet blog last week but promptly erased the tracks when Rose's attorneys asked nicely.

Skwerl, whose blog crashed from the volume of Web traffic it received, told Rolling Stone that he got the music from an "anonymous online source." He also explained he was initially told to take the files down by "a really cool guy from the GN'R camp that was a middleman between someone who was very angry and me. He was trying to reach out and see if I'd go without a fight, which is more or less what I did."

The blogger thought the ordeal was over until two young FBI officers he described as "Mulder and Scully types" showed up at his day job and questioned him for 15 minutes. "It was kind of an ambush," Skwerl said. "When I came back from lunch, they were waiting in the lobby for me. It's a little creepy they know where I work."

As for any potential legal trouble, Skwerl isn't too worried because he only streamed the tracks. "It's a legal gray area since it wasn't for download, it wasn't a finished product. We aren't sure who owns the recordings. I feel like I might survive this."

Oasis will release their first album in three and a half years when they put forth 'Dig Out Your Soul' on October 7. Recorded at the legendary Abbey Road studios in London with producer Dave Sardy, the band's seventh studio disc, and first since 2005's 'Don't Believe The Truth,' will be preceded by a single, 'The Shock of Lightning.'

"I wanted to write music that had a groove, not songs that followed that traditional pattern of verse, chorus and middle eight," Oasis' guitarist and principal songwriter Noel Gallagher said of the new material. "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."

As for the 'The Shock of Lightning' – which is described as "unmistakably Oasis" and features singer Liam Gallagher's "immediately familiar voice" – Noel called the single "instant and compelling because it was written dead fast and recorded dead fast".

"[It's] basically the demo," Oasis' creative force adds. "And it has retained its energy. There's a lot to be said for that, I think. The first time you record something is always the best."

Bob Dylan shocked when he plugged in at the Newport Folk Festival back in 1965. His son, former Wallflowers frontman Jakob Dylan, is doing the opposite. "As these songs started to come in, I started to realize this is all I want to hear," he tells Spinner of his largely acoustic solo album, 'Seeing Things.' "My ears are kind of fried out with the big sound."

The younger Dylan contends this isn't a seismic shift. "This is very similar to what I've always done, which is my craft has always been songwriting," he says. "Going back to the [Wallflowers'] first record, I played acoustic songs. On each record there's an acoustic song or two."

So, why then did it take so long for him to embrace his troubadour side? "I've been in a band for more than 15 years and I've been waiting for the opportunity and the right time to take a break where I could do that," he says. "Being in a band, you do have parameters that you work within and sometimes you just gotta catch your breath and realize that train has gotta stop for just a minute."

The train will likely be at the station for more than a minute, as Dylan plans to continue touring behind his solo effort. But like most artists who step away from their band for a break, he beleves it will be the best thing for the group. "We've been doing that same thing for so long and the cycle just kind of repeats itself," he says. "There is a feeling of 'Groundhog Day' at some point. It's good to stop -- it's reinvigorating."

Broken Social Scene co-frontman Brendan Canning has been all quiet on the Canadian front as of late, but the singer-songwriter -- whose BSS collective of musicians includes Kevin Drew, Feist, Emily Haines from Metric and Stars' Amy Millan -- is about to be both visually and auditorially in your face with his upcoming album, 'Something for All of Us.'

While recording the effort, due July 22, Canning had some of the process captured on film by respected indie filmmaker Bruce MacDonald ('Hard Core Logo,' 'Highway 61'). The footage was being shot for a new Independent Film Channel series entitled 'The Rawside of...,' which is an eight-part documentary series that follows Canadian musicians through public and private parts of their lives. Canning admits that the process was a combination of honesty and surreality.

"Bruce and his crew get the all-access pass into the finishing of my record and all the other things going on and around in my life," he tells Spinner. "It's a small window into my life and it feels very natural, as much as anything can feel natural when there are cameras all around you. Hopefully the soccer footage makes the cut."