In the wake of last year's successful Pixies reunion tour, frontman Frank Black is set to release his tenth solo album, Honeycomb, on July 19th. Black, known as Black Francis when with the Pixies, did not record with his most recent group the Catholics but roped in Southern soul talent from guitarist Steve Cropper to songwriter/keyboardist Spooner Oldham.

Honeycomb is Americana-tinged, recorded in only four days at Nashville studio Better Songs and Gardens, owned by songwriter Dan Penn (Aretha Franklin, Solomon Burke). Black laid down the tracks last April, just before the launch of the Pixies tour, with producer Jon Tiven, who's worked with the likes of B.B. King, Wilson Pickett and Robert Plant. Along with original tracks such as "I Burn Today," "Atom in My Heart" and "Go Find Your Saint," the album includes a cover of "Song of the Shrimp," from the Elvis Presley movie Girls, Girls, Girls.

In addition to Cropper (Booker T. and the MG's) and Oldham (Neil Young, Janis Joplin), Black brought in musicians such as songwriter/guitarist Buddy Miller (Steve Earle, Dixie Chicks) and bassist David Hood (Traffic) -- session veterans of legendary studios Muscle Shoals, American Studios and Stax Records.

"It was fun to have these incredible musicians poking fun at my non-Nashville chord progressions," says Black, "then give me a wink after a take to let me know that they approved."