Spring Music Preview: July/August : Rolling Stone

As the summer settles in, watch for the rootsy Avett Brothers to break through after a decade of picking and Wilco to unveil their most experimental disc yet. But as the dog days of summer tick by, also brace yourself for 50 Cent's long-in-the-works fourth album, the cool croon of Daniel Merriweather and Willie Nelson's take on a few selections from the Great American songbook. Here's what else to expect:

50 Cent

Before I Self-Destruct Summer

50 Cent's reps say that his long-in-the-works fourth album still doesn't have a release date yet, but that should change soon. "Right now I'm on a train, and the Em choo-choo car goes first," 50 said recently, explaining that Dr. Dre needed to complete work on Eminem's album — due out May 18th — before he could finish 50's record. The Queens MC has already released two singles: the brooding Scott Storch-produced "Get Up" and the Dr. Dre-produced "I Get It In." After going with a more R&B-based sound on his last album, Curtis, 50 says Self-Destruct, which will come with a documentary DVD about Jam Master Jay, will recall his most menacing work. "It has the essence of Get Rich or Die Tryin'," he told Rolling Stone last year. "It's authentic with harsh realities."

Cobra Starship

Title TBD July

"We want to make a soundtrack for going out on the town," says Cobra Starship's Gabe Saporta. Ironically, the electro-emo act's third LP — featuring production by Patrick Stump — was partially written in a remote Appalachian Pennsylvania cabin. Saporta says the album mixes straight-ahead punk ("Pete Wentz Is the Only Reason We're Famous") and out-there synth jams influenced by electronica duo Ratatat.

Watch Cobra Starship in the studio, working on what they hope will be "the stinkiest record ever."

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The Flaming Lips

Title TBD July

After the Flaming Lips' Steven Drozd failed to sell his Oklahoma house last year, the band turned the empty home into a temporary recording studio. "We're capturing more immediate kinds of rock sounds there," says frontman Wayne Coyne. "It's different than the computer-generated beats of the last couple of records." The group is re-teaming with longtime producer Dave Fridmann for its 12th LP — and has already written enough material for a double album, which Coyne describes as "Plastic Ono-era John Lennon mixed with Bitches Brew-era Miles Davis."

Flyleaf

Title TBD August

For the follow-up to their 2005 platinum debut, Flyleaf reunited with producer Howard Benson for a record that brings a Paramore-style pop sensibility to their darker vibe. The group's eclectic influences — from Pantera to Christian musician Phil Wickham — are reflected in tracks that veer from Korn-style riffing ("Beautiful Bride") to soaring choruses ("Missing"). "Set Apart This Dream" was inspired by the Christian self-help book Wild at Heart and is "a kind of blessing you would give to a sister or daughter before bed," says singer Lacey Mosley. "It really defines the tone of the record."

Flyleaf take you into the L.A. studio where they're recording

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Daniel Merriweather

Love and War August/September

Australian singer Daniel Merriweather topped the U.K. charts last year with his Mark Ronson-produced cover of the Smiths' "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before." Ronson also oversees Merriweather's debut album — a set of retro-soul tunes juiced with hip-hop beats. Highlights include the Stevie Wonder-esque single "Change" (featuring rapper Wale), a duet with Adele ("Water and a Flame") and a cover of the White Stripes' "You Don't Know What Love Is," which Jack White called "smooth." Notes Merriweather, "I hope that's a good thing."

Daniel Merriweather shoots the video for "Change."

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Willie Nelson

The Nearness of You August

Like his multiplatinum 1978 set Stardust, Nelson's upcoming record features him taking on selections from the Great American Songbook. "Stardust really just knocked me out," says jazz producer Tommy LiPuma, who roped in guest spots from Norah Jones (for "Baby, It's Cold Outside") and Diana Krall. "It was just so simple and sweet. This was a no-brainer." Top-notch jazz session players — pianist Joe Sample, bassist Christian McBride — back Nelson for most of the tracks, while the singer's nylon-string guitar and Mickey Raphael's harmonica solos add a bit of Texas to the supper-club vibe. "I've never worked with anyone like Willie," says LiPuma. "He's just so laid-back. There's no tension when you're working with him."

OK Go

Title TBD August

YouTube superstars Ok Go teamed up with Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann for their third full-length of bright power pop, adding trombones, strings, and timpani to their sunny sound. "It sounds like an over-produced chamber-pop album," says frontman Damien Kulash. Highlights include the anthemic "This Too Shall Pass" and the funky "White Knuckles," which Kulash sings in a Prince-style falsetto. "Purple Rain is the record I've listened to the most in my life," he says. "This album is sort of like Purple Rain through broken speakers."