The Red Hot Chili Peppers are reportedly about halfway through with recording their next album which is expected out in March. As for Chad Smith's sophomore album with Chickenfoot, he is expected to be able to finish recording it but will not be able to tour with them.

It has been announced that the Beastie Boys will get a new release out... but it will not be Hot Sauce Committee Part 1. Originally planned for spring of 2011, Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 will come out on time. Part 1 has been delayed indefinitely.

Lenny Kravitz has been busy working in a Paris studio on his new album. Meanwhile, he has also teamed up with TNT to have his new song, "Come On Get It," used during the NBA this year.

Salt-N-Pepa have made two new tracks ("Big Girls" and "She's Killin' Me") available for digital download at online retailers. They have also announced a U.S. tour early next year.

Daniel Lanois will see the release of the debut album by his band Black Dub on Nov. 2nd via Jive Records. A title has not been announced yet but you can see a video for "Believe In You" online.

Fans that have been awaiting the second installment of, 3D, the Go West 3-part set will have to wait until Nov. 2nd. The EP will feature 4 new songs as well as a new version of their classic "We Close Our Eyes."

A new limited-edition book by former Sex Pistol and Public Image Ltd. vocalist John Lydon entitled Mr. Rotten's Scrapbook will be released in December.

Robin Trower has announced that he will release his new studio album, The Playful Heart, via his own V-12 Records and MVD Entertainment Group on Dec. 7th.

Eric Johnson will release his new 15-track studio album, Up Close, on Dec. 7th. The set includes guest appearances by Jimmie Vaughan and Steve Miller.

Bad Religion have announced that they will release a limited-edition 30 Years LP box set on Nov. 9th containing all 16 of their albums.

The official Johnny Cash website has launched Johnny Cash Radio which will stream Cash's music and content 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Several of his family members, friends, former band members and others in the music industry will be involved in the programming line-up.

Columbia/Legacy Recordings plan to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Billy Joel's first solo album with a reissue project of newly restored and expanded versions of Joel's complete catalog with rarities and previously unavailable studio tracks. They will also release a new 19-track compilation, Billy Joel's The Hits, due out on Nov. 16th.

U2 have been working with producer Danger Mouse. Bono recently told The Age, "We have about 12 songs with him. At the moment that looks like the album we will put out next because it's just happening so easily." The group's manager had suggested their next album -- they have 3 in the works -- would be out in the spring.

According to Billboard, that photo of The Cars playing around in the studio that surfaced on their Facebook page... was one of the initial steps to their reunion. The band are working on their first studio album in 23 years with a possible support tour. Curious as to the sound of the new tracks? Sure you are. You can go to their Facebook page and check out a video with a sample of their song, "Blue Tip."

The Pet Shop Boys' new single, "Together," will be released as a digital download via retailers on Oct. 24th. The song comes from their new retrospective, Ultimate Pet Shop Boys, to be released on Nov. 1st.

Blancmange have announced that their new studio album, Blanc Burn, will be released on Feb. 28th and can be pre-ordered via Amazon.co.uk, Play.com and HMV.com. The album will be their first studio effort since 1985's Believe You Me.

Jazz alto saxophonist and band leader Marion Brown, 79, died on Oct. 18th in Hollywood, Florida. He had been ill for several years and hadn't performed publicly in quite some time. Brown will always be remembered for his work with John Coltrane but released many albums (including 4 just during the 80s.)

Ari Up [born Arianna Daniele Forster], 48, of the U.K. punk act The Slits died of cancer on Oct. 20th in Los Angeles. The Slits released their first single in 1979 and would release two albums during the 1980s before splitting up in 1982. Ari Up and Tessa Pollitt reformed the band with new members in 2005, released an EP in 2006 and released a new album, Trapped Animal, in 2009. The group's final work was a video for the song, "Lazy Slam," from the album. Ari was John Lydon's stepdaughter.

Heading to stores near you next week: Bryan Ferry - Olympia, Nitzer Ebb - Industrial Complex, Ray Charles - Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters, Darryl Jenifer - In Search Of Black Judas, Prefab Sprout - Let's Change The World With Music, Ray Davies - The Kinks Choral Collection, Johnny Clegg - Human, Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus, The Fall - The Unutterable Plus, Napalm Death - Diatribes/Greed Killing, Overkill - Immortalis/Live At Wacken, John Cale & Band: Live At Rockpalast, Michael Schenker Group - Rockpalast: Hardrock Legends Vol. 2, King's X - Live Love In London, The Charlie Daniels Band - The Essential Charlie Daniels Band, Aretha Franklin - The Essential Aretha Franklin, The Highwaymen - The Essential Highwaymen, Julio Iglesias - The Essential Julio Iglesias, Ted Nugent - The Essential Ted Nugent, Kansas - The Essential Kansas, Joe Satriani - The Essential Joe Satriani, Paul Simon - The Essential Paul Simon, Crowded House - The Very Very Best Of Crowded House, Juice Newton - Duets: Friends & Memories, Tangerine Dream - Cyberjam Collection and Zapp - Double Dose Of Funk

Eric Clapton's Clapton fell 13 places to #19 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Santana's Guitar Heaven dropped 4 spots to #20. John Lennon's Power To The People: The Hits debuted at #24. Neil Young's Le Noise fell 18 places to #32. John Lennon & Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy re-entered the chart at #34. Robert Plant's Band Of Joy dropped 3 spots to #35.