Plus: The Futureheads [ tickets ], Busta Rhymes [ tickets ], more

Sonic Youth [ tickets ]
"Rather Ripped"
(Geffen)

The veteran rockers are back with a follow-up to 2004's "Sonic Nurse." The new album, which was recorded last year in the group's hometown of New York, is the first since Jim O'Rourke left the band.

The group will support the set with a lengthy tour that kicks off the same day the album drops (6/13) with a show at CBGB in New York. The road trip, which is currently scheduled to last into early September, will find the band headlining most dates, as well as holding down a few opening slots for Pearl Jam. Other acts that Sonic Youth will share the stage with include Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The Flaming Lips.

Former Pavement bassist Mark Ibold will join Sonic Youth during the tour to supplement the group's live sound.

Widespread Panic [ tickets ]
"Earth to America"
(Sanctuary)
Having filled record store shelves with a plethora of concert releases over the past few years--most recently with 2005's "Live at Myrtle Beach"--Widespread Panic finally delivers a studio set with "Earth to America."
The band recorded the CD in the Bahamas with help from legendary Stax producer Terry Manning. The first single from the album, "Second Skin," has generated some buzz in jam-band music circles.
To no one's surprise, these Georgia road warriors have announced they will support the new record with a lengthy tour. The trek begins June 21 in Kansas City and lasts into August.

Billy Joel returns with another concert record, "12 Gardens Live," which was recorded during the piano man's recent record-breaking 12 sold-out shows at New York City's fabled Madison Square Garden.

The two-disc set features many of Joel's best-known songs, including such fan favorites as "Always a Woman," "We Didn't Start the Fire," "Big Shot" and "The Entertainer." The album follows "2000 Years: The Millennium Concert" and the four-disc retrospective "My Lives."

The Futureheads
"News and Tributes"
(Vagrant)

The acclaimed British band, which mixes art-school pop and post-punk rock, returns with the follow-up to its highly regarded, eponymous debut of 2004. "The Futureheads" has sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide to date.

The group, which is often lumped in with the likes of Kaiser Chiefs and Bloc Party in the '80s-inspired neo-New Wave movement, will mount a North American tour in support of the album. The trek begins June 16 in Vancouver and stretches into August.

Busta Rhymes
"The Big Bang"
(Aftermath)

Busta Rhymes, a rapper blessed with one of the most distinct deliveries in hip-hop history, drops his first platter since "It Ain't Safe No More." The CD features the 34-year-old hip-hop star collaborating with such all-stars as Missy Elliott and Stevie Wonder.

More new releases:
Sam Bush, Laps in Seven (Sugar Hill)
John Cowan, "New Tattoo" (Pinecastle)
Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band, "The Phat Pack" (Immergent)
Hot Chip, "The Warning" (Astralwerks)
Glenn Hughes, "Music for the Divine" (Frontiers)
Blaine Larsen, "Rockin' You Tonight" (Bria)
Jerry Lee Lewis, "Jerry Lee Lewis: A Half Century of Hits" (Time Life)
Lordi, "Monster Show" (Mayan)
Keb' Mo', "Suitcase" (Epic)
Allison Moorer, "Getting Somewhere" (Sugar Hill)
Joshua Radin, "We Were Here" (Sony)
The Replacements, "Bastards of Young: The Best of the Replacements" (Rhino)
Shadows Fall, "Fallout from the War" (Century Media)
Regina Spektor, "Begin to Hope" (Sire)
Three Days Grace, "One X" (Jive)
Various Artists, "Sound of Superman" (Rhino)
Trent Willmon, "A Little More Livin'" (Sony)

Soundtracks and scores:
Battlestar Galactica: Season 2 (La-La Land)