Prince [ tickets ] has nailed down a July 24 release for his new album, "Planet Earth." The set features the leadoff single "Guitar," which hit radio stations today (6/11).

The veteran musician--who, in recent years, has eschewed long-term record contracts in favor of cutting distribution deals on a per-album basis--has teamed with Columbia Records for the forthcoming set.

"'Planet Earth' is a fantastic album and promises to be a musical milestone for Prince," Rob Stringer, CEO of Columbia parent Sony Music, said in a press release. "The Columbia label is thrilled to be working with an iconic artist like Prince in this exciting stage of his amazing career."

Prince, whose commercial success has traveled through peaks and valleys during his 25-plus-year recording career, sparked interest earlier this year with a critically acclaimed performance during the Super Bowl halftime show.

Chuck D [ tickets ] and Randy Jackson have signed on to host this month's "50 Years of Stax" benefit in Memphis.

"I am honored to be a part of this amazing music legacy," Jackson said in a prepared statement. "Stax Records is the foundation that R&B was built on. The legendary artists that Stax built are such a huge part of my music roots."

Chuck D added: "The logo of Stax says it all. That finger-snap graphic brings a funky sound effect by just looking at it. With it comes a catalog of soul heroes and heroines whose heart, souls and passions still echo across this planet today."

As previously reported, Isaac Hayes, Booker T & The MGs, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, Mavis Staples, Mable John, The Soul Children and Angie Stone are among the acts scheduled to perform at the June 22 "50 Years of Stax: A Concert to Benefit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music." Proceeds from the show will benefit the museum, which is located at the site of the old Stax headquarters on Memphis' historic McLemore Avenue, according to a press release. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster. (Ticketmaster is LiveDaily's parent company.)

Founded in 1957, Stax--a racially integrated label in what was then a segregated city--released hits from artists including Otis Redding, Booker T & the MGs, The Bar-Kays, Hayes, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor and William Bell.

Plain White T's [ tickets ] and Secondhand Serenade [ tickets ] will join forces to headline mtvU's summer concert series. The shows are set to take place July 27 at Six Flags New England in Agawam, MA; July 29 at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ; Aug. 3 at Six Flags St. Louis; Aug. 10 at Six Flags Over Georgia in Austell; and Aug. 17 at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL, according to a press release. Additional details are available at mtvU's website.

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Jesse Harris [ tickets ] has teamed with writer/director/actor Ethan Hawke to assemble the soundtrack for Hawke's forthcoming film, "The Hottest State." The album will feature a number of Harris' songs performed by different artists, including Willie Nelson, Norah Jones, Feist, Cat Power, Bright Eyes and others. The set hits stores Aug. 7, while the film arrives on the big screen Aug. 24, according to a press release.