Reuters - Currently on a summer jaunt opening for Eric Clapton, pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph says there are plenty of new albums and tours in his mix.

E! Online - More than a few talking heads figure David Byrne should be recognized for his pioneering efforts.

AP - Lady Antebellum's Dave Haywood remembers the day he co-wrote one of the best songs of his young career, and then got punched in the face.

Reuters - Singer Ashlee Simpson and her husband, rocker Pete Wentz, are expecting their first child, the couple said on Wednesday.

Reuters - The Jonas Brothers have selected "Burnin' Up" as the first single from the teen idols' next album, "A Little Bit Longer," due in stores on August 12.

Reuters - The original lineup of Scottish rock band Simple Minds will hit the studio for the first time in 27 years next month to record "at least two new tracks," the group said on its Web site.

Reuters - R&B star Usher's new album will easily claim the No. 1 spot on the U.S. pop chart next Wednesday, but its sales will be about one-third those of his previous chart-topper, according to preliminary data.

AP - "I'm not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else. And then this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, is that karma? When you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?" — Sharon Stone, in a red-carpet interview at the Cannes Film Festival.