Pretenders pour "Concrete" into MP3s
NEW YORK (Billboard) - The Chrissie Hynde-led rock band the Pretenders will roll out their new album, "Break Up the Concrete," as one MP3 per week leading up to the September 23 release of the CD via Shangri-La Music.
The first song, "Boots of Chinese Plastic," is available for free download via AOL's Spinner.com and the Pretenders' Web site. Subsequent tracks will roll out through various partners, among them QuickTime, ClearChannel.com, CMT.com and iLike.
Hynde recorded "Break Up the Concrete" in 10 days, working with a new backing band -- save for bassist Nick Wilkinson -- consisting of guitarists James Walbourne and Eric Heywood and drummer Jim Keltner.
But founding drummer Martin Chambers will be back in the fold for the next Pretenders show, July 30 in London, according to a spokesperson.
The set is the first Pretenders album since 2002's "Loose Screw," which was released by Artemis. In 2005, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Rhino Records has begun a comprehensive reissue series of the group's vintage albums.
Reuters/Billboard
