Pearl Jam: Backspacer

Releases: 9/22

Strong, up-tempo stuff you can really sink your teeth into. Those are the words that describe the American alternative rock band’s ninth studio album. Guitarist Mike McCready called it a “tight, concise rock ‘n’ roll record with a tint of pop and new wave elements.”

Pearl Jam has closed a deal with Target to be the exclusive big-box store retailer for the upcoming album. The album title is a tribute to a typewriter key used by lead vocalist Eddie Vedder in his music writing. It’s also the name of the 375-kilogram female sea turtle Pearl Jam sponsored in the Great Turtle Race, which raised money for Conservation International.

Boys Like Girls: Love Drunk

Releases: 9/8

Two producers/production teams, two recording sites and two styles of inspiration are more than appropriate for the rock/pop band’s second studio album.  With talk of R&B singer Chris Brown adding back vocals on the album, Boys Like Girls fans are in for a treat. And, leaning toward a more pop sound than their punkish colleagues, they won’t disappoint.

The title single, “Love Drunk,” roars opens with a chiming guitar and drum beat before launching into the catchy tune that moves straight into the chorus. By the end of the song, listeners will be joining in tune. The band’s album sets it apart from other fading/unoriginal punk/pop bands currently making records.

Sean “Diddy” Combs: Last Train to Paris

Releases: 9/22

With over 75 million records sold worldwide, the rapper/producer icon is about to leave another mark on pop culture with his upcoming fifth studio album. Diddy described the album as an “electro-hip-hop-soul-funk” album. He says Last Train to Paris is deeper than his previous stuff, a profound love story.

This album features collaborations with producers The Dream, Tricky, T-Pain and others. After trying his hand in business for the past two years, Diddy said he is ready to focus on being an artist again. He has recently been named one of the most influential business people in the world by Time magazine and CNN. (None of the tracks from this album are currently available so I picked one of my favorite Diddy songs)

Lynyrd Skynyrd: God & Guns

Releases: 9/29

Back for another round, legendary Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd is releasing its first set of new studio material since 2003’s Vicious Cycle. With input from guitarist John 5 and a combination of elite Skynyrd-minded songwriters, the album emerges with the classic Skyrnyrd sound mixed with a contemporary feel.

The lead single, “Still Unbroken,” laden with attitude, is sure to attract some attention. Unwilling to relinquish their status in the music industry, the album is about survival of spirit: unbowed, uniquely American and stubbornly resolute. Adding to their catalog of over 60 albums, God & Guns continues to represent the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame powerhouse that is Skynyrd.