"The album is meaty, crunchy and melodic like a good Weezer album should be," frontman Rivers Cuomo writes on the band's Web site.

Cuomo previously described the new songs, which were co-produced by Rick Rubin, as "dark and deep and beautiful," and "definitely more sophisticated and adventurous. You'll hear very long songs ... and non-traditional structures."

Now, Dr. Pepper thinks it's up to the challenge. The soft drink company says it will give a free can of Dr Pepper to "everyone in America" (excluding ex-GNR members Slash and Buckethead) if "Chinese Democracy" arrives anytime during the calendar year 2008.

"It took a little patience to perfect Dr Pepper's special mix of 23 ingredients, which our fans have come to know and love," Dr Pepper director of marketing Jaxie Alt says. "So we completely understand and empathize with Axl's quest for perfection -- for something more than the average album. We know once it's released, people will refer to it as 'Dr Pepper for the ears' because it will be such a refreshing blend of rich, bold sounds - an instant classic."

Axl Rose is the greatest rock n roll frontman ever...Anyone that disagrees is just lame and should look in the mirror and say, "I am lame."

"In my mind, it's a highlight reel of my live show since last year," he tells Billboard.com. "The core ideas are there, but what takes me a long time is just actually pushing them together -- the transitions and things. Live, I'm pretty rough about it. I like to keep it loose. But on record it's like a different art form, so that's the real difficult thing for me."

Gillis envisions the album being more diverse than 2006's "Night Ripper" on a number of levels. "The vocal sources are going to be a little more all over the map," he says. He's also conscious of not simply sampling what's currently dominating the pop charts. "I don't care if no one plays [the song] anymore," he says. "In my mind, everything I do, I want to be a new song."

A quarter-century since the passing of Bob Marley, the reggae legend's family has maintained a strict policy on licensing his music. Although his songs have been freely licensed to many commercials, TV shows and movies, none of his work has appeared in documentaries or biopics with an actor portraying the icon. But alas, Martin Scorsese was recently granted the exclusive rights to use Marley's music in an upcoming doc to be released in February 2010.

"I'm obsessed with the Jersey Turnpike right now," he said at the Tibet House benefit on February 13. "It's so perfected and so efficient. It's like a military endeavor—it was built by postwar military personnel, and they ran the whole enterprise like the army. And it's an artery from New York, the great metropolis, to the rural countryside, South Jersey. And it's very expensive. I like the tolls. I like that you have to pay to drive." So this is his next musical project? "New Jersey, the musical," he said with a laugh. "An ode to the turnpike."

1. Jay Reatard Always Wanting More (from 7″ #3, due out June 17)
2. Times New Viking DROP-OUT (from Rip It Off, released January 22)
3. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks Cold Son (from Real Emotional Trash, released March 4)
4. Shearwater Leviathan, Bound (from Rook, due out June 3)
5. Cat Power Metal Heart (from Jukebox, released January 22)
6. Matmos Polychords (from Supreme Balloon, due out May 6)
7. Mission Of Burma That’s How I Escaped My Certain Fate (from Vs.: The Definitive Edition, released today, March 18)
8. Jaguar Love Bats Over The Pacific Ocean (from Take Me To The Sea, due out this summer)
9. The Cave Singers Helen (from Invitation Songs, released last September)
10. Dead Meadow I’m Gone (from Old Growth, released February 5)
11. The New Pornographers All The Things That Go To Make Heaven And Earth (live) (from Live From Soho (iTunes Exclusive), released March 11)
12. Earles & Jensen Bleachy Is Back In Town, Look Out (from Just Farr A Laugh Vols. 1 & 2: The Greatest Prank Phone Calls Ever!, due out April 22)