July 23, 2008

By By Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

The Pretenders will roll out their new album, "Break Up the Concrete," as one MP3 per week with a different partner leading up to the Sept. 23 CD street date 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 with partners such as QuickTime, ClearChannel.com, CMT.com, iLike, iMeem, MP3.com, VH1 Classic, Yahoo!, CBS Radio and MSN Windows Media.

Frontwoman Chrissie Hynde recorded "Break Up the Concrete" in 10 days with, save for bassist Nick Wilkinson, a new backing band consisting of guitarists James Walbourne and Eric Heywood and drummer Jim Keltner.

However, founding drummer Martin Chambers will be back in the fold for the next Pretenders show on 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. Of late, a comprehensive reissue series of vintage albums has been undertaken by Rhino Records.

Subscribe to Billboard magazine today!