Plus: Kings of Leon [ tickets ], Hilary Duff [ tickets ], more

Martina McBride [ tickets ]
"Waking Up Laughing"
(SBMG Nashville)

The platinum-selling vocalist follows 2005's chart-topping "Timeless," a collection of classic country standards, with her self-produced ninth studio album.

McBride has had much success singing other songwriters' tunes over the years. To date, she's sold more than 16 million records and charted 22 Top 10 singles. With "Waking Up Laughing," however, she's taking a different path, and has written some of her own songs, including the set's first hit single, "Anyway."

The four-time Country Music Association Vocalist of the Year will support "Waking Up Laughing" with a lengthy tour that kicks off April 12 in Kansas City, MO.

Alan Jackson [ tickets ], George Strait and Jimmy Buffett
"Live at Texas Stadium"
(MCA Nashville)

The three musical legends team up for what many expect to be one of the top-selling live albums of 2007. The 15-track set documents a concert that was held in 2004 at Texas Stadium in Dallas and includes both solo performances and collaborations.

The set list was drawn from all three of the performers' catalogs. Included in the mix are Strait's "All My Ex's Live in Texas," Jackson's "Where I Come From" and, of course, Buffett's signature "Margaritaville."

Alison Krauss [ tickets ]
"A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection"
(Rounder)

Don't be fooled: This 16-track set is not a best-of collection. Instead, it delivers an assortment of Krauss' work on soundtracks and side projects.

On the soundtrack side, "A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection" features the songs "The Scarlet Tide" and "You Will Be My Ain True Love" (both from "Cold Mountain") as well as "Down to the River to Pray" (from "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"). It also includes a number of collaborations, notably Krauss' duet with John Waite on "Missing You."

Kings of Leon
"Because of the Times"
(RCA)

The Southern rockers return with their third full-length studio release, which follows 2003's "Youth and Young Manhood" and 2005's "Aha Shake Heartbreak."

The three Followill brothers (Caleb, Nathan and Jared) and their cousin (Matthew Followill) will support "Because of the Times" with a North American tour that begins with an April 28 date at the Coachella Valley Music Festival in Indio, CA.

Hilary Duff
"Dignity"
(Hollywood)

The former tween dream, beloved by millions of youngsters for her role as TV's Lizzie McGuire, is going for a more mature look and sound with this new album. That's clear from the cover, a very sophisticated and refined headshot, to the title track, which takes potshots at the immature party antics of other young celebs.

Other new releases:
Andiamo, "Love, From Italy" (Denon)
Black Sabbath, "The Dio Years" (Rhino)
Brandi Carlile, "The Story" (Sony)
Chevelle, "Vena Sera" (Sony)
Kurt Elling, "Nightmoves" (Concord)
Fountains of Wayne, "Traffic and Weather" (Virgin)
Jeff Lorber, "He Had a Hat" (Blue Note)
Ozomatli, "Don't Mess With the Dragon" (Concord)
Panda Bear, "Person Pitch" (Paw Tracks)
Martin Sexton, "Seeds" (Kitchen Table)
Shadows Fall, "Threads of Life" (Atlantic)
Static-X, "Cannibal" (Warner Bros.)
Timbaland, "Timbaland Presents Shock Value" (Interscope)
Various artists, "Mississippi Blues: Rare Cuts 19" (JSP)
Chris Whitley, Jeff Lang, "Dislocation Blues" (Rounder)

Soundtracks and scores:
"The Road Mix: Music from the Television Series One Tree Hill, Vol. 3" (Maverick)