Martina McBride [ tickets ] appears with the cast of "Sesame Street" during an episode of the PBS children's program that's scheduled to debut on Monday (4/26).

The country star duets with the Muppet Elmo on a song titled "Let's Pretend," and also rubs shoulders with Cookie Monster, Zoe, Grover, Telly, Rosita, AM Elephant and Baby Bear.

Acoustic and demo versions of key tracks from "Shadows Collide with People," the latest solo album from The Red Hot Chili Peppers [ tickets ] guitarist John Frusciante [ tickets ], are now streaming at Frusciante's website.

"I'm releasing these versions because there was so much production on the record," Frusciante said in a statement. "I thought it would be nice for some of the fans who prefer a more raw, stripped-down sound. For the same reason I wanted to include the original demos. Some people actually prefer hearing things this way and I really pushed my little 8-track cassette to the limit. I figured I'd do a performance in my living room and put it on the Internet so people could hear me doing these songs as if it were a live acoustic show."

Scottish pop-rockers Travis [ tickets ] called off a planned tour of Japan after frontman Fran Healy landed in the hospital with a severe viral infection, according to the band's official website.

"The Complete Hit Singles," a new best-of set from Three Dog Night, will hit stores on May 25. The album is the first to compile all 21 of the group's Top 40 hits onto one CD, according to a press release. Each song has been digitally remastered.