Fergie

Yesterday's rumored Coachella cruise is a reality, as Pulp, Sleigh Bells, Hot Chip and other acts will perform on board the first S.S. Coachella cruise ship from December 16-19, headed for the Bahamas, with a second ship going to Jamaica from December 19-23. Other artists on board for the floating festival are ex-LCD Soundsystem main man James Murphy, Girl Talk, Cloud Nothings and many more.

The Who have announced their first North American tour in four years, as Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey will celebrate Quadrophenia in concert. The trek begins in Sunrise, FL on November 1 as the first leg ends December 9 in Uncasville, CT. The second leg of the tour will start in 2013 on January 28 in Anaheim, CA and runs up to February 26 in Providence, RI. There will also be a one-night-only screening in theaters of The Who: Quadrophenia - Can You See The Real Me? : The Story Behind The Album on Tuesday, July 24.

Kevin Richardson has returned to the Backstreet Boys, completing the reunion of all five original members. Backstreet Boys will make their first official performance with Richardson as part of Good Morning America's "Summer Concert Series" on Friday, August 31, and the concert in Central Park is free and open to the public. Furthermore, the group is currently in a London studio with producer Martin Terefe (Mary J. Blige, Train, Jason Mraz), working on their first new album together since 2005. The new album will be released in the spring of 2013, which also marks their 20th anniversary. "Being back with my brothers again feels great. I love these guys," Richardson says. "We have gone through so much together. We just have a chemistry... a bond that will always be." 

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea is releasing a solo album that will serve as a fundraiser for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music. The bassist wrote on Twitter: "I am putting out an ep i made by myself in a couple of days. it is obscure arty mostly instrumental music, except when patti smith sings. my ep is called helen burns. all proceeds from my helen burns ep will go towards the silverlake conservatory of music. it will be available for download at any price you want to pay." Flea added that information on how to get the EP will appear online in the next few days, and " it is not rhcp music or even close to it. it is a trippy freakout. on helen burns, i play trumpet, bass, synthesizers, drum machine, piano, and a bunch of other shit."

Drake and Feist are among the artists on the shortlist for this year's Canadian Polaris Prize. Drake's Take Care and Feist's Metals are nominated for the annual award for the best Canadian album. Other nominees include Japandroids' Celebration Rock, Kathleen Edwards with Voyageur and the now-disbanded Handsome Furs with Sound Kapital.

Three new songs from Beck will debut in the video game Sound Shapes. According to MTV News, the songs "Cities," "Touch The People" and "Spiral Staircase" will appear exclusively in Sound Shapes, which will be released for the PlayStation Vita and PS3 on August 7.

X Factor UK star Cher Lloyd, who competed alongside One Direction in 2010, is bringing her tough-but-sweet Pop sound to the U.S. via her American TV debut on the July 25 episode of America’s Got Talent. The teen will perform her song "Want U Back," which shot up into the Top 10 at iTunes last week, peaking at #5. "Want U Back" also is in the Top 15 at Top 40 radio.

The Temper Trap has announced a fall tour of the U.S. in support of their self-titled sophomore effort. The new round of touring begins October 12 in New York City and runs up to October 28 in Austin. The Temper Trap kick off their first leg of North American dates on July 28 in Minneapolis, running up to August 7 in Toronto.

Flobots are gearing up for handful of record release shows in support of their upcoming album, The Circle In The Square, which is due on August 28. The group has booked shows on August 22 in Omaha, August 23 in Fort Collins, CO, August 24 in Denver and August 25 in Colorado Springs.