As Bob Mould prepares to release his fourth solo album, "The Last Dog and Pony Show," the former Hüsker Dü and Sugar frontman is in the midst of rehearsals for what he's openly calling his final tour with an electric backing band.

For the road show, Mould has enlisted the help of two "Last Dog" veterans -- percussionist Matt Hammon and producer Jim Wilson on bass -- in addition to long-time friend Michael Cerveris on guitar, and Mould says he's looking forward to dusting off some of his lesser known solo material for the "farewell" tour.

"None of us have played together before except me and Matt," Mould told MTV News Online, "so it'll be fun to see what the chemistry is, to see who leads and who follows. I asked them and they all want to play stuff from the solo albums, including some of the harder stuff like off of 'Black Sheets of Rain,' which is perfect with the two guitars, so you can get the full frontal assault stuff."

"And this is gonna be the last time around for me with an electric band," he added, "I've been doing this for more or less 20 years. So, I think I will stop while I'm slightly ahead, while I still have my voice and hearing intact." [600k QuickTime]

For more on the once and future Bob Mould, check out next week's MTV Online Feature coming on Monday, which will include a transcript and QuickTime clips from the MTV News Online interview with one of the true progenitors of alternative rock.

The dates announced so far for Bob Mould's tour:

• 9/10 - Fargo, ND @ Playmakers Pavilion
• 9/11 - Sioux Falls, SD @ Jeschke Theater
• 9/13 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
• 9/14 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
• 9/15 - Milwaukee, WI @ Rave
• 9/19 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
• 9/20 - Toronto, ONT @ Phoenix Concert Theater
• 9/23 - Northampton, MA @ Pearl Street
• 9/24 - Boston, MA @ Avalon
• 9/25 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
• 9/26 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
• 9/28 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
• 10/2 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
• 10/7 - Omaha, NE @ Ranch Bowl

• Bob Mould

ANAHEIM, California — Creed vocalist Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti will start working nights this week as they resume writing the follow-up to 1999's smash Human Clay. Refreshed from taking the holidays off, the songwriting duo plans to buckle down four nights a week and pen an album that intensifies the larger-than-life feel of its predecessor.

"It's gonna be more extreme on all extremities — the harder stuff a little harder, the epic stuff a little more epic," Tremonti said Saturday.

Creed plan to spend the next few months writing before heading into the studio in July and hopefully releasing the disc in October or November. Tremonti said the band, which worked with longtime friend and producer John Kurzweg on both My Own Prison (1997) and Human Clay, has not picked a producer for the album.

The spiritual Florida rockers parted ways with bass player and founding member Brian Marshall in August and hired Brett Hestla as their touring bassist. Hestla will be working on an album with his group Virgos while Creed are recording their LP as a trio, but the bands are considering a joint fall tour after both albums hit stores. Hestla said he would play both sets.

Tremonti, Hestla and Creed drummer Scott Phillips attended last weekend's National Association of Music Merchants trade show in Anaheim, where Paul Reed Smith Guitars unveiled Tremonti's new signature model.

Tremonti said he had been working with PRS to design the guitar for about a year. "It's the baddest guitar on the planet. It's a technically perfect, thick, massive-sounding guitar. I think it's the best in the world today." Creed, who cleaned up at several recent award ceremonies, are up for two Grammys next month. "With Arms Wide Open" is nominated for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Rock Song, the latter of which would go to its songwriters, Tremonti and Stapp.

"A Grammy would be great — I'm just not gonna count on it," Tremonti said. "We've won a lot of awards this year, and I'm happy about 'em. If we don't win a Grammy, we don't win a Grammy. We've got a lot more albums ahead. But we're up for two of them, so we'll keep our fingers crossed." For much more on Creed, don't forget to check out the MTV News Online feature Creed: Higher Learning"

• Bob Mould

As Bob Mould prepares to release the 17th record of his near 20-year career with "Last Dog and Pony Show" on August 25, the ex-Husker Du and Sugar frontman finds himself at yet another crossroads -- and this time, the path he intends to take may surprise even his most hardcore fans.

• Bob Mould

Feb. 5 [18:00 EST] -- New York City's Knitting Factory will celebrate ten years of fostering cutting edge jazz and rock with a month-long series of shows including performances from Soul Coughing, Girls vs. Boys, Bob Mould, Ben Lee, Eric Bogosian, Yo La Tengo, Laurie Anderson and others.

Over the past decade, the Knitting Factory has proven fertile ground for emerging artists with unconventional sounds.

Sonic Youth, They Might Be Giants, Indigo Girls, Living Colour, and the Pixies all cut their teeth at the club, which has bloomed into a multi-faceted entertainment company offering live music, poetry, dance, and performance art as well as its own record label.

For more on the club's history, and their anniversary celebration, check out the Knitting Factory website at www.knittingfactory.com, or visit the club itself for one of the following shows:

2/5 - Matthew Shipp Trio 2/6 - Fred Frith; Wayne Horvitz 2/7 - Giant Step Special Anniversary Celebration: Justin Tracy/Abstract Truth 2/8 - Bob Mould; Rebecca Moore 2/9 - John Zorn 2/10 - Diamanda Galas 2/11 - DJ Spooky & Cultural Alchemy 2/12 - Eric Bogosian 2/13 - Alex Chilton; Chris Cochrane's Suck Pretty 2/14 - Juliana Hatfield 2/15 - James "Blood" Ulmer Blues Quartet 2/16 - David Murray Octet Plays "Dark Star" 2/17 - Vernon Reid: My Science Project 2/18 - Geri Allen Solo; Don Byron's Existential Dread 2/19 - Mike Watt; Babe the Blue Ox; Elliot Sharp's Tectonics 2/20 - Hypnosonics (Morphine Side-Project); Mark Ribot; Spanish Fly 2/21 - John Zorn/Yamataka Eye 2/22 - Luna 2/23 - Paul Motian Electric Bebop Band 2/24 - Ben Lee 2/25 - Yo La Tengo 2/26 - John Lurie and the Lounge Lizards 2/27 - Laurie Anderson 2/28 - Philip Glass (8 p.m.); Cecil Taylor (10 p.m.) 3/1 - Girls vs. Boys 3/2 - Ruins; Arto Lindsay & John Zorn; Mainliner 3/5 - Soul Coughing

• Bob Mould

MTV.com LIVE: Bob Mould Photos 07.27.2005

• Bob Mould