Former Cars frontman Ric Ocasek, best known lately for producing albums for bands like Weezer and Guided by Voices, is planning to resume his own recording career before the end of the year.

On his most recent solo album, 1997's Troublizing, Ocasek used a backing band that included ex-Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan and former Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur. Corgan also produced several tracks, resulting in a sound that resembled the Cars' power-pop on steroids.

But for Ocasek's next solo album, which he hopes to begin recording this fall, the new-wave icon plans to go it alone.

"I might just do it all in the basement — no guest stars," Ocasek said last week. "I have a kind of vision of how it should be." The album will likely be released no sooner than next spring, Ocasek said. In contrast to Troublizing, Ocasek expects the new album to be more pop than rock.

"I would like it to be songs you sing when you're walking down the street," he said. "I would like it to be pretty melodic and pretty catchy." Ocasek was a familiar sight on MTV in the '80s, thanks to such quirky Cars videos as "You Might Think," in which his head was mounted on the body of a fly.

Ocasek produced both Weezer's 1994 debut album — Weezer, a.k.a. The Blue Album — and their just-released third album — Weezer, a.k.a. The Green Album — which spawned the current hit "Hash Pipe" (see "Weezer Drought Turns Into A Flood"). The newest disc will debut at #4 on next week's Billboard 200 albums chart (see "Tool Rule Next Week's Charts").