Dylan to release first album in years

Bob Dylan will release “Modern Times,” his first new studio album in five years, on Aug. 29.

The singer-songwriter’s 44th album is described by his label, Columbia Records, as the third installment of a latter-day trilogy that began with 1997’s Grammy-winning “Time Out of Mind.”

“Bob is that rare artist whose music defies all trends and resonates throughout all levels of our culture, and he continues to be as contemporary and relevant as any artist in music,” Columbia Records Chairman Steve Barnett said in a statement.

The once-reclusive artist is hosting “Theme Time Radio Hour,” a weekly show on XM Satellite Radio. He has put out the first installment of his autobiography, “Chronicles, Vol. 1,” a bestseller in 2004 and last year was the subject of Martin Scorsese’s documentary of his early career, “No Direction Home.”

*

Randy Lewis