Breaking news this morning: Dan Auerbach has been abducted by aliens to compete in intergalactic demolition derbies.

Prior, we have to assume, to Auerbach's abduction, the prolific producer and Black Keys guitarist and singer completed his newest solo album, Waiting On A Song. You can listen to "Shine On Me," the bright and sweet first single from the new album — his last solo effort, Keep It Hid, was released in 2009 — and see the lighthearted abduction recreated in an animated dramatization.

While you watch Auerbach compete and win, to the cheers of three-eyed aliens, you may hear something quite familiar in those guitars — Mark "Dire Straits" Knopfler.

Auerbach wrote to tell us that while he was mixing "Shine on Me" he "could hear Mark Knopfler in my mind. I'd never met him before, but I decided to call him anyway to see if he would add a guitar part to it. I gave him no instructions — just told him to do whatever he felt. He sent it back two days later with that rhythm guitar part on it and it was perfect! And that guitar sound couldn't be mistaken for anyone else. I'm so grateful for his contribution."

Waiting On A Song is out June 2 on Auerbach's new label, Easy Eye Sound, which shares a name with his Nashville recording studio. The full track list is below.

"Waiting On A Song"
"Malibu Man"
"Livin' In Sin"
"Shine On Me"
"King Of A One Horse Town"
"Never In My Wildest Dreams"
"Cherrybomb"
"Stand By My Girl"
"Undertow"
"Show Me"

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