Between tomorrow night’s performance on Saturday Night Live and their multiple Grammy nominations, it’s a big two weeks for Justin Vernon and Bon Iver. Consequently, Vernon and Co. are doing a lot of press, which has led to a lot of choice quotes regarding a number of different things.

First and foremost: Bon Iver will not be performing at the Grammys. In an interview with Billboard, Vernon said the band turned down the opportunity to play after being told they’d have to share the stage with another artist. ”And we just felt like it was such a large stage — we’re getting nominated for this record that we made. Me and Brian [Joseph] and a bunch of our fucking friends and we were given accolades for it, and all of a sudden we were being asked to play music that had nothing to do with that. We kind of said ‘fuck you’ a little bit, and they sort of acted like they wanted us to play, but I don’t think they wanted us to play.” Of course, Vernon’s past comments regarding the Grammys probably didn’t help their case.

So you won’t be seeing Bon Iver play at the Grammys, but you may soon hear a collaboration between Vernon and Alicia Keys. In a separate interview with USA Today, Vernon revealed that he has written songs with the superstar singer. What’s more, Vernon also told USA Today that he’s working on a new album with Volcano Choir “for the Japanese Market,” collaborating with The Shouting Machines, which he describes as a”sort of a blues-gospel band,” and has dreams of doing an American Songbook with female singers like Keys, Bonnie Raitt, and White Hinderland’s Casey Dienel.

As for a new Bon Iver album, Vernon said it’s probably several years away. ”I don’t have songs written yet… I’m guessing three years. But it could be five. It could be only one more. It just depends when the songs come about. I sort of have to wait till they reveal themselves.”

In the meantime, Vernon and co. will showcase two tracks off their sophomore album, ”Beth/Rest” and “Holocene”, on SNL, according to to SPIN.com, We’ll have video of it shortly thereafter.

Below, you can watch a commercial for the Grammys featuring Bon Iver and the song “Holocene”.

Update: In a new video (via RollingStone.com), Young reveals that he has already finished one new Crazy Horse album, titled Americana, which features rearrangements of “songs we all know from kindergarten” with help from a children’s choir. A second album is currently in the works.

The Neil Young and Crazy Horse news just keeps galloping in (sorry, we had to do it). With plans in motion for one (maybe two) new album(s) and a 38-minute tease already kicking fans into a frenzy, word now comes that Young and his long-time backing band have scheduled their first joint live performance since March 2004.

As Rolling Stone reports, the performance will come as part of the GRAMMY Foundation’s MusiCares Person of the Year Gala in honor of Paul McCartney. Taking place February 10th at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the charity event will also feature Coldplay, Foo Fighters, James Taylor, Katy Perry, Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys, Tony Bennett, the cast of The Beatles’ Cirque du Soleil production LOVE, and of course Macca himself. Comedian Eddie Izzard will act as emcee.

Crazy Horse hasn’t joined Young in public since the ’03-’04 Greendale tour, making the eight-year gap the longest of their careers. Whether this will lead to a full-fledged tour is unknown, though a postponed Buffalo Springfield reunion trek was also intended for this year. Keep as many fingers (and toes?) crossed as you can, and we’ll keep you updated.

Set for September 23rd & 24th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the iHeartRadio Music Festival will feature the likes of Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Steven Tyler, The Black Eyed Peas, as well as Kenny Chesney and Carrie Underwood.

Also slated to perform at the Ryan Seacrest-hosted event are Jane’s Addiction, Nicki Minaj, John Mayer, David Guetta, Rascal Flatts, Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson, Sublime with Rome, Usher, and Sting. More acts are set to be announced and the concert will be streamed live across the internet on the station’s official website.

A Facebook presale started yesterday and tickets go on sale to the general public on July 16 at 1:00 p.m. EST. More information is available here.

Alicia Keys celebrates her Grammy award-winning debut next week with the expanded Songs in A minor – 10th Anniversary Edition, but the party is starting early with the previously unreleased, “Typewriter”. As Rap-Up notes, the Kerry Brothers, Jr. (aka Krucial Keys)-produced track was originally recorded during 1997 in Keys’ Harlem apartment. At 16, Keys already demonstrated control of her powerful vocal talents, and the ability to craft a song that is much more than an appreciation for a classic writing utensil. Check out the early Keys’ track on YouTube.

The reissue officially drops June 28th, with pre-orders available at Keys’ online store. The album is also available to stream at AOL/Spinner.

Set for release June 28th via J Records/Legacy Recordings, fans can choose from either the two-disc Deluxe Edition or the three-disc Collector’s Edition. According to a release, each entry features special packaging and an enhanced booklet with new liner notes courtesy of Keys, plus six bonus tracks: “A Woman’s Worth” remix featuring Nas; “Juiciest” (Mix Tape Version), “Fallin” (Ali Soundtrack Version), the previously unreleased “Typewriter”, “If I Was Your Woman” (Original Funky Demo Version) and ”Butterflyz” (The Drumline Mix). The Collector’s Edition will also include a previously unreleased documentary with Keys and other album collaborators reflecting on the making of the acclaimed work. For the first time, the album will also be available as a vinyl. More details on the individual editions forthcoming at Keys’ website.

Keys will commemorate the release with a performance at the BET Awards on June 26th, an intimate concert at New York City’s historic Beacon Theatre on June 30th, and an hour-long special on Keyes and songs in A minor airing on the BET network in late June around the release. The Beacon Theater concert, entitled “Piano & I: A One Night Only Event With Alicia Keys,” will feature Keys accompanied only by her piano. Tickets will be available via digital retailers starting May 6th.

All in all, the Grammys are what they are: a glorified awards show celebrating music’s most powerful figures. In turn, it leads to some pretty star-studded performances — some of which proved particularly brilliant. This year also offers the potential of seeing a Soy Bomb sequel (okay, not really), Eminem smiling, Jay-Z and Beyonce continuing to pretend they’re not married, and Win Butler in a fuckin’ tux.

As for the nominees? Well, at least we don’t have to deal with Bon Jovi this time around. The 2011 nominees are actually a pretty impressive bunch, ranging from music’s biggest pop diva and two of rap’s most elite to those aforementioned Canadians and Vampy Weeks! With the festivities set to launch in a mere 48 hours, we at Consequence of Sound put our collective brains together and came up with our best guesses as to who will take home the eight biggest honors.

Also, be sure to join our Content Director, Jeremy Larson, this Sunday night for Consequence of Sound‘s Grammys Live Blog. He could use some company in his noble quest. Besides, we can never get enough of your witty cynicism.

-Alex Young
CEO/Publisher

Album of the Year

Who Should Win: Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Who Will Win: Lady Gaga – The Fame Monster

What CoS Says: It’s rare that traditionally “alternative” albums pick up the top award. So, as solid The Suburbs may be, it’s going to pick up the Best Alternative Album, instead. But more on that later. As for who’s actually going to take home Album of the Year, it’s easy to picture Lady Gaga. You can’t deny the impression she left on everyone in 2010. She was everywhere. Blame it on the rattling teenagers, blame Ryan Murphy, or blame MTV… or just accept that she was incredibly impacting. The Grammys will. -Michael Roffman

———

Before we begin, let’s attempt to clear up one of the most confusing questions in all of music: the different between Song of the Year and Record of the Year. According to Slate, Song of the Year awards the songwriter for a song released, while Record of the Year rewards a song’s performance and production.

Song of the Year

Who Should Win: Cee-Lo – “Fuck You”
Who Will Win: Cee-Lo – “Fuck You”

What CoS Says: If song of the year is to reward the best songwriting, then no one is more deserving than Cee-Lo Green. Sure, his “Fuck You”/”Forget You” hit is gimmicky, but as our Dana Grossman noted in our year-end list, “the catchiness of the song is undeniable.” It has gone on to be covered and impersonated (by Gwyneth Paltrow, mind you!), and has captured the attention of America in the same way that Cee-Lo’s other gem, “Crazy”, did back in 2006. “Crazy” earned the Grammy for “Best Urban/Alternative Performance”; we’re guessing “Fuck You” will do one better for The Lady Killer. -Alex Young

Record of the Year

Who Should Win: Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys – “Empire State of Mind”
Who Will Win: Eminem ft. Rihanna – “Love the Way You Lie”

What CoS Says: It’s hard to believe but “Empire State of Mind” was Jay-Z’s first-ever #1 song. So for this reason, plus the reality that it was one damn fine tune (NYC, represent!), Sir Hov deserves his 11th Grammy. But everyone says the Grammys love a comeback story, and no nominee fits that mold more than Eminem. From super stardom to rehab to the flop that was Relapse, the Detroit MC managed to answer his critics and personal demons with the release of Recovery. If he doesn’t take home Best Album, it’s hard to imagine the Recording Academy won’t reward him and Rihanna for one of music’s more gripping tracks of 2010. -Alex Young

Best New Artist

Who Should Win: Florence & the Machine
Who Will Win: Justin Bieber

What CoS Says: Florence & The Machine are a true miracle in the modern pop world. Their tunes are so damn catchy, breezing through our ears with a certain air of playfulness and humor, they made indie pop all the more sophisticated. However, as powerful as that quaint machine is, there’s no denying the red dwarf-sized star quality of Justin Bieber. With the fourth best selling album of 2010, a memoir, and a 3D movie out, there’s absolutely no stopping Biebs-zilla. That kind of power is alluring to the good people at the Recording Academy, so expect Mr. Bieber to stomp on stage and nab his Grammy. -Chris Coplan

Best Rock Song

Who Should Win: The Black Keys – “Tighten Up”
Who will Win: Kings of Leon – “Radioactive”

What CoS Says: This was The Black Keys’ year. Brothers not only was one of their best albums in years, but it gained them huge cross-over airplay, SNL appearances, in addition to high festival billing and sold out shows across America. Unfortunately, arena behemoths Kings of Leon (shitty or otherwise) have the hearts of America and all of The Black Keys’ new-found success is kind of old hat for them. “Radioactive” is catchy but a husk of a song, paling in comparison to “Tighten Up”. Hell, the bridge of “Tighten Up” is better than the entirety of Come Around Sundown, but The Boss won this category back to back in 2008 / 2009, so regrettably we feel like the wind is blowing in KoL’s direction for a repeat. -Jeremy Larson

Best Alternative Album

Who Should Win: Vampire Weekend – Contra
Who Will Win: Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

What CoS Says: In an ideal world, Vampy Weeks would take home Alternative Album, while Arcade Fire would add Album of the Year to their extra large Rolodex of accolades. Reality check: We don’t live in an ideal world. As powerful as Contra may be, Arcade Fire aren’t walking away without an award. Bottom line? This award was the Canadian’s the minute they were nominated. -Michael Roffman

Best Rap Album

Who Should Win: The Roots – How I Got Over
Who will Win: Eminem – Recovery

What CoS Says: We here at CoS have made it perfectly clear that The Roots are amazing (like, band of the year amazing). It would be the piece de resistance that was their stellar 2010 if they won this all-important Grammy (or any of the five they’re nominated for.) However, as the MC has made abundantly clear, Eminem is back for good, in the fighting shape of his career, and the world better watch out. As great of a story as it would be for Black Thought and Co. to take the prize, an even better story exists in giving Em his long-desired comeback story. -Chris Coplan

Best Rap Song

Who Should Win: Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys – “Empire State of Mind”
Who will Win: Eminem ft. Rihanna – “Love the Way You Lie”

What CoS Says: It’s the same argument for Record of the Year. If Jay-Z can’t topple Em there, what makes it likely he will here?

The song – which features string arrangements from Gabriel – is a feel-good rap anthem that Jal hopes will attract attention to his We Want Peace campaign. The campaign seeks to raise awareness about a January 9th referendum that will decide whether or not Southern Sudan will remain a part of Sudan in general.

For those of us who have had our eyes and ears occupied by the all of the music news that’s happened this year, Jal’s website explains their take on the situation quite clearly. “Eighty percent of Sudan’s oil fields are in the south, making it a prime battleground to displace indigenous people,” they wrote in a press release, “Both North and South are preparing for war, leaving innocent people at grave risk for major human rights violations.”

The 30-year-old Jal knows a thing or two about those violations. As a child, he fled Sudan for Ethiopia in search of an education but soon found himself in the hands of Sudan’s People’s Liberation Army. He ended up fighting in the army for five years before being adopted by an aid worker who helped him put him through school. His story is undoubtedly inspiring and has garnered support from a slew of artists, actors, and dignitaries. Keys, Clooney, and Gabriel are just a few big names who have gotten behind the cause.

Check out the video – with an intro by Keys herself – and take part in the campaign by becoming a “Peace Soldier” and signing a petition at their official website. The song is available at iTunes and the clip is available for viewing below.

This time, it’s official. As per his Twitter account, Kanye West has completed his new studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and the tracklisting which follows is what will be heard when the album’s receives release on November 22nd. Everything else you need to know about West’s fifth LP can be found here.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
01. Dark Fantasy
02. Gorgeous (feat. Kid Cudi & Raekwon)
03. Power (feat. Dwele)
04. All of the Lights (Interlude)
05. All of the Lights (feat. Alicia Keys, Charlie Wilson, Elly Jackson, Elton John, Fergie, John Legend, Kid Cudi, Rihanna, Ryan Leslie, The-Dream & Tony Williams)
06. Monster (feat. Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj & Bon Iver)
07. So Appalled (feat. Jay-Z, Pusha T, Cyhi Da Prynce, Swizz Beatz & RZA)
08. Devil in a New Dress (feat. Rick Ross)
09. Runaway (feat. Pusha T)
10. Hell of a Life
11. Blame Game (feat. John Legend)
12. Lost In The World
13. Who Will Survive In America
14. See Me Now (Bonus)

Coming in at number two is modern-day-crooner Michael Bublé, while composer Mozart took the number 7 spot. What this honor says about the quality of the music is still unclear. Check out the full list below:

1. Coldplay
2. Michael Bublé
3. Snow Patrol
4. Alicia Keys
5. Jack Johnson
6. Taylor Swift
7. Mozart
8. Barry White
9. Leona Lewis
10. Radiohead

Barry White’s rumble of a voice is understandable, but the dark lullabies of Radiohead may be a stretch. Honestly, who could be comforted by “Paranoid Android”?

The Kanye West publicity train apocalypse continued Tuesday as the Chicago MC sat down with Ellen DeGeneres for his first television interview in more than a year. It wasn’t so much a discussion of his forthcoming album or any of his other current endeavors as it was a personal recounting of the Taylor Swift incident and the subsequent events that followed — you know, moving overseas for nearly a year. The pair also discussed Kanye’s teeth — the same ones that set off an airport metal detector over the weekend.

In much more exciting news, West is also using this week to screen premieres of his Runaway film in three different cities — Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York — before its worldwide premiere this Saturday at 8pm EST on MTV/VH1/BET. Last night was Los Angeles’ turn and like screenings’ past, West hosted a Q&A session shortly following. According to AP, the rapper revealed that the track “All The Lights” will serve as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy‘s next single and will feature a star-studded list of contributing artists. Star-studded as in Elton John star-studded. And Rihanna and Alicia Keys, too. And Fergie. And Elly Jackson of La Roux, Kid Cudi, John Legend, The-Dream, Tony Williams, Charlie Wilson, and Ryan Leslie. So, yeah.

West didn’t say when “All The Lights” might see release, but it’ll probably happen before My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy hits stores on November 22nd via Def Jam.

Update: Kanye shared a 30-second teaser of Runaway on Ellen today. Video follows:

If that 15-year-old freestyle got you feeling nostalgic for the Jay-Z of old, then prepare to buy a more permanent residence on memory lane as HOV readies the release of The Hits Collection Volume 1 (via MTV News).

The greatest hits collection will be released in CD and vinyl. Along with the standard package, there’ll be a Deluxe Edition Package and a Collector’s Edition Box Set. The Deluxe offering will feature an additional disc of five previously unreleased tracks and a 32-page booklet. The box set will feature all that plus a 100-page coffee table book of photo’s through out Jigga’s life. Now that’s a whole lotta HOV.

The Hits Collection Volume 1 hits stores November 23rd via Def Jam. Between this and the Decoded book out November 16th, we know what the Jay-Z fan in your house is getting for Christmas…

The Hits Collection Volume 1 Tracklist:
Disc: 1
1. Public Service Announcement (Interlude)
2. Run This Town (Feat. Rihanna & Kanye West)
3. ‘03 Bonnie & Clyde (Feat. Beyoncé)
4. Encore
5. I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)
6. Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
7. D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)
8. 99 Problems
9. Empire State Of Mind (Feat. Alicia Keys)
10. Dirt Off Your Shoulder
11. Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
12. Show Me What You Got
13. Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)…
14. Big Pimpin’

Disc: 2
1. Young Gifted and Black
2. Pump It Up (Freestyle)
3. My President Is Black (Remix)
4. Go Hard Remix (Jay-Z, Kanye West & T-Pain)
5. Most Kings (Feat. Green Lantern)

In addition to all this stuff, West used last night’s London premiere of Runaway to drop a few details about who will be appearing on his forthcoming album My Dark Beautiful Twisted Fantasy, due November 22nd via Def Jam. According to Gigwise and DJ Semtex, among the names he listed were Alicia Keys (who appears on “Lost in The World”), Jay-Z, Kid Cudi, John Legend, M.I.A., La Roux, and Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, who will reportedly appear on nine different tracks.

And if that’s not enough, Oh So Spacely just posted what may be the album’s artwork, which you can view to your top right.

Update: The BBC reports West plans to embark on a world tour next February, which will include festival appearances and the aforementioned appearance outside the Egyptian pyramids.

That’s it for now, but I’m sure we’ll have more West news in 29 minutes, so stay tuned.

Throughout the five boroughs, New York has been both a home and source of inspiration for many musicians over the years. There are few (if any) cities that have been written about as much as New York has. But which songs belong at the top? Which numbers show the style and the swagger? The class and the crass? Which can move between the skyscrapers and the subway?

You’re probably wondering: Why celebrate New York now? Shouldn’t you have posted this after the Yankees won last year? Yes, the opportunity seems a bit late, but not really if you think about it. New York thrives on “keeping it real” and trademarks itself on setting the precedent for everything. So, to answer your question, there is never a better time to write about New York City. Simply because, New York City always “is.”

Well, let’s be honest. With the Northside Festival next weekend, we’re pretty stoked about being around Brooklyn lately. Not only do we get to have our own lil’ soiree, but we get to enjoy the likes of Titus Andronicus, Wavves, Fucked Up, Liars, High Places, and a slew of other pretty hot acts. We might just have to dig out our “I Love New York” shirts for the weekend.

Just kidding. Anyways, here are your top 10 songs about the world’s cultural mecca.

10. Jay-Z and Alicia Keys – “Empire State of Mind”

While Jay-Z been a superstar for quite some time now, he took it to a new level with this ode to the city he was raised in. With a soulful piano provided by Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind” brilliantly has Jay-Z’s verses reflecting his rise to the top along with the different areas of New York he spends his time in. From the streets of Brooklyn to the celeb neighborhood of TriBeCa, Jay-Z essentially wrote a sequel to Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York”, showing how he made it where he is, and even having the New York attitude to suggest that he makes “the Yankee cap more famous than a Yankee can.” Keys belts out a more traditional chorus about how inspirational the streets of New York can be. Since it’s less than a year old, “Empire State of Mind” still has to withstand the test of time, but it doesn’t look like it’s going away any time soon.

9. Bob Dylan – “Talkin’ New York”

One of the two original compositions from Bob Dylan’s first album, “Talkin’ New York” is standard Dylan fare with a fairly frantic acoustic strumming and harmonica interludes. But the lyrics are spit out rapidly with Dylan only taking a break before the last line of each verse. The story of his arrival in New York takes in everything, from the city’s size to his search for a job. However, it’s the second to last verse that shows the development of Dylan’s wit, when he says “A lot of people don’t have much food on their table/But they got a lot of forks ’n’ knives/And they gotta cut somethin’.” From a stranger’s perspective, New York can appear both exhilarating and terrifying. Dylan manages to show both of these sides in just the course of three minutes.

8. Billy Joel – “New York State of Mind”

Probably one of the most famous songs about New York, Billy Joel’s ode to the city is based on his return to the East Coast after spending the last three years in L.A. The slow, jazzy piano evokes images of a smoky lounge in Greenwich Village. Joel’s delivery and lyrics all paint the city as a lost love that he’s finally returning to. While he could be partying on the West Coast, he needs “A little give and take/The New York Times, The Daily News.” The sense of normalcy that comes from the bustling streets of Manhattan offers a unique experience that Joel can’t do without. While he may travel the world, it looks like he’ll always make his way back to New York.

7. The Ramones – “53rd and 3rd”

While many of the above songs have hinted at the dark underbelly of New York, The Ramones “53rd and 3rd” really came across as gritty in every way. From the angry guitars to the shouting delivery to the lyrics, this song isn’t from the band’s point of view. Instead, it’s the story of a Green Beret who served in Vietnam who falls to prostitution as he tries to pick up customers from the street corner mentioned in the title. When Joey Ramones sings, “Don’t it make you feel sick?” he almost vomits the words out, adding to the character’s disgust at how far he’s fallen. The entire song shows that not everyone is cut out for New York and many wind up falling into an underworld of crime in an attempt to make ends meet.

6. Beastie Boys – “No Sleep till Brooklyn”

The most fun song here is by none other than New York natives, the Beastie Boys. Different than most other tracks on this list, the lyrics contain hardly any references to the city. Instead, it’s all about the band’s life away from home. The touring, the hotels, the partying. All of these lines on what a great time they’re having traveling around the world are the complete opposite of the “No! Sleep! Till Brooklyn!” chorus, which is a call to go home. Maybe they’re saying they love playing live in their hometown the best. Maybe they want a break from their all their adventures to spend time at home. Who knows? But the fact that the line has become part of everyday vocabulary (no sleep till insert location here), coupled together with that kickass riff, cements its place in the top New York songs.

5. Interpol – “NYC”

Interpol’s tribute to New York is a decidedly sad affair in which the protagonist only finds hope from the city itself. Despite the fact that the feeling doesn’t appear mutual (“The subway is a porno/The pavements they are a mess/I know you’ve supported me for a long time/Somehow I’m not impressed”), the city is still there for him, day in and day out. The sluggish guitar riff gives a feeling of wandering aimlessly through the city streets at night. At the end of the song, the realization comes that New York’s done its part to support those who live there. Now it’s the inhabitant’s turn to make something of it (“It is up to me now, turn on the bright lights”).

4. John Lennon – “New York City”

If there’s any song that showed the juxtaposition of the five boroughs, it’s “New York City” by John Lennon. From David Peel smoking some pot to the policeman trying to do his job to the crazed preacher, the scene is familiar to anyone who lives in New York. Seeing homeless people asking for change across the street from Lincoln Center is part of everyday reality for New Yorkers. As we’re so focused on our own packed schedules, we have trouble noticing the people around us. Lennon mentions this as well, singing “Tried to shake our image/Just a cycling through the village/But found that we had left it back in London/Well nobody came to bug us/Hustle us or shove us/So we decided to make it our home.” For those of you wondering why New York is a hot spot for celebs, this is one of the biggest reasons.

3. The Velvet Underground – “I’m Waiting For The Man”

If “53rd and 3rd” came across as a gritty look at New York’s dark underbelly, “I’m Waiting For The Man” grabs you by the throat and shoves you face-first into that grimy environment. With the instruments sounding a little dirty, the music evokes images of a heroin addict struggling to make it up Lexington Avenue to meet his dealer for his next fix. The song also goes into race relations within Harlem during the 1970s. While the user has to wait for the man, he does get his fix (“He’s got the works, gives you sweet taste/then you gotta split because you got no time to waste) and will go on until he needs his next one. Though this track has a similar theme as The Ramones’ New York song, it takes to a far deeper level of dependence by throwing drug usage into the mix. It displays some of the worst the city has to offer, highlighting the crime and none of the class.

2. U2 – “The Hands That Built America”

While U2 wrote this song for Martin Scorcese’s Gangs of New York, “The Hands That Built America” goes far beyond that time period. Each of the song’s verses represent a different era in New York’s history. The first verse has the strongest connection to the film as Bono sings about the emigration of millions of Irish to America due to the Potato Famine and the change that awaits them there. The second verse relates love to the American Dream and that hard work can lead to prosperity. The final verse brings the song to the near-present, talking about 9/11 and “Innocence dragged across a yellow line.” While it’s not the most popular U2 song about New York, it is the most powerful, dealing with some of the best and worst time periods in the city’s history.

1. Frank Sinatra – “Theme From New York, New York”

Yeah, it’s a cheesy and obvious pick. But Frank Sinatra’s version (it was originally written for Liza Minnelli) of this song is the quintessential New York track. From the opening line of “Start spreadin’ the news, I’m leaving today/I want to be a part of it: New York, New York,” you’re instantly transported to midtown Manhattan. It’s heard everywhere in the city, including after every game at Yankee Stadium, or after the ball drops in Times Square on New Year’s, or during Columbia & NYU’s commencement ceremonies. Yet there’s a good reason for this. The song perfectly illustrates New York’s classy and ballsy attitude. New Yorkers know that since they made it there, they can make it anywhere. But they’d rather stay right where they are, just like how Sinatra wants to “wake up in a city that never sleeps.” Showing all of its good sides, “Theme From New York, New York” is the best song about the city. Bar none.

As you can see in the video below (via Awl), the LCD’s cover isn’t much than a verse, but still proves to be a fascinating moment of both hilarity and cynicism, which of course is everything LCD Soundsystem is about. After all, who else could mock something one moment and celebrate it the next, all without losing a sense of energy, excitement, or emotion?

Alicia Keys:

What: Dates for Miami, FL; Santa Barbara, CA; Las Vegas, NV

When: March – April

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Ben Folds:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: March – April

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Band of Horses:

What: Tour date for Orlando, FL

When: April 29th

Tixs: $23.25

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Josh Ritter:

What: Tour date for Chicago, IL

When: May 15th

Tixs: $24.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM CST

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band:

What: Date for Canandaigua, NY

When: July 21st

Tixs: $20.00 – $99.50

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Titus Andronicus:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: March – April

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

And don’t forget about these tickets, which recently went on sale…

Arctic Monkeys:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: April

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com

Jónsi (of Sigur Ros):

What: Dates for North American tour

When: April – May

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com

Mastodon, Between the Buried & Me, & Baroness:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: April – May

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com

The National:

What: Dates for Boston & Philadelphia

When: June

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com

The Tallest Man on Earth:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: May

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com

Alicia Keys:

What: Dates for Atlantic City, NJ; Washington, DC; Tampa; and Atlanta

When: March – April

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Allman Brothers Band:

What: Dates for New York residency at United Palace Theatre

When: March 20-27

Tixs: $60.99 – $150.99

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 12:00 PM EST

Broken Social Scene:

What: Dates for New York & San Francisco

When: May

Tixs: $30.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 12:00 PM EST

Daughtry:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: April – June

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

The Dead Weather:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: April – May

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Drive-By Truckers:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: April – May

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Eagles:

What: Dates for Phoenix; Anaheim, CA; Sacramento, CA; San Jose, CA; and Vancouver

When: April

Tixs: $52.00 – $200.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Ingrid Michaelson & Mat Kearney:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: March – April

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

My Morning Jacket & Preservation Hall Jazz Band:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: April – May

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Paramore:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: April – May

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band:

What: Dates for North American tour

When: June – August

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

During Sunday’s Golden Globes, actor George Clooney confirmed that U2′s Bono, Sting, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, and Alicia Keys are among the stars to set to perform at the upcoming “Hope for Haiti” telethon.

The event, which will be hosted by Clooney, musician Wyclef Jean, and CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who will also be reporting from Haiti, will be shown on more than a dozen broadcast and cable networks on Friday, January 22nd from 7 to 9 p.m. The proceeds raised will benefit several charities, including the Red Cross, UNICEF, Oxfam America, Partners in Health and Jean’s Yele Haiti Foundation.

Songs from the participating artists will also be available on iTunes, with proceeds going to the relief effort. In total, some 40 celebrities are expected to appear during the telethon.

So tune in and give what you can, folks.

Anyhow, we have spent the last few days emailing and calling anyone who may know anything, and thought we’d share the results with you ahead of the big announcement. Here’s what we know:

As mentioned, the lineup will be officially announced Tuesday morning on KROQ radio in Los Angeles. Based on past experience, we can assume the lineup will be unveiled, via Coachella.com or the Los Angeles Times, sometime around 12:00am PST. So, expect no sleep.

As best we can tell, the lineup should look something like this: Muse will headline Friday, while the Gorillaz will debut its latest album, Plastic Beach, by closing out the festival on Sunday. Saturday remains a bit unclear and, according to several folks with knowledge of the festival, could play out in one of two ways: A “surprise” headliner or Jay-Z, who would apparently be accompanied by Kanye West and Alicia Keys. At this moment, it is unknown who that “surprise” headliner may be or what factor will determine the two options.

Others names we expect to appear on the lineup include the Beastie Boys, Faith No More, Wilco, LCD Soundsystem, Phoenix, Spoon, Yeasayer, Hot Chip, Devo, The Dead Weather, Passion Pit, She & Him, The Big Pink, and The xx.

An appearance by Pavement, which at one point appeared to be a given before rumors surfaced the band would not be playing, still remains a possibility. According to a person familiar with the band’s plans, “don’t count them out.”

A separate source has told us that Radiohead’s Thom Yorke is set to appear at Indio for a solo performance, however, we have been unable to confirm this.

We’ll of course continue working throughout the weekend and will let you know as soon as we hear more. Be sure to check out our Coachella Outlook page for all the latest lineup news and rumors.

Find all upcoming dates below; tickets via Ticketmaster.com. An issued press release also confirms a European leg is also being planned and will begin in late April.

Alicia Keys 2010 Tour Dates:
02/28 – Montreal, Quebec @ Bell Centre
03/01 – Kanata, Ontario @ Scotiabank Place
03/03 – Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
03/05 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theater
03/06 – Detroit, MI @ Fox Theater
03/08 – London, ON @ John Labatt Centre
03/10 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
03/11 – Quebec City, OC @ Colisee Pepsi
03/13 – Mashantucket, CT @ Foxwoods Casino
03/17 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
03/19 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
03/20 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Mark Estess Arena
03/22 – Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena
03/24 – Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
03/25 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
03/27 – Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena
03/28 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
03/30 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
04/02 – Grand Prairie, TX @ Nokia Theater
04/03 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Centre
04/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
04/07 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
04/09 – Las Vegas, NV @ Mandalay Bay

Alicia Keys:

What: Tour dates for North America

When: February – April

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

“Experience Hendrix”:

What: North American tribute tour featuring Joe Satriani, Jonny Lang, Eric Johnson, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, and more

When: March

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Julian Casablancas:

What: Tour dates for Boston, MA and Philadelphia, PA

When: January

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com and Livenation.com 12:00 PM EST

Killswitch Engage:

What: Tour dates for North America

When: February – March

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM CST

Mariah Carey:

What: Tour dates for North America

When: January – February

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Muse:

What: Tour dates for North America

When: March

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at at 10:00 AM EST

STS9:

What: Tour date for Las Vegas, NV

When: February 26, 2010

Tixs: $18.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM PST

Umphrey’s McGee:

What: Tour dates for North America

When: January – February

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

The Used (w/ Atreyu):

What: Tour date for North America

When: January – February

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

The tour kicks off February 28th in Montreal. There’s a total of nine other shows across parts of Canada, the east coast and California, with the last day scheduled for April 6th in Los Angeles. If the singer-songwriter doesn’t make her way to your city, fear not as their will be plenty of more dates announced shortly.

Keys’ latest album has already spawned three singles, including the recent “Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart”. The album also includes a duet with Beyonce entitled “Put It In A Love Song”. Earlier this month, on World AIDS Day, Keys performed a live concert that streamed to her YouTube channel. You can watch that performance here. Keys is also the spokeswoman and co-founder of Keep A Child Alive, a non-profit group that offers health care and various services for people and families suffering from HIV/AIDS in Africa and India.

The tour dates are below. And we’d be totally bummed if you didn’t watch the best remix ever below.  Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster.com.

Alicia Keys 2010 Tour Dates:
02/28 – Montreal, Quebec @ Bell Centre
03/01 – Kanata, Ontario @ Scotiabank Place
03/03 – Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena
03/08 – London, Ontario @ John Labatt Centre
03/10 – Toronto, Ontario @ Air Canada Centre
03/11 – Quebec City, Quebec @ Colisee Pepsi
03/17 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
03/19 – Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
03/22 – Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena
04/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center

Now that she’s no longer an ingénue and is now an established artist, what should we expect from Keys? The Element of Freedom suggest she’s not going to push boundaries as much as hone her skills and bring in a little of everything we’ve heard over the course of her career. While no single track is particularly daring, the album has a more diverse point of view than anything she’s previously done.

If you’ve heard “Doesn’t Mean Anything”, the album’s lead single, you’re probably not terribly impressed, and you shouldn’t be because it’s a by-the-numbers pop/R&B tune, especially for Keys. The first notable song on the album is “Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart”, which is driven by a drum loop that sounds like the delayed rhythm of a train track. Keys keeps only raises her voice above a whisper when she unconvincingly sings, “I’m gonna find a way to make it without you / I’m gonna hold on to the times that we had, tonight”. The softness in her voice suggests she’s about to break down but refuses to in front of her ex. You’ll hardly find anything groundbreaking in the arrangement, especially when you notice Keys’ trademark piano work is absent, but a new level of maturity is evident in her delivery that proves she’s still pushing herself.

Admittedly, this reviewer has often found Beyoncé Knowles’ collaborations forced, so the prospect of she and Keys working together left me wary, at best. Turns out they make a fantastic pair. Each artist retains her style and together they make “Put It In a Love Song” an irresistible dance track that combines Knowles’ penchant for addictive beats with Keys’ knack for injecting a little soul into anything she does. The two deliver an ultimatum that dares their man to put his love in a love song or in a text message. It’s not a cliché battle of egos to see who can out-sing each other. In fact, their vocals are surprisingly restrained and Keys’ piano is used sparingly but effectively, especially for a dance track. If the song is released as a single by spring, expect to hear it in every club for the duration of summer.

Not everything on the album is gold. “This Bed” relies too heavily on a melody reminiscent of Fergie’s “Glamorous”, though it’s still a solid tune. “Distance and Time” has quite a bit of heart, but the arrangement is based on such a bland drum loop, you wish she’d just stripped the whole thing down to just her voice and piano.

Some tracks that do fare better are the ones that let her air her grievances. For whatever reason, Keys never sounds bitter or even pathetic when pining after a lover. Perhaps because she ‘s willing to share some of the blame when things fall apart, as she does on “Love Is My Disease”, brings a little tribal rhythm into the mix and her own vocals act as a backing choir. “I try to act mature but I’m a baby when you leave / How can I ever get used to being without you?” is a simple statement but conveys enough maturity to make the track more than a broken-heart song and has a powerful drum breakdown when the line is spoken.

Then you get to the closer, “Empire State of Mind (Part II) Broken Down”, a simple but powerful reworking of a track she originally collaborated with Jay-Z on for his album The Blueprint 3. Jay-Z is a no-show on the track, but Keys doesn’t need any help. The echo that accompanies every bellow of “New York” sounds like Keys is in the middle of a cavernous, skyscraper-lined street. When the full band suddenly sounds off for a stanza near the end of the song, it feels like the album should just be starting. A new energy is injected into the song and Keys’ homage to the namesake city is realized. Then it’s over and the album feels like it went by too quickly.

Although The Element of Freedom doesn’t have the wow factor of her debut or the boundary pushing that the previous releases did, it is still a step in the right direction for Keys. When she does stretch herself, the results are exciting. When she plays it safe musically, she at least raises the bar for herself as a songwriter and vocalist. Even if the next album isn’t groundbreaking, Keys gives us good reason to think it will be another move toward maturity-and will include at least a few killer singles.

Buy:
The Element of Freedom

According to Billboard.com, Beyonce told the crowd at the Trent FM Arena in Nottingham (her last stop on the “I Am…” tour) that, “This is my last show for this tour in the UK, so hopefully, I’ll see you all in a year with a new album”. While details are almost non-existent at this point, producer Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins confirmed via Twitter that the man behind everyone from the Pussycat Dolls to Whitney Houston would be working with the Queen B.

Not enough to tide you over? How’s this? Alicia Keys confirmed to Billboard that the duet between herself and Beyonce, the aptly titled “Put It In A Love Song”, would be featured on Keys’ new album The Element Of Freedom, out December 15th. A nice tease of sorts.

More details to come. Here’s hoping those include a Grizzly Bear guest appearance…

According to MTV, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys have decided to record a part two to The Blueprint 3‘s incredibly wonderful “Empire State of Mind”. Keys will include “Empire State of Mind Part 2″, which will include a new verse from Hova, on her forthcoming studio album, The Element of Freedom, which is set for release on December 15th via J Records.

But while we’re gearing up for the new, let’s not forget that the original “Empire State of Mind” is still very much alive and kicking. In the last week alone, the song got its very own music video and was performed at Yankees Stadium (before the Yankees bought won another World Series). Remember below.

Yes, this is indeed what will be happening when the legendary comedian drops Bill Cosby Presents the Cosnarati: State of Emergency, a 14-track effort designed to bring awareness and social consciousness to troubling issues in hip-hop culture.

But don’t worry, the 72-year-old Cosby won’t actually be dishing out the rhymes. Instead, he served as a producer and co-writer, leaving the rapping to the aforementioned list of high-profile guests. What’s more, longtime musical colleague William “Spaceman” Patterson and Patterson’s partner, Ced-Gee, co-founder of the hip-hop group Ultramagnetic MCs, also served as collaborators.

“I don’t like referring to the music as clean,” Cosby said of the album in an interview with The Boom Box. “What I like is what you’re not going to do. You’re not going to curse. You’re not going to put women down. You’re not going to put the glory of the gun somewhere. And you’re not going to put a whole lot of violence up front like that’s the thing that will cleanse you and make you feel better.”

State of Emergency will be released digitally on October 20th and physically on November 24th (via Avery Ennis LLC). However, right this very second, you can stream the album in its entirety at billcosby.com. As for a live performance? Well, on October 19th, Cosby’s Cosnarati Band will perform songs from the album during a virtual town hall meeting in New York.

According to Fox News, Stevie Wonder, Barbra Streisand, and Bruce Springsteen are among the musicians who have been invited to perform on inauguration day, while The Dead, the Jonas Brothers, and Miley Cyrus are head the acts rumored to be playing at any one of the official balls and events leading up to it.

If Springsteen does make an inauguration day appearance, it could be just one of many shows he will perform in Washington over the course of the week. In fact, according to The Washington Post, the Boss is already confirmed to perform a free show on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on January 18th.

Of course, like any good music extravaganza, one doesn’t have to be part of the official festivities to get in on the fun. For one, Elvis Costello and Sting are already confirmed to be playing the “unofficial” Creative Coalition inauguration ball, while Ted Leo and Andrew Bird lead the indie charged bill holding down the The Big Shoulders Ball at the Black Cat on January 19th.

Still not enough for you? Have we mentioned Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, George Clinton, The Temptations, Sam Moore, and Dionne Warwick are just some of the others expected to make an appearance at some point during the week? And even then, we’re still probably only scratching the surface…

If anything, Barack Obama’s inaguration will be bringing the music to the nation’s capital for at least one week. So if you weren’t lucky enough to score a ticket to the actual ceremony, sip the bubbly and take in one of these shows!