Along with releasing some six albums since 2001, Regina Spektor has also contributed to other people’s LPs and compilations over the years. From recording music for a Christmas album (isn’t that sacrilegious of her?) to rocking out for Tibet, Spektor makes other efforts shine with her kitschy magic. Now, though, comes one compilation that combines the piano-playing angel with one of HBO’s finest shows as Spektor records a song for the upcoming soundtrack to Boardwalk Empire.

Spektor takes on Fanny Brice’s “My Man” (Brice was later the subject for the Broadway play/film Funny Girl), which dates back to 1921. It’s a dazzling rendition, and not an ill fit for a show that would seemingly be more accurate by having the original on its soundtrack instead. Check out the number at EW.com.

In addition to Spektor’s contribution, other guests include Vince Giordano And The Nighthawks, Martha Wainwright, her father Loudon Wainwright III, and many more (peep the entire tracklist below).

Boardwalk Empire Volume 1 – Music From the HBO Original Series hits stores September 16th.

Boardwalk Empire Volume 1 – Music From the HBO Original Series Tracklist
01. Vince Giordano And The Nighthawks – Livery Stable Blues
02. Stephen DeRosa – The Dumber They Come The Better I Like Them
03. Regina Spektor – My Man
04. Vince Giordano And The Nighthawks – Dark Town Strutters Ball
05. Catherine Russell – Crazy Blues
06. Vince Giordano And The Nighthawks – Mournin’ Blues
07. Kathy Brier – Some Of These Days
08. Vince Giordano And The Nighthawks – Margie
09. Loudon Wainwright III – Carrickfergus
10. Nellie McKay – Wild Romantic Blues
11. Kathy Brier – After You Get What You Want (You Don’t Want It)
12. Leon Redbone – Sheik of Araby
13. Vince Giordano And The Nighthawks – Japanese Sandman
14. Kathy Brier- Don’t Put a Tax On the Beautiful Girls
15. Martha Wainwright – All By Myself
16. Stephen DeRosa – Life Is A Funny Proposition

Opening for Mr. Wainwright would be no easy feat for any musician, which may explain why Wainwright chose his little sister Martha for the job. Martha is best known as a folk singer, and I wondered how her music would jive with the audience, who came in want of high pageantry. But if you’ve grown up with someone, of course, it would be hard to be intimidated by him. Martha filled her role capably, comfortably, and dare I say, wonderfully. Her gorgeous, buttery alto poured from her throat, the folk-flavored female compliment to Rufus’ tenor. Like her brother, Martha slides effortlessly up and down the scales, one moment shouting, now quiet; one moment throaty but up to falsetto in an instant. She sings a fearless, bottomless brand of folk comparable to her brother’s music only in its limitlessness. One wishes to be a fly on the wall in their childhood home.

The crowd clearly adored Martha, whooping almost involuntarily throughout her set. Crowd favorites included opener “Bleeding All Over You”, which showcases Martha’s beautiful capability for heartbreak; “This Life”, during which Martha often closed her eyes and looked to the ceiling as if to invoke the gods of music, to a quite moving effect; and “Soudain Une Vallee”, for which her husband joined her on piano, from her recent record of Edith Piaf songs, Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, A Paris. Martha’s Piaf is throaty, raw, nuanced—in a word, lovely. The crowd was so taken with this latter piece—and with an a cappella last song performed at the edge of the stage, hands wrung—that her Piaf record sold out at the show during intermission. Martha took the great, cavernous theater and made it feel like a small coffeehouse joint, like you were sitting five feet away, like she was the coolest girl you knew from college. Never have I had such a strong desire to sit over whiskeys with a musician.

After a brief intermission, the crowd was reminded of the particulars of Rufus’ set: He would play Lulu start to finish, and there was to be no clapping or interruptions of any kind during this song cycle portion of the program. The lights dimmed, and Rufus appeared stage left in his now-famous costume: the feathers, the jewels, the 15-foot train, all in black. He walked somberly, slowly to the piano and took his seat under a single spotlight. He paused, and then launched into the meandering, river-like piano intro of “Who Are You New York”. The somber black-and-white setting, lit from behind by Douglas Gordon’s art film of a heavily made-up eye opening and closing, threw both the high and low emotional points of the record into sharp relief.

A particular highlight of the set was Rufus’ stark love song to his sister, “Martha”, dealing with their beloved mother’s recent fatal illness. The somber setting and the bareness of his voice all alone on the wide-open stage made the song heartbreakingly plaintive; I cannot have been the only audience member moved to tears. Though the crowd forgot their instructions and clapped at the beginning of the set (possibly an after-effect of their boundless enthusiasm for Martha), Rufus took only a silent sip of water and kept playing; by the third song, the silence between pieces was an actual absence of sound. At one point, car horns could be heard outside the theater. The piano parts on the record are quite challenging at times, and Rufus leaned into the difficult ones, giving the audience a real sense of his effort. The Shakespearean sonnets took on a new drama in that setting, as did “What Would I Ever Do With A Rose”, with its slightly insidious piano part. I never before noticed the darkness of that piece until I heard it live under the spotlight. “Zebulon”, the closer of this set, was given new depth as well; one was struck by the degree to which Rufus laid his soul bare on that stage. This was high drama, living opera– performance art at its finest– and conceiving of and performing it surely took some moxie. Bravo, Mr. Wainwright, bravo.

After another brief intermission (cue the audience to say “mesmerizing”), Rufus took the stage again, this time dressed as himself, to a standing ovation. He played a mix of popular songs from his previous records, with Martha joining him on stage for a few. Highlights of this set (copious applause permitted) included “This Love Affair”, “Memphis Skyline”, and particular crowd favorite “The Art Teacher”, all from Want Two; and “Nuits de Miami” and “Complainte de la Butte”, both sung with Martha and in French (“since we’re in the Paris-Berlin-Moscow of the Midwest!” Rufus proclaimed to adoring Chicagoans). And yes—finally, for this long-time fan– he played a heartrending version of “Hallelujah”.

The crowd brought him back out for an encore, which ended with his late mother’s song for his father, a beautiful rendition of her “Walking Song”. The show lasted three hours, but we could have stayed all night. A mix of operatic drama and coffeehouse warmth, costume and charisma, light and dark, soft and loud, male and female, stark sadness and bright optimism: The Wainwrights surely know how to put on a show for the ages.

Photography by Meghan Brosnan.

Martha Wainwright setlist:
Bleeding All Over You
Comin’ Tonight
Four Black Sheep
This Life
Soudain Une Vallee (Edith Piaf cover)
(unknown)
Baby
(unknown song in French)

Rufus Wainwright first setlist (song cycle):
Who Are You New York
Sad With What I Have
Martha
Give Me What I Want and Give It to Me Now!
True Loves
Sonnet 43
Sonnet 20
Sonnet 10
The Dream
What Would I Ever Do with a Rose?
Les feux d’artifice t’appellent
Zebulon

Rufus Wainwright second setlist:
Beauty Mark
Grey Gardens
This Love Affair
Matinee Idol
Memphis Skyline
Art Teacher
Nuits de Miami (with Martha)
Complainte de la Butte (with Martha)
Hallelujah (with Martha)
Little Sister
Dinner at Eight
Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk

Encore:
Poses (with Martha)
Going to a Town
Walking Song (Kate McGarrigle cover)
——

Gallery by Meghan Brosnan

[nggallery id=99]

]]> All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu takes magical to a whole new level. “Mesmerizing” is the word most often bandied about by the crowd after the first half of his set—but wait! We’re getting ahead of ourselves, and no part of the show, which took place this past Friday at Chicago’s Bank of America Theater, could conscionably be skipped over. Opening for Mr. Wainwright would be no easy feat for any musician, which may explain why Wainwright chose his little sister Martha for the job. Martha is best known as a folk singer, and I wondered how her music would jive with the audience, who came in want of high pageantry. But if you’ve grown up with someone, of course, it would be hard to be intimidated by him. Martha filled her role capably, comfortably, and dare I say, wonderfully. Her gorgeous, buttery alto poured from her throat, the folk-flavored female compliment to Rufus’ tenor. Like her brother, Martha slides effortlessly up and down the scales, one moment shouting, now quiet; one moment throaty but up to falsetto in an instant. She sings a fearless, bottomless brand of folk comparable to her brother’s music only in its limitlessness. One wishes to be a fly on the wall in their childhood home. The crowd clearly adored Martha, whooping almost involuntarily throughout her set. Crowd favorites included opener “Bleeding All Over You”, which showcases Martha’s beautiful capability for heartbreak; “This Life”, during which Martha often closed her eyes and looked to the ceiling as if to invoke the gods of music, to a quite moving effect; and “Soudain Une Vallee”, for which her husband joined her on piano, from her recent record of Edith Piaf songs, Sans Fusils, Ni Souliers, A Paris. Martha’s Piaf is throaty, raw, nuanced—in a word, lovely. The crowd was so taken with this latter piece—and with an a cappella last song performed at the edge of the stage, hands wrung—that her Piaf record sold out at the show during intermission. Martha took the great, cavernous theater and made it feel like a small coffeehouse joint, like you were sitting five feet away, like she was the coolest girl you knew from college. Never have I had such a strong desire to sit over whiskeys with a musician. After a brief intermission, the crowd was reminded of the particulars of Rufus’ set: He would play Lulu start to finish, and there was to be no clapping or interruptions of any kind during this song cycle portion of the program. The lights dimmed, and Rufus appeared stage left in his now-famous costume: the feathers, the jewels, the 15-foot train, all in black. He walked somberly, slowly to the piano and took his seat under a single spotlight. He paused, and then launched into the meandering, river-like piano intro of “Who Are You New York”. The somber black-and-white setting, lit from behind by Douglas Gordon’s art film of a heavily made-up eye opening and closing, threw both the high and low emotional points of the record into sharp relief. A particular highlight of the set was Rufus’ stark love song to his sister, “Martha”, dealing with their beloved mother’s recent fatal illness. The somber setting and the bareness of his voice all alone on the wide-open stage made the song heartbreakingly plaintive; I cannot have been the only audience member moved to tears. Though the crowd forgot their instructions and clapped at the beginning of the set (possibly an after-effect of their boundless enthusiasm for Martha), Rufus took only a silent sip of water and kept playing; by the third song, the silence between pieces was an actual absence of sound. At one point, car horns could be heard outside the theater. The piano parts on the record are quite challenging at times, and Rufus leaned into the difficult ones, giving the audience a real sense of his effort. The Shakespearean sonnets took on a new drama in that setting, as did “What Would I Ever Do With A Rose”, with its slightly insidious piano part. I never before noticed the darkness of that piece until I heard it live under the spotlight. “Zebulon”, the closer of this set, was given new depth as well; one was struck by the degree to which Rufus laid his soul bare on that stage. This was high drama, living opera-- performance art at its finest-- and conceiving of and performing it surely took some moxie. Bravo, Mr. Wainwright, bravo. After another brief intermission (cue the audience to say “mesmerizing”), Rufus took the stage again, this time dressed as himself, to a standing ovation. He played a mix of popular songs from his previous records, with Martha joining him on stage for a few. Highlights of this set (copious applause permitted) included “This Love Affair”, “Memphis Skyline”, and particular crowd favorite “The Art Teacher”, all from Want Two; and “Nuits de Miami” and “Complainte de la Butte”, both sung with Martha and in French (“since we’re in the Paris-Berlin-Moscow of the Midwest!” Rufus proclaimed to adoring Chicagoans). And yes—finally, for this long-time fan-- he played a heartrending version of “Hallelujah”. The crowd brought him back out for an encore, which ended with his late mother’s song for his father, a beautiful rendition of her “Walking Song”. The show lasted three hours, but we could have stayed all night. A mix of operatic drama and coffeehouse warmth, costume and charisma, light and dark, soft and loud, male and female, stark sadness and bright optimism: The Wainwrights surely know how to put on a show for the ages. Photography by Meghan Brosnan. Martha Wainwright setlist: Bleeding All Over You Comin’ Tonight Four Black Sheep This Life Soudain Une Vallee (Edith Piaf cover) (unknown) Baby (unknown song in French) Rufus Wainwright first setlist (song cycle): Who Are You New York Sad With What I Have Martha Give Me What I Want and Give It to Me Now! True Loves Sonnet 43 Sonnet 20 Sonnet 10 The Dream What Would I Ever Do with a Rose? Les feux d’artifice t’appellent Zebulon Rufus Wainwright second setlist: Beauty Mark Grey Gardens This Love Affair Matinee Idol Memphis Skyline Art Teacher Nuits de Miami (with Martha) Complainte de la Butte (with Martha) Hallelujah (with Martha) Little Sister Dinner at Eight Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk Encore: Poses (with Martha) Going to a Town Walking Song (Kate McGarrigle cover) ------ Gallery by Meghan Brosnan [nggallery id=99] ]]> http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/08/rufus-wainwright-and-sister-martha-mesmerize-chicago-813/feed/ 1 http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/broken-bells-elvis-costello-lead-richard-thompsons-meltdown-festival/ http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/04/broken-bells-elvis-costello-lead-richard-thompsons-meltdown-festival/#comments http://c438342.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com//wp-content/uploads/2010/04/meltdown.jpg Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:20:37 +0000 Alex Young http://consequenceofsound.net/?p=33474 Just yesterday we brought you news of Rufus Wainwrights’ planned tribute concert for his mother, folk singer Kate McGarrigle, at this summer’s Meltdown Festival. In the 24 hours of followed, the London based festival has unveiled its full 2010 and, wow, is there a whole lot of awesomeness involved.

Of course, the whole shindig was put together by the legendary Richard Thompson, who curated this year’s lineup. In addition to the McGarrigle tribute, which will see the likes of Thompson, Rufus and Martha Wainwright, Emmylou Harris, Beth Orton, and Linda Ronstadt come together to perform, the festival will also feature performances from the likes of Broken Bells, Elvis Costello, Field Music, Paolo Nutini, Villagers, and Seasick Steve. What’s more, also included will be he UK premiere of ‘Cabaret of Souls,’ an 80-minute song cycle composed by Thompson about a talent contest in hell that features a performance from Spinal Tap star Harry Shearer.

Meltdown Festival runs from June 11-21 at London’s Royal Festival Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall. Tickets will go on sale starting Thursday, April 15th. For a complete scheduled and more information, click here.

McGarrigle, an acclaimed folk singer, passed away last January following a long bout with cancer. According to Wainwright, this year’s festival, which is scheduled to take place in June at London’s Southbank Centre, will feature a tribute concert for his deceased mother. Wainwright will reportedly be joined by a bevy of guests, including his sister, singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright, and the festival’s 2010 curator, the legendary Richard Thompson.

“A lot of people are coming in for that. One of the artists I can mention for sure, is the wonderful Richard Thompson. Apparently, his first request was to do something for Kate, so I was very, very touched by that,” explained Rufus in a recent interview with the BBC.

As for All Days Are Nights, expect an emotionally-charged, stripped back record with a lot of concentration on the piano. “What was going on inside, was just so tumultuous and so hairy, that it just came out whether I liked it or not. Especially dealing with my mother’s health at the time. She’s since passed away, but at the time I was writing this, she was really up and down. She had incredible moments of vitality matched with equally depressing times. I had to do this kind of work,” Wainwright went on to note.

One of those piano-based tracks, “Who Are You New York?”, can be heard below (via Stereogum). You can also find a complete, up-to-date listing of his summer touring plans, which still features a serious lack of U.S. dates.

Check Out:
“Who Are You New York”

Rufus Wainwright 2010 Tour Dates:
04/11 – Southampton, UK @ Southampton Guildhall
04/13 – London, UK @ Sadler’s Wells Theatre
04/15 – Glasgow, UK @ Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
04/16 – Edinburgh, UK @ Usher Hall
04/17 – Sheffield, UK @ Sheffield City Hall
04/19 – Gateshead, UK @ The Sage Gateshead
04/20 – Birmingham, UK @ Symphony Hall
04/22 – Manchester, UK @ Apollo
04/23 – Bristol, UK @ Colston Hall
04/25 – Nottingham, UK @ The Royal Centre Nottingham
04/26 – Oxford, UK @ The New Theatre
04/29 – Ipswich, UK  @ Regent Theatre
04/30 – Krems, AT @ Danube Festival
05/02 – Brussels, BE @ Palais des Beaux Arts
05/03 – Paris, FR @ Theatre Mogador
05/05 – Madrid, ES @ Teatro Circo Price
05/06 – Porto, PT @ Coliseu
05/07 – Lisbon, PT @ Aula Magna
05/09 – Bilbao, ES @ Palacio Euskalduna
05/11 – Barcelona, ES @ Grand Teatre del Liceu
05/12 – Lyon, FR @ Le Transbordeur
05/13 – Firenze, IT @ Teatro Communale
05/15 – Milan, IT @ Conservatorio
05/16 – Zurich, CH @ Kaufleuten
05/17 – Munich, DE @ Muffathalle
05/19 – Berlin, DE @ Volksbuhne
05/21 – Lund, SE @ Lundakarnevalen
05/22 – Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene
05/24 – Tallinn, EE @ Nokia Concert Hall
05/25 – Helsinki, FI @ House of Culture
05/27 – Stockholm, SE @ Filadelfiakyrkan
05/29 – Warsaw, PL @ Palladium
05/30 – Copenhagen, DK @ Radio Concert Hall
05/31 – Hamburg, DE @ Kampnagel
06/02 – Cologne, DE @ Theater am Tanzbrunnen
06/03 – Amsterdam, NL @ Carre
06/04 – Amsterdam, NL @ Carre
06/15 – Toronto, ON @ Elgin Theatre
06/17 – Toronto, ON @ Elgin Theatre
06/20 – Sainte-Foy, QC @ Salle Albert-Rousseau
06/21 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre St-Denis
07/03 – London, UK @ Kenwood House
07/04 – Brighton, UK @ Brighton Centre
07/11 – Westhampton Beach, NY @ Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center
11/22 – London, UK @ Royal Albert Hall

McGarrigle, who was born in Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts, Quebec in 1946, is perhaps most known for her collaboration with sister Anna in the folk group the McGarrigle Sisters. Their discography included such hits as “The Work Song”, “Cool River”, and “Lying Song”, as well a fairly popular cover of Wade Hemsworth’s “The Log Driver’s Waltz”. Several of their songs would go on to be covered by the likes of Emmylou Harris, Judy Collins, Billy Bragg, and Linda Ronstadt.

According to the Canadian Press, McGarrigle had been battling cancer since the summer of 2006. She died surrounded by her sisters, Jane and Anna, and her children. Rufus Wainwright canceled his upcoming tour to be by his mother’s side.

Well, with the games scheduled to kick off in less than two months, we’re beginning to get a good idea of who will be playing where, when, and how. Since guides are always fun, we thought we’d draw one up for you. Ladies and gentlemen, let us present you with A Music Fan’s Guide to the 2010 Winter Olympics…

The following acts will appear during the Olympic Games (February 12-28):

Kid Koala: Short Attention Span Audio Theatre:

What: This specially commissioned Short Attention Span show features a three-piece turntable section and accompanying visuals. Bingo and other special surprises are also promised.

When: February 12

Where: CODE Live 1 at Great Northern Way Campus

How: Price = $22

Malajube:

What: Montreal outfit whose past accolades include a nomination for the 2006 Polaris Music Prize and a spot in a RadioShack commercial.

When: February 12

Where: Place de la Francophonie

How: It’s free

Wilco:

What: Wilco + free? Enough said.

When: February 13

Where: Live City @ David Lam Park

How: It’s free

Mes Aïeux:

What: This Quebec quintet was crowned Quebec’s best band in 2009.

When: February 13

Where: Place de la Francophonie

How: It’s free

Pierre Lapointe:

What: He’s only 28 and already has more trophies then you’ll ever have.

When: February 14

Where: Place de la Francophonie

How: It’s free

City and Colour w/ The Rural Alberta Advantage:

What: Lots of songs about Canada

When: February 15

Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre

How: Price(s) = $32.50; $37.50; $39.50

Valérie Sajdik:

What: Formerly of the band Saint Privat, the Austrian pop singer has drawn comparisons to Florence K and Martha Wainwright.

When: February 16

Where: Place de la Francophonie

How: It’s free

Feist w/ Gonzalez:

What: A one-off featuring Canada’s favorite indie princess and Gonzales, aka as the dude who holds the world record for longest-ever solo concert

When: February 17

Where: The Orpheum

How: Price(s) = $37.50; $42.50; $49.50

Karkwa:

What: They draw comparisons to Radiohead. And everyone loves Radiohead…

When: February 17

Where: Place de la Francophonie

How: It’s free

Hal Willner’s Neil Young Project:

What: The event of the Olympics features Lou Reed, Iron & Wine, Sun Kil Moon, Ron Sexsmith, Joan As Police Woman, Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew and Jason Collett, and more paying homage to the Canadian rock icon.

When: February 18

Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre

How: Price(s) = $74.50; $67.50; $59

Stars w/ Hey Rosetta!:

What: Another Broken Social Scene sighting…

When: February 19

Where: The Orpheum

How: Price(s) = $37.50; $35; $32.50

The Lost Fingers:

What: The Quebec acoustic trio promises covers of Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Jon Bon Jovi. Talk about eclectic!

When: February 19

Where: Performance Works

How: Price(s) = $20 Adults; $18 Students/seniors

Corb Lund:

What: A third-generation Alberta rancher turned Country musician. Need I say more?

When: February 19

Where: Whistler Village Square

How: It’s free

Chromeo and Team Canada DJs:

What: Lots of dancing

When: February 20

Where: CODE Live 1 at Great Northern Way Campus

How: Price = $28

K’Naan & Tinariwen:

What: Performance featuring the author of the FIFA World Cup Anthem and a collective of poet guitarists from Sahara

When: February 25

Where: The Orpheum

How: Price(s) = $39; $35; $30

Florence K:

What: Speaking of Florence K, she’s playing too.

When: February 26

Where: Performance Works

How: Price(s) = $20 Adults; $18 Students/seniors

Blue Rodeo:

What: The last day of the Olympics = this Canadian alt-rock band

When: February 28

Where: Whistler Village Square

How: It’s free

Other Olympic related events taking place in the weeks proceeding and following the games:

Steve Earle w/ Joel Plaskett:

What: Two acclaimed musicians team up to kick off the games on a right note.

When: January 23

Where: The Orpheum

How: Price(s) = $39.50; $35.50; $32.50

Martha Wainwright & Jorane:

What: As good as a collaboration you’re going to get.

When: March 18

Where: Commodore Ballroom

How: Price(s) = $32.50

As we told you back in October, Cook and David Byrne have once again teamed up for a rather unique project. Following in the footsteps of The Brighton Port Authority’s I Think We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat, the legendary duo hit the studio with a number of other high-profile musicians for a concept album based on the life of former first lady of the Philippines Imelda Marcos — you know, the chick with all the shoes.

“Each track is sung by a different singer and there’s some very interesting guests on there,” Cook explained of the album in an interview with NME. He wasn’t kidding.

Featured on two disc, 22-track Here Lies Love are a number of music’s favorite female voices, including Tori Amos, St. Vincent, Santigold, Róisín Murphy, Sharon Jones, Cyndi Lauper, Sia, Martha Wainwright, Nicole Atkins, Florence & the Machine’s Florence Welch, Natalie Merchant, My Brightest Diamond’s Shara Worden, Alice Russell, The B-52′s Kate Pierson, Allison Moorer, and Nellie McKay. In fact, only two tracks include male vocals — Steve Earle sings on “A Perfect Hand”, while Byrne handles “American Troglodyte”.

And if all that wasn’t enough, the whole thing concludes on track 22, ” Why Don’t You Love Me?”, with what should be a rather unique duet featuring Amos and Lauper.

But wait… there’s more! The album, which will be released on February 23rd via Nonesuch Records, comes packaged with 100-page book detailing the project and a DVD.

Here Lies Love Tracklist:
Disc One:
01. Here Lies Love (feat. Florence Welch)
02. Every Drop of Rain (feat. Candie Payne & St. Vincent)
03. You’ll Be Taken Care Of (feat. Tori Amos)
04. The Rose of Tacloban (feat. Martha Wainwright)
05. How Are You? (feat. Nellie McKay)
06. A Perfect Hand (feat. Steve Earle)
07. Eleven Days (feat. Cyndi Lauper)
08. When She Passed By (feat. Allison Moorer)
09. Walk Like a Woman (feat. Charmaine Clamor)
10. Don’t You Agree? (feat. Róisín Murphy)
11. Pretty Face (feat. Camille)
12. Ladies in Blue (feat. Theresa Andersson)

Disc Two:
01. Dancing Together (feat. Sharon Jones)
02. Men Will Do Anything (feat. Alice Russel
03. The Whole Man (feat. Kate Pierson)
04. Never So Big (feat. Sia)
05. Please Don’t (feat. Santigold)
06. American Troglodyte
07. Solano Avenue (feat. Nicole Atkins)
08. Order 1081 (feat. Natalie Merchant)
09. Seven Years (feat. Shara Worden)
10. Why Don’t You Love Me? (feat. Cyndi Lauper & Tori Amos)

Broken Social Scene, K’Naan, Stars, Joel Plaskett, Steve Earle, Laurie Anderson, Martha Wainwright, Blue Rodeo, Iron & Wine, Corb Lund, Ron Sexsmith, Joan As Policewoman, and Sun Kil Moon are all confirmed to be performing in some capacity at an Olympic related event. What’s more, the boys of Wilco, who will basically be Canadians for the first part of the new Year, are also scheduled to perform at an Olympic event, this taking place on February 13th at Vancouver’s David Lam Park.

As those Canadians would say, not bad, eh? And to think, we still have a few more months to go before that ol’ torch is lit…

As NME reports and NPR confirms, the album, which is titled Here Lies Love, was first conceived four years ago and was written and recorded in the years that followed. Speaking of recording, the duo tapped the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Martha Wainwright, Santigold, Tori Amos, and Sharon Jones to appear as guests.

“Each track is sung by a different singer and there’s some very interesting guests on there,” Cook told NME. “It’s a story-telling thing, like ‘Evita’, but coming at it from a different angle in that it tells the untold story that people didn’t know about Imelda Marcos. It’s not just about the shoes… Because the story is more about what was going on in [New York club] Studio 54 rather than what went on in the Philippines, we wanted to reflect that, so it’s kind of dance music based.”

Byrne and Cook are currently said to be developing a stage production “along the lines of Evita” in support of the release. Here Lies Love has no official release date yet, but is expected to be available within the next six months, so we’ll find out more soon.

If you remember, Cook, perhaps best known for his work as Fatboy Slim, decided to drop the alter ego last May in favor of a new project, entitled The Brighton Port Authority. As we know by now, work soon began on the aforementioned album over the summer, eventually resulting into a guest-heavy, dance-friendly 12-track effort. In addition to Byrne and Rascal’s appearance on “Toe Jam”, the album’s lead single, I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat‘s also features the talents of Martha Wainwright, Emmy The Great, and Iggy Pop among others.

Ahead of the February 2nd physical release date, the album has been made available as a digital download exclusively via Amazon.com.

While there is no word on whether Cook plans to tour in support of the release, he will make one final live appearance as Fatboy Slim on January 22nd at The End in London.

“Toe Jam” (feat. David Byrne & Dizzee Rascal)

I Think We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Boat Tracklist:
01. He’s Frank (Slight Return) (feat. Iggy Pop)
02. Dirty Sheets (feat. Pete York)
03. Jumps The Fence (feat. Connan Mockasin)
04. Should I Stay Or Should I Blow (feat. Ashley Beedle)
05. Island (feat. Justin Robertson)
06. Local Town (feat. Jamie T)
07. Seattle (feat. Emmy The Great)
08. Spade (feat. Martha Wainwright)
09. Superman (feat. Simon Thornton)
10. Superlover (feat. Cagedbaby)
11. Toe Jam (feat. David Byrne and Dizzee Rascal)
12. So It Goes (feat. Olly Hite)