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.

Each member of The Little Willies has his or her own solid musical identity outside of the group, but together they’re a powerhouse. For the Good Times is a covers record, sampling some legendary tracks from the country cannon, including Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Kris Kristofferson, and these musicians give everything a fresh, breezy jazz tone much like that of Jones’ early work. The group’s adoration and close study of these staples occasionally alters or outstrips the power of the original, an important feat in a cover album. Their take on Loretta Lynn’s “Fist City” fails to channel the fury of the original, but takes a steadier, more lamenting approach. Lynn’s original is feisty and cute, while The Little Willies make it mournful, with just enough rhythm to keep you engaged. The title track is an endearing take on the Kristofferson original, mirroring their sweetly haunting version of “Jolene” that serves as the album’s curtain call.

Instrumental “Tommy Rockwood” is the only original track on the album, written by guitarist Jim Campilongo as the result of hours-long walks around New York City to kick his smoking habit. The distraction tactic clearly worked, as the whimsy shines in the tumbleweed, much like their idols. A well-crafted nod, For the Good Times finds the Little Willies showcasing their favorite pastime—giddily playing standards with their bandmates. Equal parts good time and fresh, original takes on these classic tracks, the band offers a medley of styles that color these standards in a new light.

Essential Tracks: “Permanently Lonley”, “For the Good Times”, and “Tommy Rockwood”

Sultry singer Norah Jones has tapped super producer Danger Mouse to produce her upcoming fifth LP, Little Broken Hearts, due out sometime this spring via Blue Note/EMI. The pair wrote and recorded the album at Danger Mouse’s Los Angeles studio last fall after Jones provided vocals for Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi’s Rome project.

In support of the album, Jones will tour extensively through 2012; stay tuned for those dates as they’re announced. In the meantime, check out “Black” from the aforementioned Rome below.

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi feat. Norah Jones – “Black”:

For what is now a quarter of a century, Neil Young and his wife Pegi have been organizing the annual Bridge School Benefit, a two-day charity concert held in Mountain View, CA at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, usually sporting a better lineup than you could dream up yourself. The 25th anniversary of the monumental event continued this tradition, featuring performances from the likes of Eddie Vedder, Dave Matthews, Beck, Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire, and many more – including the man himself, Uncle Neil.

Update: Below, you can watch video of several collaborative highlights from day one, including Beck and Young performing the latter’s 1979 track “Pocahontas”; Vedder and Arcade Fire’s Régine Chassagne dueting “Tonight You Belong To Me”; Vedder and Beck tackling “Sleepless Nights”; Arcade Fire and Young taking on the CSNY classic “Helpless”; and Matthews Tim Reynolds, and Young covering “Oh! Susanna”.

Beck and Neil Young – “Pocahontas”:

Eddie Vedder and Régine Chassagne – “Tonight You Belong To Me”:

Eddie Vedder and Beck – “Sleepless Nights”:

Dave Matthews, Tim Reynolds, and Neil Young – “Oh! Susanna”:

Arcade Fire and New Young – “Helpless”:

As always, the proceeds benefit the Bridge School, assisting children with severe speech and physical impairments.

Since 1985, Neil Young has hosted his annual Bridge School Benefit, bringing together an assortment of artists for a two-day festival that supports the Hillsborough, CA-based school, which assists children with severe speech and physical impairments. This year’s inclusion, set to take place this weekend at The Shoreline Amphitheatre on October 22-23rd, marks the event’s 25th anniversary, and to celebrate Young has tagged the likes of Beck, Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Eddie Vedder, and many more. However, unlike previous years, the organizers are ensuring millions witness the event.

To start, Saturday’s festivities will be webcast online for the first-time ever. Thanks to Facebook and YouTube, fans will be able to watch the surefire spectacle from the comfort of their own home. A special landing page has been designed by Facebook that allows users to interact while experiencing the event. In fact, those actually in attendance at the show will be able to upload content and messages to share amongst those watching from home. Visit the respective pages at Facebook or YouTube for more information, and peep the trailer for the event below. An exact webcast schedule is still to be announced.

Then, on October 24th, there’s the CD/DVD release of The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition. This collection digs deep into the benefit’s history, featuring appearances from Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel, The Who, Band of Horses, Thom Yorke,  Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, and many, many more musical elite. You can pre-order the DVD set here and the CD set here. NPR Music is streaming the two-disc album portion in its entirety until next Tuesday.

And while your puny 32″ flat-screen and sub-par sound system may be enough to enjoy the all-star footage, the organizers are offering one better: on the day of the CD/DVD release (once again, 10/24), movie theaters across the nation will air the effort’s concert  film. Check out the entire listing of cities and locations below; all showings kick off at 7 p.m. For more information on tickets, head here. The trailer for the release is also available below.

The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition Theater Locations:
Atlanta, GA @ Midtown
Austin, TX @ Alamo Drafthouse Lakecreek
Boston, MA @ Kendall
Chicago, IL @ Century
Dallas, TX @ TBC
Denver, CO @ Mayan
Los Angeles, CA @ The Laemmle Santa Monica
Madison, WI @ Sundance
Milwaukee, WI @ Oriental
Minneapolis, MN @ Edina
New York City, NY @ Sunshine
Philadelphia, PA @ Ritz Bourse
Pleasantville, NY @ Jacob Burns
Portland, ME @ Nickelodeon
Portland, OR @ Hollywood Theatre
San Diego, CA @ Hillcrest
San Francisco, CA @ Embarcadero
Santa Cruz, CA @ Nickelodeon
Santa Rosa, CA @ Summerfield
Seattle, WA @ Harvard Exit
Silver Spring, MD @ AFI Silver Theatre
Washington, DC @ E Street

Ottawa-born folkie Kathleen Edwards tapped boyfriend/tour mate/Bon Iver head Justin Vernon to help create the lonesome sound that was last month’s single, Wapusk. The collaborative nature doesn’t stop there, though, as Vernon and a slew of other artists also leave their mark on Edwards’ upcoming new album, Voyageur.

Co-produced by Vernon and Edwards herself, the record sees the Wisconsin resident also play banjo, guitar, xylophone, bass, and piano. Additional cameos include Norah Jones, Phil Cook (Megafaun), Sean Carey (also of Bon Iver), Stornoway, and Francis and the Lights. Of the collaborative-heavy effort, Edwards told Exclaim! that she allowed herself to make songwriting less of a secluded act. “For the first time, I was open to the idea of co-writing, and what had previously been an intensely private process became a challenge to see what would happen with an open mind to a different approach.”

Voyageur will hit stores on January 17th, 2012 via MapleMusic. Check out “Change the Sheets” once more below, followed by the tracklist and Edwards’ remaining tour dates with Bon Iver.

Voyageur Tracklist:
01. Empty Threat
02. Chameleon/Comedian
03. A Soft Place To Land
04. Change the Sheets
05. House Full of Empty Rooms
06. Mint
07. Sidecar
08. Pink Champagne
09. Going To Hell
10. For the Record

Bon Iver with Kathleen Edwards 2011 Tour Dates:
10/19 – Manchester, UK @ Apollo
10/20 – Dublin, Ireland @ Canal Theatre
10/22 – Edinburgh, UK @ Usher Hall
10/23 – London, UK @ Hammersmith Apollo
10/24 – London, UK @ Hammersmith Apollo
10/26 – Utrecht, NL @ MCV
10/27 – Brussels, BE @ AB
10/29 – Paris, FR @ La Grande Hall De La Villette (Pitchfork Music Festival)
10/30 – Koln, DE @ E-Werk
11/01 – Berlin, DE @ Columbiahalle
11/03 – Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene
11/04 – Stockholm, SE @ Annexet
11/05 – Copenhagen, DK @ Falkoner
11/06 – Hamburg, DE @ Docks
11/09 – Birmingham, UK @ 02 Academy
11/10 – Leeds, UK @ Academy
11/11 – Bristol, UK @ Colston

Rome, the spaghetti western-inspired collaborative project of super producer Danger Mouse and composer Daniele Luppi, has now inspired a film. As Variety reports, the duo’s recently released album, which also features the talents of Jack White and Norah Jones, “underpins” a forthcoming film by director Chris Milk. If you recall, Milk was the force behind Rome’s interactive video for “3 Dreams of Black”, in addition to clips for Kanye West, Arcade Fire, and Modest Mouse.

According to Variety, the film centers on a “girl born into a post-apocalyptic world who must survive by her wits while finding moments of simple joy.” The story itself will be based on Alden Bell’s novel The Reapers Saw The Angels. 

There’s no title or release date for the film, but Anthony Bregman (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and Megan Ellison (True Grit) are serving as producers. In a statement, the producers said “Chris Milk is perhaps the most innovative creative voice working in any art form today, and the ‘Rome’ project criss-crosses at least a dozen of them, including music, animation, live performance, film, web, literature, musicvideos, and graphic novels.”

Below, you can watch a making of video for Rome’s Milk-directed clip, “3 Dreams of Black”. The actual video can be viewed here, though you’ll need to be on Google Chrome.

Speaking of Bob Dylan, the next project from the legendary singer-songwriter comes in the form of The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams. As previously reported, the 12-track effort sees Dylan, Jack White, Norah Jones, Lucinda Williams, and Sheryl Crow, among others, finishing unreleased lyrics and song ideas found in the late country star’s ‘lost notebooks’. The end result will be unveiled this coming Tuesday, October 4th via Columbia.

Right now, you can stream Dylan and Jones’ contributions, titled “The Love That Faded” and “How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart?”, respectively, at NPR.org. 30-second samples for the album’s other 10 nine tracks are up for grabs at Amazon.com. Update: You can now hear the full-length recording of White’s track, “You Know That I Know”, at RollingStone.com.

Each year, Neil Young opens up his Rolodex (and it’s a mighty impressive one) and calls on all his rock star friends to play his charity concert, the Bridge School Benefit. With the shindig celebrating its 25th anniversary this October, Young and the folks behind the event have compiled the concert’s best moments in three-DVD and two-CD sets aptly titled The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition. 

The DVD release includes performances from the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Fleet Foxes, James Taylor, Simon and Garfunkel, Devendra Banhart, and a plethora of other big-name acts. The third disc also includes documentaries on the concert’s history along with a bonus feature on the Bridge School.

The two-CD set features even more classic performances from the concert’s past 25 years. Artists include Willie Nelson, Pearl Jam, Thom Yorke, Metallica, Band of Horses, R.E.M. featuring Young, and much, much more.

The two releases, which also benefit the Bridge School, are in stores on October 24th. Check out a video trailer for both sets below and pre-order the DVD set here and the CD set here.

This year’s Bridge School concert goes down October 22-23rd at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. Acts scheduled to appear include Beck, Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire, Mumford & Sons, Eddie Vedder, and many more. Tickets are available via LiveNation right now.

The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition DVD Tracklsit:

DVD 1
Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA
Patti Smith – People Have the Power
Pearl Jam – Better Man
David Bowie – Heroes
Ben Harper – There Will Be a Light
Bob Dylan – Girl From the North Country
R.E.M – Country Feedback
Emmylou Harris and Buddy Miller – Love Hurts
Fleet Foxes – Blue Ridge Mountains
Devendra Banhart – At the Hope
Bonnie Raitt – The Road Is My Middle Name
Billy Idol – Rebel Yell

DVD 2
Brian Wilson – Surfin’ USA
Gillian Welch – The Way It Will Be
The Pretenders – Sense of Purpose
James Taylor – Fire and Rain
Simon and Garfunkel – America
Tom Petty – Shadow of a Doubt
Dave Matthews – Too Much
Neil Young – Crime in the City
Tom Waits – 16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought Six
Elton John & Leon Russell – A Dream Come True
Paul McCartney – Get Back
Metallica – Disposable Heroes
The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again

DVD 3
Backstage at the Bridge School Benefit Concert
The Bridge School Story

The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition CD Tracklist:

CD 1
Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA
Dave Matthews – Too Much
No Doubt – Magic’s in the Makeup
Jack Johnson – Gone
Fleet Foxes – Blue Ridge Mountains
Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Love and Only Love
Sonic Youth – Rain on Tin
Pearl Jam – Better Man
Gillian Welch – The Way It Will Be
R.E.M & Neil Young – Country Feedback
Willie Nelson – The Great Divide
Nils Lofgrin – Cry Just a Little

CD 2
Sarah McLachlan – Elsewhere
Paul McCartney – Get Back
Elton John & Leon Russell – A Dream Come True
Band of Horses – Marry Song
Metallica – Disposable Heroes
Thom Yorke – After the Gold Rush
Sheryl Crow – The Difficult Kind
Tony Bennett – Maybe This Time
CSNY – Deja Vu
Norah Jones – Jesus – Etc.
Jonathan Richman – I Was Dancing in the Lesbian Bar
Brian Wilson – Surfin’ USA.
The Who – Won’t Get Fooled Again

Norah Jones’ last side project (providing vocals for Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi’s Rome) may have had more star power, but her next outing has just as much retro flair. In January 2012, EMI’s Milking Bill Records will release Jones’ country-tinged band The Little Willies‘ effort of covers, entitled For The Good Times.

The 12-track effort features covers from a variety of down-home legends, including Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and many more. The LP is the band’s follow-up to 2006′s self-titled debut, which featured covers from Townes Van Zandt and Willie Nelson.

Formed in 2003, the remainder of the band is comprised of Lee Alexander (bass), Jim Campilongo (guitar), Richard Julian (guitar, vocals), and Dan Rieser (drums). The five-piece formed as an excuse for the friends/collaborators to play The Living Room on New York’s Lower East Side.

Check out the album’s tracklist below. Just before that is the band’s June 2007 cover of Hank Williams’ “Lovesick Blues”.

For The Good Times Tracklist:
01. I Worship You (Ralph Stanley)
02. Remember Me (Scott Wiseman)
03. Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves (Cal Martin)
04. Lovesick Blues (Cliff Friend/Irving Mills)
05. Tommy Rockwood (Jim Campilongo)
06. Fist City (Loretta Lynn)
07. Permanently Lonely (Willie Nelson)
08. Foul Owl On The Prowl (Quincy Jones/Alan Bergman/Marilyn Bergman)
09. Wide Open Road (Johnny Cash)
10. For The Good Times (Kris Kristofferson)
11. If You’ve Got The Money I’ve Got The Time (Lefty Frizzell/Jim Beck)
12. Jolene (Dolly Parton)

A half decade ago, Bob Dylan acquired the notebooks of the late, great Hank Williams. In them contained many unfinished lyrics and song ideas. Since then, he’s been working on a star-studded tribute album that sees himself, Jack White, Sheryl Crowe, Norah Jones, and more completing said lyrics and turning them into full-fledged songs. According to Rolling Stone, the end result of their efforts will finally see release on October 4th via Dylan’s imprint Egyptian Records.

Titled The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams, the tribute album features 13 tracks in all. Rolling Stone also reports that the full story of Williams’ notebooks will be told in the album’s liner notes, which were penned by Michael McCall of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Below, we have the tracklist.

The Lost Notebooks of Hank Williams Tracklist:
01. Alan Jackson – You’ve Been Lonesome, Too
02. Bob Dylan – The Love That Faded
03. Norah Jones – How Many Times Have You Broken My Heart?
04. Jack White – You Know That I Know
05. Lucinda Williams – I’m So Happy I Found You
06. Vince Gill and Rodney Crowell – I Hope You Shed a Million Tears
07. Patty Loveless – You’re Through Fooling Me
08. Levon Helm – You’ll Never Again Be Mine
09. Holly Williams – Blue Is My Heart
10. Jakob Dylan – Oh, Mama, Come Home
11. Sheryl Crow – Angel Mine
12. Merle Haggard – The Sermon on the Mount

As previously reported, Ryan Adams has been working with producer Glyn Johns on a new studio album, his first since 2008′s Cardinology. Now, via Q Magazine, we learn the effort is titled Ashes & Fire and will feature “12 elegant country-rock songs, featuring Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers’ organist Benmont Tench and guest co-vocalist Norah Jones.”

Adams’ publicist confirms a U.S. release date has not yet been set, but below you can preview videos of Adams performing two new cuts during recent live performances.

“Dirty Rain”

“Invisible Riverside”

Even as his work manages to avoid classification, just about anything with Danger Mouse’s name in the production credits shares a singular, idiosyncratic vision, a compelling midpoint between retro nostalgia and hyper-futurism perhaps best captured on his much-lauded 2004 mash-up, the Grey Album, which saw him seamlessly combine the Beatles’ White Album instrumentals with Jay-Z’s Black Album a capella tracks. Burton’s love of Italian film scores is well-documented; his Gnarls Barkley outfit’s ubiquitous smash hit “Crazy” samples liberally from the soundtrack to a 1968 spaghetti western, Viva! Django, while many of the groups other tracks (like the Odd Couple‘s “Surprise”) rely heavily on the genre’s typically sweeping strings, choir sections, and steady percussion.

Enter noted Italian film score composer/arranger/producer Daniele Luppi, whose lengthy rap-sheet includes collaborations with Broken Bells, John Legend, Mike Patton and work on the Sex and the City movie. Luppi and his arrangements figure heavily into Burton’s aforementioned fixation on spaghetti western soundtracks (he also conducted strings on both Gnarls Barkley records). Together, the two spent several years rounding up the legendary orchestra and choir who recorded on some of the genre’s most seminal albums: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West. Recorded in the same hallowed studio where those albums and many more were cut decades ago, Rome manages to somehow toe the fine line between a reverently vintage soundtrack and a sprawling, post-modern Western concept album. But with its sweeping choral and orchestral parts, interludes and evocative instrumental pieces rendered in widescreen, much of the record ends up sounding more like a movie soundtrack without the sort of visual accompaniment that often makes even the best film scores even better.

Enter Jack White and Norah Jones to fill in said gap. Each of the two voice a nameless character on three songs a piece (think: Clint Eastwood’s lead role as the Man with No Name in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly). Half-crooning over the psychedelic twang of “The Rose with a Broken Neck” and carrying the splendid album closer “The World” through to its strutting conclusion, White plays the lead with archetypal cowboy swagger. Even on the limp, schizophrenic “Two Against One”, the icon seems more comfortable than he has in a while, reveling in the dimmed spotlight. Jones is a revelation, lending a hushed, sultry air to the moody overtones of “Problem Queen” and “Black” and finally proving to be much more than just a pretty voice. While she might at first seem an odd choice for the part alongside musicians as renowned as Danger Mouse and Jack White, Jones certainly holds her own on Rome, often stealing the show completely, as she does on the tense, steamy number “Season’s Trees”.

Perhaps the best thing about Rome is how open-ended it is. Is Danger Mouse shopping his soundtracking skills to Hollywood studios? Will this splendid production, orchestra and all, hit the road for an extensive tour? For all of its glorious string flourishes, vivid visual allusions, and bursts of choral splendor, the best parts of Rome are truly left to the imagination. While it easily could’ve been little more than a tribute to a (regrettably) bygone Golden Age in cinema or a soundtrack to an imaginary movie, Rome succeeds at much more: It’s a fantastic album in its own right.

Remember Arcade Fire’s interactive video for “We Used to Wait”? Well, Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi took a similar approach for “3 Dreams of Black” from their collaborative album, Rome. The interactive video was directed by Chris Milk and created by the smarty pants at Google using Google Chrome’s WebGL technology. Consequently, you’ll need Google Chrome to view it… or navigate through the three dream worlds that color the clip.

As an issued press release explains, “The worlds are experienced as 2D drawings and animations, interspersed with interactive 3D sequences in which the viewer becomes an active participant, guiding their own journey through the unfolding narrative. Participants can even create their own virtual artifacts — the best of which will then be integrated into the experience and become a part of other users’ dreams.” In other words, click here and have fun.

Rome hits stores  May 17th via Capitol Records. Stream it now.

After hearing samples that were intermittently dropped over the last few months, NPR is letting the whole story of Rome unfold with a full stream of the sonic brainchild of Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi. Featuring the vocal stylings of Jack White and Norah Jones, the LP sees the two producers combine the sounds of their star singers with the musicians who formerly made up Ennio Morricone’s orchestra to create an album that pays homage to Italian films of the ’60s and ’70s. The 15-track effort can be heard here. Rome is scheduled to hit stores May 17th via Capitol Records.

Ah, supergroups. As anticipation mounts for the dynamite collaboration between Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse) and Italian composer Daniele Luppi, fans keep receiving more and more goodies to tide them over until the duo’s Rome project hits streets on May 1st. Last month, the Jack White-sporting single “Two Against One” surfaced, and this morning (via Some Kind of Awesome), everyone’s ears can warm up to the midnight lounge crooner, “Black”.

As the B-side to the Record Store Day exclusive single for “Two Against One”, this one finds celebrated vocalist Norah Jones wading through some silky undertones, all with the signature finesse of Brian Burton’s knack for ’60s-sounding production. It’s not sweeping, but just under that. You’ll want a glass of wine, that’s for sure. Oh, it’s only noon? Didn’t see that. Oops. Regardless, enjoy this slowly.

Fans can pick up Rome starting May 1st (via Capitol Records). Pre-order? Also, depending on your region, you can check out a special trailer featuring the music.

Like Springsteen did last year, Paul McCartney made a trip to the Kennedy Center in the first week of December 2k10, where he was honored for “enriching, inspiring, and elevating the cultural vibrancy of our nation and the world.” Oprah was of course there too. And much like how Springsteen was serenaded by a star-studded lineup of performers that included Eddie Vedder, Sir Macca also received the royal treatment. A reunited No Doubt, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and songstress Norah Jones, American Idol‘s Steven Tyler (per the request of McCartney himself), and the equally legendary James Taylor and Mavis Staples all paid tribute to the music legend with renditions of his most noteworthy gems.

The shindig took place on December 5th, but finally aired on CBS tonight. Above, you can watch No Doubt’s Beatles melody and Grohl and Jones dueting “Maybe I’m Amazed”. Below, find Steven Tyler’s Abbey Road tribute, as well as Taylor and Staples’ duet of “Let It Be”. Update: All the way at the bottom, you can find a semi-decent recording of McCartney’s video tribute.

P.S. Just like Springsteen, McCartney awkwardly sang along. Sensing a trend?

Steven Tyler’s melody + James Taylor & Mavis Staples – “Let It Be”

Video Tribute

A little over a month ago, we introduced you to Brian Burton aka Danger Mouse’s newest/oldest project, a collaboration with Italian composer Daniele Luppi entitled Rome. We also said we’d let you know when a release date was revealed. Thanks to Direct Current Music, we can follow through on that promise: The Capitol Records release is set for March 1st.

Conceived before anyone had even imagined saying “Gnarls Barkley”, and taking some five years of work, the record was inspired by Burton and Luppi’s shared love of the soundtracks for the spaghetti westerns and Clint Eastwood films of the 1960s. To sweeten the deal, they brought in Jack White and Norah Jones as featured vocalists. Frequent readers will know we’ve given you a listen to some track previews that establish the album’s moody vibe. The promo image to the right arouses further interest, revealing that visual direction was handled by Chris Milk, the man recently behind some brilliant Arcade Fire and Johnny Cash videos.

Burton is also currently producing U2’s next release. Keep your eyes out for more information on that, and keep that March 1st date in mind. If the history associated with Danger Mouse is any indication, 2011 is going to see some pretty excellent listening.

Update: Per TwentyFourBit, we also have the tracklist and a press photo, which you can check out above.

Rome Tracklist:
01. Theme Of Rome
02. The Rose With The Broken Neck
03. Morning Fog (interlude)
04. Season’s Trees
05. Her Hollow Ways (interlude)
06. Roman Blue
07. Two Against One
08. The Gambling Priest
09. The World (interlude)
10. Black
11. The Matador Has Fallen
12. Morning Fog
13. Problem Queen
14. Her Hollow Ways
15. The World

Well, this time I actually mean it this time. And if you’ve taken a look at our site recently, you’ll see what I mean. And even if you haven’t the sheer size of the following round-up of music-related events will surely give you the right impression.

We’ll see you at the same time, same place, next week, provided you haven’t slipped into a food-induced coma by then.

– Arcade Fire and Spike Jonze collaborated on a new music video.

– Foo Fighters will headline Sasquatch! 2011.

– Lollapalooza will launch a South American spin-off next spring. Now the good people of Santiago, Chile will have a chance to pay way too much for beer and stay out until (gasp!) 10pm.

– The White Stripes will reissue their first three albums.

– Earlier this week we posted a link to a six-minute sample of Daft Punk‘s  Tron: Legacy soundtrack. Why settle for that when you can sample the entire thing?

– Girl Talk gave away his new album for free. Get it now if you haven’t already. And see if you can name all the samples used in it without consulting this website.

– Primavera Sound announced some seriously amazing additions to their lineup.

– It’s finally happening. The Beatles‘ entire catalog will soon be available on iTunes. (Do you suppose this means that Glee and Niki Minaj will finally be booted the top ten?)

– Sufjan Stevens made his late night debut with a performance of “Too Much”.

– He’s not even two weeks out of prison and Lil Wayne released a new track. Seriously.

– A Joe Strummer biopic is reportedly in the works.

– New tracks from Dr. Dre‘s Detox dropped. One features Akon, the other Eminem.

– Iron & Wine detailed their forthcoming LP. He also played a show in Miami recently, which Lauren Guagno  reviewed.

– Ghostface Killah AND Redman announced solo efforts this week. Yes, the Wu Tang reunion is still on. And, yes, RZA‘s still the only one holding out.

– The Strokes finished their new record… at least that’s what Julian said.

– Still reeling from this year’s Bonnaroo? Well, it’s time to get geared up for the next one since the festival’s organizers set the 2011 installment’s dates.

– Joanna Newsom’s not dead, I promise. However, she is getting her own tribute album.

– And speaking of tributes, Neil Young‘s tribute concert has some impressive artists lined up.

– The original members of Depeche Mode reunited for a remix album.

– It looks like we’ll have to wait a little long for that new Guns N’ Roses title than we originally thought. Shockkker.

– Arcade Fire and Spike Jonze collaborated on a new music video.

– Foo Fighters will headline Sasquatch! 2011.

– PJ Harvey‘s not telling us something, at least not right away. Click here to find out more.

– I bet you didn’t know that Flava Flav is planning a vodka and fried chicken franchise, did you? Well, he is.

– After the big fuss we made about Kanye West‘s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy someone actually had to review it. Michael Denslow stepped up to the plate.

– We don’t cater exclusively to indie rock elitists. We also review artists your mom likes, like Norah Jones. Check out Chris Coplan’s take on her latest title here.

– Jeremy Larson chatted up Paul Sprangers of Free Energy.

– Nick Freed did likewise with Tim Kasher.

– We posted our look at  sophomore slumps titled “And Then There Were None.”

– Not sure what kinds of coal, er, presents to buy for your loved ones? Consult our holiday gift guide.

Me: “I’m reviewing Norah Jones this week.”

Random Friend: “My mom likes Norah Jones.”

It doesn’t sound much like an insult, because there are no harsh words or explicit judgments passed. Instead, rather underhandedly, people place themselves above an artist by defining them as an entity that sees heavy rotation in their mother’s limited CD collection, the collection of a woman who, while loved and respected, surely has inferior taste in music. It’s with Jones’ newest release, …Featuring Norah Jones, a compilation album of her best collaborations, that this concept has become abundantly clear to me.

I’m totally one of the people who says that my mom likes Norah Jones. I should also admit that I don’t know if it’s entirely true that my mother, Christine Elizabeth Gordon of Glendale, Arizona, likes Norah Jones. She does, however, love Pink, Train, Johnny Mathis, and several Celine Dion songs, so excuse me for extrapolating. Telling people your mom likes album X is just a way of saying you don’t want anything to do with it, be it praising the record or tearing it to pieces.

There are several songs on the LP where that mood strikes me rather quickly. The Little Willies, a country band Jones formed in 2003, and their song “Love Me” sticks out like a sore thumb of the perfectly suitable variety. Jones’ voice is lonesome and melancholy, full of country-fried twang and depression while still maintaining the jazzy influence she’s known for. Instrumentally, they hit all the right chords, and I get the feeling that they’re vastly talented. I even connect with the emotion and the song’s sentiment, begging and pleading to be loved in that dry, self-deprecating kind of way. I grasp it all in its entirety, and yet I feel as if I’d enjoy something else more. It’s as if the track’s influences and scope and the gentle nature of it all don’t quite speak to me or others of my generation who have spent our entire lives being pummeled by thousands of pop songs. The album feels tailored to another life, to sensibilities beyond my own. It’s as if, gasp, my mother would like Norah Jones.

And I thought to myself, perhaps it’s all about finding the right tracks. Perhaps I’d enjoy this effort more if I could find something more my style, something my generation readily accepts.

Jones masterfully picked the collaborations that make up this 18-track album. From Dolly Parton to M. Ward, from Sean Bones to Belle & Sebastian, everyone that makes vaguely rootsy music rooted deeply in the past and in a sense of quiet solitude makes an appearance. However, the more interesting choices are the more experimental inclusions. Hip-hop rears its mug on OutKast’s “Take Off Your Cool” and Q-Tip’s “Life Is Better”.  In the end, though, both are forgettable. Undoubtedly, it’s part of the culture; in a genre where female vocalists appear in literally every song, the understated, subtly haunting vocal style of Jones is outshined by memories of more forceful, goddess-like divas with pipes of gold. Even on a rock track like ”The Best Part” by El Madmo, a rock band Jones plays guitar in as “Maddie”, it’s clear that Jones’ default setting hovers around that new jazz sound one could easily confuse with a dozen others.

It’s tracks like the duets with Foo Fighters and Ryan Adams (“Virginia Moon” and “Dear John”, respectively) that actually make me think there’s hope for a beautiful love affair between my ears and Jones’ songs. The former is a kind of musical gumbo made up of bits of jazz and folk and rock and is strikingly eerie in its simplicity and melding of Dave Grohl and Jones’ voices. On the other hand, the latter sounds as if Adams himself had to drag Jones into the studio to make this song, which bubbles with a kind of darker energy, more hurt and loneliness than Jones musters on the rest of the album.

Both Foo Fighters and Ryan Adams are part of my generation and, unlike hip-hop, are slightly connected to Jones’ style of music. But in the end, I’d like to think these tracks are successful because they do something the rest of the album, not to mention a lot of the so-called “mom albums,” fails to do: shine with something less conventional but not completely out of the wheel well, discrediting a lot of preconceived notions about what defines a Norah Jones song. Like if mom added mushrooms to her meatloaf.

Earlier this week we mentioned Rome, the latest project from super producer Danger Mouse and Italian composer Daniele Luppi. If you don’t know what I’m talking about and/or don’t feel like clicking that link, here’s the Cliff Notes version: the two aforementioned gentlemen teamed up to create an album inspired by Italian spaghetti western soundtracks, with Jack White and Norah Jones being the featured vocalists. Anyhow, a few hours ago, Danger Mouse and Luppi hit NPR’s All Songs Considered to preview their project and courtesy of Some Kind of Awesome, you can stream snippets of the album tracks played during the appearance below. The clip is only four minutes in length, but you’ll be able to hear both White and Jones and, yes, it’s pretty great.

As he’s proven time and time again, Brian Burton — aka super producer Danger Mouse — has the capacity to handle multiple mega projects at once. So even though he’s currently producing U2′s next studio album, that hasn’t stopped the New York native from collaborating with Italian composer Daniele Luppi on a new project called Rome. Spoiler: Jack White is a featured contributor.

Speaking of their collaboration in an interview with The Guardian, Burton and Luppi revealed that the project — which was inspired by 1960′s Italian spaghetti western soundtracks — has been in the works for nearly five years. It was recorded during three separate sessions in Rome, with the two men incorporating not just vintage instruments (upright bass) but also some of the musicians behind those aforementioned soundtracks.

Oh yeah, and then there’s that part about Jack White.

Explained Danger Mouse: “For the lead vocalists, I definitely wanted a man and a woman. The female vocal needed to be soft, not polarizing. But the male needed to have a bit more angst to it. I played some of the music for Jack White when I was on tour shortly after doing the first session, just to show him what I was doing, because at the time everyone thought I was just a hip-hop guy, or whatever. He liked it, but at the time I wasn’t even thinking of using him – you know, it’s Jack White. But in the end, I thought, he’s really into it – why not? We all understood that if it didn’t work, it didn’t work. But he tried it in different voices – a high voice, a low voice, and I thought, why don’t we leave them all in? And it sounded great. There’s a bunch of his vocals on “Rose With the Broken Neck”, and it doesn’t always sound like him – sometimes you’re like, is that Jack or not?” The Guardian reports that Norah Jones will also be featured.

Danger Mouse then added that the end result reflects “love, death, happiness – the visceral connection of man and women.” He went on to say, “It’s a dark vibe, melancholic, a little foggy… I get a lot of offers to do film soundtracks and I’ve never said yes, because no one has heard this yet, and I think some people still think of me as a hip-hop producer. But this is what I would actually do, if I were to make a soundtrack. I’m really happy it’s out.”

An exact release date for the project is still forthcoming, but we’ll let you know. In the meantime, be sure to catch one of the album’s collaborators — Mr. Jack White — on Conan later tonight.

Along with the single, the Glasgow outfit has also announced the few final details of the album. 11 songs will be included, seven of which were written by frontman Stuart Murdoch. Trumpeter Mick Cooke co-wrote “Sunday’s Pretty Icons”, violinist Sarah Martin penned and handles lead vocals for both “I Didn’t See It Coming” and “I Can See Your Future”, and lead guitarist wrote and sings “I’m Not Living In The Real World”.

Belle and Sebastian Write About Love will also feature a few guests, including acclaimed pianist Norah Jones, English actress Carey Mulligan, and members of the Los Angeles based Section Quartet. The album was recorded in Los Angeles earlier this year and produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, The Kooks).

As mentioned, Belle and Sebastian Write About Love arrives October 12th in North American and one day earlier in the UK. In addition, two bonus tracks, “Last Trip” and “Suicide Girl”, will be available as a 7-inch with the vinyl edition in most countries, and with all editions from selected retailers in the USA. A further song, “Blue Eyes of A Millionaire”, will be a bonus track with selected digital outlets.

Now that you know all the above, stream “Write About Love” below.

Belle and Sebastian Write About Love Tracklist:
01. I Didn’t See It Coming
02. Come On Sister
03. Calculating Bimbo
04. I Want The World To Stop
05. Little Lou, Ugly Jack, Prophet John
06. Write About Love
07. I’m Not Living In The Real World
08. Ghost of Rockschool
09. Read The Blessed Pages
10. I Can See Your Future
11. Sunday’s Pretty Icons

Chesney, Mraz, and Tweedy (with Wilco) have all played the fest before, but the rest are newcomers. That said, all seem to fit the do-good ethos of Farm Aid, the theme of which this year is “Growing Hope for America.”

Though the Farm Aid web page describes this as the “full lineup,” years past have seen many more performers, so don’t be surprised if additional bands are added as the date nears.

Tickets go on sale Saturday, August 14th at 9am at the Milwaukee Brewers box office (414-902-4000) or www.tickets.com. Prices range from $39.50 to $97.50, excluding service charges. Parking is $20 in advance or $25 the day of the concert. The concert will be telecast live on DirecTV.

The full lineup is below. Stay on top of the latest Farm Aid news at Festival Outlook.

Farm Aid 2010 Lineup
Willie Nelson
Neil Young
John Mellencamp
Dave Matthews
Kenny Chesney
Norah Jones
Jason Mraz
Jeff Tweedy
Band of Horses
The BoDeans
Amos Lee
Robert Francis

Regardless of the changes that some people cried foul over (losing touch with their roots, exchanging the art of Such n Such with a dance stage, along with the aforementioned corporate presence and lineup), this was still Bonnaroo. It still took hours to get there, it was still unbearably humid, it was still crowded, and it was still an amazing weekend packed with a lot of good music. It’s still a beautiful thing to bring people together from all over the world in the name of music on a farm in the middle of Tennessee. And as I watched everyone around me during Stevie Wonder’s headlining set on Saturday night, I saw people of every different size, shape, age, color, gender and religion singing and dancing in harmony and I thought, This is what it’s all about. That’s the Bonnaroo spirit. No corporate sponsorships can ever take that away.

Thursday, June 10th

Fanfarlo
The Other Tent, 4:15 p.m.

As hordes of people were still stacked on the highway, Fanfarlo opened The Other Stage, their faces gleaming with excitement as they looked out to an early and eager crowd. The deep and wandering voices told the somber but hopeful stories that make up their debut record with the sweet duet of mandolin and guitar adding to the eastern European folk tone of Simon Balthazar. A lulling trumpet and sweet violin highlighted “Ghosts” intensity. “I’m a Pilot” and “The Walls are Coming Down” using the same to push up the already solid set, and for that matter the start of the weekend. -E.N. May

Photo by E.N. May

The Entrance Band
This Tent, 4:30 p.m.

Some of the most psychedelic music of the weekend kicked off This Tent on Thursday with a bang of bass grooves ready to send the just arriving crowd into their search for acid. Paz Lenchantin, however, is no secret. The only real curiosity here is why she (or anyone else really) isn’t singing for this band. Band leader Guy Blakeslee is one hell of a guitar player, and made sure everyone knew it, but when it came time for him to step up to the mic, ears cringed, and to be very Bonnaroo about it, the vibe was compromised. -Bruce Matlock

Local Natives
That Tent, 7:00 p.m.

As the first big draw of the fest, Local Natives‘ Taylor Rice took full advantage of the still fresh energy coming from those lucky enough to be inside. With soaring harmonies and heavy bashing tribal laced rock, the bare bones “Shape Shifter” and set closer “Sun Hands” whipped the crowd into a frenzy with fists in the air screaming along. There’s a lot of power behind a band like this, their set the proof of how being down to earth yet still bad-ass they can be. -E.N. May

Neon Indian
That Tent, 8:30 p.m.

According to frontman Alan Palomo, being at Bonnaroo was an incredible experience for Neon Indian. Indeed, just less than a year after their debut album was released, the band was already commanding a large crowd on the opening night of one of the biggest festivals in America. Palomo brought along a full live band, and they tore through tracks from Psychic Chasms. The highlights of the set included closer “Ephemeral Artery” and indie hit “Deadbeat Summer”, during which four topless and painted ladies joined the band onstage, prancing around in Indian headdresses. They ended their set about 20 minutes early, apparently not realizing they had more time, but even with a shortened set they still got the Bonnaroo crowd dancing early, setting a tone for the rest of the weekend. –Carson O’Shoney

Frank Turner
Troo Music Lounge, 10:00 p.m.

Armed with just an acoustic guitar and his voice, Frank Turner took the stage at the Troo Music Lounge ready to win over those who had just happened to stumble upon that particular stage. After making a joke about using a beer koozie for the first time (“In England we have this technology called our hands”), the people next to me yelled in a drunken stupor, “Who is this guy anyways? Go back to London!” But by the end of his hour-long set, these same people were clapping and cheering along with the rest of us. Turner’s on-stage banter was consistently entertaining; the man is nothing if not a good storyteller – whether they’re serious songs or hilarious stories. The set featured some new songs, some a Capella songs, and a volunteer from the crowd was pulled on stage to perform a harmonica solo. Near the end of the set, Turner’s guitar broke. But Constellations, the band performing after him, came to the rescue and loaned him an electric guitar. Turner claimed that he was not the best with an electric, but he made it work. He brought a ton of energy to his set, which is something to be said for a solo acoustic performer. –Carson O’Shoney

Blitzen Trapper
The Other Tent, 10:15 p.m.

“Black River Killer” opened Blitzen Trapper‘s set, heavy in cuts from their excellent 2008 record, Furr, and their latest, Destroyer the Void. With those new songs still working themselves out, they played a tightly constructed hour and a half that sounded fantastic, but left much to the imagination. Blitzen Trapper’s songs have such potential to be built on for the live experience, giving us a turned up version of their modern country stories. “Furr”, “Lady on the Water”, and “Sleepy Time on the Western Coast” gave the audience a chance to sing along, and from off the first record, “Wild Mountain Nation” took them back to their country roots. They’re barn burners without a doubt. -E.N. May

The xx
That Tent, 11:30 p.m.

The award for biggest crowd of the night went to The xx. The mass of people extended far beyond the limits of That Tent. The band came out and pleased fans by opening with “Intro” straight into “Crystalised” – the crowd went nuts when singer Romy Madley Croft sang her first lines. They’ve found a way to recreate the chilly cool of their debut album in a live environment, but don’t really change up the pace too much. That same style that works so well on the album doesn’t translate into anything particularly exciting live. The band sounded good even though the mix at That Tent was a bit off, and fans who were expecting to hear more or less direct replications of their songs were satisfied, but I left wanting a bit more. –Carson O’Shoney

Wale
This Tent, 12:00 a.m.

Hip-hop is never on time – but don’t tell that to Bonnaroo attendees. While they still get excited for hip-hop shows (the crowd was chanting “WALE! WALE!” for a while before his set), the Kanye West debacle in ’08 is never far from their collective mind. There was even still “Fuck Kanye” graffiti everywhere around the farm this year. But people also understand that sometimes things get a little off schedule at festivals. So by the time 12:15 a.m. came around and there was still no sign of Wale, the crowd was still on his side and ready for him to come out.

But around the 22-minutes-late mark, the crowd started to turn, booing and throwing middle fingers at the stage. Around this time, Wale’s DJ took quick action and played something, which the crowd took to be as intro music, so they started getting excited again. But as the band awkwardly stood around and the DJ played increasingly more random clips of songs (from Biggie to Nirvana to Drowning Pool), it became painfully obvious that he was just stalling for Wale. He even went so far as to play a new Wale song (saying, “Y’all wanna hear some new Wale?” to which the crowd seemed to reply, “No, we want Wale.”), which seemed all too similar to the Sly Stone fiasco at Coachella.

Wale finally came out around 12:30 p.m. and apologized for being late, explaining that he had overslept his nap. Once he started he really wasn’t bad. The D.C. rapper and his band played songs from his debut Attention Deficit, along with older favorites like “W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E.” And while his band sounded good and Wale was on point, for some the damage had already been done. –Carson O’Shoney

Friday, June 11th

Conan O’Brien
Comedy Theatre, 1:00 p.m.

While Conan O’Brien served as What Stage emcee for Friday and Saturday, introducing many of the bands that played the main stage, his only scheduled sets were both in the Bonnaroo Comedy Theatre. The theatre runs on a ticket system, and only holds about a thousand or so people. The demand to see O’Brien was absolutely massive, and the folks at Bonnaroo knew it. But instead of giving him his own set on a main stage, they instead simulcasted his sets so fans could watch at the Lunar Stage or the Cinema Tent. People started lining up to get his tickets at five am on Friday and Saturday, a whole six hours before they started handing them out. The line to watch it in the Cinema Tent was nearly as long, and the crowd at the Lunar Stage was huge as well. I watched from that stage, and the audience participation was just as good there as it seemed to be in the comedy theatre. People were clapping, laughing and responding just like they would if he were actually right in front of them and not on a screen. His set was nothing short of hilarious, lampooning all things Bonnaroo while also dressing up like Eddie Murphy in Raw, inviting friends on stage like Andy Richter and writer Deon Cole, and playing a few songs with his Legally Prohibited Band. Even though most fans couldn’t get in to the theatre to see his show in person, everyone left the simulcast satisfied. –Carson O’Shoney

Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
The Other Tent, 2:30 p.m.

If there ever was a time to feel the love it was during Edward Sharpe. Off the bat, they started in with the whistles of  “Janglin”, frontman Alex Ebert not on stage more than a couple minutes before taking to the crowd wide eyed and full of unabashed positivity. “40 Day Dream” drew him back to the front row one more time giving the mic to the more than willing participants to help out. It was a beautiful set, filled to the brim with the revelry from their gripping debut record. People’s arms outstretched to catch the radiating optimism from Ebert and his companions whose smiles and energy never faded. The hour’s pinnacle came during the love filled story of “Home” with the spoken word section cutely tweaked for the festival. The song, and the set for that matter, was exactly what you look for, not just in a festival, but in an over all experience. -E.N. May

Dr. Dog
The Other Tent, 4:00 p.m.

Photo by E.N. May

There’s really only one way to follow the revelry of Edward Sharpe, and Dr. Dog blew up the Other Tent with the guitar escalations of “Stranger” to start. Their sets now are mostly, if not all, based off their past two albums, but given their recorded perfection, the tailored for the stage counter parts went above and beyond. The blow out at the end of “The Old Days” and later the “The Rabbit, The Bat and The Reindeer” sent the band and the audience into a frenzy. The soaring harmonies and last verse of “Jackie Wants a Black Eye” hit the heart hard with a rare stroke of song-writing truth that they make look so easy. Dancing was unavoidable with “Mirror Mirror” as it hooked in quick, and even funkier on the guitar melody with all muscle on the back end. Shows like this solidify them as a quintessential live experience, and as they brought in the high heat of the day, it couldn’t have been any better. -E.N. May

She & Him
This Tent, 5:00 p.m.

After hearing bad things about Zooey Deschanel’s stage presence as front woman, I tuned my expectations down a bit for my first time seeing her onstage with M. Ward as She & Him. But when she came on stage, my perceptions immediately changed. From the beginning of the first song, she was jumping, dancing and generally seemed to be having a good time. Her voice sounded spot on, while M. Ward played it cool and understated while also cranking out some great guitar lines. The crowd was huge, it seemed that everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the main attraction, Deschanel. She didn’t disappoint, and was just as adorable as ever. The set was comprised of material off their two albums, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, before closing things out with a gorgeous cover of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I Put a Spell on You”. –Carson O’Shoney

Tenacious D
What Stage, 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Bruce Matlock

If you were surprised by even the smallest bit of the D’s show, or “didn’t get it” you simply were not meant to be there. For those well aware of the bands rise, the real surprise here was the skill of their supporting cast. Though Jack Black (JB) and Kyle Gass (KG) did their part wonderfully, when it came down to the music, guitarist John Konesky nearly stole the show. Black riled the crowd up using all of his abilities stating that “Kung Fu Panda would be the end of Tenacious D because a Panda is the least metal thing ever,” and informing the crowd that they were potentially the biggest they had ever played to. Seriously Mr. Black, everyone knows panda’s are the most metal animal on the planet, go back to kicking Satan’s ass and leave the panda‘s on screen. -Bruce Matlock

Kings of Leon
What Stage, 9:30 p.m.

It’s rare to find a true to rock band that can be bigger than life, yet still genuine in their love of what they do. If there was any doubt that Kings of Leon could be an actual headliner, Friday night’s set squashed it. They’ve worked their way through the festival stages, this year coming full circle for a set that left them, and us, in rock and roll awe. Caleb Followill took celebratory shots while having the self proclaimed night of his life. Walking out to Mozart’s Requiem, you could sense this was a personally monumental show for the band. From the first notes of “Crawl” they floored you, by the solo you were hooked for a night of true to life rock.

Older material was tightened up and blown out with brash guitar workouts like “Charmer”. Going back to their first appearance at the festival, they played the very rare “Tranny” as a kind of homage to the experience and the love it’s shown them over the years. A Pixies cover of “Where is My Mind” surprised as they hit every note, Followill’s worn voice fitting perfectly with the cult favorite doing it more than justice. As promised, four new songs made the set hinting at what could be in the not so distant future. Few bands capture what the modern rock show is so well, and with this set Kings of Leon further solidified themselves as the heirs to the must see arena rock throne. -E.N. May

Daryl Hall & Chromeo
The Other Tent, 12:00 a.m.

Soft rocker Daryl Hall (of Hall & Oates fame) and electro-pop band Chromeo may seem like an odd pairing, but when Chromeo stopped by to perform with Hall in his web series, Live From Daryl’s House, the results were so good that the folks at Bonnaroo wanted them to come perform together at their festival. It was the first time a pairing from Live at Daryl’s House had performed outside of the series, and the results were the same. Daryl Hall’s smooth voice compliments Chromeo’s electro music perfectly, and vice versa. They sounded great together live, playing off one another like they had been doing it for years. The pair opened with a couple of Hall & Oates songs in one, “Dance on Your Knees/Out of Touch” before a seamless transition into Chromeo’s “Tenderoni”. The large band that accompanied the pair sounded great playing both Hall’s and Chromeo’s numbers, which they switched off every few songs. Hall’s hair was ever-blowing in the wind, and the vibe in the tent was something else. There were smiles all around, and young and old danced together in perfect harmony. –Carson O’Shoney

The Black Keys
That Tent, 12:00 a.m.

Always on time, and ready to make the Tennessee humidity levels raise a few percent due to increased sweat content, the boys from Akron unearthed the same fiery passion found inside all of their early records with fan pleasers, “Girl is on My Mind” and “Stack Shot Billy”.  For newer songs going back to 2008s’ Strange Times, the band brought along a touring bassist and keyboardist which does in fact remove some level of the intimate feel the band thrives on live. However, the extras also added an extra dimension to tracks like “Same Old Thing” and help reproduce the catchiest of new tunes such as Gary Glitter-esque “Howlin’ for You”. The band is clearly at their most comfortable, however, as the twosome of Patrick Carney and Dan Auerbach. Let’s hope this isn’t a sign of things to come on future records/tours. -Bruce Matlock

The Flaming Lips, ft. Star Death & White Dwarfs
Which Stage, 12:00 a.m.

If there ever was a moment to witness, this was it. Everyone knows that The Lips‘ reputation for extravagant shows precedes them, but nothing came close to the visual and audio mind warp they planned for Bonnaroo. Opening with a short set of Lips classics like “She Don’t Use Jelly”, “W.A.N.D.”, and the newer “Silver Trembling Hands”, it was the standard Lips show, hamster ball, confetti guns and all. After a quick half dozen songs, however, they took a break to set up for the big show: Dark Side of the Moon.

Photo by Daniel McIver

Henry Rollins’ spoken word introduced the driving guitar line of their take on “Speak to Me/Breath”, which launched an out of this world menagerie of light and laser. It was an absolute bombardment of the senses, letting up on “Money”, and hypnotizing on “Us and Them”. The lasers radiated blues, yellows, and purples into the clouds of smoke bellowing from the stage while the giant video screen interjected with pulsating colors and dancing nudes. Steven Dresden Drozd’s often odd wail melted right into the vocal solo “The Great Gig in the Sky” blowing everyone back. After two and a half hours, “Eclipse” brought everything back to Earth as the band disappeared in a cloud of smoke leaving the kaleidoscoping colors to dance in the sky. It was an incredible night to witness, and one only the Flaming Lips could’ve imagined. It was as over the top as the band could possibly be, the experience astounding, and most importantly blew minds. -E.N. May

LCD Soundsystem
This Tent, 2:30 a.m.

Over the past few years, LCD Soundsystem have firmly positioned themselves as one of the best live bands on the planet, and Friday night in This Tent proved to be no exception. Having one of the most popular undercard bands on the lineup scheduled for a set from 2:30 a.m. until four in the morning is a bit of a risk, but one that worked out perfectly. There was really no better time for their brand of Talking Heads-esque electro dance punk. The band sounded as tight as ever, and frontman James Murphy was filled with energy. This Tent turned into a huge rave for party starters like “Drunk Girls”, “Pow Pow” and “Yeah”. They blew the roof off the tent with “All My Friends”, for my money one of the best performances of the festival. And while the band’s setlist this tour has not seen many changes, the crowd still loved each and every song they played, especially “Losing My Edge”. The set fell right in line with the long history of great late night sets at Bonnaroo. – Carson O’Shoney

B.o.B.
That Tent, 3:00 a.m.

Where else can you see an artist with only one commercially released album play until sunrise? Well as B.o.B aka Bobby Ray put it early Saturday morning, “I don’t know what time we are supposed to leave this stage, but we will when the sun comes up.” Featuring fellow Atlanta rapper Playboy Tre (who came off rather preachy and annoying) the set consisted of countless mixtape tracks as well as a rather fancy cover of MGMT’s “Kids”. Highlights for the marathon also included a heavy rendition of “Don’t Let Me Fall” which lifted the dwindling crowd’s spirits higher than should be possible at five am, as well as “Bet I” with its hardcore rap stylings that really just come off comic-like coming from the guy “making wishes out of airplanes.” -Bruce Matlock

Saturday, June 12th

Norah Jones
Which Stage, 2:30 p.m.

By the middle of the day on Saturday, the heat index was pushing past the mid-90s. This is not the ideal scenario to see a Norah Jones concert. I would love to see her in a nice air-conditioned theatre on a nice evening after a fancy dinner with fine wine. But in the heat of the Tennessee sun, in the middle of a smelly and sweat-soaked Bonnaroo crowd? That might be the last place I want to see Norah Jones. That’s not a knock against her; her music is just suited to a different time and place. She came out and played a nice set. She proclaimed that it was her first time at Bonnaroo since the very first one, surely the longest time between sets for a repeat act at Roo. She came out and played guitar with her backing band, playing mostly songs from her most recent album, The Fall, along with covers of Johnny Cash, The Kinks, Tom Waits, and Neil Young. Her voice is still a thing of beauty, and the band sounded great, but in the end I just wished I could of experienced it in a better setting. –Carson O’Shoney

Isis
This Tent, 3:30 p.m.

Having announced their breakup just a few weeks ago, fans were even more eager to see Isis this time around as it will probably be their last chance. They did not disappoint. Instead of just going through the motions for their last shows, Isis cranked it up and tried to put on a great show for the fans who will undoubtedly miss them. From sweeping, melodic songs to hard, powerful numbers, the band went through all the peaks and valleys that make up their particular brand of hard rock. While they will be missed, all the fans at This Tent seemed grateful to have one last chance to experience their live show. –Carson O’Shoney

The Avett Brothers
Which Stage, 4:45 p.m.

With little to no relief from the unbearable sun rolling in, The Avett Brothers brought the worn out crowds back to life. Pulling heavily from I and Love and You, “The Perfect Space”, “Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise”, and “January Wedding” stroked the heartstrings, especially when Seth Avett yelled out for life and love on “Laundry Room”. The clouds rolled in, turning on a light rain that was more than welcome while the sweet strums of “Salina” played out. As songwriters they’re simple, but being so personal and genuine in that simplicity allows raw emotion to ride along with them, which altogether gave the festival another perfect mid-day set. -E.N. May

The Dead Weather
What Stage, 6:00 p.m.

Jack White has now completed the trifecta. He’s played Bonnaroo with all three of his bands, and he’s put on a fantastic show each time. His show with The Dead Weather on Saturday was no different. Bassist Jack Lawrence and guitarist Dean Fertita kept the energy high and the music on pace, while White proved to be more than competent behind the drums. Alison Mosshart is a force of nature on stage. She’s sexually charged with tons of energy; sprawling all over the stage like it was her own. The crowd was into the whole set, but went especially crazy when White decided to come out from behind the drums and take center stage. Sometimes it was just to sing lead vocals, but the highlight of the set came when he was front and center playing the instrument that made him famous, lead guitar. His extended solo during “Will There Be Enough Water” was a highlight of the entire festival. It’s time like these that you wonder why he ever yields the guitar to anyone else. From 2007’s solo during “Ball & Biscuit” (with the White Stripes) to 2008’s solo during “Blue Veins” (with the Raconteurs) to this weekend, White is the king of epic Bonnaroo guitar solos. –Carson O’Shoney

Weezer
Which Stage, 7:00 p.m.

Oh Weezer, why do you like to make it so easy to hate on you? While Mr. Cuomo busied himself by being a “Troublemaker”, the rest of the band performed a rock show. It seemed at times like Cuomo was trying to find any way possible not to perform, everything from ripping apart mics located on the speaker stacks to pulling the wires hanging from the bottom of them. While he was busy being a “destructive badass”, as someone in the crowd so bro-ishly put it, he allowed everyone else in the band play lead-singer on great sing-alongs of “Why Bother?” and “Dope Nose”. Just saying, the band seemed to get along just fine without him. -Bruce Matlock

Stevie Wonder
What Stage, 8:30 p.m.

To see a legend perform is incredible, to see Stevie Wonder is a religious experience. All weekend Conan O’Brien had been able to keep a sense of humor for the main-stage he was MCing, but for Stevie, he was speechless with a kind of excitement that can only happen when introducing the modern godfather of soul.

With everyone at the festival watching, Wonder walked out with a white keytar tearing into his own introduction. From there it was a night of greatest hits like “Superstitious” and “Higher Ground”, throwing in a talk boxing cover of George Clinton’s “We Want the Funk” that brought down the house. Of all the aging performers, by voice alone Wonder is still in his prime, hitting every note and flourish perfectly. “Grape Vine”, “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”, and “Don’t You Worry About a Thing” took us on his 30-year soul train and gave the festival a set that will go down in history. -E.N. May

Photo by Bruce Matlock

Jay-Z
What Stage, 11:30 p.m.

Jay-Z’s headlining set on Saturday night was nothing short of huge. The stage setup, the band, the crowd, the songs, Jay-Z himself – everything about it was just bigger than anything else at Bonnaroo this year, with apologies to Stevie Wonder’s fantastic set before his. If the title of best rapper alive was ever in question, he put that to rest at his self-proclaimed second home – Bonnaroo. The crowd got excited even when the 10-minute countdown flashed on screen, and went completely insane when Jigga came on stage. He started the set with “Run This Town”, and after that it was hit after hit after hit. He seemed extremely happy to be there, and to get a shoutout from Stevie Wonder, who said he would be sticking around to experience Jay-Z. He repeatedly said he was having the best week ever, and it showed. He and his band absolutely ripped through cuts from his entire discography barely taking any pause. Jay did stop the show to survey the crowd at one point, pointing out signs, flags, and shirts that people were sporting. He noticed a girl who had on a shirt proclaiming it was her 19^th birthday, and Jay had her come on stage, gave her a hug, and led 70 thousand people in singing her happy birthday. I think it’s safe to say no birthday will beat that.

Rumors had swirled throughout the weekend that Beyoncé would show up like she did at Coachella, or that Jack White would come out and they would debut the song the two had worked on at White’s Third Man Records. Alas, neither collaboration happened, but Jay didn’t need them. He handled the crowd by his lonesome, and had people bouncing, waving, tossing up diamonds – doing whatever he commanded. He completely commanded the What Stage in a way that I had never seen any Bonnaroo headliner accomplish. From the opening beat of “Run This Town” to the closing note of “Encore”, Jay-Z dominated Bonnaroo. It was a triumphant tour-de-force performance that should erase any ill will that Kanye West created in the Bonnaroo community. –Carson O’Shoney

GWAR
The Other Tent, 2:30 a.m.

Photo by E.N. May

Taken deep from the bowls of hell, raised from their frozen tomb in the arctic, the blood soaked metal spectacle that is GWAR took to the Other Tent and annihilated all within reach. There are tips to know when going to a GWAR show, the most important is to not expect to leave clean, and that you won’t to be the same after. From the second pounding “Saddam A Go Go” the blood guns came out and unleashed on the first few rows (including yours truly in the photo pit). A disemboweling saw more gore, and in the end, it looked like a zombie massacre. The show, as part of their 25^th anniversary tour, was unrelenting in the ways that literally only they could do. These kinds of theatrics don’t exist anywhere else. The costumes, blood cannons, and side show antics always go over the top, and even if you’re not a metal head, you just have to see it to believe it. -E.N. May

Sunday, June 13th

Calexico
Which Stage, 1:15 p.m.

Playing an early Sunday set, the pleasantries of Calexico provided an easy wake up for those sticking around. The steel slides floated along with the trumpets, trading licks with guitars, creating a harmonious blend of southwest folk wisdom with American alt-country.Hailing  from Arizona, the band’s set took a political tone, with members using the chance to express themselves on the recent immigration fiasco. -E.N. May

Aziz Ansari
Comedy Theatre, 1:30 p.m.

Coming off of his highest profile gig – hosting the MTV Movie Awards, just last week – the demand to see Aziz Ansari was high. As I waited in line, I saw girls with “AZ-IZ” painted across their face and “RAAAAAAAANDY” painted down their arms. With the obvious exception of Conan, Ansari was the most in-demand comic at Bonnaroo, and his fans were equally eager to see him. After a great opening set by Chelsea Peretti, Ansari walked out to erupting applause. He was immediately taken back by the fact that there was a sign language translator there signing his show, and warned her that there were plenty of dirty things to come, to which he proceeded to mess with her by saying some dirty things he wanted to see signed.

Throughout the set, Ansari would repeat a dirty line if he missed it being signed the first time around, and sometimes the signs were just as funny as the joke themselves. And the jokes were definitely funny. With a set of all new material, he covered a wide range of topics from 50 Cent learning what a grapefruit is to his little cousin Harris having sex with a Cinnabon. After his 45 minute set, he came out and did another 15 minutes of RAAAAAAAANDY, his overly gross but totally hilarious character from Funny People. He completely killed and everyone in the tent left with a smile on their face while quoting their favorite lines, which is exactly what should be happening after any good comedy show.  –Carson O’Shoney

John Fogerty
What Stage, 4:00 p.m.

Starting out right with back to back Creedence, John Fogerty delivered a perfect late afternoon set, dusting off all his classics. He’s another in the line of legends that can still perform like the 70’s never ended, way past his prescribed prime. With the words already well ingrained, “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” and “Down in the Corner” were perfect for a mid-day sing along. Working through some solo material, Fogerty closed the set with more CCR memories, delivering flawless work on the still fantastic “Fortunate Son”. Creedence may not be around anymore, but it doesn’t mean the music is anywhere close to disappearing. -E.N. May

Ween
Which Stage, 5:00 p.m.

Ween’s brand of ADD genre-hopping can grate on some people, but their throngs of hardcore devoted fans think otherwise. Love them or hate them, they usually put on a fantastically fun live show. Their last show at Bonnaroo, a two hour plus romp on Saturday afternoon in This Tent in 2007, was a classic – which made the expectations high for this year’s show. This time around however, their time was cut to an hour and a half and they were put on the Which Stage, a much less intimate environment as far as Bonnaroo stages go. They weren’t bad; “Voodoo Lady” still stands out as one of the best live songs around, but there wasn’t much to distinguish it from any other normal Ween set. The setlist was lacking, and the energy wasn’t as high as the last go round. All in all, it wasn’t a bad show, but compared to their last Bonnaroo show, it was a let down. –Carson O’Shoney

Phoenix
Which Stage, 7:15 p.m.

As the unofficial festival closer for many, Phoenix came out to see a seemingly endless sprawl of people. Having played just last year in the smallest of the tents, this was a huge moment for the latest of the indie bands to blow up. They knew why they were there too, and excitedly gave fans what they came for, opening with “Lisztomania” and running through the bulk of Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. “Fences” laid down a strong electro pop rock groove that was as smooth as it could ever be. This was a special moment for the band, and they showed it with the energy shooting through “Consolation Prize”, and the grand finale we all saw coming. With heat lightning lighting up the rising thunderhead above, “1901” exploded over the field. The grinding yet sweet synths gave the festival one last chance to move with frenzied excitement. Seeing this, and feeling the moment, Phoenix took the song a few minutes longer, giving one more reprise of that infectious hook. This was their best moment, and they seized it with everything they had. Let’s hope they get off the road soon and start writing again, though. -E.N. May

Dave Matthews Band
What Stage, 9:00 p.m.

The last band to play Bonnaroo is a fairly special honor to bestow upon any band. Those brave enough to withstand four long days of 110+ heat index and still be able to withstand the mass of un-showered Zach Galifinakis impersonators want to sit back in the grass, relax, and cool off before heading down Shakedown Street for the last time.

This honor is always bestowed upon the jammiest in the land; Phish last year, Widespread Panic numerous times, you get the idea. Dave Matthews and his band of ridiculously capable artists jammed for two and a half hours on what could have been the most musically tense set off the weekend. Certainly there were light moments, but darker songs such as “Lying in the Hands of God” and “Timebomb” sounded perfectly fitting as lightning crashed in the background.

Though the thunder was long gone, the band closing out with their version of “All Along the Watchtower” seemed perfectly fitting. Those wandering in the crowd suddenly came to a realization that life is actually anything but a joke, and after the musical wonderland that is Bonnaroo, it was approaching on the horizon all too quickly. -Bruce Matlock

Photography by Michael Hurcomb, Bruce Matlock, E.N. May, and Daniel McIver.

She’s currently making the rounds on the European summer festival circuit, and the Asian leg of her tour takes her to exotic locales like Singapore, Japan, and Korea. After her set at the famed Fuji Rock Festival, she’ll hop on a plane and jet to New York Harbor for a show at The Beach at Governors Island. The rest of her journey looks quite exhausting with only nine days off — luckily, she’ll be in good company.

Joining her for the last week of Lilith Fair will be The Courtyard Hounds, Janelle Monae, Jill Scott, Sia, and Norah Jones.  In fact, Jones and Rae will get all BFF and take off for their own week-long soiree, which includes a show at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre and culminates with a two-night stand at The Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA.

She’ll celebrate by playing clubs across the South and Southeast before wrapping it all up with a performance at the brand new Life Is Good Festival in Canton, MA. Whew, we’re tired just thinking about it.

You can buy tickets for select dates at Ticketmaster.com, and check out this video of an axe-wielding Rae playing “Paris Nights/New York Mornings” in Williamsburg, PA.

Corinne Bailey Rae 2010 Tour Dates:
06/25 – Somerset, UK @ Glastonbury Festival
06/26 – London, UK @ Hard Rock Calling
06/27 – Somerset, UK @ Glastonbury Festival
07/01 – Luxembourg, BE @ Rockhal
07/02 – Rotselaar, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/03 – Paris, FR @ The Cigalle
07/09 – Rotterdam, NL @ North Sea Jazz Festival
07/11 – Scotland, UK @ T in the Park Festival
07/16 – London, UK @ Somerset House
07/17 – Suffolk, UK@ Latitude Festival
07/21 – Barcelona, ES @ The Teatre Grec
07/22 – Sevilla, ES @ Lope De Vage Theatre
07/28 – Esplanade, SG @ Esplanade Theatre
07/30 – Niigate Prefecture, JP @ Fuji Rock
08/01 – Jisan, KR @ Valley Rocks Festival
08/06 – New York, NY @ The Beach at Governors Island *
08/07 – Richmond, VA @ Kanawha Plaza*
08/08 – Atlanta, GA @ Lilith Fair at Aarons Amphitheatre at Lakewood
08/10 – West Palm Beach, FL @ Lilith Fair at Cruzan Amphitheatre
08/11 – Tampa, FL @ Lilith Fair at Ford Amphitheatre
08/12 – Birmingham, AL @ Lilith Fair at Verizon Wireless Music Center
08/15 – Houston, TX @ Lilith Fair at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
08/16 – Dallas, TX @ Lilith Fair at Superpages.com Center
08/19 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre ^
08/20 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Red Butte Garden ^
08/22 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl at The Palms ^
08/24 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl ^
08/25 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre ^
08/27 – Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre ^
09/01 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
09/02 – Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theatre
09/04 – Orlando, FL @ Tom Joyner Family Reunion
09/06 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
09/08 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
09/09 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
09/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
09/12 – Canton, MA @ Life is Good Festival

^ =  w/ Norah Jones

The record was put together by KCRW DJ and Los Angeles Times Magazine contributor Nic Harcourt, Mercer Street/Downtown Records, and the Enough Project and is available as a digitial download starting today. A physical release will follow on June 22nd.

Explains Enough Projector co-founder John Prendergast (via LA Times), “One of the principal reasons why there is little international response to the terrible human-rights crimes in Congo — particularly against women and girls — is that people just don’t know that these things are happening… This compilation album will be a beacon to light the path to educating hundreds of thousands of people about the issues in Congo and what all of us can do to help end the suffering there.”

According to an issued press release, all profits raised through this compilation will help fund critical field research and awareness raising efforts that will work to end the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Find the complete tracklist below. For additional information about the Raise Hope For Congo project itself, click here.

Raise Hope For Congo Tracklist:
01. Lonely Soldier – Damien Rice
02. Not Immune – Imaad Wasif
03. Angel Mom – Jesca Hoop
04. 40 – Meshell Ndegeocello
05. Je t’aime – Staff Benda Bilili
06. Leila – Angelique Kidjo
07. Na Miso – Chantal Kreviazuk
08. World of Trouble – Norah Jones
09. My Name is Mwamaroyi – Sheryl Crow
10. Don’t Let Me – Amel Larrieux
11. Raise Hope – Omékongo Dibinga & Shahin Shahida
12. Never Again – Ozomatli & The Agahoza Shalom Youth Village
13. Sleep Alone – Bat For Lashes
14. Before You Were Young (Live at Joe’s Pub) – Travis
15. Hora Zero (Live at Wecheter) – Rodrigo y Gabriela
16. Tambara – Amadou & Mariam
17. Nsimba & Nzuzi – Konono No 1
18. Priority (A Cappella) – Mos Def

So with that in mind, we have to come to the fourth and final of the Big Four lineup announcements. For the ninth time, the Austin City Limits Music Festival will take over Texas’ capital for a weekend-long musical extravaganza. And just like in years past, this particular edition, which is set to take place from October 8-10 in Zilker Park, will feature a lineup as diverse as it is overwhelming large.

Legendary American rock band The Eagles, UK alternative outfit Muse, Sri Lankan hip-hop star M.I.A., Vermont jam band Phish, and New York indie rockers The Strokes will headline this year’s bill. Other heavy hitters include LCD Soundsystem, Spoon, Vampire Weekend, Sonic Youth, The Flaming Lips, Norah Jones, The National, Band of Horses, Monsters of Folk, Broken Bells, Yeasayer, The Black Keys, and Deadmau5.

On the indie front, the likes of Beach House, Matt & Kim, The Gaslight Anthem, The Temper Trap, The xx, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, Local Natives, Devendra Bandhart, GAYNGS, The Mountain Goats, Cage the Elephant, Foals, Girls, The Morning Benders, Bear In Heaven, The Almighty Defenders, and The Soft Pack will perform.

Rounding out the lineup, we find Gogol Bordello, Pete Yorn, Robert Earl Keen, Blues Traveler, Ozomatli, Lucero, Ryan Bingham & The Dead Horses, Pat Green, Slightly Stoopid, The Sword, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, JJ Grey & Mofro, and Switchfoot.

A day-by-day listing of the complete 2010 lineup can be found here.

Three-day passes are sold-out. One-day passes, priced at $85.00 each, will go on sale starting Tuesday, May 18th at 10 am CDT. For more information, click here.

Feature box image courtesy of the Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau…

Since we last talked, the 2010 lineups for two of the city’s biggest summer concert series, SummerStage/Rumsey Playfield and Celebrate Brooklyn (the same concerts with which we told you about last week) have been updated. And let’s just say your studio apartment beneath the nail salon isn’t the only place that’ll be heating up in the Big Apple this summer.

While SummerStage already had a lot of big names filling out the whole ordeal, there’s been a few substantial additions, including Gil Scott-Heron, St. Vincent, The xx, tUnE-yArDs,  and more, all of which will be playing free shows. The likes of Hot Chip, Gov’t Mule, The Black Keys, and The Morning Benders will also be taking part in the SummerStage festivities, however, their respective performances will all come in the form of benefit concerts to support the full season of free programs. So, you’ll have to pay to get into ‘em.

It should be noted that while all the shows listed (which you can peep below) are at Rumsey Playfield, not all are SummerStage shows.We’re talking pretty much about the Cake, Ween, Coheed and Cambria, and Broken Social Scene gigs. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying your summer and a group of awesome shows, including some by some band Pavement.

And while the sheer number of concerts at SummerStage almost eclipses the shows we think you’ll dig when compared to the 2010 Celebrate Brooklyn event, don’t you dare skip out on a trip to Prospect Park. Kicking off the summer extravaganza is Norah Jones, and it only gets better as the degrees in the thermometer tick their way north. Expect free performances from Sonic Youth, The Swell Season, Metric, The Roots, and Ozomatli. Plus, Passion Pit, Rufus Wainwright, The National, and The Dead Weather will be performing ticketed benefit shows.

Find a complete list of SummerStage and Celebrate Brooklyn shows below. Special thanks to BrooklynVegan for the through pre-coverage. For additional info on SummerStage and Celebrate Brooklyn, head here and here.

2010 Summerstage/Rumsey Playfield Lineup:
05/16 – Leon and the Peoples
05/26 – Coheed and Cambria, Circa Survive, Torche #
06/05 – Living Colour w/ Ebony Bones!, Pillow Theory, and CX KiDTRONik (3 p.m.)
06/14 – Baaba Maal, Mamadou Sarr ( 7 p.m.)
06/15 – John Butler Trio, State Radio (6:30 p.m.) #
06/19 – Meshell Ndegeocello (NYC LGBT Pride Rally) (4 p.m.)
06/23 – Stanley Clarke ft. Hiromi, McCoy Tyner Quartet w/ Ravi Coltrane, Esperanza Spalding, Francisco Mela (CareFusionJazz Festival) ( 7 p.m.)
06/26 – Tinariwen (3 p.m.)
06/27 – Gil Scott Heron (3 p.m.)
06/30 – Def Poetry Jam ft. Carlos Andres Gomez and others ( 7 p.m.)
07/25 – Bassekou Kouyate, Fool’s Gold (3 p.m.)
07/26 – The Flaming Lips (7 p.m.) #
07/27 – The Black Keys w/ The Morning Benders (6:30 p.m.) #
07/28 – The Black Keys w/ The Morning Benders (6:30 p.m.) #
07/31 – Los Amigos Invisibles (3 p.m.)
08/01 – St. Vincent w/ tUnE-yArDs and Basia Bulat (3 p.m.)
08/04 – Hot Chip w/ Hercules and Love Affair, Holy Ghost! (6:30 p.m.) #
08/08 – The xx w/ CHairlift and Jack Peñate (7 p.m.)
08/11 – Gov’t Mule (6 p.m.) #
08/15 – Public Enemy w/ 7th Octave and Blitz the Ambassador (3 p.m.)
08/22 – The Specials (3 p.m.)
09/16 – Cake #
09/17 – Ween #
09/18 – Broken Social Scene #
09/21 – Pavement (7 p.m.) #
09/22 – Pavement #
09/23 – Pavement w/ Slothbear #
09/24 – Pavement #

2010 Celebrate Brooklyn Lineup:
06/09 – Norah Jones (Opening Night Gala) (8 p.m.)
06/29 – Passion Pit w/ Tokoy Police Club (Benefit Show) (7:30 p.m.) #
07/09 – Ozomatli w/ Fidel Nadal and Toy Selectah (Bud Light Latin Music Series) (8 p.m.)
07/20 – Rufus Wainwright (Benefit Show) (7 p.m.) #
07/27 – The National w/ Beach House (Benefit Show) (7:30 p.m.) #
07/30 – The Swell Season, The Low Anthem (Bud Light Music Series) (7:30 p.m.)
07/31 – Sonic Youth w/ Grass Widow and Talk Normal (7 p.m.)
08/03 – The Dead Weather (Benefit Show) (7 p.m.) #
08/05 – Metric w/ Joan as Police Woman and Holly Miranda ( 7p.m.)
08/07 – Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Budos Band and more (7 p.m.)

# = Ticketed show, aka it will cost you money. For tixs, head here for SummerStage and here for Celebrate Brooklyn.

On that day, the Bowery Ballroom will celebrate Bob Dylan’s 69th birthday by hosting the awesomely titled “Dylan Fest 2010 – a Night To Get Drunk and Celebrate Bob Dylan.” The evening’s scheduled entertainment will be The Cabin Down Below Band, a collective led by New York punk icon Jesse Malin (he owns a bar of the same name) and which has a history of playing all-star events. (See: Petty Fest 2009).

For this particular performance, The Cabin Down Below Band will feature Malin teamed up with the likes of — take a deep breath now! — Fab Moretti and Nikolai Fraiture of The Strokes, Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, Adam Green, Norah Jones, Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl of Ghost of a Saber Toothed Tiger, The Pierces, Binki Shapiro from Little Joy, Nicole Atkins, Tracy Bonham, Antony Ellis of 5 O’Clock Heroes, Sammy James Jr. of the Mooney Suzuki, Josh Lattanzi of The Candles, Jody Porter from Fountains Of Wayne, Tyson Ritter of the All American Rejects, Steve Schiltz of Longwave, Hurricane Bells, and “many many more”! Greatest birthday ever? Duh.

Tickets for the show, which are priced at just $13.00, are available here.