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

Plus, Mavis Staples and Jeff Tweedy teamed up for a wonderful rendition of “You Are Not Alone”, with the Wilco frontman then appearing a bit later to play guitar for an original number written and sung by Stewart and Colbert. And let’s not also forget The O’Jays’ performance of “Love Train”, and uh, Kid Rock showed up too, backed by Sheryl Crow and a recorded T.I.

Both the music and the rally came to a fitting end with a singalong of “I’ll Take You There” featuring all of the aforementioned performers as well as the day’s other guests, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and R2D2. So, yeah, “spectacle” is an accurate description.

Watch the highlights below. We’ll add more clips as they show up.

Yusuf + Ozzy + The O’Jays

Jon Stewart + Stephen Colbert + Jeff Tweedy

Kid Rock + Sheryl Crow + T.I.

As it relates to music, the rally will feature The Roots kicking things off at 12:00pm with a 40-minute performance.  Following an official welcome by Stewart and Colbert and readings from Sam Waterston (the guy from Law and Order), past Colbert Report performers and current collaborators Mavis Staples and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy will for play for 10 minutes. Then, around 2:15, country star Sheryl Crow will receive her own five minutes in the spotlight.

Better yet, there are several unannounced musical guests also included on the schedule (cough cough Bruce cough cough), so stay tuned for surprises. If you can’t attend the rally in person, you can watch it live online or on Comedy Central beginning at noon EST.

Other contributing artists include Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, Allison Moorer, and Sheryl Crow, who teamed up with both Lynn and Miranda Lambert for a rendition of the track “Coal Miner’s Daughter”.

The release will be available starting November 9th via Columbia Records. Below, you can find the tracklist, as well as a clip of The White Stripes performing “Rated X” live.

Coal Miner’s Daughter: A Tribute To Loretta Lynn Tracklist:
01. Gretchen Wilson – ‘Don’t Come Home A Drinkin’ (With Lovin’ On Your Mind)’
02. Lee Ann Womack – ‘I’m A Honky Tonk Girl’
03. The White Stripes – ‘Rated X’
04. Carrie Underwood – ‘You’re Lookin’ At Country’
05. Alan Jackson and Martina McBride – ‘Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man’
06. Paramore – ‘You Ain’t Woman Enough (To Take My Man)’
07. Faith Hill – ‘Love Is The Foundation’
08. Steve Earle and Allison Moorer – ‘After The Fire Is Gone’
09. Reba featuring The Time Jumpers – ‘If You’re Not Gone Too Long’
10. Kid Rock – ‘I Know How’
11. Lucinda Williams – ‘Somebody Somewhere (Don’t Know What He’s Missin’ Tonight)’
12. Featuring Loretta Lynn, Sheryl Crow and Miranda Lambert – ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’

Co-produced by long-time guitarist and collaborator Doyle Bramhall II, the album will feature the likes of Steve Winwood, Wynton Marsalis, and Sheryl Crow. Despite being in the business a long time, Clapton said via a press release that the end result was a shocker to him. “It’s an eclectic collection of songs that weren’t really on the map—and I like it so much because if it’s a surprise to the fans, that’s only because it’s a surprise to me, as well.” That’s right– he’s still got it.

Enjoy the tracklist below. As always, stay tuned for more news (maybe possibly a tour?!) as it’s announced. CLAPTON hits stores September 28th via Warner Bros. Records.

CLAPTON Tracklist:
01. Travelin’ Alone
02. Rocking Chair
03. River Runs Deep
04. Judgement Day
05. How Deep Is The Ocean
06. My Very Good Friend The Milkman
07. Can’t Hold Out Much Longer
08. That’s No Way To Get Along
09. Everything Will Be Alright
10. Diamonds Made From Rain*
11. When Somebody Thinks You’re Wonderful
12. Hard Times Blues
13. Run Back To Your Side
14. Autumn Leaves

The duo busted this out in Oakland last night and, with a few dates left on their tour, there’s hope it will reappear. If it does, maybe someone can capture a better video? The zoom button’s there for a reason!

Update: Speaking of said tour, Newsom has just confirmed a November 23rd performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. Tickets go on sale Monday, August 9th. She’ll also be appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday, August 11th. Complete list of confirmed tour dates below.

Joanna Newsom 2010 Tour Dates:
08/04 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theater ^
08/05 – Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue Theater ^
08/06 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater ^
08/07 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theater ^
08/22 – Glanusk, UK @ Green Man Festival
09/14 – Dublin, IE @ Grand Canal Theatre
09/16 – Bristol, UK @ Colston Hall
09/17 – Birmingham, UK @ Symphony Hall
09/18 – Manchester, UK @ Palace Theatre
09/20 – Glasgow, UK @ Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
09/21 – Gateshead, UK @ The Sage
09/23 – Lille, FR  Aéronef
09/24 – Zürich, CH @ Volkshaus
09/25 – Feyzin, FR @ Epicerie Moderne
09/27 – Milan, IT @ Teatrro Dal Verme
09/28 – Rome, IT @ Auditorium Parco della Musica
09/30 – Tel Aviv, IR @ Tel Aviv Opera House
11/23 – New York, NY @ Carnegie Hall

^ = w/ Robin Pecknold

The album runs to over an hour and there’s nothing on it under four minutes. Yet most songs would benefit from less indulgent run ons. There have been much better, and sadly ignored, white soul albums of late, notably Kristina Train’s Spilt Milk. Maybe it’s because Crow’s range doesn’t quite convey the feeling that comes with real soul, or that the album strives at the same time for a feel good vibe, that 100 Miles From Memphis struggles to convince. Picking out selected tracks demonstrates this dichotomy.

The opener “Our Love Is Fading” is pure pastiche, full of borrowed phases, and its brassy uptempo treatment rather jars with the downbeat lyrics. The radio-friendly single “Summer Day” works much better. It’s pleasantly laid back and has an engaging simplicity.  The reggae flavoured “Eye to Eye” mixes signature horns with some oddly annoying keys phrases and a lot of nah-nahing. The song has one Keith Richards guesting, though he’s a bit hidden in the mix. “Long Road Home” has some equally irritating horn licks that recall the worst of Mark Ronson, blurring the lines between authenticity and imitation.

“Peaceful Feeling” sounds like a song you’ve heard all too often before. There’s an odd disconnection throughout much of the album that hints again that Sheryl Crow’s voice is not really suited to this kind of material. The Terence Trent D’Arby classic “Sign Your Name” sees Crow dueting with Justin Timberlake who brings his usual smooth brand of soul to the proceedings, yet the treatment doesn’t really move the song on and you think, why do this?

Sheryl Crow is heard to better effect on two concurrent ballads: “Stop”, for which she takes sole writing credit and the Citizen Cope cover, “Sideways” which has Cope himself on dual vocals. The stop the world I want to get off message of the former song seems closer to the kind of social commentary that Crow has traded in over her career. The record ends with a cover of “I Want You Back” by the Jackson Five, with a dedication ‘for Michael with love’. Sheryl Crow, of course, was once a backing singer to MJ. Instrumentally, and somewhat surprisingly vocally, the one-take bonus track is given a really faithful treatment, and it’s difficult to criticise what is clearly a homage from the heart.

Memphis is a world apart from Crow’s last album, Detours, so I just played “Always On Your Side” from Wildflower for comparison and the jury doesn’t need to be out for long to conclude that the new offering doesn’t hold a candle to the country tinged torch balladry of the former. Crow’s early albums, Tuesday Night Music Club and Sheryl Crow, equally still hold plenty of delights from the lazy vibe of “All I Wanna Do” to the country Stones grunge of “If It Makes You Happy”. I suggest an investment in back catalogue before parting with serious money for Memphis.

The week promises to feature the likes of Green Day, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, and the earlier mentioned Phish — hey, that’s Quebec City Summer Fest eclectic! — tackling songs from Exile on Main Street. Plus, on the fifth and final night, J-Fal will debut the Stones’ Stones in Exile, a new documentary that focuses on the making of the album.

Tune it starting Monday, May 10th. Find the schedule below.

Rolling Stones Week Schedule:
Monday, May 10: Green Day
Tuesday, May 11: Keith Urban
Wedensday, May 12: Sheryl Crow
Thursday, May 13: Phish
Friday, May 14: Debut of Stones in Exile

The festival was last held in 2007, also at Toyota Park, and originally for three days in 2004 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Both editions sold out, and sold multi-platinum DVD’s.

Clapton told Rolling Stone, “It’s a selfish thing. I can go to one place and hear all of my favorite musicians in one day.” Surely not that selfish, as the 2010 edition of the festival benefits the Crossroads Centre, the drug rehab facility in Antigua founded by Clapton.

Many of the 20+ performers Clapton has booked are repeats from the first two festivals, including B.B. King, ZZ Top, current tourmate Jeff Beck, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Robert Randolph and slide guitar hero Sonny Landreth. There are some notable new choices, however: the Allman Brothers Band, blues singer/guitarist Keb’ Mo’ and Brazilian bossa nova legend João Gilberto, a booking as rare to American audiences as you’ll find at a 2010 festival.

Not surprisingly, Clapton’s excited about that one, too: “The whole thing was an excuse for getting him out of Brazil,” he told Rolling Stone. Don’t be surprised about his reverence for Gilberto, either. “A festival about guitar doesn’t have to be all heavy metal or all rock,” he said. “It would probably surprise a lot of people who don’t play that someone like me or Derek Trucks [of the Allmans] can admire and enjoy someone like Gilberto.”

Expect to see some collaborations, per the website. Expect another great DVD, also, per common sense.

This will be your last chance to hit up one of these, by the way. Clapton is quoted in the Rolling Stone interview as saying, “I’ve convinced the business guys this is the last one.” He added, “I’ve kind of said, ‘We’ll do three.’ I like three. I’m a ‘three’ guy.” Also notice this festival has been held every third year. He ain’t kidding. This might be the year to go though — the third time is, in fact, a charm, right?

Tickets are $100 for the event, which goes on sale February 20th on Ticketmaster, with a fan club pre-sale the day before.

Mellencamp and King have been collaborating on the project since early 2000. In previous interviews, Mellencamp noted the story “centers on the deaths in 1957 of two brothers and a young girl and the legend that grows out of the tragedy.”

“The father takes them to the family vacation place, a cabin that the boys hadn’t been to since they were kids, he told Billboard in October of 2005.

“What has happened is that the father had two older brothers who hated each other and killed each other in that cabin,” he continued. “There’s a confederacy of ghosts who also live in this house. The older [dead] brothers are there, and they speak to the audience, and they sing to the audience. That’s all I want to say, except through this family vacation, many things are learned about the family, and many interesting songs are sung.”

If that wasn’t enough, the legendary T-Bone Burnett produced the musical’s soundtrack and describes it as “‘down-home,’ with the earthiness and feeling of the acoustic folk-country blues of the 1930s.” You’ll be able to hear it as part of a three-disc package, which will feature the script’s full text, two discs featuring the entire production of the spoken word script and songs performed by the cast, and a third CD of the songs only

Ghost Brothers of Darkland County is scheduled to debut next September at Atlanta’s Alliance Theater. Burnett hopes to proceed its debut with the release of the soundtrack. Either way, consider this an early candidate for the most unique project of 2010.

Today, Lilith founders Terry McBride and Sarah McLachlan dropped the jaw dropping roll call, which includes everyone from all-stars like Erykah Badu and Mary J. Blidge to indie darlings Tegan & Sarah and Metric. Familiar faces like McLachlan, Indigo Girls, Sugarland, and Sheryl Crow will help rope in younger talent like Colbie Caillat, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Chantal Kreviazuk. But really, just take a look at the whole list…

A Fine Frenzy, Ann Atomic, Ash Koley, Brandi Carlile, Butterfly Boucher, Chairlift, Chantal Kreviazuk, Colbie Caillat, Corinne Bailey Rae, Donna De Lory, Emmylou Harris, Erykah Badu, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Ima, Indigo Girls, Ingrid Michaelson, Janelle Monae, Jennifer Knapp, Jill Hennessy, Jill Scott, Katzenjammer, Ke$ha, Mary J. Blige, Meaghan Smith, Metric, Miranda Lambert, Nneka, Sara Bareilles, Sarah McLachlan, Serena Ryder, Sheryl Crow, The Submarines, Sugarland, Tara MacLean, Tegan and Sara, Vedera, The Weepies, Vita Chambers, Ximena Sarinana, Zee Avi

Tickets aren’t on sale yet, but cities have been announced, and a two-week tour throughout Britain and Europe is also in the cards. Keep your eyes glued to our Lilith Outlook page as more details surface.

As Rolling Stone reports, on January 29th, in Los Angeles, the event will honor both Young’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-worthy musical achievements as well as his philanthropic work, which includes leading roles in both Farm Aid and the Bridge School benefit concerts.

And to celebrate the occasion, artists like Dave Matthews, Wilco, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, Norah Jones, James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, k.d. lang, Emmylou Harris, Ozomatli, Josh Groban, Everest, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers (hiatus no more!) will come together to provide the evening’s entertainment.

If you’re interested in attending the event (and have at least $1,250), click here to download the reservation form.

The gala will be among the highlights in the week leading up to the 52nd annual Grammy Awards, taking place January 31st at Los Angeles’ Staples Center. Bono, Brian Wilson, Billy Joel, Aretha Franklin and, most recently, Neil Diamond are among those who have been past honorees of MusiCares Person of the Year.

No Doubt, Jimmy Buffett, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and Sheryl Crow are among the acts confirmed to take part in the two-day event. So are Adam Sandler, Gavin Rossale, and Wolfmother, as well as a number of indie favorites, including Fleet Foxes and the newly formed super group known as Monsters of Folk. And of course, Neil Young will take a break from playing host to also give a musical performance.

The annual event, which is put on by Young and his wife Pegi, benefits The Bridge School, a program for the communicative and educational development of children with severe speech and physical impairments.

Tickets will go on sale beginning Sunday, September 20th at 10 a.m. PDT via Livenation.com. Advance tickets are $150.00 and $75.00 for reserved seating and $39.50 for general admission plus applicable service charges. Four packs of general admission tickets may be purchased for $99.00. There is a 4 ticket limit for reserved seats and 8 ticket limit on the lawn for these shows.