War Child Heroes compilation

I probably won't be available on Friday so here's a mid-week delight...

War Child, a Canadian based charity is releasing a compilation album (Feb 24th) where rock legends choo... choo... choose new bands to cover one of their songs. Pretty cool concept if you ask me and from the looks of the tracklist, the elders really know how to pick 'em. Kudos to P-fork for hooking us up with the stream of the TVOTR track. Honestly, I'm kinda lukewarm about it after only a few listens, but if it's like their other stuff I'm sure it'll grow on me.

TV on the Radio - "Heroes" (David Bowie)
Beck - "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat (Bob Dylan)
The Kooks - "Victoria" (The Kinks)
The Hold Steady - "Atlantic City" (Bruce Springsteen)
Hot Chip - "Transmission" (Joy Division)
Lily Allen ft. Mick Jones - "Straight to Hell" (The Clash)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" (The Ramones)
Franz Ferdinand - "Call Me" (Blondie)
Duffy - "Live and Let Die" (Paul McCartney)
Estelle - "Superstition" (Stevie Wonder)
Rufus Wainwright - "Wonderful & Song for Children" (Brian Wilson)
Scissor Sisters - "Do the Strand" (Roxy Music)
Peaches - "Search and Destroy" (Iggy Pop)
Adam Cohen - "Take This Waltz" (Leonard Cohen)
Elbow - "Running to Stand Still" (U2)
The Like - "You Belong to Me" (Elvis Costello)

Hooray Friday!

Trying to get ready for vacation, so here's a few for you down-and-dirty style:

- The Boss in concert circa 1974 courtesy of Aquarium Drunkard.

- The Yeah Yeah Yeah's Karen O has a side project Native Korean Rock. Thanks to Ultra 8201.

- The previously mentioned Zach de la Rocha and Jon Theodore project One Day As a Lion has their first track up on their MySpace page. Thanks to Metro D.

- Have a listen to "Born to Be Your Man," the first single from Birdmonster's new album From the Mountain to the Sea (available for download Aug 5th ) on Ryan's Smashing Life.

Hooray Friday!

Sorry for the late post, but I got sucker punched at the bar last night. Okay, I had no plans to do this last night anyway, but I figured I'd use the black eye and split lip I'm now sporting to my advantage.

- My Morning Jacket covered The Velvet Underground's "Head Held High" at SXSW and An Aquarium Drunkard has the video.

- Feist and The Constantines got together and gave us their take on the "Islands in the Stream". I'll be honest, I'm not a big fan. But it's a free country - take a listen for yourself at I am fuel.

- Eddie Vedder, you tease! Everyone knows he's going to be great live... including him. So he only schedules seven dates. And doesn't even venture away from the West Coast. But thanks to I am fuel, you can stream/download his Berkely concert and read a detailed review.

- Three times a charm for I am fuel. Tracks and a review from the Springsteen concert in San Jose.

- I am fuel had a busy week. The National covered the Boss' "Mansion of the Hill". Yes please.

- Speaking of the National, A Skin, A Night is their DVD to be released on May 20th. Ultra 8201 teases us with the trailer.

- NPR's All Songs Considered previews the upcoming releases. And from the looks and sounds of it, it's going to be a good Spring.

- Check out Tapes 'n Tapes performing "Hang Them All" on Conan this week. I need to dig into Walk It Off statim. Only 2 weeks until their concert at the 9:30 Club - hells yeah!

- Vote for the greatest rock 'n roll band ever. Cool concept, poor execution. NME has taken on task, but it's too time consuming. How many bands are there to rank? When I was asked to rate Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, I called it quits.

Hooray Friday!

- The All Points West Festival lineup has been announced with Radiohead playing on Friday AND Saturday. Ah Jersey City, NJ… a beautiful area of the world. And let's not forget the fact that Jack Johnson has managed to score the trifecta in festival headlines this summer. Good on ya, Jack.

- I am fuel has a handful of Eddie Vedder/Bruce Springsteen collaborations posted for your listening pleasure.

- Same blog, different topic. This week’s music roundup had a new track from the Mountain Goats, a live one from Spoon, a White Stripes/Beck diddy and a Daft Punk cover.

- Apparently Maxim magazine reviewed the Black Crowes' upcoming album, Warpaint, without even hearing it. This reminds me of when I was in college and tried to write term papers without doing any research. Unlike Maxim though, I was never called on it (thankfully). Thanks to Product Shop NYC for the K.

- For those of you who have yet to discover Cloud Cult, you are missing out. The Meaning of 8 was a highlight of 2007 for me and they are following it up with the release of Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes) in April. MFKWCRG has a track from the album, "When Water Comes to Life", which does not disappoint.

- Rihanna and the Klaxons got together at the 2008 Brit Awards and made a little "Umbrella" and "Golden Skans" love. The Music Slut provides the links.

Get your tour dates here

- Bob Dylan & Elvis Costello are teaming together for some dates this fall. I've saw Mr. Dylan and his band a few years ago and can't say I was too impressed. It instead made me wonder what it would have been like to be at one of his concerts back in the day. I've heard good and bad things about Elvis Costello, although I think he's playing solo during this tour.

- The Boss and the E Street band are heading out to support their upcoming release, Magic. I can wait to see what the ticket prices are for this. And I'm sure Ticketbastard isn't going to be shy with their service fees. Yeah that's right, I'm Mr. Brightside.

- Keeping with the ridiculously expensive tickets prices theme, Van Halen has kissed and made up with David Lee Roth and are planning mucho dates. I say planning, because you never know how long the love fest will last, especially with someone as annoying as DLR. Tickets have already gone on sale for some dates and some are already sold out.

- Okkervil River's new album, The Stage Names is getting mixed reviews. I'm still undecided, but am leaning towards some of their earlier efforts. Their tour starts tonight and runs till Dec.

- The Cure have postponed their tour till April/May 2008 because they haven't finished their new album. New dates TBA.

Hooray Friday!

- Gotta start off with the National. Aquarium Drunkard has a bunch of live tracks posted. RatBat Bear is correct - if you don't check that blog out on a regular basis, you are missing out on some musical gems.

- Radiohead alert! Check out the leaked track from their now 2008 album at Product Shop. Impressive, although all this really does is make me want for the new album more.

- The HBO show "Flight of the Conchords" kind of jumped up and bit the LOML and I on the boo-boo. We think it's the tops! Music for Kids... has an interview with the band manager, Murray Hewitt. At the bottom of the post are 2 of the bands songs, including our favorite, "Business Time".

- I am fuel... has posted some Dave Grohl demos from when he when back to his roots and rocked the drums again for the QOTSA album, Songs for the Deaf. I should have learned how to play the drums... or the bagpipes.

- I haven't been a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen's last few efforts. I'm all for artists experimenting, but I felt like the Boss was holding something back. My tune may be changing though if the first single from his upcoming release, Magic is any indication of what's to come. I am fuel... has posted the link to "Radio Nowhere" here.