The gang over at Vice Magazine has just released a star-studded benefit song bemoaning the dangers and woe associated with Halloween. The song, "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en," is performed by an ensemble including the Arcade Fire, Beck, Devendra Banhart, comedian David Cross, Thurston Moore, Feist and many others, all brought together under the fictional banner of the North American Hallowe'en Prevention Initiative (NAHPI). The song will also be made available for purchase on CD and vinyl just in time for Halloween, with all proceeds going to UNICEF.
In other benefit album news: A bunch of great British bands, including Radiohead, Bloc Party, and the Kaiser Chiefs, have come together to record and produce an album in just 24 hours to raise money for the War Child organization. Marking the 10th anniversary of the original "Help" recording -- which raised money for child victims of the Bosnian war -- the new album, "Help: A Day in the Life," is set to be "the fastest album ever released." The bands started recording songs Thursday afternoon at spots ranging from London to Berlin to Hong Kong, and they should be available to download at War Child Music starting Friday afternoon.
Spine Magazine is hosting a soulful, great (albeit brief) new track from Wu-Tang's major domo RZA.
The sad thing is, this hilarious video from British comedian Mitch Benn speaks more than a bit of truth: Everything does sound like Coldplay now.
The hard rockers Eagles of Death Metal, whose great, dancey, funky music belies their rather intense name, have released a video teaser of their new album, "Death By Sexy." Drummer (and Queens of the Stone Age frontman) Josh Homme certainly does look sexy while drunkenly beating up that cartoon banana.
A few weeks back, Matador Records rereleased Interpol's sophomore album "Antics," with an added bonus disc of remixes and previously unreleased tracks. To celebrate the release, we present this list for rock critics everywhere: 101 things to compare Interpol to besides Joy Division, written by John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats for the original release of "Antics" last year. Among his suggestions: "John Cale; Warren Zevon; Nico's 'The Marble Index'; Nico in general; the credits to a French movie playing in a theater in S.E. Portland on a rainy day."
-- Joe Charap
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