Hampton Phish – 2009 Hampton, VA Phish Video and Audio Clips

1% for the Planet, a global network of 1,200 companies that donate 1% of annual sales to environmental causes, has released a digital music compilation: 1% for the Planet: The Music, Vol. 1, the world’s first music compilation dedicated to supporting non-profit organizations working to create a healthy planet. The album aims to accelerate the 1% movement by engaging more people and inspiring more companies to join.

In early January the album hit #1 on Amazon.com’s MP3 download chart, and broke into the top 50 on iTunes’ bestselling album list. Featuring more than forty tracks for only $9.99, the album can be found on the 1% music web site, and on all major music download sites.

More than 40 musicians have donated music to the album and are featured on the 1% music site. Leading artists, including Jack Johnson, Jackson Browne, and Grace Potter, gave rare and exclusive tracks. “The artists are amazing. They have been incredibly supportive of the project from the beginning, and their passion is infectious. Fans hear the artists’ music and are inspired to get involved themselves” says Melody Grote, VP of Marketing and Acquisitions, 1%.

In the spirit of reducing waste generated from the distribution and disposal of traditional CDs, the album is an all-digital release. At the new 1% music web site, fans can sample and buy the music, see what the artists are saying about their involvement in the cause, and spread the word online. Supporters can visit the site to get a web badge to display on their site or blog, or use social media tools like Facebook and Twitter to spread the word.

Though the release is all-digital, the compilation is also available to offline purchasers. With a greater number of consumers buying CDs only to store them after they’ve saved the music digitally, 1% for the Planet offers consumers and retailers a more earth-friendly option in purchasing music. Eco friendly download cards allow the music to be merchandised in retail stores alongside regular CDs. The download card evokes the look and feel of a CD but is made entirely of recycled paper. Consumers purchase the download card with an enclosed access code which allows them to download the music. The new format is available now to retailers worldwide.

“1% for the Planet: The Music, Vol. 1 is an easy way to make a difference for anyone who loves good music,” says Grote. “Listeners can share the music online with their friends, family and colleagues in order to exponentially increase giving to the environment.”

Details on all 41 tracks can be found at music.onepercentfortheplanet.org.

James Murphy :: LCD Soundsystem

LCD Soundsystem has confirmed May 18 as the U.S release date of its as yet untitled third album. The record will be released on DFA/Virgin in the U.S. and will consist of the following songs:

Dance Yrself Clean

Drunk Girls *

One Touch

All I Want

Change *

Hit *

Pow Pow

Somebody’s Calling Me *

What You Need

The above were recorded at The Manshun in Los Angeles and the DFA studios in New York and mixed at DFA from April 2009 through February 2010. The album was written and produced by James Murphy. Additional mixes were done by Dave Sardy as indicated (*).

The new album is LCD Soundsystem’s first full offering of new studio material since 2007’s Sound Of Silver, which was named best album of the last decade by NPR, ranked #1 in the 2007 Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics poll, landed at #12 and #17 respectively in Rolling Stone and Pitchfork’s best albums of the decade, and like its predecessor, 2005’s LCD Soundsystem received a Grammy nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album. Sound Of Silver also featured “All My Friends,” ranked #4 by Time in its Best Songs of 2007 and named single of the year by Pitchfork, and Entertainment Weekly #8 song of 2007 “Someone Great.” In 2008, LCD Soundsystem contributed the track “Big Ideas” to the soundtrack of the movie 21. The band has since released the 45:33: The Remixes EP and a cover of Alan Vega’s “Bye Bye Bayou,” issued to commemorate Record Store Day 2009 and earning LCD its fifth NME single of the week. The album will be preceded by the March 23 release of the soundtrack to Noah Baumbach’s Greenberg, which features both composition’s from James Murphy’s original score for the film and the new LCD Soundsystem song “Oh You (Christmas Blues).”

The record’s release will be supported by a world tour beginning with an April 16 penultimate slot at the Coachella festival in Indio, CA and continuing with a run of U.K./Europe headline dates (several of which have sold out well in advance and necessitated added dates) and further worldwide festival appearances.

LCD Soundsystem Tour Dates :: LCD Soundsystem News :: LCD Soundsystem Concert Reviews

Baaba Maal

Legendary Senegalese singer and star of the world stage Baaba Maal will head out on a coast to coast U.S. tour this spring, marking his first stateside dates in four years. The master musician will also make his debut on the Bonnaroo stage this June, bringing his signature blend of electronic dance elements and timeless West African musical tradition to this year’s festival. These upcoming shows will be the first opportunity for Baaba’s adoring American fans to hear tracks live from his new album Television (Palm Pictures), released last year to critical acclaim. Joining Baaba onstage are Aliou Diouf on drums, Massamba Diop on talking drum, Mbara Cisse on bass, Ibrahima Cissokho on electric guitar, Hilaire Felicien Chaby Hary on keys, Cire Sall on hoddu and Mouhamadou Lamine Sarr on percussion. The U.S. leg begins April 8 in Wisconsin and wraps May 7 at the Lake Eden Festival in North Carolina.

Television is a collaboration primarily between Baaba Maal and singer Sabina Sciubba and keyboardist Didi Gutman, both members of New York’s Brazilian Girls. The result is a stunningly beautiful and diverse record that meshes two genres, generally unfamiliar to each other, to produce an eclectic and romantic sound. The enigmatically named title-track refers to a relatively recent phenomenon in Africa – ubiquitous TV screens. “The television set is like a stranger you didn’t ask for coming into your living-room,” explains Baaba. “You don’t care about who he is: he just seems to come from nowhere and gives you information.”

Baaba Maal Tour Dates :: Baaba Maal News :: Baaba Maal Concert Reviews