Buddy Holly Tribute Draws Cool Artist List

An upcoming tribute album to Buddy Holly, Rave On Buddy Holly, will feature the likes of My Morning Jacket, Fiona Apple and Jon Brion, The Black Keys, Modest Mouse, Nick Lowe, Florence + The Machine, Cee Lo Green, Paul McCartney, She & Him, Justin Townes Earle, Kid Rock, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Julian Casablancas and more.

19 songs are included in the collection, which will be released on Fantasy/Concord on June 28 in the US. Let’s hope it gets a release here around the same time.

A press release states that “Rave On‘s striking collection of musicians share Holly’s insurgent rebel spirit and outsider point of view. The artists cross generations and styles, collectively and defiantly embracing Holly’s distinctive rough and tumble inventiveness.”

Instead of being a straight cover album, artists were “free to explore radically new interpretations.” For example, Florence + The Machine brings an “industrial New Orleans” feel to “Not Fade Away” with Ivan Neville playing the keys, while Paul McCartney’s rendition of “It’s So Easy” features “raw, propulsive excursion filled with boisterous ad-libs.”

Film-music supervisor Randall Poster, notable for his work with Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson and Todd Haynes, was hired as producer and overseer. “As the tracks from various contributors were gathered for the album, we seemed to be gathering pieces of a complex and original puzzle,” says Poster. “[That puzzle] traces back to the roots of rock and roll and shapes so much of the music that followed.”

Poster also credits various track producers like Matt Sweeney, Joe Henry, Jack White and C.C. Adcock for the record’s richness.

Had Buddy Holly not died in 1959 at the age of 22, he would have been 75 years old on Sept. 7.

Track List:

1. Dearest – The Black Keys

2. Every Day – Fiona Apple & Jon Brion

3. It’s So Easy – Paul McCartney

4. Not Fade Away – Florence + The Machine

5. (You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t Care – Cee Lo Green

6. Crying, Waiting, Hoping – Karen Elson

7. Rave On – Julian Casablancas

8. I’m Gonna Love You Too – Jenny O.

9. Maybe Baby – Justin Townes Earle

10. Oh Boy – She & Him

11. Changing All Those Changes – Nick Lowe

12. Words Of Love – Patti Smith

13. True Love Ways – My Morning Jacket

14. That’ll Be The Day – Modest Mouse

15. Well…All Right – Kid Rock

16. Heartbeat -The Detroit Cobras

17. Peggy Sue – Lou Reed

18. Peggy Sue Got Married – John Doe

19. Raining In My Heart – Graham Nash

Coachella Names A Great Line-Up

The Coachella Festival is one of the great music festivals of the world. Held in Indio, California which is about 150 miles out of Los Angeles Coachella has always set the standard when it comes to combining hot new acts with some well selected old timers.

The 2009 instalment is no exception. Its held over three days April 17-19.

Some of the older acts in this years line-up include Leonard Cohen, Paul McCartney, Morrissey, Henry Rollins, Bob Mould, Perry Farrell, The Cure, X, Booker T and Michael Franti & Spearhead. They are joined by a host of younger acts including a couple that this website really likes The Hold Steady and The Gaslight Anthem.