Over Christmas 2008 and New Year 2009, [Crowded House's] Neil Finn has invited the core band from his 2001 Seven Worlds Collide project, plus some other special guests, to create a new album at Roundhead studios in Auckland, New Zealand.

Guests confirmed so far are Radiohead's Phil Selway and Ed O'Brien, legendary guitarist Johnny Marr, founder member of The Smiths and current member of US alternate rock innovators Modest Mouse, Soul Coughing's Sebastian Steinberg, multi-instrumentalist Lisa Germano, Wilco members Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Glenn Kotche and Pat Sansone, Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall, along with NZ musicians Liam Finn, Don McGlashan and Bic Runga. All proceeds from this very special recording will go to support the continuing great work of Oxfam International.

There will also be a short series of intimate and informal live performances in New Zealand at Auckland's Powerstation on 5, 6 and 7 January 2009.

Everest opens both shows. Everest frontman Russell Pollard's wife's band The Watson Twins (like Everest's album and) play Town Hall in NYC in February.

As Conan points out, Radiohead are one of the "most environmentally conscious bands in the world." They just aren't as 'green' as Jack Johnson (or Dave Matthews or Pearl Jam) (according to Billboard)....

Continue reading "Jack Johnson is greener than Radiohead"