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Anais Mitchell playing shows, releasing 'Hadestown' - concept album w/ Justin Vernon, Greg Brown, Hadens, more (MP3s)

DOWNLOAD: Anais Mitchell – Flowers (Eurydice’s Song) (mp3)
DOWNLOAD: Anais Mitchell – Wait For Me w/ Justin Vernon (mp3)
DOWNLOAD: Anais Mitchell – Cosmic American (MP3)

Anais Mitchell

Speaking of The Low Anthem, The Low Anthem‘s Ben Knox Miller recently joined Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Greg Brown, Ani DiFranco, and Petra, Rachel, and Tanya Haden to play on the new record by Anais Mitchell, Hadestown, which is due out March 9th on Righteous Babe. The record is a concept album about the Greek myth of Orpheus & Euridice, and each of those singers plays a role…

Hadestown began its existence in 2006 as a live “folk opera” that the Vermont-based singer/songwriter created in collaboration with director Ben t. Matchstick (Bread & Puppet Theater) and arranger/orchestrator Michael Chorney. After loading the sets and the 22-member cast of Vermont performers into a former circus bus and touring New England during “full-on winter,” it was time to rework a few songs. Next, Mitchell called upon a few fellow musicians to lend their voices to a recorded version–not a cast album, but a stand-alone, self-contained song cycle. The result is a veritable Who’s Who of modern indie folk/rock: Justin Vernon of Bon Iver plays Orpheus; Greg Brown is Hades, Lord of the Underworld (“king of the kingdom of dirt”); and Ani DiFranco plays Hades’ strong-willed, subversive wife, Persephone. Also on hand in smaller roles are the Haden Triplets (Petra, Rachel, and Tanya) as the Greek-chorus-like Fates and Ben Knox Miller of The Low Anthem as the messenger Hermes. Mitchell herself sings the part of Eurydice, the character whose (metaphoric) death propels Orpheus into “Hadestown.”

The album’s cover art is above along with two songs from the new album, one of which features Justin. Full tracklist below.

In other Justin Vernon collaboration news, he recently performed live with St. Vincent two times (one, two) in NYC, and one of his Bon Iver songs is covered on the new Peter Gabriel album.

Anais‘s upcoming shows include an April 23rd show at Joe’s Pub billed as “Anais Mitchell & the Hadestown Orchestra”. Tickets are on sale. All dates and a video of Anais performing with Justin, below…

Bon Iver & Anaïs Mitchell – Lovin’s For Fools Paris, La Maroquinerie 2 Oct. 2008

Hadestown – Track List
1: Wedding Song – Justin Vernon & Anaïs Mitchell
2: Epic (Part I) – Justin Vernon
3: Way Down Hadestown – Ben Knox Miller, Ani DiFranco, Justin Vernon, Anaïs Mitchell & the Chorus
4: Songbird Intro – instrumental
5: Hey, Little Songbird – Greg Brown, Anaïs Mitchell
6: Gone, I’m Gone – Anaïs Mitchell, the Haden Triplets
7: When the Chips are Down – the Haden Triplets
8: Wait for Me – Ben Knox Miller, Justin Vernon
9: Why We Build The Wall – Greg Brown, Chorus
10: Our Lady of the Underground – Ani DiFranco, Chorus
11: Flowers (Eurydice’s Song) – Anaïs Mitchell
12: Nothing Changes – the Haden Triplets
13: If It’s True – Justin Vernon
14: Lover’s Desire – instrumental
15: His Kiss, the Riot – Greg Brown
16: Doubt Comes In – Justin Vernon
17: I Raise My Cup to Him – Anaïs Mitchell, Ani DiFranco

Anais Mitchell – 2010 Tour Dates
Feb 25 Music on 4 – Music on 4 New York, New York
Mar 28 Iron Horse Northampton, Massachusetts
Apr 09 Higher Ground South Burlington, Vermont
Apr 10 Marlboro College Marlboro, Vermont
Apr 14 Speakeasy at Local 121 Providence, Rhode Island
Apr 15 Club Passim Cambridge, Massachusetts
Apr 16 Club Passim Cambridge, Massachusetts
Apr 17 One Longfellow Square Portland, Maine
Apr 18 Workshop at Passim School of Music Cambridge, Massachusetts
Apr 22 Careme’s Cafe Series – Careme’s Cafe Series Mays Landing, New Jersey
Apr 23 Joe’s Pub New York, New York (tickets)
Apr 24 Tin Angel Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Apr 25 Jammin Java Vienna, Virginia
Apr 30 Bard College Annendale, New York
May 01 Woodstock Town Hall Theatre / The Music of Hadestown Woodstock, Vermont
May 07 Hooker Dunham Theatre Brattleboro, Vermont
May 16 Caffe Lena Saratoga Springs, New York