Lucinda Williams Recording Protest Album

Lucinda Williams will follow her upcoming studio album 'Little Honey' with a digital-only EP comprised entirely of protest songs. The project, dubbed 'Lu in 08,' will feature four live tracks, including covers of Buffalo Springfield's 'For What It's Worth,' Bob Dylan's 'Masters of War' and 'Marching the Hate Machines Into the Sun,' which teamed Thievery Corporation and Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne. Williams' own new tune, 'Bone of Contention,' which was originally intended for 'Little Honey,' rounds out the collection.

"It's a pretty powerful protest song," Williams told Billboard.com. "The track didn't come out the way I wanted it to [in the studio]. We went out to do some shows, and I played the song live by myself at Summerfest. It just came out killer."

Bob Dylan, 'Dreamin' of You' -- Video of the Day


Artist:
Bob Dylan
Video: 'Dreamin' of You'
Highlight: A lifelong Bob Dylan fan treks across the country, retracing the history of the folk legend through bootleg tapes and old concert posters. Buy it on iTunes.

George Michael Arrested for Drug Possession + More

George Michael was arrested for drug possession in a London restroom over the weekend, reportedly caught with a "small amount" of crack cocaine and marijuana.

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals will release a new 12-track album, 'Cardinology,' on October 28.

Bob Dylan
's first kids book, 'Forever Young,' will be available on September 23. An animated video for the classic song can be streamed now.

Unreleased tracks from Rilo Kiley and Garbage -- in addition to remixed Oasis and Bloc Party tunes, an Of Montreal cover of an M.I.A. song and more -- are featured on the fifth volume of the benefit complilation 'Give. Listen. Help.' which can be purchased at Urban Outfitters from October 15 until January 31.

Lily Allen Releasing New Album + More

Lily Allen is set to release her as-yet-untitled sophomore album in February.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
have released a surprise charity EP titled 'Rapid Response,' with all proceeds going to Democracy Now! and the Minneapolis chapter of Food Not Bombs.

Bob Dylan-penned poems from the 'The Times They Are A-Changin'' era have surfaced. The two poems, '#17' and '#21,' are a part of the upcoming book 'Hollywood Foto-Rhetoric: The Lost Manuscript,' and have been published in the New Yorker.

St. Vincent will be opening for Death Cab for Cutie on the first four dates of the band's fall tour, which kicks off in Boston on October 3.

Mellencamp Covers Dylan Tune for Election + More

John Mellencamp covered Bob Dylan's 'The Times Are A-Changin'' for the upcoming presidential election.

Heart has issued a cease-and-desist order to Presidential nominee John McCain's camp to stop using their 1997 hit 'Barracuda' as part of their campaign.

Foals will be releasing an exclusive digital EP featuring B-sides and remixes that were previously on a UK 7" release. The songs will be available via iTunes on September 6.

Charlie Louvin, set to tour with the Old 97's, will be releasing the new album 'Steps to Heaven' on September 16, and a second record called 'Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads & Disaster Songs' on December 9. He will also play at Levon Helm's Ramble on October 25.

Oasis Set to Play Rare Club Gig + More

Oasis have scheduled a rare club show in New York City. Tickets are only available via lottery.

Stars
are releasing a new EP called 'Sad Robots' on September 1. The effort will include five new songs and a live version of 'Going, Going, Gone.'

Lou Reed will be playing a concert at (Le) Poisson Rouge, originally the site of New York's historic Village Gate, on September 2.

Bob Dylan is endorsing a line of harmonicas called the Bob Dylan Signature Series, each instrument featuring a stamp of his signature.

Rock Almanac: August 28, 2008

On This Date in 1963: Bob Dylan and Joan Baez perform together in front of an estimated 300,000 people at the March on Washington, during which Martin Luther King delivers his 'I Have a Dream' speech.

The Almanac Advises for August 28: "Stage fright has stricken even the most seasoned public speakers and performers. One technique for overcoming a fear of crowds is to envision yourself addressing just one person instead of the entire audience."

MMJ's Jim James Takes Over Newport Folk Festival

Jim James, frontman of My Morning Jacket, seemingly owned the historic Newport, Rhode Island from August 1-3. When he wasn't on stage mesmerizing a crowd with his solo acoustic set and rightfully dubbing the humid weekend as 'Newport Folk Festival 08: Hot and Sticky,' he was making guest appearances with She and Him and Calexico, and enjoying the spirit of the festival.

"It's an honor to roam these hallowed halls with all the fine performers of yesteryear and today," the bearded James mellowly gushed as an earlier gust of terrential downpours along the Newport coast cleared up on Saturday. "That's the crazy thing about these kind of old festivals. It's been going on forever, and all the old festivals are still happening right now, while this one's happening. We're on top of ghosts. They're on top of ghosts. They're on top of other ghosts." He soon welcomed M. Ward (who James referred to as "Mr. Montgomery Ward") from the side of the stage to join him for a handful of songs.

When he wasn't onstage, he could often be seen appreciating fellow festival highlights like Brian Wilson or roaming the backstage grounds with a posse of people. "I saw Brian Wilson last night. That was pretty cool, to stand in the same cube of earth -- but he didn't play my favorite song, 'Merry Christmas Satan,'" James lamented before busting into his own falsetto to sing its melody. He closed his performance with an omnichord solo and then ran off stage.

The Killers Preview New Songs + More

The Killers previewed two new album tracks called 'Spaceman' and 'Neon Tiger' at a gig in New York on Tuesday night.

My Chemical Romance
are planning to record a cover of Bob Dylan's 'Desolation Row' for the film adaptation of the graphic novel 'Watchmen.'

After challenging fans to submit videos for their single 'Hideaway,' the Weepies have chosen a winner. The winner won $10,000 from Nettwerk, and his entry will now be their official video.

Broken Social Scene
will tour in support of the solo projects by band members Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning this summer and fall.

Bob Dylan Releasing Rarities Album + More

Bob Dylan will release a 3-CD collection of rarities, titled 'Tell All Signs,' on October 6.

Matthew Sweet
announced a batch of tour dates to promote his forthcoming album, 'Sunshine Lies.'

For $5, you can now download the new record by Listening Party band the Walkmen three weeks before its physical release. All proceeds will go to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

The Streets, currently trekking around the European festival circuit, are excited about recently completing a new LP.