Entertainment Blogger: MusicMonday: Festival Updates, Songs for Haiti Relief, Free Downloads

Festival Updates

Here are updates on some leading music festivals planned for this year:

Coachella

Coachella 2010 will be held from April 16 - 18 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
The line-up includes headliners Jay-Z, Muse and Gorillaz. The full list of scheduled artists can be found on the festival site here or in the image above (just click to enlarge).
Tickets went on sale last week and can be ordered here.

Lilith Fair

Lilith Fair, the traveling music festival featuring female solo artists and female-led bands, is back! Co-founded by Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan, the festival originally was held in the summers of 1997 - 1999. This summer, over 30 North American cities have been scheduled -- with plans for a short European tour as well.
Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow, Colbie Caillat, Erykah Badu, Ke$ha, Tegan and Sara, Miranda Lambert, Metric were among the first artists announced to join Sarah McLachlan.
Just last week, Loretta Lynn, Heart, Norah Jones, Cat Power, Sia, Gossip, La Roux, Beth Orton, Ceci Bastida, Erin McCarley, Frazey Ford, Julia Othmer, Kate Nash, Lights, Missy Higgins, Lissie, Marina & The Diamonds, Priscilla Renea, Rosie Thomas, Melissa McClelland, Toby Lightman and Elizaveta were added!
More details can be found on the festival site here.

Rothbury Festival

The Rothbury Festival, the four-day jam band music festival held in Rothbury, Michigan in 2008 and 2009, has been postponed for this year.
According to the event's site here, the Independence Day weekend festival will take a break this year with hopes of returning in 2011.

Songs to Benefit Haiti

As posted here last month, Eddie Vedder delivered a moving cover of "My City of Ruins" at last month's Kennedy Center tribute to Bruce Springsteen. Now the song is available for download at iTunes for only 99¢ with ALL proceeds going to Haiti relief. You can download the song here.
Performances from last Friday's live telethon, Hope for Haiti Now, are available for purchase at iTunes here -- with all proceeds going to Haiti relief. The full performance album is $7.99 and the full two-hour video telecast is $1.99. Individual audio performances are also available for 99¢ each. The performances were top-notch -- and included Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Shakira, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera, Sting, Beyonce, Sheryl Crow, Keith Urban, Kid Rock, Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris, Jennifer Hudson, Emeline Michel, Jay-Z, Bono, The Edge, Rihanna, Dave Matthews, Neil Young and Wyclef Jean.
Linkin Park, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel, Alanis Morissette, Slash, The All-American Rejects, Hoobastank, Kenna, Enrique Iglesias and Lupe Fiasco have teamed up with Music For Relief to aid earthquake victims. You can access the 10-track album here first, but please don't forget to donate after you download!
The generous guys of Wilco are giving away full recordings of two shows they played last year for free download on their site here. In return, they’re encouraging (though not requiring) fans to donate $15 or more for Haiti relief to either Oxfam or Doctors Without Borders.
Meanwhile --more benefit songs are planned in the coming weeks. A new version of "We are the World" is being organized by Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie -- while the music industry gathers this coming weekend for the Grammys. Rumored participants include Usher, Natalie Cole, John Legend, Wyclef Jean, Sting, Fergie, Alicia Keys and Justin Timberlake. And Simon Cowell is organizing a benefit recording of REM's "Everybody Hurts." No talent confirmations have been named, but Leona Lewis, Susan Boyle, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, MileyCyrus, Lady Gaga, Bon Jovi and Wyclef Jean are rumored to be participating.

Free Downloads

Here are this week's offerings:

SPIN Magazine has a free album of 10 artists to watch in 2010; download it here.
Chester French has a 'mix tape' album featuring Lady Gaga, Solange and many others; click here for the download.
A 5-track album from Caleb Rowden can be downloaded here.
For Corrine Bailey Rae's new single, use code 'Corinne' at Walmart's site here. Note: for more free songs from Walmart, see list below.
Coca-Cola presents a weekly free download on 'The Formula for Happiness' MySpace page here. The current freebie is for Kid Sister's "54321."
Just sign up for the Lilith Fair e-newsletter and receive a free download of "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan and Emmylou Harris; click here.
In honor of Mozart's birthday on January 27, Baby Einstein is offering a free 'Baby Mozart' download here.

And don't forget to continually check the following sources for more free downloads -- new songs covering all genres are added frequently. Just click on the links below and enjoy some new tunes.