By now you’ve probably heard Justin Vernon of Bon Iver’s collaboration with Kanye West, Jay-Z, Rick Ross, and Nicki Minaj, “Monster,” but the summer isn’t (technically) over for the Eau Claire singer-songwriter just yet: Vernon performed with Kathleen Edwards on at least two stops along her latest tour, joining the Canadian alt-country songstress for Failer cut “Mercury” (which he’s covered solo before). 

In addition to onstage collaborations with Vernon, Edwards played covers of Neil Young’s Harvest Moon track “From Hank to Hendrix” and Ryan Adams-penned, Whiskeytown standout “Houses on the Hill.” Need help on another hook, Ye? Edwards is but one degree away… Watch footage from all three performances below:

Just last week, Neil Young announced the drop date and title for his forthcoming Daniel Lanois-produced album, Le Noise, and now a few more key details have surfaced ahead of the September 28 release. In addition to the album cover art, a listing on Amazon revealed the 8-song tracklist, which includes 4 songs we posted live versions of in May, as well as “Hitchhiker,” Walk With Me,” “Someone’s Gonna Rescue You,” and other new Neil jams previewed on his Twisted Road tour.

Check out the cover above (click through for larger version) and the tracklist below:

We loved the new songs Neil Young has been previewing on tour and now it looks like we’re only a month away from hearing the Daniel Lanois-produced studio versions. Speakers in Code reports that Lanois apparently succeeded in convincing Young to not dub his forthcoming solo album Twisted Road (after this year’s tour) as we now have the release date, official LP title, and more info via Young himself on… his Facebook page:

“Le Noise” is complete. It is a solo record. Playbacks are happening now. Release date is September 28th. It will be available in Vinyl, CD and I tunes in the first edition, followed by Blu-Ray, and an APP for I-Phone and I-Pad a month or so later. The app will be free. It gives you an interactive album cover. Forgive my use of the word “album”. I am old school. When you buy the songs/movies from I- tunes they show up in your APP. Peace ny

Back in June, Neil Young revealed that he was plotting to bring his “Vampire Blues” (and its anti-Big Oil message) to cities along the oil spill-stricken Gulf Coast, and now we have the official dates, as well as details as to how the legendary singer/songwriter/Godfather of Grunge plans to help the affected area beyond simply lifting spirits with his music. In a press release, Young announced today that he has joined forces with John Tyson, his longtime friend and chairman of Tyson Foods, Inc., to bring hunger relief to Mobile, Alabama; Panama City and Pensacola, Florida; and Biloxi, Mississippi. In addition to a massive donation of food by Tyson and Young’s contribution of profits from limited-edition concert shirts, the pair ask that attendees of the 4 concerts bring non-perishable food items to be given to local food banks. In a statement, Young said:

In an interview posted by the Toronto Star yesterday, producer Daniel Lanois (U2, Bob Dylan, obvs) discussed last month’s life-threatening motorcycle accident, his ongoing recovery from a host of awful injuries, and the new album he is producing for Neil Young. Despite his harrowing ordeal, Lanois sounds charmingly optimistic: “Hey man, I’m lucky to be alive… It could have been spinal. Luckily, I was wearing a full-face helmet.”

Though still not completely out of the woods, as he is suffering from lung problems due to previous internal bleeding, Lanois has already resumed work on Neil Young’s latest solo record. “[I]t does not have a band, but it’s rocking,” he said. “And he’s really come in with the songs, they’re terrific. I dare say it might be some of his best work in some time. We’ve really hit the motherlode.”

I’m not sure if they’ll make it on the album, but the tunes Young has been performing on the road lately are certainly on par with said “best work,” I’d say. The full interview by Nick Patch is excellent, so I do suggest giving it a read.

Back in May, I posted video of Laura Marling’s flawless live version of Jackson C. Frank classic “Blues Run the Game” on her last U.S. tour. As it turns out, we’ll be getting another one-take performance of the cover, recorded this time in one of the coolest active analog studios in the country for one of our favorite indie labels: Jack White’s Third Man Records. Here’s the kicker, though: on the flip side will be Marling’s version of Neil Young’s iconic 1972 song “Needle and the Damage Done” (which she played for our friends at Paste recently).

The limited 7” vinyl is set for release on August 9 via Third Man, and can be pre-ordered online at Rough Trade right now (yeah, that’s the cover art above). As with most of Jack White’s one-off “Blue Series” releases, this should be available via iTunes, as well, next month. Meanwhile, give the live version of Frank’s song another viewing below:

Last week, Neil Young (or one of his reps) posted a seemingly random first status update to his official Facebook page: “I have been thinking about adding vampire blues to my show but i would rather do it with a band.” As it’s been forever since I last gave On the Beach a spin, I missed that the 1974 tune was a wonderfully prescient jab at the oil industry (Neil’s longtime foe). Well, the impetus for the message became even more clear this morning as Rolling Stone’s Andy Greene points out that Young revealed the third leg of his solo tour will focus on cities along the oil spill-stricken Gulf Coast.

The only show confirmed so far is at Hollywood, Florida’s Hard Rock Live on September 23, but other dates in “Florida and on the Gulf Coast” will be announced shortly. In the meantime, enjoy some of the new songs Young debuted on the first leg here, and get acquainted with “Vampire Blues” (sample lyric: “Well, I’m a vampire, baby / Suckin’ blood from the Earth / Well, I’m a vampire, baby / Sell you twenty barrels worth”) below:

James Mercer may be “get[ing] ready to record the next Shins record,” but in the meantime, the current Broken Bells frontman has a handful of classic cover songs to tide us over until the follow-up to 2007’s Wincing the Night Away drops. In the past two weeks alone, Mercer has performed live or unveiled studio-recorded tunes by the likes of Neil Young, Squeeze, Tommy James and the Shondells, and the Miracles.

Stream Mercer’s take on Neil Young’s “Journey Through The Past” (from the 180 South soundtrack) over at I Guess I’m Floating (via Pitchfork), and check out a studio version of Squeeze’s “Goodbye Girl” (via Levi’s), as well as the Miracles/Smokey Robinson 1962 hit “You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me” and timeless jam “Crimson and Clover” performed live by the Broken Bells in NYC earlier this month, below: