-- The charity Artists Project Earth is currently holding an online auction to raise money for victims of recent earthquakes in Haiti, Chile, and the Tibet Plateau. Fleet Foxes, TV on the Radio, R.E.M., the Killers, Madonna, Beyonce, the Kooks, and others have contributed instruments, signed posters, and other pieces of memorabilia. The auction runs through June 20.

-- Kid Millions, Oneida's beast of a drummer, has a new drum ensemble project called Man Forever. On June 22, St. Ives (Secretly Canadian's vinyl-only label) will release Man Forever's self-titled debut. Right now, Man Forever is on the road with a band that includes members of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ex Models, Awesome Color, and Sightings.

-- Later this month, Chicago psych-pop project Netherfriends will digitally release their debut album Barry and Sherry. You can watch the kaleidoscopic time-lapse video for "Lead You Through the Misty Fog of Milwaukee Avenue" here, and catch Netherfriends at our own Pitchfork Music Festival.

-- The Montreal Jazz Festival will come to venues around Montreal June 25 - July 6. Andrew Bird, the Roots, Gil Scott-Heron, Lou Reed, !!!,...

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Photo by Natalie Kardos

The train of goodies from Gil Scott-Heron's BNM'd record, I'm New Here, keeps rolling on with a clip for the album's sparse, acoustic guitar-led, Bill Callahan-penned title track. In the clip, directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, the spoken-word luminary (accompanied by Oakley Hall guitarist Pat Sullivan) rhapsodizes in a studio setting while images of him walking through New York are projected on the walls around him. Check it out below. (via IFC)

This beautiful cover of the Smog track is a highlight from Scott-Heron's latest album

Elvis Costello is the latest pop star to pull performances in Israel. But can a boycott do more harm than good?

Last week, Elvis Costello became the latest, though probably not the last, musician to pull out of a concert in Israel under pressure from various groups calling for a cultural boycott of the country over its mistreatment of Palestinians. Before him it was Gil Scott-Heron, whose recent London show was disrupted by protesters, and Carlos Santana. But Israel has by no means been struck off the international gig circuit: forthcoming attractions include Elton John, Mark Knopfler, Placebo, and Costello's wife, Diana Krall. This is largely because there is no official cultural boycott of Israel equivalent to that imposed on South Africa during apartheid. Despite the rhetoric of the pro-boycott lobby, which talks of Israel's "colonial apartheid", it remains a matter of individual choice.

A successful boycott requires general consensus on two principles: one, that the cause is just, and two, that a boycott is an effective political tool. In the case of Israel, neither agreement yet exists. Talking to the Jerusalem Post before his U-turn, Costello argued: "The people who call for a boycott of Israel own the narrow view that performing there must be about profit and endorsing the hawkish policy of the government. It's like never appearing in the US because you didn't like Bush's policies or boycotting England because of Margaret Thatcher."

Costello could not be described as a Zionist hawk, and...

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MP3/Stream:> Gil Scott-Heron: "New York Is Killing Me" [ft. Mos Def]

Last month, we hit you with Nas' gritty, end-times take on Gil Scott-Heron's BNM'd "New York Is Killing Me", from the legendary poet's also-BNM'd album I'm New Here. Now, Mos Def has jumped on the track as well.

Mighty Mos' verse on this particular remix showcases the NYC veteran's effortless flow as he namechecks McDonalds, riffs on the city's ever-changing landscape, and reveals which newspaper he prefers (hint: it's not the New York Post). Stream or download the track above.

With rents and crowding and subway service interruptions, living in New York City can be a massive pain in the ass. But one of the great reasons to live in the city is the wealth of outdoor concerts that come to town every year-- and a lot of them are free.

Series like Central Park SummerStage, Celebrate Brooklyn!, the Pool Parties, offer an entire summer's worth of live shows. We've got some highlights listed below.

Central Park SummerStage will host non-free shows from tons of heavy hitters: Pavement, the Flaming Lips, Hot Chip, the Black Keys, the Morning Benders, and Hercules and Love Affiair. But the free-show lineup also impresses. the xx, Public Enemy, St. Vincent, tUnE-yArDs, Gil Scott-Heron, Tinariwen, Chairlift, Jimmy Cliff, the Specials, Raphael Saadiq, El Guincho, Fool's Gold, Aloe Blacc, Basia Bulat, Living Colour, Omar Souleyman, Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba, and Ebony Bones will all play the big stage this summer.

The SummerStage organizers are also putting on a number of other free shows in other parks around the city. Jay Electronica and Dan Deacon will come to Red Hook Park. Pharoahe Monch, EPMD, and Olu Dara will play Queensbridge Park. And Doug E. Fresh and Big Daddy Kane will both hit Von King Park. All the details are here.

Meanwhile, Brooklyn's more bucolic Prospect Park Bandshell will host the parent-beloved

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What: The Great Escape
When: May 13-15
Where: Brighton, England
Who: Broken Social Scene, Wild Beasts, the Big Pink, the Walkmen, These New Puritans, Surfer Blood, Here We Go Magic, Morning Benders, John Talabot, Sleigh Bells, the Fiery Furnaces, Warpaint, Real Estate, Best Coast, Cold Cave, Japandroids, Primary 1, Active Child, Gold Panda

What: Liverpool Sound City
When: May 19-22
Where: Liverpool, England
Who: Titus Andronicus, Los Campesinos!, British Sea Power, the Fall, Gil Scott-Heron, Sleigh Bells, Wild Beasts, Male Bonding, Free Energy, Holy Fuck, Field Music, Max Tundra, Afrika Bambaataa, Gold Panda, Los Campesinos!

What: Springfestival
When: May 12-15
Where: Graz, Austria
Who: Pantha Du Prince, Joker, Ed Banger vs. Boys Noize, Moderat, Moritz von Oswald, Kode9, Chicks on Speed, Erol Alkan, Theo Parrish, DJ Hell

What: FutureEverything
When: May 12-15
Where: Manchester, England
Who: Jesu, Konono No.1, Plaid, Omar Souleyman, Ryoji Ikeda, L-Vis 1990, screening of Animal Collective's ODDSAC

Shows canned due to volcanic eruption

More acts announced for 2010's Womad

MP3:> Gil Scott-Heron: "New York Is Killing Me" [ft. Nas]

In February, spoken word poet and rap ancestor Gil Scott-Heron released the grizzled return-to-form lament "New York Is Killing Me", off of his Best New Music album I'm New Here.

Now Nas, one of Scott-Heron's greatest descendants, has jumped on the track to add some of his own dizzy, apocalyptic imagery. All in all, Nas uses the track to make a pretty good case for not living in New York.

Stream or download the track over at OnSmash (via Vulture). UPDATE: Hear and/or download it above.