Wyclef Jean Releases Charity Single on Anniversary of Haiti Earthquake

Image via MySpace

On Jan.12, the one-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, Wyclef Jean announced the release of “Better,” the first single off the upcoming benefit album “Care for Haiti.”

Wyclef’s sister, Melky Jean, wrote and performed the track.

The full album will be released on March 8, the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, and will feature tracks by Patti Labelle, KRS 1, Sean Paul, Talib Kwelli, and more.

via ecorazzi

Nashville’s Music City Center Still On the Green Track

Image via Music City Center

The green roof planned for Nashville’s Music City Center is getting trimmed.

It will still be the largest green roof in the Southeast, with 28 percent of the 14.5-acre roof featuring greenery.

The green roof will capture stormwater, reducing area flooding and providing water for irrigation and the building’s 500 toilets.

The Music City Center, expected to be completed in 2013, will house a convention center and serve as public space for art and music.

via The Tennessean

“Plastic State of Mind” Rap Parody Goes Viral

Image via YouTube

A parody of Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” – called “Plastic State of Mind” is sweeping the internet.

Produced by the activist group Green Sangha, the video talks about the environmental and health concerns caused by plastic bags.

Plastic bag bans are gaining momentum worldwide – from Italy to San Francisco.

via Treehugger

Bob Geldof Will Be Keynote Speaker at SXSW 2011

Image via SXSW

Bob Geldof has been announced as the Keynote Speaker and Showcase Performer at this year’s SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas, March 11-19.

Geldof is as well known for his music as he is for his  humanitarian efforts. He co-founded Band Aid in 1984, a supergroup of musicians that released the charity single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.

Geldof was also the driving force behind the benefit concerts Live Aid in 1985 and Live 8 in 2005.

via Spinner

Image via The House of Marley

There’s a new line of green audio accessories in town, courtesy of the Marley family.

The House of Marley, a project of Bob Marley’s children, aims to create a better world and spread Bob Marley’s vision of one love, one world through eco-conscious products that embody the values of equality, unity, authenticity, charity, and sustainability, all while giving back to people and the planet.

One of their first ventures is the Marley audio line. It features three collections – Jammin’, Freedom, and Destiny – and includes earbuds, headphones, speakers, and docking stations.

According to the House of Marley’s website:

“Bob believed in a better world, forged from passion, love, and responsibility. Now it’s up to us to turn his ideals into actions and his principles into products. Piece by piece, we’ll create the world he imagined, through products that give joy and give back.”

That’s a pretty tall order. The House of Marley kicks things off with an impressive dedication to green product design and materials selection. Marley audio products are made with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood and use recycled and recyclable aluminum and plastics.

Packaging also gets the green treatment. Recycled and recyclable material is used for packaging, and Marley earbuds and headphones even come with eco-friendly storage bags made of cotton and hemp.

As if the products’ environmental advantages aren’t enough to sell you, a portion of the proceeds benefit 1Love, the Marley family’s nonprofit that supports charities that empower youth, protect our planet, and encourage global peace.

I don’t know about you, but all this sounds like music to my ears.

We’ll find out for sure in spring 2011, when the product line will be available at retailers nationwide.

via BusinessWire

Radiohead-Approved Fan Film of Haiti Benefit Show Released

Image via Oxfam

In January 2009, Radiohead played a benefit show for victims of the Haiti earthquake at the Music Box at the Fonda in Los Angeles.

A high-quality, fan-made film of the entire concert is available online, with Radiohead’s blessing. You can either download it or watch it on YouTube.

Both Radiohead and the makers of the concert film encourage you to donate to Oxfam America’s Haiti Earthquake and Recovery Fund.

via Pitchfork

Dar Williams Hopes 2011 is the Year We Conquer E-Waste

Image via Dar Williams

On the Huffington Post, singer-songwriter Dar Williams asked others to join her in pledging to responsibly recycle old electronics and to advocate for stronger state electronic takeback laws (24 states already have them).

Want to learn more about why e-waste is important? Watch Annie Leonard’s the Story of Electronics for inspiration.

Visit the Electronics TakeBack Coalition‘s website for more info on state laws and how to recycle your old gadgets.

via The Huffington Post

Kenyan Kids’ “Trash is Cash” Video Wins Award

Image via ViewChange.org

Wafalme, a hip-hop group comprised of kids from the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, created an awarding-winning rap video.

The video – “Trash is Cash” – won ViewChange.org‘s Online Film Contest in the sustainabilty category.

In the video, the kids rap about how recycling material in landfills can create green jobs and a greener economy.

Watch the video here.

via Mother Nature Network

Bjork Sings Karaoke to Save Iceland’s Energy

Image via MySpace

On Jan. 6, Bjork launched a three-day karaoke marathon in Reykjavik to raise awareness about a takeover of Iceland’s energy company HS Orka by Canadian company Magma Energy.

The event was designed to urge Icelanders to sign a petition calling for a referendum on the ownership of natural resources.

Over 20,000 people have signed the petition already, a great head start on Bjork’s goal of 35,000 signatures.

via Take Part

The All-American Rejects Help charity: water With Online Auction

Image via MySpace

The All-American Rejects auctioned off ten autographed copies of their album, When the World Comes Down, with all proceeds benefiting charity: water.

Charity: water’s mission is to bring clean, safe drinking water to developing nations.

via ecorazzi

Image via ReadyMade

Looking for an easy, cheap DIY project to put those old cassette tapes to good use?

Display some music history and clear clutter in your entryway with a cassette tape coat hanger. It’s a piece of cake with ReadyMade’s easy-to-follow instructions.

Jeff McClure, the mastermind behind the idea, had this to say about his inspiration for the project: “Like most people, I love music. I have switched over to CDs and MP3 files, but I can’t bring myself to throw any of my old cassette tapes into the trash. I love their classic, iconic look, and I made these hooks to reuse a few of the tapes as a place to hang my hat.”

Although cassette tapes went out of vogue decades ago, there’s something very modern about the look of this coat hanger. I never considered how perfectly the right screw would fit into the holes in cassette tapes… Ideas for other cassette tape-related projects are already percolating in my brain!

One thing to keep in mind when planning your own cassette tape coat hanger is that each hook can only handle up to 10 pounds. Hats, scarves, and light jackets get the green light; hang winter jackets and heavy purses and bags at your own risk.

Now find your drill and fine-tooth saw and get to work!

via ReadyMade

Photo via Puncture Kit

We’ve heard lots about musicians traveling the greener path – from using biodiesel to purchasing carbon offsets to encouraging fans to carpool.

So what’s unique about David Osborne’s project “Puncture Kit?”

Well, his bike not only serves as his method of transport to gigs, but it also doubles as his drum set.

As David explains: “Puncture Kit was brought to life after sitting in London’s Green Park with my new bicycle not long after arriving from Australia in June 2008… no car, no drums, and a need to create beats. With my bike turned upside down, a sketchbook, and no desire to be carrying a drum kit around on buses and trains, I designed my bike as my transport and drum kit.”

He doesn’t exactly use the bike as an instrument – that was never the intention. Rather, he bolts drums, cymbals, and other percussive elements to the bike frame.

Watch David in action below. The jam starts around the 1:00 mark.

As if this innovative bike/instrument hybrid wasn’t eco-friendly enough, he sources his parts from thrift shops. Old drums, bowls, and children’s toys comprise most of the drum set.

David started out busking the streets of London. Although he remains a busker, he’s branched out into the festival circuit, including making appearances at Glastonbury, Brighton, and Edinburgh.

He’s currently touring Malawi, Africa. On bike of course!

via Eco Snobbery Sucks

Image via MySpace

Strawberries, green beans, cherries, asparagus, peaches… Hungry yet?

Fresh summer produce is beginning to pop up at grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and backyards all over the country. Which is going to make the Green Music Group’s Challenge #5 – to eat at least one meal with all local and organic ingredients – pretty darn easy (and tasty!).

And what’s not to love about local, organic food? It’s good for you, the environment, and the economy. Food tastes better because it’s fresher (it’s traveled less miles from the farm to your plate), and without those nasty pesticides and preservatives, too. Minimizing food’s transportation means using less fuel and generating less carbon emissions. Plus, buying from local farmers is a great way to support your community.

The band members of Guster will be taking the challenge along with us. They’re founding members of the Green Music Group, a coalition of artists, industry folks, and fans working towards making the music industry greener.

Adam Gardner, guitarist and vocalist for Guster and co-founder of Reverb, offers a few words of encouragement:

If one dish isn’t enough to satisfy your craving for local, organic food, no one’s stopping you from going back for seconds (or thirds). Try having more of these kinds of meals a week. Or take things to the next level by starting your own garden, participating in a community garden, or joining a CSA. You could even ask your favorite music venues to offer local and organic snacks at shows.

If you need some help, try the Eat Well Guide, a free online directory of places to find food in your area that was grown organically and locally. If you’re a musician on tour or a fan traveling to music festivals this summer, you’ll definitely appreciate the mapping tool “Eat Well Everywhere,” that helps you find good food on the road.

Just for eating a delicious, healthy meal, you could win a pair of 2010 season passes to either the Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA or the Shoreline Ampitheatre in Mountain View, CA. To enter the drawing for this challenge, just upload a photo to the Green Music Group’s website that proves you completed the task (creativity counts!) and tag the pic with the word “FIVE” by noon ET on Friday, June 18.

There’s also a grand prize – a Honda Insight Hybrid – that will be awarded at the conclusion of the Green Music Group’s series of nine challenges. Each challenge you complete will earn you a chance to win the grand prize.

Bon appetit and good luck!

Photo via Willie Nelson

Summer is on its way! That means it’s outdoor concert and music festival season.

Unfortunately, all that traveling to and from venues really takes a toll on the environment. According to the green tour gurus at Reverb, fans’ travel accounts for over 80% of the carbon footprint of a rock concert.

Yikes.

Seems like now is the perfect time to take on the fourth Green Music Group Challenge, which asks us to travel lighter. It’s brought to you by none other than the biodiesel king Willie Nelson.

So carpool to your next show or avoid the traffic entirely by taking public transportation. Biking is not out of the question either (it’s more common than you think!) and you can always walk if you’re lucky enough to live close to your favorite club.

Better yet, think about ways you could green your travel in other areas of your life, like your daily commute to work or school or your weekly trip to the grocery store.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has a nifty tool called TrailLink, which can help you find bike trails and walking paths in your area. Although I don’t know how many of us regularly travel via horse (maybe Willie Nelson does, actually…), TrailLink also includes information about equestrian trails.

Hear what Willie has to say on the topic:

Did I mention there are prizes? To enter the drawing for this challenge – and earn a chance to win a $500 gift certificate to Hard Rock – take a photo proving you completed the action and upload your pic to the Green Music Group’s website. Remember to tag your photo with the word “FOUR.” You’ll also be entered to win the grand prize – a Honda Insight Hybrid. The deadline for challenge four is noon ET on Friday, June 4.

And remember, there are nine challenges in all. We’ll be hearing from more of the Green Music Group’s founding members in the coming weeks on ways we can go green.

Image via Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson is kicking off the release of his new album, To the Sea, and subsequent summer tour in a fitting way for a singer-songwriter with surfer roots and an ocean-themed album title: with a beach clean-up!

On Saturday, May 22, Johnson and Heal the Bay will host a two-hour beach clean-up at Santa Monica Bay. For doing their part to keep California beaches garbage-free, Johnson will treat participants to a free concert at the pier on May 24.

With tickets for the show limited to the first 2,000 participants, you can imagine that it didn’t take long before they were all snatched up.

But don’t despair if you missed out! You can still win tickets by following @jackjohnson and @brushfire on Twitter. They’re giving away a pair of tickets to Twitter followers each day through May 23. Local radio stations KROQ, 98.7, KCRW, and MYFM will also feature ticket giveaways.

Recorded at Johnson’s two solar-powered studios – The Mango Tree in Hawaii and the Solar Powered Plastic Plant in Los Angeles – To The Sea is already on the fast track to success. The first single, “You and Your Heart,” sold 148,000 digital downloads since its release on iTunes in April.

Here’s a preview:

Following in the green footsteps of his 2008 tour, Johnson will again donate 100% of the 2010 tour’s proceeds to charity.

That’s not a typo – Jackson won’t make a dime off the tour.

As part of Johnson’s All At Once campaign, all funds generated from the tour will support over 150 nonprofit organizations working on sustainable local food systems and plastic waste reduction projects. Considering the 2008 tour raised $900,000 for charity, Johnson’s generosity can make a big difference on these issues.

And you can bet Johnson’s got some green touring tricks up his sleeve too. Biodiesel-fueled vehicles, eco-friendly merchandise, and ride share programs are just a few of the green actions planned. They’ll also encourage both venues and fans to reduce waste, recycle, use water refill stations, and offset carbon emissions.

After a handful of European dates in June, Jack Johnson embarks on a U.S. coast-to-coast tour, starring in Hartford, Connecticut on October 14 and ending in Santa Barbara for a two-night finale July 8-9. To see if Jack is coming to a city near you, visit the tour schedule. To the Sea will be released on June 1.

via Treehugger

Photo via Lily Allen

In a recent visit to witness the impacts of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest first-hand, Lily Allen was confronted with an unwelcome guest in her bed – a tarantula. It’s safe to say that screaming and fleeing the room soon followed.

I won’t recap the spider’s gruesome fate here. (Let’s just say it involved a shoe.) In Lily’s defense, she didn’t exactly order a hit on the lil’ fellow, so let’s give her a break on that one.

Lily’s trip brought her to Acre in Brazil, where WWF and Sky are partnering on the Sky Rainforest Rescue campaign. The campaign aims to fight climate change by saving over one billion trees. Their focus is educating local communities on more sustainable ways to earn a living from the forest than cattle ranching, which is one of the main causes of deforestation.

For example, the Sky Rainforest Rescue campaign supports projects to sustainably harvest Brazil nuts and rubber. Part of Lily’s trip included touring a condom factory where rubber tappers can get a fair price for their product. (Stop giggling!)

The Amazon is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world, not to mention extremely important in regulating the Earth’s climate. Rainforests absorb lots of carbon dioxide as well as release oxygen into the atmosphere. The impact of deforestation is huge – it accounts for over 15% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

Lily hopes her visit will draw attention to the issue and get people involved, especially because deforestation’s consequences aren’t always immediately visible.

As Lily explains:

“The situation in the rainforest has implications for all of us. The solutions are not easy, but we need to tease out those complexities – just because there’s not a human face it doesn’t mean this isn’t serious.”

The Sky Rainforest Rescue campaign hopes to raise £2 million (about $2.9 million) for this project over the next three years. Sky will match all donations, bringing the campaign’s total to £4 million (about $5.7 million). You can support the campaign by sponsoring an acre of forest, adopting a jaguar, or making one-time donation.

via ecorazzi

Image via the Hangout Festival

What started out as the newest music festival on the block has quickly evolved into much more. In response to the environmental devastation of the Gulf oil spill, the Hangout Beach, Music & Arts Festival has been reinvented as the Concert for the Coast.

The festival – which takes place May 14-16 in Gulf Shores, Alabama – will donate all its proceeds to coastal protection and restoration.

Headliners include Trey Anastasio, John Legend, Ben Harper, The Black Crowes, Girl Talk, Michael Franti & Spearhead, and Preservation Hall Jazz Band.

Festival organizers are taking a three-pronged approach to coastal recovery by: 1) promoting activism, 2) increasing public awareness, and 3) fundraising to benefit nonprofit organizations that will help the people, communities, and habitats affected by this disaster.

Activism
HeadCount will be in attendance, running a supply drive to collect needed items like baby blankets and towels and helping festival-goers write letters to Congress about offshore drilling and energy reform.

Awareness
The final day of the festival showcases a speaker panel with Adam Gardner of Guster and Reverb reknown, a national leader from the Sierra Club, and more. They’ll discuss offshore drilling, US dependence on foreign oil, and how musicians and fans can make a difference.

Fundraising
Two additional late-night benefit shows have been added to the schedule. On May 14, Alex B, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), and Big Gigantic will take the stage, with proceeds going to Mobile Baykeeper. Keller Williams’ Electronic Experiment will host a special benefit show the following evening, on May 15, to support the Rex Foundation and Mobile Baykeeper.

Limited edition posters, signed by artists performing at the festival, will be auctioned off to raise even more funds.

But wait, that’s not all! On May 16, the Concert for the Coast will extend to New Orleans as well. Calling itself Gulf Aid, the New Orleans show will feature Lenny Kravitz, John Legend, Ani DiFranco, Allen Toussaint, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Mos Def, and more. Proceeds go to Gulf Relief Foundation, which will distribute funds to help fisherman and the region’s seafood industry as well as the restoration of coastal wetlands.

via Jambase