One of the biggest stories of the beginning of 2012 around HT headquarters has been the return of Neil Young and Crazy Horse. After eight years apart, the group has come together to record two albums and this past Friday night performed publicly for the first time since 2004. Neil Young and Crazy Horse played I Saw Her Standing There at the 2012 MusicCares Person of the Year reception honoring Paul McCartney in Los Angeles.

James McKinley Jr. of the New York Times raved about the band’s performance and if past MusicCares benefits are any indication, we should see an audio and video release of Friday’s show in the future. McCartney himself kicked off Friday’s show with Magical Mystery Tour and the Wings classic Junior’s Farm before the parade of guests began. Of particular note, HT faves Foo Fighters tackled Jet, Alison Krauss and Union Station delivered No More Lonely Nights and Norah Jones sang Oh! Darling.

Here’s the full setlist from Friday night’s Macca Tribute…

“Magical Mystery Tour” – Paul McCartney
“Junior’s Farm” – Paul McCartney
“Jet” – Foo Fighters
“Blackbird” – Alicia Keys
“No More Lonely Nights” – Alison Krauss & Union Station
“Here, There and Everywhere” – Tony Bennett
“And I Love Her” – Duane Eddy
“Oh! Darling” – Norah Jones
“Hey Jude” – Katy Perry
“I Saw Her Standing There” – Neil Young and Crazy Horse
“The Fool on the Hill” – Sergio Mendes
“We Can Work It Out” – Coldplay
“Yesterday” – James Taylor with Diana Krall and John Clayton
“For No One” – Diana Krall with James Taylor and John Clayton
“My Valentine” – Paul McCartney with Diana Krall, John Pizzarelli and others
“I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter” – Paul McCartney with Diana Krall, John Pizzarelli and others
“Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five” – Paul McCartney
“Golden Slumbers/Carry that Weight/The End” – Paul McCartney with Joe Walsh

Last year was filled with high quality album releases and 2012 is shaping up to be just as good, if not better. Many artists have albums planned for release this year and more than a few have us excited with anticipation. For the list below we stuck to albums with confirmed titles and release dates, so no Dr. Dre Detox and no Black Sabbath or any other “TBA” LPs.

Here are eight albums that have DaveO and me stoked for 2012.

Lana Del Rey – Born To Die
(January 30, 2012)

With a spot on Saturday Night Live this weekend a full two weeks before the release of her much awaited major label debut and a newly inked modeling contract, Lana Del Rey’s album just might live up to proverbial hype. Judging by her hard to find self-titled first album (as Lana Del Ray) and more recent singles, there’s enough to her voice and songwriting to build intrigue beyond any well-crafted persona. This album could make her the star she thinks she is or fizzle like a lead balloon.

READ ON

We keep our eyes peeled for new tour dates announcements each week and compile them on Tuesdays for this handy column…

Paul McCartney sure knows how to work the publicity machine. This past weekend, the former Beatles bass player got hitched for the third time, this time to Nancy Shevell, where according to reports Sir Paul debuted a song as a gift to his new wife. Now, just days after tying the knot, Macca has announced a 11-stop European tour that will kick off on November 26 in Bologna, Italy at the Futureshow Station Arena. The three week swing will take McCartney to France, Sweden, Russia, Denmark, as well as a trio of shows in the United Kingdom, which includes a tour ending show at the Echo Arena on December 20 in his former hometown of Liverpool.

If you’re not into a night in Macca, then maybe you’ll be interested in hitting one of these recently announced tours…

• Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings: U.S.Tour (10/28 – 12/14)
• Tea Leaf Green: Winter Tour (1/11 – 2/19)
• Dr. Dog: November Tour (11/2 – 11/18)
• The War On Drugs: Fall Tour (10/11 – 12/17)
• Good Old War: Early Winter Tour (11/16 – 12/31)
• Puscifer: Late Fall Tour (11/7 – 12/11)
• Bela Fleck & The Flecktones: Spring Tour (3/1 – 4/28)
• The Sea And Cake: World Tour (11/4 – 12/8)
• John Scofield: U.S. Fall Tour (10/18 – 12/4)

We keep our eyes peeled for new tour dates announcements each week and compile them on Tuesdays for this handy column…

While Paul McCartney may not be able to hit a 95-MPH fastball, he will be taking the field at a number of Major League Baseball stadiums this summer. With two show already set to take place at Yankee Stadium in July, Macca announced today that he will hit a trio of other ballparks for his On The Run tour. The former Beatle and Wings frontman has added gigs at Comerica Park in Detroit (7/24), Wrigley Field in Chicago (7/31), at The Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati, OH (8/4) with tickets going on-sale on June 17.

If you’re not into a night with Macca, than maybe you’ll be interested in hitting one of these recently announced tours…

• Gillian Welch: Summer Tour (6/30 – 9/17)
• Yonder Mountain String Band: Summer Tour (7/3 – 8/20)
• Leftover Salmon: Fall East Coast Tour (9/20 – 9/23)
• Tapes ‘n Tapes: Summer/Fall U.S. Tour (8/18 – 10/5)
• Battles: World Tour (6/23 – 11/01)
• Zach Deputy: North American Summer Tour (6/16 – 8/29)
• Bryan Ferry: Fall U.S. Tour (9/29 – 10/15)
• Manu Chao: Late Summer U.S. Tour (8/31 – 9/18)

Yesterday word came down that Paul McCartney will perform at Yankee Stadium on Friday, July 15 for what will be his 23rd concert in New York City including his time with The Beatles. For this week’s B List we look back at each of Macca’s 22 performances of at least six songs in NYC.

1. The Beatles @ Carnegie Hall – February 12, 1964

Roll Over Beethoven, From Me to You, I Saw Her Standing There, This Boy, All My Loving, I Wanna Be Your Man, Please Please Me, Till There Was You, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Twist and Shout, Long Tall Sally [Unconfirmed setlist for each of the band's two shows that night]

READ ON for more on Paul McCartney in New York City…

Last night, CBS aired the Kennedy Center Honors concert, taped on December 5th, which featured a slew of legendary performers from rock history paying tribute to Paul McCartney. Those feting Macca included No Doubt, Mavis Staples and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith. Head over to Consequence of Sound to watch some of these wonderful performances.

As always, we’ve got six more links to help you over the hump…

• The Flaming Lips have big things planned for New Year’s
• Gov’t Mule kicked off its NYE Run w/ help from a friend
• Merle Haggard has been told he is currently cancer-free
• It takes more than a blizzard to keep the Bosstones down
• Bruce Hornsby is prepping a new musical to run in 2011
• Check out David Oppenheimer’s Xmas Jam Pre-Jam pics

Finally, one of the bands I’m interested in checking out on Jam Cruise is the Rhythm Devils. GD drummers Billy Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart have put together an intriguing lineup this time around. Dennis Cook of JamBase recently spoke with the band members for a comprehensive feature that got me even more excited to see these guys in action.

If earlier performances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live served as the appetizer for Paul McCartney’s whirlwind trip through New York, tonight’s show at the Apollo Theater was the main course. Macca’s first-ever show at the legendary Harlem venue was broadcast live on numerous SiriusXM channels and didn’t disappoint.

[Confetti Canons at The End via @WilliamHermes]

The Hall of Fame rocker performed a truncated version of the typical set he’s been using on his Up and Coming Tour with a few notable exceptions. McCartney dusted off one of the first songs he wrote with John Lennon, One After 909, for only the second time since The Beatles’ rooftop concert at Apple Corps on January 30, 1969. One After 909 is a song The Beatles recorded in 1963 and 1969 and released on Let It Be. In a nod to the venue, which Paul described as “the holy grail”, Paul and his band tackled Marvin Gaye’s Hitch Hike. Other rarities included the recent soundcheck staple, Petrushka, and the holiday favorite Wonderful Christmastime.

Here’s tonight’s setlist…

Paul McCartney
December 13, 2010
Apollo Theater
New York, NY

Magical Mystery Tour, Jet, Drive My Car, All My Loving, One After 909, Let Me Roll It, Long and Winding Road, Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five, Maybe I’m Amazed, Blackbird, I’m Looking Through You, And I Love Her, Petrushka, Dance Tonight, Eleanor Rigby, Hitch Hike (multiple restarts), Band On The Run, Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da, Back In The USSR, A Day In The Life > Give Peace A Chance, Let it Be, Hey Jude

Encore: Wonderful Christmastime, I Saw Her Standing There, Get Back,
Encore2: Yesterday, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) > Carry That Weight > The End

A few videos are starting to make the rounds…

Paul McCartney – Sgt. Peppers > Carry That Weight > The End

• McCartney @ the Apollo Videos: Maybe I’m Amazed, Hitch Hike, Eleanor Rigby, Dance Tonight
• McCartney @ The Apollo Audio: 128kbps MP3 @ Guitar 101

The typical Saturday Night Live musical guest usually performs two songs on the long-running NBC program. Former Wings lead singer Paul McCartney proved once again (he played three songs in 1993) that he is far from the typical musical guest as he was given the opportunity to play a record five songs for the cameras and treated audience members to an additional two songs. Here’s a rundown of Macca’s performances…

Jet

Band on the Run

READ ON for the rest of Paul McCartney’s sizzling SNL hits…

On February 1st, Universal Music/ Tuff Gong will put out a new live album from Bob Marley and the Wailers called Live Forever taped at the reggae legend’s last recorded performance on September 23, 1980 at the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh, PA. At the show, Marley and his band rocked a number of songs from his new album at the time, Uprising, as well as plenty of Bob’s greatest hits from throughout his career.

This marks the first time this long-bootlegged show will be released officially, though the version of Redemption Song from this gig was released as the final song on 1992′s Songs of Freedom box set.

Here’s a look at six other stories of note this week…

• Doors singer Jim Morrison finally gets his pardon
• List Time: Best Cover Albums of 2010, Part One
• Madison Square Garden buys The Forum in LA
• Matt Dickey celebrates the release of his new LP, Try This at Home, on December 16th at the Williamsburg Music Center
• Help craft Gov’t Mule’s New Year’s Eve setlist
• Gorillaz to gift fans with a new album on Christmas

Finally, Paul McCartney stopped by Late Night With Jimmy Fallon to perform a couple of songs and sit for an interview with the comedian. Not only did Macca play the Lennon tribute, Here Today, he also treated the audience to a version of the Beatles’ classic Yesterday that included the original verse “scrambled eggs/oh my baby how I love your legs”  and additional made up lyrics that McCartney came up with in a dream before changing the words to the more familiar version we all know.  Take a look…

Iconic performer Paul McCartney will return to NBC’s Saturday Night Live as the musical guest for the December 11th episode, in which actor Paul Rudd will host. This marks McCartney’s third time as musical guest having performed on the NBC show back in 1990 and 1993, though Macca also made a brilliant cameo in 2006. Paul’s SNL appearance comes two days before he’s set to perform at the Apollo Theater on the 13th.

SiriusXM satellite radio will celebrate reaching the 20 Million Subscriber mark on December 13th with a special performance from Paul McCartney at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Tickets will be distributed through a sweepstakes that SiriusXM subscribers can enter here.

This marks Macca’s first-ever concert at the legendary venue, though Beatles band mate John Lennon performed at the Apollo on December 17, 1971 as part of a benefit for the families of victims of the Attica State Prison riots.

SiriusXM will broadcast McCartney’s concert in its entirety on a new month-long channel called Paul McCartney’s Band on the Run Radio. The channel will feature a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Band on the Run, hosted by McCartney himself, as well as newly-discovered live performances of Wings tracks recorded at Abbey Road Studios from The Paul McCartney Archive.

In other Beatle news, the Wall Street Journal reports that Apple will announce a deal for iTunes to distribute the Beatles’ music later today. Head over to Apple.com at 10AM to watch the announcement.

UPDATE [10:04AM]: All 13 Beatles’ studio albums as well as Past Masters and the Red and Blue greatest hits compilations are now available through iTunes.

On August 29, 1966, The Beatles played their final live concert in the United Stated to a sold out crowd of screaming fans at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. Now, some 44 years later, the legendary band’s bass player – Paul McCartney – will return to the city by the bay for another ballpark show, this time at AT&T Park  on July 10. In addition to the Frisco date, Macca has also added a show three nights later at the Rinto Tinto Stadium in Salt Lake City, UT, a state that he’s never played before. Tickets for both shows will go on sale this Monday, May 24.

• List Time: 5 Reasons You Should See Hall & Oates
• Mary J. Blige to play Nina Simone in a new biopic
• Cover Alert: Dr. Dog tackles Shel Silverstein
• The Beatles will be turned into zombies for a new movie Paul Is Undead: The British Zombie Invasion
• Download This: Woods @ Abrons Art Center (via NYC Taper)
• Bootsy Collins opens the world’s first Funk University

Finally, psychedelic rockers Akron/Family are asking their fans to contribute their own homemade videos for any song of their liking off their latest LP Set Em Wild, Set Em Free and “set them to the weirdest, simplest, or funniest visual material they like”.  All entries should be sent to akakdreamtime@gmail.com, and will be posted to their Vimeo page for the project, where you can currently check out a bunch of submissions.

Earlier this week at an event at Bowery Ballroom in NYC, two great brands came together to form a unique and quite tasty pairing as Bonnaroo and Ben Jerry’s revealed an ice cream flavor inspired by the nine-year-old music festival dubbed Bonnaroo Buzz. The ice cream – which contains light coffee and malt ice creams with whiskey caramel swirls and English toffee pieces – will be available exclusively at Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shops beginning on May 4 and of course on-site at the festival this June with the festival donating their share of the proceeds to the Bonnaroo Works Fund whose goal is to further the org’s community investment and philanthropic endeavors.

• List Time: 10 Great Stoner Songs
• Use the Bob Dylan Calculator to find which album is best for you
• Cover Alert: Surfer Blood tackle The Beach Boys
• Music Snobbery blasts the new issue of Rolling Stone
• Jim DeRogatis leaves the Sun Times to become a full time blogger
• NYT to stream The National’s new album High Violet starting 4/23

Finally, following in the footsteps of last year’s long awaited Beatles remasters it was announced earlier this week that Paul McCartney’s solo material would be receiving the same treatment via Concord Music Group. Macca, who is celebrating the 40th anniversary of his first solo album, has released his last three albums via Concord and brings a large back catalog of records that includes his work with Wings. The venture will kick off this August with the remastered version of Wings’ 1973 album Band On The Run that will feature enhanced packaging and rare bonus content.

Cover Wars March Madness is officially over and we will offer one more congratulations to our winners Perpetual Groove. Now, the 2010-2011 Cover Wars Regular Season begins. For the first contest of the season, we look at four covers of the first track off the 1976 Wings album At The Speed Of Sound – Let ‘Em In. The song is written and sung by Sir Paul McCartney.

The Contestants:

Billy Paul: This ultra smooth cover complete with strings, horns, and an alternate list of people in the lyrics was recorded in 1976.
Source: Let ‘Em In

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A live version of unknown origin:

READ ON for the scoop on the rest of this week’s contestants…

Paul McCartney kicked off his Up and Coming tour on Sunday night in Phoenix and peppered the setlist with a few rarities. Venus and Mars, Rock Show and 1985 returned to Macca’s set for the first time since the Wings days, while The Beatles’ classic I’m Looking Through You off of Rubber Soul was performed live by McCartney for the first time ever. Take a look…

I’m Looking Through You – Paul McCartney