I remember the 1994 Bridge School Benefit as being one of the cornerstones of my young concertgoing experiences. Along with Neil Young, whose Harvest album I had recently discovered, the lineup included Tom Petty, Pearl Jam, Mazzy Star, Indigo Girls and Ministry. Yes, Ministry, acoustic (or mostly acoustic). Talk about a who’s who of the ’90s, capped off by two timeless headliners.

Bridge School Benefit 2008 is looking on par as far as performers go - Neil Young, Wilco, Death Cab, Cat Power, Smashing Pumpkins, and now Band of Horses (plus, you know, some folks whose sets I would mostly likely spend waiting in the beer line).

The Bridge School Benefit helps children with severe handicaps, so you can feel good about supporting them while crooning along with Jeff Tweedy and company, and spilling your $10 beer to Band of Horses.

Band of Horses just added to Saturday’s lineup!
Revised 22nd Annual Bridge School Benefit Lineup
Saturday, October 25th at 5pm:

Neil Young
Jack Johnson
Norah Jones
Sarah McLachlan
Death Cab For Cutie
Wilco
Cat Power
Band of Horses

Sunday, October 26th at 2pm:

Neil Young
Jack Johnson
Josh Groban
Norah Jones
Smashing Pumpkins
Wilco
Death Cab for Cutie
Cat Power

Shoreline Amphitheatre
Tickets for both shows are on sale now at www.LiveNation.com

San Francisco, CA (October 14, 2008) –  Fresh off their stellar performance at Austin City Limits, Band of Horses has just been added to the Saturday, October 25th lineup for the 22nd annual Bridge School Benefit concerts at Shoreline Amphitheatre. Tickets for both Bridge School Benefit performances are currently on sale now at Livenation.com.

As documented by the Austin Chronicle:

“If Band of Horses can be seen as a reincarnation of The Band,  that makes Ben Bridwell Rick Danko and Robbie Robertson rolled into one. Meanwhile, it appears that Bridwell has found his Richard Manuel in the band’s new keyboardist, Ryan Monroe, who contributed plenty of energy to this stellar sunset performance. Relying heavily on tracks from the recent Cease to Begin, the brothers in arms managed to wrap up tight harmonies and kick out a few piano jams, adding color and musical strength to BOH’s standard three-guitar onslaught. The crowd roared along to early hits such as “The Great Salt Lake” and an astounding version of “The Funeral.” Smelling the barn, apparently, the Horses rode a Pentecostal vibe through Bridwell’s soulful cover of Them Two’s “Am I a Good Man?”

Taking place at Shoreline Amphitheatre on Saturday, October 25th and Sunday, October 26th, this year’s lineup features acoustic performances by Neil Young, Jack Johnson, Sarah McLachlan (performing on Saturday only), Band of Horses (performing on Saturday only), Josh Groban (performing on Sunday only), Smashing Pumpkins (performing on Sunday only), Norah Jones, Death Cab For Cutie, Wilco and Cat Power. Hosted by Neil and Pegi Young, The Bridge School Benefit concerts are some of the most anticipated musical events in the Bay Area each year and provide a major source of funding for The Bridge School, a program for the communicative and education development of children with severe speech and physical impairments.

Tickets for the 22nd Annual Bridge School Benefit concerts are on sale now at www.LiveNation.com, Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 415-421-TIXS, 408-998-TIXS, 510-625-TIXS or 925-685-TIXS. Reserved seats are $150.00 and $75.00 and general admission tickets are $39.50 plus applicable charges. A four pack of general admission tickets is available for $99 plus applicable charges. To purchase tickets with no service charge, please visit the Shoreline Amphitheatre box office on Sundays between 10am and 2pm.

About The Bridge School:

The Bridge School is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure that individuals with severe speech and physical impairments achieve full participation in their communities through the use of augmentative & alternative means of communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) applications and through the development, implementation and dissemination of innovative life-long educational strategies.

The Bridge School is an internationally recognized leader in the education of children who use augmentative and alternative communication and has developed unique programs and trained highly skilled professionals in the use of state of the art assistive technology.

For more information, please visit www.bridgeschool.org

This isn’t that new but it’s the first time that I’ve came across it. Current TV has produced a 25 minute mini documentary called ‘Open Windows’ about Death Cab during the recording of their latest album, Narrow Stairs. The documentary features a good amount of talk about the recording of the record, as well as interviews with all the band members. Check it out in full below.

Los Angeles indie-pop has something new in the works. Army Navy is set to release their debut album in October on the band’s own label, The Fever Zone. Army Navy frontman Justin Kennedy co-fronted the band Pinwheel with Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard.

Army Navy will also be featured on the upcoming comedy film “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” starring Michael Cera. Check their MySpace and give a listen to “Saints” because I’m sure you’ll be hearing from them in the future!

Back on March 7th we tipped you off to a small taste of Death Cab’s newest single, and now you can hear the whole thing! Check out the music video below for their startling lengthy single “I Will Possess Your Heart.” It clocks in at about eight and a half minutes, but be patient. It pays off at about 4:41.

Death Cab For Cutie “I Will Possess Your Heart”