andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

Sam Roberts Band, Wilco, Alexisonfire, Jully Black, Blue Rodeo, and Malajube are among the musicians who will play free outdoor concerts as part of the festivities surrounding the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

The shows are part of LiveCity Vancouver, made up of two sites in Vancouver that will play host to family-geared programs as well as concerts.

David Lam Park in Yaletown will host most of the music events, while the downtown location at Cambie and Georgia streets will be more of an area where people can eat and drink and watch Olympic events on big screens. The Games will run from Feb. 12 to 28 in Vancouver and Whistler.

The free concert lineup has yet to be finalized, but it is due to be announced within the next few weeks.

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After former Wilco member Jay Bennett was found dead in his home, an Illinois coroner determined the multi-instrumentalist died of an accidental overdose of painkillers, according to media reports.

Tests show that a drug that is prescribed to treat chronic pain, fentanyl, is what Bennett died from. The coroner’s office is investigating the death as an accident, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Just a month before his death, Bennett put up a post on his MySpace page and mentioned the pain he suffered continuously from a hip injury.

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Wilco have confirmed that Canadian chanteuse Feist will make an appearance on their latest, as-yet-untitled album, which is slated for release in late June.

“Rumors and blogs regarding a guest appearance on (the track “You and I”) are, amazingly, quite true,” a posting on the band’s website stated Friday. “Feist does indeed lend a great vocal.”

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Neil Young will hit the road for a North American tour this fall, with Death Cab For Cutie and Wilco in tow.

The iconic Canadian singer-songwriter will play at least eight Canadian cities during his tour, which kicks off Oct. 14 in St. Paul, MN, and ends Dec. 15 in New York.

Within the Canadian dates, indie rockers Death Cab will accompany Young for shows in Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary and Vancouver, while Wilco will bring their alt-country sound to Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto.

Also on the bill are Los Angeles’ Everest, who previously opened for Young in Ireland, Holland and the U.K. They will support all dates on the upcoming tour.

Pre-sale tickets will be available as early as Thursday.

Young, a Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer, recently completed a three-month, 14-country European tour. His 30th and most recent studio album is “Chrome Dreams II,” which was released last October.

Meanwhile, Death Cab are backing their sixth studio album “Narrow Stairs,” which was released in May, while Wilco have been touring behind last year’s “Sky Blue Sky,” also their sixth studio release.

Everest, whose members came together after having worked with or been members of such bands as Sebadoh, The Folk Implosion, John Vanderslice and The Watson Twins, released their debut album “Ghost Notes” in May.

Here are the Canadian dates on Neil Young’s upcoming tour:

• Oct. 16 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre (w/Death Cab For Cutie and Everest)
• Oct. 18 – Regina, SK @ Brandt Centre (w/Death Cab For Cutie and Everest)
• Oct. 19 – Calgary, AB @ Pengrowth Saddledome (w/Death Cab For Cutie and Everest)
• Oct. 22 – Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place (w/Death Cab For Cutie and Everest)
• Nov. 29 – Halifax, NS @ Metro Centre (w/Wilco and Everest)
• Dec. 1 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre (w/Wilco and Everest)
• Dec. 2 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place (w/Wilco and Everest)
• Dec. 4 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre (w/Wilco and Everest)