Taking a clue from Al Gore's massive Live Earth concert initiative, MySpace has compiled an impressive bill of artists, including Fall Out Boy, Maroon 5, the Academy Is..., Coheed and Cambria, Hot Hot Heat, and the Decemberists, for Rock for Darfur, a simultaneous performance to be held across four continents, slated for Nov. 10. A portion of the proceeds from all shows, each a previously scheduled gig from the respective artist's tour, will go to Oxfam International and the Save Darfur Coalition to help combat the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan as a result of the ongoing devastating civil war.

Rock for Darfur:

The Academy Is... /Armor for Sleep/The Rocket Summer/Sherwood - Buffalo, NY (Evolution)
Colbie Caillat - Asheville, NC (The Orange Peel)
Cartel - Memphis, TN (Skate Park of Memphis)
Coheed and Cambria - San Diego, CA (SOMA)
The Decemberists - Washington, DC (9:30 Club)
Enter the Haggis - Chicago, IL (Martyr's)
Envy on the Coast - Syracuse, NY (The State University of New York, Oneonta)
Fall Out Boy/Gym Class Heroes/Cute Is What We Aim For - Bridgeport, CT (Arena at Harbor Yard)
Family Force 5 - Buffalo, NY (Xtreme Wheels)
Gabby Glaser - New York, NY (The Annex)
The Heavy Pets - Teaneck, NJ (Mexicali Blues Cafe)
Hellogoodbye/Say Anything - Dallas, TX (The Palladium Ballroom)
Hot Hot Heat - Glasgow, Scotland (The Venue at Òran Mór)
Charlie Hunter Trio - Milan, Italy (Blue Note Jazz Club)
Maroon 5 - Las Vegas, NV (The Pearl at Palms Casino Resort)
Pat McGee Band/Josh Kelley - Nashville, TN (Exit/In) Megadeth - Perth, AUS (Metro City)
The Minus 5 - Portland, OR (The Towne Lounge)
Mute Math/Eisley - Dallas, TX (House of Blues)
Emmitt Nershi Band - Chicago, IL (Abbey Pub)
NOFX - Durban, South Africa (Wave House)
Now On/Buff1 and Othello - Denver, CO (Club 156)
Puddle of Mudd - Sauget, IL (Pop's)
Rogue Wave - Birmingham, AL (Bottle Tree)
Brandi Shearer/Coby Brown/Quincy Coleman/Meiko - Los Angeles, CA (Hotel Cafe)

Sick of It All - Cleveland, OH (Agora Theater)
State Radio - Chicago, IL (House of Blues)
Streetlight Manifesto - New York, NY (The Grand Ballroom at Manhattan Center)
Three Days Grace/Seether - Belton, TX (Bell County Exposition Center)
Suzanne Vega - Seattle, WA (The Reading Room)
Bob Weir & Ratdog - Myrtle Beach, SC (House of Blues)
Zion I - Santa Cruz, CA (Catalyst)

Annuals Prep New LP

Raleigh-based collective Annuals have quite busy of late. In addition to unveiling a new music video, and hitting the road alongside fellow Southerners Manchester Orchestra, frontman Adam Baker and crew have signed to Sony imprint Canvasback and have been forging a new record, the follow up to 2006's debut, Be He Me. In a recent interview with Billboard.com, Baker confirmed the troupe is currently working with 25 songs, a pool which he hopes to cut down to about "sixteen or seventeen," if he can just make up his mind. "That's one of the biggest problems," Baker said. "There are some [songs] that I'm definitely over, but I know will never get out if we don't include them this time." Continuing the wunderkind states, "Most everything we have is new though, and was written in the last year. We've been a bit maniacal about it. We'll record something, then go on tour, then come back and cut the fat out."

And for the forthcoming record, the band will be enjoying the major label pocketbook and its accompanying sonic. "We intend to hire a high school or college orchestra to take into the studio," said Baker. "And hopefully we'll get into some different studios around the country." No further details regarding a release date or track titles have yet been revealed.

Shonen Knife Map Fall U.S. Tour

Two years after drummer Mana "China" Nishiura was killed in a car wreck, Japanese pop punk outfit Shonen Knife will return to the U.S. for a 22-date outing, set to kick off in New York Nov. 19, Brooklynvegan.com reports. Featuring band principals Naoko Yamano and Etsuko Nakanishi, plus original bassist and founding member, Atsuko Yamano, the tour will then hit eastern seaboard cities like Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Boston. Next the band will head west, dropping into Detroit, Chicago, and Salt Lake City before ascending the coast from San Diego to Seattle.

Shonen Knife tour dates:

11/19, New York, NY (Blender Theater at Gramercy)
11/20, Philadelphia, PA (North Star Bar)
11/21, Buffalo, NY (Town Ballroom) *
11/23, Brooklyn, NY (TBD)
11/24, Washington, DC (The Black Cat)
11/25, Boston, MA (Middle East Upstairs)
11/27, Toronto, ON (Lee's Palace)
11/28, Cleveland, OH (Grog Shop)
11/29, Detroit, MI (Magic Stick)
11/30, Chicago, IL (Reggie's Live)
12/1, Minneapolis, MN (The Triple Rock)
12/2, Lawrence, KS (The Bottleneck)
12/4, Englewood, CO (Gothic Theatre)
12/5, Salt Lake City, UT (Burt's Tiki Lounge)
12/6, Las Vegas, NV (The Beauty Bar)
12/7, San Diego, CA (Casbah)
12/8, Pomona, CA (The Glass House)
12/9, Hollywood, CA (The Knitting Factory)
12/11, San Francisco, CA (Slim's)
12/13, Vancouver, BC (Richard's on Richards)
12/14, Portland, OR (Berbati Pan)
12/15, Seattle, WA (Chop Suey)

(* w/ Dinosaur Jr.)