Pitchfork

Yes, this is another Radiohead-goes-crunk or emo or classical or lullaby or whatever story. But wait, come back! This time, Radiohead were actually active participants in the situation. As were Franz Ferdinand, the Arctic Monkeys, U2, Coldplay, the Kaiser Chiefs, Faithless, and, um, Jack Johnson. And Maroon 5. And Sting.

On November 14, Hip-O Records/Universal Music Enterprises will release Rhythms del Mundo, a collaborative record that unites members of the Buena Vista Social Club with their pasty white musical brethren. After obtaining permission from the various bands to modify their material, the Cuban collective (under the guidance of arranger Demitrio Muniz) created brand new backing tracks for the original vocals of songs like "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "She Will Be Loved".

Even Arctic Monkeys, who are known for not loaning their music to anybody, gladly submitted "Dancing Shoes" to the Club.

The musicians who play on the album include Barbarito Torres, Amandito Valdes, Virgilio Valdes, Angel Terri Domech, Manuel "Guajiro" Mirabal, and Orlando "Cachaito" Lopez. Legendary vocalist Omara Portuondo performs a cover of "Killing Me Softly", and duets with the late Ibrahim Ferrer on "Casablanca". Ferrer's contributions to the compilation ("Casablanca" and "As Time Goes By") are his last-ever recordings.

As if all that wasn't special enough, Rhythms del Mundo benefits Artists Project Earth, a non-profit that aids natural disaster victims and helps raise awareness of climate change problems.

Thom Yorke commented on APE's mission in a press release, stating, "We need a law, we need to have the government put climate change in its place. If you leave industry to sort it out on a voluntary basis, that's never going to happen. So everybody if they've got any concerns about climate change has to register that concern with their government officials because it's the only way to go."

Clips from most of the tracks can be heard on the compilation's website. Since this is a benefit album, and everyone involved seems like nice people (except for the guy from Maroon 5), we're going to refrain from saying anything about what this stuff sounds like.

Tracklist: 01 Coldplay - "Clocks"
02 Jack Johnson - "Better Together"
03 Arctic Monkeys - "Dancing Shoes"
04 Dido & Faithless - "One Step Too Far"
05 Ibrahim Ferrer - "As Time Goes By"
06 U2 and Coco Freeman - "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
07 Maroon 5 - "She Will Be Loved"
08 Kaiser Chiefs - "Modern Way"
09 Omara Portuondo - "Killing Me Softly"
10 Vanya Borges feat. Quincy Jones - "Ai No Corrida" *
11 Sting - "Fragilidad"
12 Vanya Borges - "Don't Know Why" *
13 Aquila Rose & Idana Valdez - "Hotel Buena Vista"
14 Coco Freeman & Franz Ferdinand - "The Dark of the Matinee"
15 El Lele de Los Van Van and Radiohead - "High and Dry"
16 Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo - "Casablanca" [bonus track]