Arcade Fire has been very involved in supporting Haiti relief, as one of their members, Regine Chassagne, has family ties in the country.  Since the disaster, the band has asked fans to contribute money to Stand With Haiti on their official website.  And now the band has given the NFL permission to use their hit song “Wake Up” for charity ads that will run during the Super Bowl.  All of the licensing fees will benefit Partner’s In Heath’s Stand With Haiti relief efforts.

John Mayer is following Arcade Fire’s lead by contributing his 2006 hit “The Heart of Life” to the Red Cross for a series of television commercials and radio ads promoting relief efforts in Haiti.  He has also donated $500,000 to the Red Cross, and performed on Larry King’s “Haiti: How You Can Help” special, which raised $5.8 million for the Red Cross.

Maggie Summers

currently listening to “The Swell Season” by Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova

Arcade Fire

It’s been a long wait for a new Arcade Fire album.  The band — fronted by husband and wife Win Butler and Regine Chassagne — founds its way into our iPods and onto the top of “best of” lists in 2003 with Funeral, a collection of beautifully crafted epic pop tunes.

Then came group’s sophomore effort Neon Bible in 2007. And then: waiting, wondering, hoping for the next Arcade Fire record.

The wait is almost over. The BBC reported that the next Arcarde Fire album will be released in 2010 — most likely in the spring — and is produced by Neon Bible’s Markus Dravs. Dravs has also worked with Bjork and Coldplay.

It’s also been reported the band is planning spring tour dates and will probably be headlining at least one major North American music fest in 2010.

Stay tuned for more details.

—Kristen Callihan

currently listening to “All the Years” by Beach House