Animal Collective will follow up last year’s breakthrough Strawberry Jam with a new 4 song EP, Water Curses. The EP’s tracks are said to have a more stripped down feel than most of Animal Collective’s recent work, including the new song “Cobwebs,” which is partially inspired by Al Green. Other tracks include the opening “Water Curses,” the seven-minute “Street Flash” and the spacey “Seal Eyeing.” The group will support Water Curses on the road with a brief jaunt to Japan from March 16-18 and with an appearance at Indio, CA’s Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April. For more on Animal Collective please read our recent interview with the group in the digital issue of Relix .

Even as the summer festival season looks more competitive than ever, Noise Pop and Another Planet have confirmed that the second annual Treasure Island Music Festival will take place on September 20 and 21on the historic Treasure Island in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. 

Organized by the creators of the Noise Pop Festival, one of the nation’s longest-running music festivals, and Another Planet Entertainment, nationally established independent concert promoter based in Berkeley, CA, the Treasure Island Music Festival will mix a variety of rock, indie and electronic acts.  “Thankfully the response to last year’s event was overwhelmingly positive,” adds Noise Pop co-owner Jordan Kurland said in a statement, “Our goal with the second installment of the festival remains the same - to present a diverse line-up of artists that you will not find at any other festival in a setting that is impossible to replicate.” 

A full lineup of bands and activities will be confirmed in the coming days. Last year’s lineup featured Modest Mouse, Thievery Corporation, Spoon, M.I.A., Built to Spill, Clay Your Hands Say Yeah, Two Gallants and West Indian Girl, among others.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has confirmed that a number of world famous musicians will induct the Class of 2008 at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on March 10. As in years past, each inductor will likely perform during the course of the night. At the festivities, Lou Reed will induct legendary songwriter Leonard Cohen, British Invasion freak Tom Hanks welcome The Dave Clark Five,  pop-star Justin Timberlake will nod to pop-queen Madonna, Bill Joel will receive crooner John Mellencamp, soul singer Jerry Butler will introduce R & B stars Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, John Fogerty will look back on the influential instrumental outfit The Ventures and Ben Harper will speak about one of his idols, Little Walter.

The 2008 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees were chosen by the 600 voters of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. As previously reported, artists are eligible for inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25 years after their first recording is released. Both John Mellencamp and The Ventures will perform at the event.

Jammy Lifetime Achievement winner Steve Winwood will release his next studio recording, Nine Lives, via Columbia records on Tuesday, April 29. Nine Lives is Winwood's first full-length studio album since he issued About Time on his own independent label, Wincraft, in 2003 and features the new compositions  "I'm Not Drowning," "Fly,” “Raging Sea," "Dirty City," "We're All Looking," "Hungry Man," "Secrets," "At Times We Do Forget" and "Other Shore."  In addition, Winwood’s former Blind Faith bandmate Eric Clapton plays guitar on the track “Dirty City.” Clapton and Winwood recently collaborated at Chicago’s Chicago Crossroads Guitar Festival and will begin a run of shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden this evening. Winwood will also open for Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers throughout the summer months.