Tony Lucca: Under the Influence

Singer-songwriter and former child star (He was on the “Mickey Mouse Club” show for six years.), Tony Lucca has announced the release of Under the Influence, a 10-song covers compilation.

“Under the Influence was originally going to be called Wish List and consist of songs I wish I had written,” Lucca explains. “These, of course, would have been songs I’ve spent the last 20 or so years learning and playing for people. I realized that what I could stand to benefit from more would be something a bit less conventional, maybe say, a little less predictable. So I decided to dig a little deeper and come up with a set of songs that might pay a greater homage, songs that could possibly reflect a deeper sense of influence.”

The list Lucca ended up with includes Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper,” “Angel” by Jimi Hendrix, “Grandma’s Hands” by Bill Withers and “Dirt Floor” by Chris Whitley. Songs originally performed by Tom Petty, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Steely Dan, Simon & Garfunkel and Crosby, Stills & Nash also get the cover treatment. Under the Influence drops on Sept. 27.

Ben Folds to Outer Space?

Legacy Records has announced the release of a three-CD compilation of material spanning the entire career of Ben Folds. The set is to be called The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective, and Folds is out-of-this-world with excitement over the collection.

“This is the album I will submit for the next Voyager to be launched into space,” says Folds in the accompanying liner notes. “It’s my best shot at an honest assessment of where I was in each period of my career. In the end I tried to put together a collection of the unrepeatable; each recording hopefully representing a moment that was somehow otherwise beyond my ability.”

One disc is full of unreleased tracks, alternate mixes, demos, live takes and other rarities, and there are also three brand new Ben Folds Five studio tracks included: “Stumblin’ Home Winter Blues,” “Tell Me What I Did” and Folds’ current single, “House.” The Best Imitation of Myself: A Retrospective drops on Oct. 11, and Folds returns as a celebrity judge on NBC’s “The Sing-Off” Sept. 19.

Cirque Du Soleil’s Michael Jackson Tribute

Cirque Du Soleil will be honoring Michael Jackson with a new show called Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour. The stage tribute has been worked out by 10 choreographers, many of whom worked with Jackson. The fusion of visuals, dance, music and fantasy will be presented in stunning Cirque Du Soleil style, literally turning Jackson’s moves upside down.

Says a Cirque rep, “THE IMMORTAL World Tour takes place in a fantastical realm where we discover Michael’s inspirational Giving Tree – a wellspring of creativity that illuminates for the audience Michael’s thoughtful inner world, offering new paths to express his love for music, dance, fairy tale and magic as well as the fragile beauty of nature.”

The tour comes to the Honda Center in Anaheim for shows on Jan. 24 and 25 and to the Staples Center for a three-night run January 27 to 29. cirquedusoleil.com/michaeljackson.

Dirty Laundry TV

Online broadcaster Dirty Laundry TV films live performances by up-and-coming acts in a very unusual place – a Silver Lake laundromat. Founded in 2009, Dirty Laundry TV holes up at local laundromats and catches touring artists as they take a respite from the van and wash their clothes. Right now at the site you can view exclusive video of Avi Buffalo, the Delta Mirror, We Were Promised Jetpacks, the Beets, Sarah Jaffe and Sea of Bees.

Most of the music happens outside the laundry, but the members of the Futureheads chose to pop a squat atop a row of washers to perform an a cappella version of “Heartbeat Song.” To find out who’s going to appear on upcoming shows visit dirtylaundry.tv.

The Bombpops

The Bombpops, our pop/punk friends from down Oceanside way, will be releasing their sophomore EP, Stole the TV, on Oct. 4. The band begins a tour with NOFX and Anti-Flag a few days before; catch them live at the Old Town Pub in Pasadena on Oct. 1.