Wilco, Beck, Widespread Panic, Steve Winwood and Ben Harper are some of the acts that have just been announced to join headliners Jack Johnson, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Radiohead for the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, a three day event taking place August 22-24 in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Outside Lands, a multi-faceted festival, is expected to have a lineup of eclectic artists as well as a broad range of amusement and entertainment options. These will include art installations, performance artists and interactive attractions.

In addition to the established acts and newcomers performing on five stages, San Francisco-based artists will also be brought to the event by the organizers to highlight its location. Sean Hayes, Matt Nathanson, Goapele, The Coup, Two Gallants, ALO, The Mother Hips and Primus will be some of the local bands performing in Golden Gate Park, which has been the site for many high profile concerts starting in the 1960s. Some of the other artists who will perform at the generation and genre crossing festival include Cold War Kids, Devendra Banhart, Regina Spektor, Broken Social Scene, Drive-By Truckers, Andrew Bird, Steel Pulse, Cafe Tacuba, Rodrigo Y Gabriela and Manu Chao. Other acts are set to be announced shortly.

Wilco has added on a multiple night residency in Chicago at the Riviera Theatre to their forthcoming tour. Jeff Tweedy, the band’s frontman, has also announced plans for playing a benefit show in January in Chicago.

Wilco’s five date Chicago engagement will take place February 15-20. The shows will explore the complete recorded works of the band.

Meanwhile on January 26 Tweedy will have an acoustic solo show in his hometown of Chicago. It’s a benefit to raise money for providing scholarships for youth. Tickets are on sale currently to the public and cost $100 each.

Wilco is backing “Sky Blue Sky,” their album that was released this year. On their early 2008 schedule, nine other cities have been announced including a Cleveland show on February 22 after the residency in Chicago.

“Sky Blue Sky,” the seventh studio album for the band follows “A Ghost is Born” from 2004. The band produced their new album in their own Chicago studio. Recording duties were handled by TJ Doherty (The Hold Steady, Sonic Youth) and mixing was done by Jim Scott (Dixie Chicks, The Red Hot Chili Peppers).

The new album made its debut on Billboard’s 200 album chart at No. 4. It was the highest debut for the band ever.

Earlier this week Wilco received their fourth Grammy nomination in the category Best Rock Album. They received two trophies for their 2004 album “A Ghost is Born,” winning Best Recording Package and Alternative Rock Album.

The alt-rocker Wilco, fresh from their Grammy nomination for “Sky Blue Sky, the band’s latest studio album, have announced initial 2008 road plans.

The band based out of Chicago, will head out to Australia for a brief tour following their US shows, and will be kicking off an outing of nine cities starting in Cleveland on February 22. On-sale information for these shows will be announced on the band’s website later.

The seventh studio album for the band, “Sky Blue Sky,” follows “A Ghost is Born” from 2004. Wilco produced their own album in their Chicago studio, while recording was done by TJ Doherty (The Hold Steady, Sonic Youth) and mixing was done by Jim Scott (Dixie Chicks, The Red Hot Chili Peppers).

The album debuted on Billboard’s 200 album chart at No. 4, their highest ever debut.

Earlier this week “Sky Blue Sky” earned Wilco their fourth Grammy nomination as Best Rock Album. They previously won two Grammys for “A Ghost is Born,” their 2004 album. They won awards for Best Recording Package and Alternative Rock Album.

This spring Wilco will head back out on the road to support “Sky Blue Sky,” their latest album, which will be released in May.

On April 6 the native Chicagoans will be in their home town to play one show before they head over to Australia to do a short tour. After a short break of a few weeks, Wilco will then head out on a barnstorming tour of Europe before they return home to the States to kick off a stretch of 11 cities, starting in Davenport, IA on June 13.

Scheduled to be released on May 15, “Sky Blue Sky” is the follow up to Wilco’s “A Ghost is Born” from 2004. Currently the album is streaming from the band’s website.

“Sky Blue Sky” has been leaked all over the Internet far ahead of the scheduled release date, just like the previous two albums of the band’s were.

Jeff Tweedy, Wilco frontman, said recently that the online leak of the new album might stop some people from purchasing the album. However, there is the idea also that I think we all believe in which is we want people to listen to our music.