I knew something had changed when I was in a crowded downtown bar, filled with twenty-somethings sipping Red Bull and vodka and Pabst Blue Ribbon, and the opening chords of “Ring of Fire” evoked instant cheers and singing. The hype surrounding “Walk the Line” officially secured Johnny Cash a spot on the must-have music list of the MTV crowd, much to the chagrin of longtime fans — though Cash’s music is certainly hype-worthy. New and old fans alike will be glad to know that Lost Highway records plans to release an album on July 4 titled American V: A Hundred Highways. The album consists entirely of songs Cash wrote and recorded with producer Rick Rubin in the months leading up to his death in September of 2003.

In other music news, singer-songwriter Cat Power has rescheduled her tour, which includes a stop at the Berklee Performance Center on June 7. Power released her latest (and arguably best) album The Greatest (Matador) in January, and was originally set to perform at the same location in February- but cancelled the tour due to “health-related issues.” Here’s hoping this show goes on as planned- Power is known for her free-form, live performances, which often involve abruptly ended songs and covers of everything from Bob Dylan to the Rolling Stones.

And finally, Central Park Summer Stage finally announced their line-up of free shows for the summer, and it’s worth the $15 Chinatown bus ride to New York. The list includes fellow Canadian indie rockers Feist and Jason Collette, on June 25, and Brazilian musician Seu Jorge (the man behind the music from Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) on July 2, and the New Pornographers on August 3. You can find the whole list here.