Radioheads Ed O’Brien and Philip Selway are rejoining the ex-Crowded Housed Neil Finn for part two of his 7 Worlds Collide project. The first one, a live album/DVD that came out in 2001, paired Finn with various “friends.” The footage was recorded at the St. James Theater in Auckland, New Zealand. The friends circa 2001 included O’Brien and Selway as well as Eddie Vedder, Johnny Marr, Lisa Germano, Soul Coughing’s Sebastian Steinberg, and onetime BTW Liam Finn (Dad is proud, of course), among others. The second installment will pair members of the original lineup with newbies like members of Wilco. The supergroup will record a complete album of new material that will support Oxfam in fighting poverty and injustice. Radiohead go more in depth about it:

Via Dead Air Space:

The original Seven Worlds Collide line up was Neil Finn, Ed O’Brien, Phil Selway, guitar supremo Johnny Marr, Soul Coughing bassist Sebastian Steinberg, songwriter and violinist Lisa Germano, and Liam Finn. Other artists joining the project include Jeff Tweedy, John Stirrat, Glenn Kotche and Pat Sansone from Wilco, and New Zealand songwriters Bic Runga and Don McGlashan. Behind the mixing desk will be master recording engineer Jim Scott. More names will be added to the lineup in the coming weeks.

The album will be recorded over the next few months in Auckland and is due for release in 2009. Like its predecessor, the project will also see a series of concerts featuring many of the artists included in the line up. The shows will take place in Auckland early in the New Year. Details will be announced soon.

In the meantime, we have video of Neil Finn & friends doing the Smiths, from the first time around.

In case you’re Crowded House knowledge has slipped over the years, remember 7 Worlds Collide is a reference to “seven worlds will collide / whenever I am by your side” from the band’s 1993 single “Distant Sun.”

[Photo of Neil by Kerry Brown]