There’s nothing better than getting great music with a great story. In these cases, that story is who’s who.

In the past couple of years, the adult rock world has been treated to a number of these moments– Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris –both of which became major successes.

Now we’re lucky to get three  more: Monsters of Folk (with Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, and M.Ward), WPA (featuring Toad the Wet Sprocket’s Glen Phillips, Nickel Creek’s Sara and Sean Watkins, and the Heartbreakers’ Benmont Tench, among others), and this Tuesday’s release of Neil Finn’s Oxfam benefit project 7 World Collide: The Sun Came Out (featuring KT Tunstall, Jeff Tweedy, Johnny Marr, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien and many others). See Previous 7 Worlds Post.

Johhny Marr and Jeff Tweedy writing for 7 Worlds Collide

Benmont Tench reportedly got grief from Tom Petty after he saw a reference to WPA as a supergroup. The one-time Travelling Wilbury (supergroup?) said there will only be one Supergroup — The Beatles.

Supergroup or not, there’s not a lousy player to be found anywhere in these projects. Each has musicians at the highest levels, which makes for a great story when they collaborate.

Works Progress Administration, or WPA

Monsters are already tearing it up in terms of airplay and sales. WPA and 7 Worlds might be sleepers, but don’t miss out on them. These are exactly the types of albums adult music lovers adore, practically defining AAA.

Video from Monsters of Folk, 7 Worlds Collide (Live in NZ), and WPA Live at NYC’s Joe’s Pub:

Bated breath in this household as one of our all-time faves Neil Finn has brought back his 7 Worlds Collide project.

Seven years after the original concert, Finn called in original members Johnny Marr, Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien and Phil Selway, Lisa Germano, and others, but this time also invited Jeff Tweedy and other Wilcos — and even drafted KT Tunstall, who happened to be on her honeymoon in New Zealand.

Finn invited the crew to NZ over Christmas and New Year’s, and unlike the first go-round in 2001, when they only performed live, this time they went into the studio.

The result is a double album – The Sun Came Out. The project benefits Oxfam.

A full 20 different musicians contributed, including the kids — Liam and Elroy Finn, plus Spencer Tweedy and Nile Marr.

First up will be “Hazel Black,” with KT Tunstall on vocals (concert video below).

Take a listen to some song samples, then grab the code on this widget and improve your site.

Here’s “Hazel Black” in concert, featuring KT Tunstall: