Video Vixens: Bastille Day Edition

We here at LET like France quite a lot. There's a lot to like about France; great food, great booze, great style, great films...not to mention the country's storied history. Today commemorates no small part of that vast history, and one of the biggest events in all of the world. Things would likely be drastically different had the French Revolution not happened, that much is a pretty safe assumption.

And so, in honor of Bastille Day, here's a compendium of French music (and pro-French music). Flip open some Voltaire, turn on a classic 60s French film, and pop the cork on your finest bottle of bubbly. Happy Bastille Day, one and all.

Live Review: Cut Off Your Hands @ Iota, June 5, 2009

I have to say, Cut Off Your Hands is rapidly becoming one of my bands of the year. Having seen them at South by Southwest and at the Black Cat already, I happily drove up 95 for another chance to see some of my favorite Kiwis. Below is the review I wrote for RVA, with photos graciously provided by Adam Kissick.

"“Oh shit,” was the horrified, wide-eyed sentiment collectively chorused by New Zealand’s rising stars Cut Off Your Hands when they learned I was reviewing their performance at Iota, opening for Viva Voce. “What are you gonna say?” they all frowned and fretted, and were genuinely relieved when I promised kind words would be imparted. I wasn’t just giving them lip service, either. A Cut Off Your Hands show, regardless of whether or not you catch them after staying out entirely too late in New York the night before, will always be pretty darn great, no two ways about it.Trust me, I’ve already seen them thrice this year, and would gladly see them a dozen more times if I could.

Despite mouthpiece Nick Johnston’s wary disclaimers about the band’s NYC indulgences, you’d just about never know the band was the least bit tired (well, save for maybe a dark under eye circle hither and yon). The audience, which was a bit on the small side for a Friday night crowd in Arlington, was treated to a solid, if a bit short-ish, eight song set. As much as I love them on record, I’m convinced that COYH is an even better live band. Their exuberant, bright-eyed pop with bite is even more animated, more robust, and more appealing, not to mention of course that the boys themselves are ever so charming in the flesh.

They began the set with one of my favorites, “You & I”, a shouty, frenetic firecracker perfect for kicking things off. A trio of high-energy, catchy as can be songs followed: “It Doesn’t Matter”, “Oh Girl”, and “Turn Cold”. The first line of drinker’s delight “It Doesn’t Matter” seemed perfectly apropos on this night (“I woke up drunk once again this afternoon”), a case of life imitating art, perhaps. The sweeping, grandiose single “Happy As Can Be” was up next, and once again the band didn’t disappoint. I’m a not-so-closeted fan of a good ballad, so when the opening chords of “Nostalgia” started coming from the stage, I inwardly squealed like a fluttering-hearted schoolgirl. O, the crooning, the gentle strum of Jono’s guitar, the “oooooh” choruses. It was a dreamy, languid moment amongst a sea of delirious dizziness. Naturally, the lovely ballad was followed by one of the most danceable songs in the Cut Off Your Hands catalog, “Let’s Get Out of Here.” The summery ode to careless youthful abandon got quite a few of the increasingly less and less stoic Arlingtonians dancing (ever-so-slightly, of course). The last song, “Still Fond”, came much too soon, and just like that it was over. The boys left the stage to fairly enthusiastic cheers, including hearty hollering from the khaki-clad contingent sitting near me at the bar, and I’m pretty sure they won themselves several new fans. My one complaint was the omission of their bitchin’ cover of Split Enz’s “Shark Attack”, which when confronted with my displeasure all four vigorously assured me next time it would be back on the setlist.

After the show, as we kicked it with some drinks, I asked the band to sum up the show in one word. Nick, who was so (unnecessarily) apologetic even after a thumbs-up set, went for “hungover.” A somewhat glazed-over Phil, bassist extraordinaire, needed some time to marinate, eventually settling on “Shock Top.” Not being a beer connoisseur (hard liquor, if you please), I initially thought he was trying to stump me with some Kiwi slang I wasn’t familiar with. Only later on did I come to find he was referring to the pint in front of him. Jono, the somewhat quiet and rather tall guitarist, asked if we could throw proper grammatical caution to the wind for his answer, which was “reallyfuckinggood.” I’m definitely in agreement with him on that point, run-on and all. And Elroy, the delightful new drummer, chose the Zen-like “content” for his summation. Bottom line, though, we were all pretty much on the same page. It was a damn fine show.

All in all, the evening was well worth the $40 parking ticket left for me by the overzealous Arlington parking patrol. Perhaps if they’d seen Cut Off Your Hands, they’d have been in too good a mood to dole out infractions."

Receiving = Great, Giving = Even Better

Psst. Hey you. With the face.

Have you been over to get your free Mark Sandman love yet this week? There was a bit of a hang up with last week's posting, but it's up there now. I know we're only two weeks in, but Good Lord and Butter, these tracks are fricking sweet. Not only did we get a history lesson on Harry Houdini last time, but this week we get to hear the dulcet sounds of Orchestra Morphine and Laurie Sargent.

Now get over there, donate a few shekels to the Mark Sandman Music Project and give yourself a big pat on the back for doing something nice for kids by providing young people with opportunities for creative collaboration.

And for you really greedy bastards, here's even more free mp3 goodness for you. You can thank me by getting off your keister and donating.

We thank you for your fine support.

mp3: Houdini (Mark Sandman spoken word)

mp3: You Speak My Language (Morphine, Live, Paris, 7-24-94)

Happy Birthday, Ringo

Happy Birthday to everyone's favorite drummer (yes, including mine!). What's not to love about a man called Ringo? I'll always love Mr. Starkey for penning one of my favorite songs when I was younger, "Octopus's Garden", not to mention those endearingly droopy eyes and deadpan Liverpudlian accent. Ringo always seemed to be the sanest of the Beatles, the most level-headed (yes, even while coming up with songs about frolicking under the sea with octopi). He's always seemed like a stand-up guy, and I appreciate how into the notion of harmony he is, not just musically but in terms of universal accord.

So into the idea of love thy neighbor is he that Ringo, last year, evidently wished his birthday to become something greater, something about love and happiness. So let's all wish each other a very happy Peace and Love Day, along with a very happy 70th to Ringo.

Let the Giving Continue!

You may recall a few months back, we mentioned that the Mark Sandman Music Project had big plans this summer to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the untimely passing of the lead singer of Morphine. Well, kiddies, the wait is over!

Starting today and continuing through September 20, they're posting exclusive Mark Sandman compositions for downloading in three categories:

• A Morphine or Treat Her Right song as interpreted by local and national artists
• A track of spoken word or poetry
• A "Deep Archive" track- exclusive, never-heard music

Better yet, IT'S FREE!!!

Well, maybe free isn't exactly the way to approach the situation. While those fine folks aren't going to charge you a penny for the privilege of downloading, being a charitable organization and all, they'd be delighted if you threw a few ducats towards the effort. And trust me, from the email conversations I've had with those cats, we've got some INCREDIBLE tunes coming our way. (Did someone mention Les Claypool? Was that Concrete Blonde's name I heard? Um, what?)

So go now, pick up some incredible tunes and leave behind a little sumthin' sumthin' to help out this worthy cause.

(Since we want to encourage you to go check it out for yourself, we're not going to post the first track here, though we admit we may not be able to help ourselves later on. However, to whet that appetite even more, here's a tasty Morphine jam or two from our own deep files. Enjoy.)

mp3: Never Live Twice (Morphine) (Live)

mp3: Birthday Cake (Morphine) (Opium Album)

Michael Jackson, Aug. 29, 1958-June 25, 2009

Whether you remember him fondly as the King of Pop or as a bizarre freak show whose every move was a public relations nightmare, it's impossible not to acknowledge the world lost a musical legend yesterday with the passing of Michael Jackson.

Growing up in the late 70s/early 80s, MJ was larger than life for a great deal of my childhood. And let's be honest with ourselves, Thriller remains to this day a phenomenal album. Sure, the titular video scared the bejeezus out of my at the time, but had I not broken my leg literally six weeks before my wedding, you can bet your sweet bippy that the first dance for the Missus and I would have been zombified.

In tribute, I present to you this little gem from Soul Coughing. It's about as weird as the man's life became, a rather apropos gesture, I believe. Enjoy.

(The quality isn't spectacular, but the glitches are in the beginning)

mp3: Michael Jackson (Soul Coughing)

LP Lust: Happy Birthday to Me Edition

So yours truly turned the big 3-0 last week. It shocked the hell out of me, too. In between being wined and dined (major emphasis on the wined, though several delectable meals were also had) by my beautiful friends and spending some less than quality time at the Broad St. DMV (Dear Commonwealth of Virginia, I am not a fan of the new drivers licenses), I (naturally) found the time to engage in a little birthday shopping (it's my birthday and I'll buy if I want to? Sorry, couldn't help myself). Surprisingly, I didn't go as crazy as I have on other spending sprees, which may or may not be a sign of my advancing age leading to some much-needed fiscal resolve (though I strongly suspect not). The vinyl in question came from a variety of sources, some from friends and some purchased in retail outlets. I probably missed the chance to excuse doing some major spending, but the birth month isn't over yet. Here's the skinny on the records that contributed to my milestone:

*Doves: Kingdom of Rust (Thanks, Tombo!)
*Dionne Warwick: Dionne!
*The Man With the Golden Arm OST
*The Rolling Stones: Tattoo You
*Lynyrd Skynyrd: Second Helping
*Nancy Sinatra: Movin' With Nancy
*Split Enz: Dizrythmia
*Nick Lowe: Nick the Nife
*The Guess Who: Wheatfield Soul

My collection has officially outgrown its' storage unit, thanks to this latest batch, so I'll soon be heading to Ikea to procure another cube to fill with heavenly vinyl.

Happy Birthday, Jeff

There is seemingly no end to the list of prolific, legendary, or otherwise fabulous people celebrating birthdays in the month of June (hey, even yours truly is a June baby). Obviously, June is a month inspiring creativity and beauty. And today it's Jeff Beck's turn, and as far as guitarists go, it's hard to get more legendary than the newly-minted Rock'n'Roll Hall of Famer Mr. Beck.

Whether you prefer his Yardbirds days, his golden age with Rod Stewart and Ron Wood (before they abandoned ship) in the Jeff Beck Group, or dig on his solo stuff (or any of his other projects), there's no denying the extreme virtuosity (and eccentricity) of Jeff Beck. Intense, moody, mysterious, and a little odd...just the way I like my guitarists (and my men, but that's neither here nor there).

I'll be throwing on my copy of the seriously atmospheric Truth this evening, to pay homage to one hell of a guitar player. I hope you'll do the same. Enjoy this brief interview between Jeff and good old Kurt Loder (you remember the days when MTV cared about good music, right?). Happy Birthday, Jeff.

Album Review: Pink and Purple by Alan Wilkis

It's officially summertime, so LET favorite Alan Wilkis must be at it again, making some of the most dance-friendly summer jams to come across my speakers in a while. For those of you who somehow forgot, I gave MUCH LOVE to Mr. Wilkis' debut, Babies Dream Big. His signature sound is once again in full effect, immediately bringing to mind early '80s synthesizer funk a la Prince, Rick James, Funkadelic and Stevie Wonder. Clearly, a good crowd with which to associate oneself.

Pink and Purple is a six track EP that clearly showcases Wilkis' sound, but brings in a number of heavy hitters to play back-up, too. He enlists Gunnar Olsen on drums (Earl Greyhound, Asobi Seksu), guitarists Grey McMurray (Bell, Matmos) and Ryan Ferreira (Bell), and Eric Biondo (Atibalas, Shakira, TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs) and Tony Barba (Youngblood Brass Band) on horns. Impressive company, to say the least.

This is Saturday night roller skating music, so lace up those skates, free your mind and your ass most definitely will follow.

mp3: Dance With You

Live Review--Nouvelle Vague, La Maison Française, 6-18-09

Every one's favorite French bossa nova cover band, Nouvelle Vague, (I know it's hard to pick just one, but work with me here) blew through D.C. in a cloud of sexy last week. Headlining at the French Embassy, the band came on late, but still managed to give the crow what it wanted--namely, a bit of French chic on a balmy, summer eve. Following a line of slappily thrown together jokes about the fair Parisians (decide for yourself whether or not "cheese monkey" is funny; obviously, the answer is yes, it is), I settled towards the back of the room to enjoy the latest incarnation of the band. While the band may well have been founded by Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux, the evening definitely belonged to the two exquisite and lovely chanteuses, Melanie Pain and Nadeah Miranda. (The line-up of singers tends to rotate, similar to Zero 7.)

As the band began to play, a very stunning Miranda came out dressed in a black cloak, while an almost too cute Pain came out in a tasseled flapper dress. The two proceeded to work the crowd, posing like runway models, looking alternatively bored and ennui-filled as the mood dictated. I believe I honestly can say it was the first time I'd seen voguing in a long, long time. Between song commentary was delivered in both French and English, as the band never could seem to get a handle on whether the house was predominately local or foreign. Of course, to my ears, this made the show all the more appealing. Who doesn't love attractive French women giggling and encouraging the crowd to yell "Fuck" ("It is good to yell 'Fuck' in an Embassy.)? Nobody. Not even your grandfather.

The band ran through its full repertoire, from Nouvelle Vague ("This is Not a Love Song") and Band A'Part ("Ever Fallen in Love") to the latest, 3 ("Blister in the Sun," "God Save the Queen," "The American"). The highlight of the night, however, was the mid-set "Too Drunk to Fuck," played far closer to the Dead Kennedy's original than the band's own interpretation, complete with Miranda spitting a mouthful of water onto the adoring crowd. The only real complaint to be had was in the song progression choice. Seldom have I seen a show that would amp the crowd up, then go slow for a few songs, then up, then down, etc. Whoever did the set list for the night probably could have thought it through a bit better is all I'm saying.

Of course, that was a moot point for the audience, as Nouvelle Vague clearly had us at, "Bonjour."

mp3: Too Drunk to Fuck (Nouvelle Vague)

mp3: Come On Eileen (Nouvelle Vague)

mp3: Too Drunk to Fuck (Dead Kennedys)

Album Review: Jay Stay Paid

I'm guessing you've already heard the back story on the latest, posthumous release from Jay Dilla, Jay Stay Paid, but just in case...

The late hip-hop artist extraordinaire James Dewitt Yancey (aka Jay Dilla aka Jay Dee) has a new CD out, produced by his mother, Maureen Yancey, and his hero, Pete Rock. The two salvaged untold hours of unreleased beats by the genius to put the project together. The conceit is simple, playing out like a radio show, over both beats and radio clips from the past several years. Artists such as DOOM, Black Thought and Raekwon do guest duty.

What's most amazing about the project is how organic and fresh this thing sounds. There's no dust on these tracks whatsoever. Of course, that was always the beauty of Dilla's work. To describe his work is nearly beyond my humble abilities, coming across as some kind of futuristic Space Cowboy Ninja Pimp soundtrack with enough old school tastiness to make you want to smack your momma, as I believe the saying goes. (Don't ask where I get my sayings.)

While the instrumental tracks are truly amazing, the vocal appearances are just as incredible, if not more so. This is all the more amazing to me, as no one has any idea what Jay Dee had intended with these samples, yet these artists found more than enough material to create some off-the-chain rhymes to accompany the beats.

Sure, this thing is a labor of love, but the genius shines through nonetheless. As beloved a member of the hip-hop community as J. Dilla was, it would have been forgivable if this was a "mail it in" project. Thankfully for the listeners, this project is worthy of his best work ever. As the man allegedly left more stuff behind than Prince has in his own vaults and as well as this turned out, I'm a bit pumped to see what comes next from Jay Dee's estate.

mp3: Fire Wood Drumstix (ft. DOOM)

Live Review--TV on the Radio, 9:30 Club, 6-8-09

While I'm a huge TV on the Radio fan, I've got to admit, I wasn't blown away the last time they blew through DC. The problem for me is the difference in sound--the band sounds incredible on wax, benefiting from superb production work and an obvious ear for combining numerous sounds into a coherent whole. Live, though, a number of those elements are missing, from various instrumental touches to vocal over-dubs and the like.

Suffice to say, I wasn't expecting too, too much from the gang this time around. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be the best damn show I've seen at the 9:30 in recent memory.

I didn't get there in time for openers The Dirty Projectors, having had an important hockey game to lose earlier in the evening. To make matters more interesting still, I apparently ordered four tickets when I only meant to order two. While the guy I gave freebies to in front of the club seemed delighted, this was not the way I particularly wanted to start the evening.

And then the show started. TVotR played predominantly from Dear Science, ("Red Dress," "Family Tree"), but didn't shy away from earlier material, either ("Wrong Way," "Wolf Like Me"). The highlight, though, clearly came in the encore. A brilliantly played "Young Liars" led into TVotR and DP taking the stage together for a tribal drum-along version of "A Method." The fact that those are two of my favorite songs by the band certainly didn't hurt that situation. While the songs still sounded light years away from the CD versions, the band was much tighter than their previous show, seemingly inspired to new heights. There was a lack of chatter with the audience beyond thanking the openers, but every band has their own style, right?

The best part for me arguably had nothing to do with the music, surprisingly enough. Somehow, I managed to find the one perfect spot in the back of the club where I had a nearly clear view of the stage AND, far more importantly, I HARDLY WAS BUMPED INTO ALL NIGHT. Yes, yes, I know, let's not blow things out of proportion or anything, but is there anything better at a show than that? Of course not.

Anybody see the second night of the tour on Tuesday? Was it as good?

mp3: Young Liars

mp3: Playhouse (Kyp Malone live and solo)

It's Covered--Let's Go Get Stoned

(Ed. note--this post was inspired in part by the always wonderful She'll Grow Back blog and their dedicated mission to bring multiple covers of a given track.)

A sad, but true thing happened to me the other night whilst I was attending the St. Vincent show at the Black Cat. Out of nowhere and apropos of nothing, a couple seemingly not much younger than me approached and asked if I could settle a bet. They had seen my iPhone and wanted to know if I could Google to see if Joe Cocker still was alive. There was no need for that, however, as I knew the answer, having already secured tickets to his upcoming gig at Wolf Trap for myself.

I understand Joe has been off the main radar for years, if not decades, but still, this harmless question somehow hurt me. My Pop got me into JC years ago. Pop tells of seeing the gravely voiced belter during the Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour, and how, at one show, Joewas so drunk he fell off the stage not once, but twice! For whatever reason, I still consider that the height of concert viewship--seeing someone so messed up, s/he falls off the damn stage. I came close at a Pogues concert a few years ago, but, alas, such an occurence has escaped me thus far. One of the first times I ever smelled pot was at a JC show. The fact that it was being smoked by an obviously very pregnant woman who was then apprehended by an over six foot woman security guard still ranks as one of the more surreal things I've ever seen. And don't get me (or any other Gen-Xer for that matter) started on The Wonder Years. It was Joe that heralded the arrival of our favorite mathematician-to-be once an week and then heavily in syndication.

While I understand Mr. Cocker has long since cleaned up his act and gone the path of the sober, that's no reason to dismiss the man's legendarily infamous past. In fact, Let's Go Get Stoned. And with that, it's covered.

Originally performed by the late Ray Charles, the song was penned by the soon-to-be-famous-in-their-own-right Ashford & Simpson, as well as Joey Armstead. Others have covered it, too, including the Hardest Work Man in Show Business himself. Ray obviously set the standard, while JB goes the instrumental route here. Joe updates the lyrics to reflect a more contemporary selection of, um, "party favors," so there's that. I'll leave it up to you whether or not any advice offered in the music is worth heeding yourself.

NOTE--WE HERE AT LET DO NOT CONDONE PEOPLE THAT DO NOT CONDONE. SO, YEAH. MOVE ALONG; MOVE ALONG.

mp3: Let's Go Get Stoned (Joe Cocker)

mp3: Let's Go Get Stoned (Ray Charles)

mp3: Let's Go Get Stoned (James Brown)

Happy Birthday, Joe

This birthday boy has nothing whatsoever to do with music, unless there's some musical ode to his prowess on the football field that I've yet to hear. But as a graduate of the University of Alabama, I didn't think I should let this day go by without wishing a very, very Happy Birthday to the one, the only, #12: Joe Willie Namath.

Football fans, you'll probably remember him as "Broadway Joe", famous during his years as a New York Jet for his hair, his fur coats, and his affinity for the bottle. There was even a commercial for pantyhose, I do believe. But before making life interesting in New York, Joe was throwing his way to glory under the coaching of Bear Bryant down in Tuscaloosa. He's definitely one of the greats, and highly revered down among the annals of Alabama college football. And I don't think anyone can deny that back in the day he was a stone cold fox. In honor of his birthday, why not pick up a copy of his super sassy autobiography, "I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow...'Cause I Get Better Looking Every Day"?

Old Skool Review: The Fat Boys

It has come to my attention that virtually nobody is blogging about really old skool rap these days. That could well be because most bloggers weren't alive when Big Daddy Kane was as raw as they came, EPMD helped us to chill and Roxanne Shante had beef with UTFO. Well, the Old Skool Review hopefully is going to help change all that.

Up today, the Fat Boys. In addition to their girth, the original Disco Three spawned the illustrious Prince Markie Dee (Mark Morales), Kool Rock-Ski (Damon Wimbley) and Buff Love a.k.a. The Human Beat Box (Darren Robinson). In addition to various forays into acting, the thing to remember most about these cats was Buff's legendary beat box skills. Sure, many others stepped to the throne, and some even came close to taking the crown (I'm looking at you, Doug E. Fresh), but nobody could touch Buffy.

Sadly, Buff Love has since passed and Kool Rock-Ski went and got skinny, but they'll always be the Fat Boys to me.

mp3: Human Beat Box

mp3: Human Beat Box, Part II

mp3: Human Beat Box, Part III

Live Review: St. Vincent @ the Black Cat, Washington, D.C., May 22, 2009

I feel obligated to preface this review with the fact that I'm a pretty big fan of Annie Clark, the brains, voice, beauty and being of St. Vincent.

With that out of the way, can I say this was one of the worst concerts I've ever attended? Acoustically, damn near nothing went right for then entire hour-plus Ms. Clark played. The root of the problem seemed to revolve around the fact that the house sound guy simply didn't know what to do with Clark's exceptionally quiet voice. Add that to the fact that the audience was in a rare state of assholery, making so much noise as to effectively drown out half or more of the lyrics for damn near every song. I mean, seriously, even the guy at the merch table was talking so loud I could hear him from six feet away.

I simply cannot understand why anyone would pay good money to go listen to a band, only to yap through the entirety of the gig. Damn ass hats.

Interesting enough, NPR streamed the entire performance. I'm just listening to it myself now, and it already sounds much better than it did live. Clearly, her proximity to the mic is paramount to digging the live show. Sadly, some people simply sound superior on wax than they do live. It would appear, on this night at least, that St. Vincent falls clearly into that category.

mp3: Actor Out of Work

LP Lust: Memorial Day Edition

Greetings and salutations, my fine fellows! I hope everyone has been enjoying the bliss otherwise known as the three-day weekend. I am a serious proponent of a permanent three-day weekend, though, sadly, it doesn't look like this issue is going to be addressed anytime soon.

Anyway! What better thing to do over a holiday weekend than shop for vinyl! My latest additions to the ever-growing LP collection were purchased over two different shopping trips, one to the fantabulous Diversity Thrift here in Richmond, the other this past Saturday at the Plan 9 in Charlottesville. Here's what I ended up with:

*Leon Russell: Leon Russell
*Neil Young: Decade
*Bruce Springsteen: Nebraska
*Ike & Tina Turner: Get It-Get It!
*Harry Nilsson: A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night
*Gram Parsons: Grievous Angel
*Grand Funk: We're An American Band
*Various: Welcome to Tyrol
*Harry Nilsson: The Point!
*Magnavox Presents: A Reprise of Great Hits

All in all, I do believe I found some very excellent albums. I feel really lucky to be in an area that has such a wealth of good quality (and cheap!) used records.

Happy Birthday, Bob

As a fellow Gemini, I'd like to wish a certain legend a very, very Happy Birthday today. I'm sure y'all are already celebrating as we speak, but it's Bob Dylan's 68th birthday.

It's hard to know what to say about Bob, and equally hard to imagine a world without his music. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I am definitely a late bloomer when it comes to his music, but the first to admit that listening to "Girl From the North Country" almost always makes me cry. Dylan is unlike anyone, and it's probably safe to assume that there will never be another like him. His music has something to say, though perhaps it says different things to different people it is the antithesis of so much of today's popular music. A world without Bob Dylan would be a very frightening place, musically-speaking.

So join me, won't you, in wishing a Happy Birthday to the epitome of legend. Here's to you, Bob.

Zut Alors!: Sharing is Caring

Dearest friends,

As we all know, the economy is still a big old nasty piece of work these days. I'm feeling it, and I'm sure pretty much all of you are feeling it.

However, there's a matter that I wish to bring to your attention, and it is my hope that at least some of you will be able to participate.

You already know how highly we think of Mr. Trent Reznor around these parts, and both Chris and I subscribe to TR's Tweets. It was one of those Tweets that alerted me to what I'm now going to bring to your attention. Here's the message that Trent posted to the NIN site:

"A Letter from Trent:

This is for something important. Eric De La Cruz is dying and needs a heart transplant. He keeps getting turned down for a transplant list because he's on Nevada Medicaid, and there are no transplant centers in Nevada. We want to get involved and hopefully so do you, so we're extending a hand. His sister Veronica (former Anchor and Internet Correspondent for CNN) has started a campaign to save his life.

Eric's situation shines a bright light on a broken health care system, and his particular set of problems are being addressed on the political front, aiming for reform in addition to the need for immediate financial help to keep him alive TODAY. I think we can help with the latter.

Here's what we're offering - three options:

If you have a ticket to a NIN/JA show: if you donate $1,000 to this cause, we'll invite you to come hang out with us before the NIN/JA show of your choice. You and a guest can watch NIN and Street Sweeper Social Club's soundchecks, eat dinner backstage with us, take pics / get autographs and watch the show from the side of the stage if you'd like.

If you donate $300, you and a friend can join us for NIN and SSSC's soundchecks and a handshaking / hug session before doors open at the NIN/JA show of your choice.

If you do NOT have a ticket to a NIN/JA show: if you donate $1,200 to this cause, we'll invite you to come hang out with us before the NIN/ JA show of your choice and provide 2 tickets (best available). You and a guest can watch soundcheck, eat dinner backstage with us, take pics / get autographs and watch the show from the side of the stage if you'd like.

100% of the money collected from this will go directly to Eric's fund.

I hope you'll consider helping out with this.

Sincerely, Trent Reznor

DEADLINE FOR DONATION PACKAGES IS 5:00PM (PST) 2 DAYS PRIOR TO EACH NIN/JA TOUR DATE.
NO MORE DONATIONS CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR THE FOLLOWING DATES* 5.21.09 SANTA BARBARA, CA [SANTA BARBARA BOWL]* 5.22.09 MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA [SHORELINE AMPHITHEATRE]* 5.24.09 GEORGE, WA [THE GORGE - SASQUATCH FESTIVAL]"

Like I said, I know times are super tight for everyone these days. As of now, this fundraising effort has raised over $600,000 to help Eric. We all know how completely and totally fucked the health care system is in this country, and this is a way to help someone who really, really needs it who might not make it otherwise. If you can, I would urge you to consider donating. You can even donate $10, which I know is a lot for many of us. I can't even begin to say how awesome this is, what Trent and co. have done, because if you think about it, not many bands at all would consider doing something like this (in an era in which some bands will charge you simply to meet them, with the money going to them as opposed to an actual pertinent cause). So, in closing, sharing is caring, and what better way to share than helping someone who is truly in need. It'll warm your heart, guaranteed.

There's Still Time for Winning

Hello friends.

Worried you may have missed the deadline for our celebratory 10,000th hit contest? Fretting about missing out on free music par excellence? Fear not. Our contest is open until the waning hours of the 31st day of this very fine month of May. That gives you plenty of time to concoct the perfect reason (or reasons, as the case may be) why you love us ever so much. If you tell us why, and we both decide your reasoning is flawless, you'll be the happy owner of not one but TWO Monks CDs. And two, most definitely, are better than one (well, with most things, like Monks CDs).

So get cracking. We've already received some stellar entries, but we feel that there are others of you out there who should be entering this contest. Sadly, it's only valid for you US residents, but we still love you non-US folks just as much.

Hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day weekend! We believe that in the case of weekends, three days are better than two.