Folks, first and foremost, a heartfelt happy holidays to you and to yours. I sincerely hope you’re all doing something enjoyable with family and/or friends and/or a significant other, or just maybe enjoying a relaxing evening alone with popcorn or a similar snack. Whatever.

Whatever it is you’re doing, whether it be alone or with company, I hope it’s treating you well. I, for one, just watched Home Alone with my family, or a portion of my family (some siblings have families of their own now), and I’m feeling pretty great. Anyway. To the point!

In the spirit of the holiday (I’m not 100% sure what that means exactly, but it’s a nice excuse), we and our friends at No Sleep have once again decided to gift any and all interested parties with our entire discography from Vancouver to Wildlife on a free/donation basis starting at midnight EST time tonight until midnight EST tomorrow. That’s 24 hours of free/donation-based downloads of every piece of recorded and released material from our however-many-years of recording and releasing material.

Of course, if you are at all able (we know not everybody will be) we kindly request any possible donation you can afford in exchange but we do not require a minimum. If you’re broke and you want the songs, by all means go for it. If you’ve never heard our band and you’re curious but don’t want to give your hard-cashed legal tender to a band you don’t know, by all means go for it. If you like our band but feel that art is no ones property and should be exchanged freely over the internet for no fee than absolutely go for it. The option is there. However, if you like our band and want to download but don’t want your money in the hands of us 5 greasy-handed nerds than, well, you’re in luck, because all the money donated by those downloading in the 24 hours tomorrow will be donated by us to an organization here in our home state called 826 Michigan that is doing fantastic and inspiring things for people who deserve fantastic and inspiring things. By which I mean the children. Here goes, from the website:

826michigan is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students aged 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. 826 opened its doors in June of 2005. Since then, we have been blessed with students, tutors, and volunteers overflowing with enthusiasm.

We believe that great leaps in learning can happen with one-on-one attention, and that strong writing skills are fundamental to future success. To make that a reality, we provide drop-in tutoring, after-school workshops, in-schools tutoring, help for English language learners, and assistance with student publications.

We also believe that the more fun a student has, and the more directly we speak to a student’s interests, the more we can help students find the fun in learning. That’s why our programs are more than just extra homework. Students can come to 826 for help and inspiration for all kinds of things, from poetry to storytelling, writing songs to writing college entrance essays, finishing novels to starting haikus. And of course, homework of all kinds too.

All of our programs are challenging and enjoyable, and ultimately strengthen each student’s power to express ideas effectively, creatively, confidently, and in his or her individual voice. And best of all, all 826michigan events and activities are offered completely free of charge.

Our three most frequently asked questions: “No, really? Free? Everything?” Absolutely. 826 was founded on the principle that everyone deserves the opportunity to become a better writer and build a better future. So, yes. Free.

Pretty cool, huh? And that’s only a general overview. Head here for more: www.826michigan.org. But an organization like this cannot survive without two things: 1) Volunteers, and 2) you.

Seriously though. Donations. Which is where you come in. Again though, this is a whatever-you-can-afford type of deal. Do your best to be generous, 826 Michigan is a fantastic organization and every extra bit goes a long way in helping expand programs and assist in need students, but don’t spend outside your means. And spread the word! We’re on the internet, folks, you have a Tumblr, a Twitter, and a Facebook–tell your internet friends. And tell your grandma too, if she’s coming over for dinner tomorrow. And tell her you love her.

http://ladispute.bandcamp.com/

That’s all. I’m exhausted. For now that’s all, anyway. We’ve got something else along these lines and in partnership with these friends coming down the pipeline. We’re just working out the details. Stay tuned and we’ll let you know as soon as we can.

Happy Holidays, everyone.

-LD, 826MI