Karl's Corner - 02/03/2010

...It's an exciting day folks, as now you have the opportunity to get the previously unreleased weezer track "The Rat Race", AND help fund research for treatment for rare cancers, all at the same time!
***New Weezer song "the Rat Race" (and many other great songs by other artists including Ween and The Donnas) available at http://www.righttracktunes.org/ for a minimum .99 cent donation each!***
...and now, the rest of the story. The older I get the more the phrase "everyone knows someone who has been affected by cancer" resonates. Just within my own family there have been numerous scares and tragedy. And just about everyone I can think of has a similar story, be it with family or friends. But one area most people may still not be aware of is the field of rare or 'orphan' cancers, cancers that are little understood and underfunded due to their extreme rarity - and therefore particularly lethal.
I went to high school with a guy named Paul Poth, and he was one of the coolest and funniest people I knew then and since. Once i started touring with Weezer, every time I came through Boston, Paul was sure to be at the show and it was so fun to keep in touch with him over the years. To think that he went from perfect health at 37 to gone at 39 is chilling and terribly sad. But Paul fought like few have, scouring for clues about his rare form of cancer, and upon realizing how little is known about such cancers still, he started TargetCancer with the goal of raising awareness and money to fund this desperately needed research.
Paul was a huge music fan and was always one step ahead of the curve back in the day - I remember how he went to a Husker Du concert back in late '84 - before I had even heard of them! And he was a very early fan of weezer from the get go back in the early 90's. So today, weezer and I are proud to be a part of TargetCancer's Right Track Tunes program, where your donations get you unreleased music, and help a critical need in the fight against cancer. Your ears and your heart will thank you!
"The Rat Race" was recorded in the summer of 2003 at Rod Cervera's studio in L.A., in sessions originally planned for an acoustic release. This great song has never seen the light of day until now. Check it out! And be sure to check out all the great tracks now available on the site!
Find The Right Track: Tunes To TargetCancer
...So thats the dealio, but here are some more details from the press release. Thank you in advance for whatever you may give to get the music and help in the fight!
TargetCancer - a non-profit organization devoted to helping fund research into rare and lesser known cancers - has launched a new download series called 'The Right Track: Tunes To TargetCancer.' The series features exclusive downloads of new and rare music from Weezer, Ween, The Donnas, Cowboy Junkies, Dean & Britta, Buffalo Tom, Linda Thompson, Drug Rug and others, with more artists to be added in the coming months. In addition to these exclusive pay-what-you-wish downloads ($.99 minimum), The Right Track will sponsor a series of concerts and events, with 100% of proceeds from all its initiatives going directly to research funding.
"We jumped at the chance to give an exclusive track for TargetCancer Charity," said Weezer. "We feel this is an extremely worthy and urgent cause and are all too happy to help out."
"Like so many others we have had friends and loved ones deeply affected by cancer," added Dean & Gene Ween. "We believe everyone should stand together in the hopes that we someday might find a cure."
"We are happy to be able to support TargetCancer, especially its goal to find better treatments for rare cancers," agreed The Donnas. "Contributing one of our unreleased songs is a good way for us to combine raising awareness about a cause that matters to us, and sharing new music with our fans and new people too."
Songs Currently Available from 'The Right Track: Tunes To Target Cancer'
Weezer- "The Rat Race"
Ween - "DC Won't Do You No Good"
The Donnas- "Can't Keep It a Secret"
Cowboy Junkies- "In My Time of Need" (Ryan Adams cover)
Dean and Britta- "International Velvet Theme" (Caledonia Mix)
Buffalo Tom- "Thrown" (Live From Somerville Theater)
Linda Thompson- "Never the Bride"
Mike Viola- "This is Love, This is Life"
Drug Rug- "Coffee In the Morning" (Alternate Version)
The Gravel Pit- "Yellow Light Purple"
Happy Ending- "Through Your Eyes"
http://www.righttracktunes.org
http://www.targetcancer.info
http://www.shorefire.com/clients/therighttrack 
Category:Karl's Corner - February 2010