really awesome charity albums

1) As you may well know, I spend half my working weeks delivering and picking up books/cd/dvd/books on tape etc throughout the western half of massachusetts.
Though the the law of diminishing returns (no pun intended) has reared its lawful head, I have thought up many ideas for songs etc during my job. Mockingbird? I was in Agawam.
Mediocre Meteor? Shelburne. etc.
So, I indirectly owe a lot of my songwriting to libraries. But I've never bridged the gap between the two sides of my life with anything that you could walk across.

Neither has Jim Armenti. Because, let's face it, man, who can? Music is not a solid mass like cement or brick. You Just Can't Walk On It!!
However.... Armenti, he of the mindblowing guitar/clarinet/mandolin/songwriting chops, one of the godfathers of "the scene", was asked in the not too distant past, to write a song or two to help with Westhampton Library's fundraising efforts.
You see, though a majority of the small town's citizens feel that they deserve a bigger, better public library, and though they have some of the funds from the state, a loud minority keeps shooting it down. "Who needs public libraries anymore? What kind of commie are you? We're in the ownership society age now!!"
Armenti felt so strongly on the side of the public library, that he wrote not one, not two, but ten--a full length album's worth--of songs, using the library story as a springboard.
It's called "The Great Pumpkin Roll"--after a fundraising event which ended in one child's pumpkin rolling a full half mile down a westhampton hill. There were dozens and dozens of laughing kids and tumbling pumpkins that day, apparently.
I listened to the cd while delivering the books, my heart bursting with pride that a fellow musical soul was filling my head with reasons why doing what I do to pay the rent is (while I wish I could be drumming and writing the hours away) a pretty important, rewarding, non-soul sucking thing.
All the songs are fantastic! From funny to totally beautiful, with sing along choruses.. and the album flows with a non-pretentious old school folk vibe throughout.
I will find out about where folks can get these. I believe they benefit the good fight. Or just ask Jim.

Another charitable disc (featuring that Armenti guy AGAIN) can be found (so I'm told) at many fine local record stores. It's an audio document of the all star concert on April 30, 2004 which took place at John M Greene hall at Smith, and featured little known artists Sonic Youth, Sebadoh and J Mascis and huge names like Lo Fine, Claudia Malibu, Lonesome Bros and Steve Westfield. There was even a "who woulda thought" reunion of Deep Wound.
That was a day/night I'll always remember.
And to know that it was going to a good cause (autism) was very nice. So do sales of the CD. I cannot wait to get myself a copy and buy a few extras for holiday gifts.