February 2, 2010, _New Jersey_ Just before the holidays, we uploaded the big news that the defunct, but revered Jersey-based indie label Dromedary Records would re-launch, thus reopening the front door for a bevy of records (and artists) that may have slipped further into the void of obscurity.

Dromedary, having taken a break for the better part of a decade due to the demands of life and the difficulties of a changing industry, is, through its resurgence, living proof that every setback is a set up for a comeback, so it’s more than apropos that the label’s first brand new release reaches out to make a struggle easier on others.

To that end, on Wednesday, February 3, Dromedary will release a compilation entitled _Make The Load Lighter: Indie Rock For Haiti_. The 16-track compilation will feature a healthy handful of great indie rock bands, some of which occupied spots on the Dromedary roster, but many of which come from label’s great stable of friends and colleagues. The turnaround of artists rising to the call was staggering. Within 72 hours, label proprietor Al Crisafulli had the entire comp fully slated!

All proceeds from _Make The Load Lighter_, which will be a digital-only release priced at $9.99 on the company’s website, will go to benefit the victims of the Haitian earthquake through an all-volunteer organization called *Vwa Ayiti* (Voice Of Haiti), who have been doing environmentally friendly, self-sustaining community development projects in Haiti since 2005.

Crisafulli says, “The title is taken from a Haitian expression “Many hands make the load lighter.” I think, given the circumstances, that’s exactly what we’re trying to do here.”

_Make The Load Lighter: Indie Rock For Haiti_ can be purchased beginning February 4 by visiting www.dromedary-records.com.

The compilation will also be made available on iTunes, Rhapsody and through other online retail outlets.

Here is the track listing:

1. Footstone: “For The Boss”
2. Boss Jim Gettys: “With A Smile”
3. Cuppa Joe: “Taniqua”
4. Moviola: “Calling On The Line”
5. Three Blind Wolves: “Sex Is For Losers”
6. Paula Carino: “The Great Depression”
7. Wallendas: “Adrianne”
8. The Neutron Drivers: “All Around The Sun”
9. The Dark Brothers: “Knee Deep In Sin”
10. There Will Be Fireworks: “Foreign Thoughts”
11. Gena Rowlands Band: “Fuckups Of The World Unite”
12. The Mommyheads: “Spiders”
13. Farewell Singapore: “Blue”
14. Jenifer Convertible: “St. Pete”
15. lions.chase.tigers: “To Their Blood”
16. Stuyvesant: “Salieri”

For more information, please contact Perry Serpa at Good Cop Public Relations. Phone: 718 846-0518 or email: perry@goodcoppr.com.

Some current figures from CNN.com, as of January 26:

The latest estimate of the death toll is between 150,000 and 200,000. In terms we can understand, that’s enough to fill Yankee Stadium three or four times.

There are 194,000 people injured. Three or four more Yankee Stadiums, filled with injured people.

Three million people – one-third of Haiti’s total population – have been affected by the quake. 1.5 million have been left homeless – that’s enough to fill the new Dallas Cowboys football stadium 15 times.

According to the CIA World Factbook, 38% of Haiti’s population are under age 14. There are 300,000 children younger than 2 years old who need nutritional support. 90% of the schools in Port au Prince – a city of approximately 3 million – have been destroyed.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. 80% of the country lives under the poverty line. This is a country with no military.

On February 3, your $9.99 will get you the sixteen tracks on our compilation _Make the Load Lighter: Indie Rock for Haiti_. Every penny received by Dromedary will be donated directly to Haitian earthquake relief.

Thank you for your support!

We’re proud to announce the track listing for _Make the Load Lighter: Indie Rock for Haiti_.

The compilation will be released on WEDNESDAY, February 3 on the Dromedary website, and shortly thereafter at all finer online music retailers. All proceeds will be donated to Vwa Ayiti (Voice of Haiti).

The track listing is as follows:

1. Footstone: “For the Boss”
2. Boss Jim Gettys: “With a Smile”
3. Cuppa Joe: “Taniqua”
4. Moviola: “Calling on the Line”
5. Three Blind Wolves: “Sex is for Losers”
6. Paula Carino: “The Great Depression”
7. Wallendas: “Adrianne”
8. The Neutron Drivers: “All Around the Sun”
9. The Dark Brothers: “Knee Deep in Sin”
10. There Will Be Fireworks: “Foreign Thoughts”
11. Gena Rowlands Band: “Fuckups of the World Unite”
12. The Mommyheads: “Spiders”
13. Farewell Singapore: “Blue”
14. Jenifer Convertible: “St. Pete”
15. lions.chase.tigers: “To Their Blood”
16. Stuyvesant: “Salieri”

These sixteen awesome songs will be yours for just $9.99 if you purchase them from the Dromedary website beginning February 3!

Just one week left until the release of Footstone’s _Lippy_ CD, and a little more than a week until their reunion show at Maxwell’s!

As a special treat, here’s another video of Footstone performing at a private party back in September, their first show together in a decade.

Enjoy, and don’t forget to come back on February 2 for your copy of the Northeast indie classic _Lippy_!

On January 12, a devastating earthquake struck the Port au Prince area of Haiti, causing devastation and loss of life that is still untold.

As things would have it, a very close friend of the Dromedary family was just outside Port au Prince, delivering supplies to several Haiti’s many orphanages when the quake struck. While waiting for news of her safety and whereabouts, we began learning of the degree to which that country – already the most impoverished in the Western Hemisphere – was suffering.

While our friend is, thankfully, home safe, the same can not be said for hundreds of thousands of Port au Prince residents. With many still trapped in the rubble, the death toll cannot be reported even two weeks later. And the number left homeless, orphaned, or injured is massive – a humanitarian crisis like we’ve never seen in our part of the world.

During the week of January 18, we began to hatch a plan to release a benefit compilation, and make it available digitally on the internet. We began reaching out to some of our favorite bands – inside and outside the Dromedary family – and were genuinely moved by the generosity with which everyone responded.

The result will be _Make The Load Lighter: Indie Rock for Haiti_. Inspired by the Haitian proverb “Many hands make the load lighter,” the compilation will be available direct from the Dromedary website, as well as from traditional online retailers like iTunes and eMusic, with *all* proceeds to benefit “Voice Of Haiti”:http://www.vwaayiti.org/ – a volunteer organization headed by filmmaker/activist James M. Felter and Haitian-American businessman/educator Eddy Remy. While Voice Of Haiti has been funding and promoting environmentally friendly, self-sustaining community development projects in Haiti since 2005, all donations are currently going directly to providing medical care to earthquake survivors.

Featuring tracks from indie rock visionaries like The Mommyheads, Moviola, There Will Be Fireworks, Stuyvesant, the Gena Rowlands Band and more, _Make The Load Lighter_ should be available for purchase on the Dromedary website by early February – stay tuned for more information.

(photo credit to Suzanne Buchanan; we love you and we’re glad you’re safe)

Cuppa Joe (or at least two-thirds of Cuppa Joe), this past Thanksgiving of 2009, playing their classic “French Toast.” This is one of the only recordings of Doug and Steve performing Cuppa Joe songs in nearly a decade.

“French Toast” was one of the songs on Cuppa Joe’s 1993 _busy work e.p._ initially released by Dromedary on vinyl, with charming, hand-colored covers.

Stay tuned, because Dromedary will be giving away a fresh, digital copy of _busy work_ right here on the Dromedary website.

And for those of you who still want the actual artifact, we have a few of the *original* seven-inch vinyl records, complete with those unique covers, hand-colored in a pizza-fueled frenzy by the band in Dromedary’s living room way back in the spring of 1993. We’ll make those available for sale as well.

And don’t forget – _Nurture_ is coming soon, and there will be some pretty special surprises – if you already have a copy, you’re going to want this one, too!