Adored Mailing List Recipients,

As the time of solstice approaches and the faded, mottled apparitions of ancient druids walk the land in search of killer deals on the latest tech gadgets, we here at Decemberists HQ are pleased (as spiked punch, actually) to announce a few pertinent points of order.

First off: thanks everyone who came out to the A Short Fazed Hovel tour dates and to that one keen observer who updated our Wikipedia page with mention of the fact that the tour title was indeed an anagram of the record title.  One spends a good deal of time thinking these things up and one was concerned that maybe the joke would disappear into time's oscillating ether with nary a single begrudging giggle.

Secondly, we're pleased to announce a Colin Meloy solo benefit concert at the Myrna Loy Center in Helena, MT, on December 27th.  Tickets are $37 (it's a benefit, kids!) and are available through the Myrna Loy box office by calling 406-443-0287.  All proceeds benefit the Helena High School Girl's Soccer Program.  This will be Colin's only solo show for the foreseeable future so jump on it!

Furthermore, Here Come the Waves: The Hazards of Love Visualized is available NOW at iTunes (unfortunately only in the U.S. as many of the other iTunes stores do not offer long-form videos yet).  Watch the new trailer here.

For those who would prefer their 60 minutes of animation in DVD form, there is salvation at the Decemberists Shop. Starting today, while supplies last, all orders of The Hazards of Love on CD or vinyl will get a copy of the DVD as a free bonus.  If you already own the record, think of it as buying the DVD and getting a bonus CD or vinyl record.  Give the record to your spiteful little sister, use it to ply your uncle for dirty jokes, see how far it'll fly if thrown from a great height.  The possibilities are truly limitless.

Speaking of the store, there's a large, even unprecedented influx of new merchandise available at the Decemberists Shop.  There's something for every mottled druid-ghost on your list, each emblazoned with a lovely illustration by the Decemberists' talented illustratrix/art-slave, Carson Ellis.  There are garments to clothe you and keep you warm, vessels to drink from, a repository to write or draw in (the Decemberists-branded Moleskine notebook is pretty rad). And if you are fond of buying things for the babies / toddlers / kids in your lives, boy have you won the Decemberists' holiday merchandise derby.  Everything is in stock - come by the shop anytime.

That's all!

Yours truly,

The Decemberists
www.decemberists.com
twitter.com/thedecemberists