We also figured that we would take this budding time, the de-gelling ice, and the birds chirping to better inform our YBP supporters on how YBP directly aids charities. Our spring charity spotlight is: Free Arts for Abused Children, a charity supported by Rilo Kiley, which has for 30 years delivered meaningful programs that integrate the healing powers of art to help at-risk and needy youth and families. Free Arts’ approach encourages youth to channel their emotions and develop positive methods of communication through creative activities such as drama, dance, painting, writing and music.

YBP recently contacted Karrah Lompa from Free Arts to find out how YBP donations are helping out this cause. We thought we would share with you her response: “These donations directly support our programs — they help Free Arts for Abused Children recruit, screen, train, place, and support community volunteers to work directly with more than 25,000 abused, are homeless or at-risk children and families living in crisis each year. The funds from the Yellow Bird Project, as with all funds received for the Elliott Smith Memorial Fund, are dedicated to providing creative arts programs to a vulnerable population of children who benefit from the support of caring adult volunteers and new opportunities to be creative and express themselves.”

Call it a habit, call it a custom… Ah, let’s just call it a ritual. When there’s new music out from some of our favourite YBP artists, we have to report it.

King Creosote recently contributed a Malcolm Middleton cover of ‘Choir’ as a b-side to Malcolm’s new single, ‘Blue Plastic Bags’.  You can listen to it on Malcolm’s myspace page here.

There is also a new Wolf Parade album on the horizon! You can sneak a listen to their first single called ‘Call it a Ritual’. The new album, which has yet to be named, drops on June 17th, but for now you can stream their single from their myspace page here.