Dear Robert S.,

The Lala service will be shut down on May 31st.

In appreciation of your support over the last five years, you will receive a credit in the amount of your Lala web song purchases for use on Apple’s iTunes Store. If you purchased and downloaded mp3 songs from Lala, those songs will continue to play as part of your local music library.

Remaining wallet balances and unredeemed gift cards will be converted to iTunes Store credit (or can be refunded upon request). Gift cards can be redeemed on Lala until May 31st.

Click here or visit Lala.com/support for more information, or to view Lala’s Terms of Service.

Thank you.

Lala

Lala was / is such a fantastic website too. This is a shame. I really hope Applesoft does something outstanding with its technology.

The band eventually scheduled a farewell concert to their fans, in order to get closure on the Dispatch portion of their lives. The free show was performed at the Hatch Shell in Boston on July 31, 2004. “The Last Dispatch,” as it was called, is said to be the largest concert in independent music history. The original prediction of the turnout was between 10,000 and 30,000. Fans flocked from Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Mexico, New Zealand and Australia among others, making up an estimated total audience of 110,000.

I wish I was there.

What’s even more interesting than their bio, is their music. It’s in a genre of its very own. Now go grab a cocktail and have a listen.

Sister can you hear me now
The ringing in your ears
I’m down on the ground
My luck’s been dry for years
I’m lost in the dark
And I feel like a dinosaur
Broken face and broken hands
I’m a broken man
I’ve hit the wall
I’m about to fall
But I’m closing in on it
I feel so weak
On a losing streak
Watch my taillights fade to black
I read a thing about this girl
She was a hermit in her world
Her story was much like mine
She could be my valentine
And although we’ve never met
I won’t forget her yet
She cut herself off from her past
Now she’s alone at last
I feel so sick
Lost love’s last licks
But I’m closing down on it
I feel so weak
On a losing streak
Watch my taillights fade to black
Lost my life in cheap wine
Now it’s quiet time
Cappy Dick nor Jesus Christ
Could not help my fate
But I’m underneath a gun
I’m singing about my past
Had myself a wonderful thing
But I could not make it last
I’ve hit the wall
I’m about to fall
But I’m closing in on it
I feel so small
Underneath it all
Watch my taillights fade to black

Yeah, I’ve been on a huge Buffalo Tom kick lately. It has to be the weather. We used to see them a lot this time of year all over Boston and Providence. Ahh, the good ol’ days. I’ll have to see if they’re playing again sometime soon.

The fire blazed away
The kitchen porch was all that remained
And I’m out here alone – beat up and pissed
Until this very day
That old hotel rang back in fuzzy time
And I was ravaged to the bone
Your voice got smaller ’til I realized
It was gone

I listened to Buffalo Tom this morning for the first time in like a year. I almost forgot how much I love this band, especially in autumn. I’m not sure why so much in autumn. I think it’s because I like everything better in autumn.

According to their website, they are working on their 7th studio album. I thought the band had broken up years ago. It’s good to be wrong from time to time.