A misleading post title, because of course we are all hoping for Haiti, and have been, day and night since a catastrophic earthquake decimated an already destitute society. We know our place in the order of things -- you should be going to your legit news site of choice regularly these days; Stereogum's here for escapism, muckraking about post-punk and burgers should you need it. But the artistic community is mobilizing to offer relief to the Haitian people, and that's what this post is about.

George Clooney and MTVN have organized Hope For Haiti Now: A Global Benefit For Earthquake Relief, a live telethon to be broadcast at 8 pm EST from New York, London, L.A., and Haiti, featuring Jay-Z, Bono, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Taylor Swift, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, Coldplay, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, Alicia Keys, Wyclef, and some 100 others. Proceeds from the fundraiser directly benefit Oxfam America, Partners in Health, Red Cross, UNICEF and Wyclef's Yele Haiti Foundation. The show will be commercial free and run two hours, beginning at 8PM EST and running on every conceivable network. You can't miss it.

There will be many performances, several billed as one-off collaborations, including a Jay-Z/U2/Rihanna jam. Each one will be available for 99¢ starting tomorrow on iTunes. For those who won't be by a television and don't have DVR, we'll update this post with video embeds from the night. For those looking to donate now, follow this link.

Indie rock's also doing its part, with high profile gigs like Radiohead's LA show (ticket auction ends tomorrow), and, here in Brooklyn, Zach Galifianakis, Bon Iver, St. Vincent, and Britt Daniel at Music Hall Of Williasmburg and A.C. Newman, Walkmen, Wrens, Ted Leo, and Jimmy Fallon at The Bell House. Feel free to use the comments to link to your local charity concert, or just talk about Rihanna's outfit. It's for a good cause.

It seems like just seven months ago we were blogging about Pearl Jam playing "Get Some" on the very first Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien. Now the deals have been brokered, the lawyers have been lawyered, and the good times, which is to say the Not Jay Leno times, come to an end. Coco's last stand as host of his beloved, (misguided) dream job is tonight. He'll be fine financially: there will be offers, perhaps more fitting for his brand of comedy-your-parents-don't-like, and NBC is pushing him off the ledge with a $32MM golden parachute (with $12MM for his staff's severance, and remaining needs will be met by Conan himself). His art, on the other hand, is getting screwed by the 'Cock: R.I.P. Triumph, and lots of other intellectual property developed by the O'Brien team over the years. But while the Masturbating Bear may have pawed his nuts for the last time, both his theme song and that of the Pimpbot 5000 are apparently safe: Max Weinberg and Jimmy Vivino had the foresight (read: financial sense) to copyright those compositions themselves. Very prescient/greedy! Those guys get it.

Last time Conan had a "final music guest," it was the White Stripes. This time, it's Neil Young. Bears relation to the first music artist Conan invited to Universal City: Start on Pearl Jam, end with their progenitor. Full circle-ish. What'll Neil play? "Tonight's The Night" sounds about right, but we'll just see. When that video pops, we'll add it. For now, enjoy Conan's attempt to cost NBC as much as possible, by purchasing a Bugatti Veyron (the most expensive car in the world) and showing it while playing the original master recording of the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." Total cost in car and licensing: $1.5MM. But you know, no hard feelings.

Don't forget to tune in tonight, and bring liquor. Here's a $1.5MM investment in your LOLk.

In March, longstanding crusty, female-fronted San Francisco black metal quintet Ludicra are releasing The Tenant, the excellent followup to 2007's Fex Urbis Lex Orbus. I was a fan of the last one, but The Tenant is their most complete, captivating album to date. I give more detailed thoughts on the collection in my previously mentioned interview with drummer Aesop Dekker, so I'll keep it basic here. Dekker's also a member of Agalloch, so I asked him when we can expect some new material from those folks. I still listen to 2006's Ashes Against The Grain at least once a week, it seems, so am excited by what he had to say. (I also asked him what his Ludicra bandmate John Cobbett, the mind behind Hammers Of Misfortune, is up to...) It'll be a big few months for Ludicra, who're playing the Scion Fest (this time in Columbus, Ohio) on 3/13 and are going on tour with Mayhem, along with Krallice and Tombs, in April. I caught up with him before things got too hectic. There's also info about Negur

Alan Carton, the creator of @diditleak, a Twitter page that announced album leaks, died on 1/16 after a battle with cancer. Carton doggedly updated the page from his hospital bed 'til the end. He was 23. There's a great story about his life/death at The Voice.