The community is invited to celebrate the release of SOS: Save Our Studio, a benefit album and concert to support the fêted Long Beach recording venue, The Compound Studio. The FREE concert kicks off on Saturday, June 2, 7-9:30pm at Fingerprints Records (420 East 4^th St., Long Beach, CA 90802; 562-433-4996, with many of the contributing artists (and Compound Studio clientele) featured on the benefit album.

Marc Ford and the Neptune Blues Club (formerly of the Black Crowes) headlines the show, with subsequent short sets from Chris Lizotte, Free Moral Agents, Avi Buffalo, Chris Paul Overall, plus special surprise guests. There will be CDs and miscellaneous merchandise for sale as well as a silent auction featuring limited-edition items ranging from autographed T-shirts and souvenirs to studio time.

Since its opening in 2001, The Compound Studio has become a favorite recording space for local and national artists alike—including Mavis Staples, Marc Ford, Ryan Bingham, Mike Watt, Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Ryan Adams, the Coldwar Kids, and many more. Established as a partnership deal in part by producer/chief engineer Anthony Arvizu, The Compound has handled myriad sessions from label projects with constrained budgets to gratis work for that rare up-and-comer who needed a break. But mounting debt has threatened to shut the studio down in recent months, and in an attempt to stay open and service the community that it is such a vital part of, Arvizu put out a call to many of his former clients asking for songs to contribute to a benefit album.

With a digital release date of May 29th, SOS: Save Our Studio: A Benefit Album features tracks from Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), Marc Ford, Mike Watt and The Black Gang (featuring Nels Cline), Neal Casal, Jay Buchanan, Phantom Limb, Free Moral Agents (Ikey Owens), Avi Buffalo, Crystal Antlers, Josh Freese, Krista Polvere, Chris Lizotte, Mike Malone, Jameson, Elijah Ford, Dumb Love, Mode, Jusso, Elderly Rock Opera, and The Wildbunch. Key tracks include:  "The New Old One" by Avi Buffalo, "Graphical" by Free Moral Agents, "Rose In Your Teeth" by Jay Buchanan of Rival Sons, "The Same Coming Up" by Marc Ford.

The album can be purchased for $11.99 (or for a higher donation) at: http://thecompoundstudio.bandcamp.com/album/s-o-s-save-our-studio-an-album-to-benefit-the-compound-studio.