Pitchfork

The past year or so has been quite kind to Chan Marshall. Since releasing The Greatest in 2006, the artist better known as Cat Power has seen her act get cleaned up, her star rise considerably, her fanbase swell, and her record receive accolades left and right. So now, guess what? It's time to give back.

As Marshall revealed in a recent MySpace bulletin (we take it her caps lock key done broke), her charitable endeavors have been a long time coming:

WHEN I WAS IN AFRICA 10 YEARS AGO, I FELT I HAD NO "POWER" TO HELP THE PEOPLE AND DEFINITELY "NO FINANCIAL SECURITY" TO TAKE A TRIP LIKE THIS...
SO, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, I CAN FINALLY RETURN, EXACTLY THE WAY I ALWAYS WISHED I COULD...

And return to Africa she will this coming January, on a trip sponsored by NYC-based organization charity: that also includes stops in Bangladesh and India. As she puts it,

GONNA VISIT A FEW HOSPITALS WITH NO WATER
AND THEN GONNA DIG A WELL A FEW SCHOOLS AND
JUST DO BASIC TRAVELING TO 'FIND' NEW PLACES FOR WELLS.
DRIVING IN A 4X4 TRUCK....
WEARING MY HOODIE, JEANS, AND ADIDAS'S FOR 3 WEEKS........
DUDE.
WHERE'S MY EYELINER?
NOPE.

Charity: lists among its goals "stimulating greater global awareness about extreme poverty, educating the public, and provoking compassionate and intelligent giving," and its the awareness in particular that Marshall hopes to bolster. She plans to have her trip filmed, and she'll also journal about her experiences and share photos; internet pending, she may even release a few dispatches directly from the road.

Cat Power will return in time for her birthday, January 21, which doubles as the first night of an in-the-works tour in support of Jukebox. The disc, Chan's second collection of covers, arrives (as you know) the next day via Matador-- now with 100% more Hot Boys! The tour, still coming together, begins in Paris and will whisk Marshall hither and thither worldwide over the ensuing months.

As for charity:, you can do your part as well. Marshall points us to the organization's second annual gala benefit, charity: ball, going down December 17 at New York City's Metropolitan Pavilion. A "special live music performance" is promised; gather from that what you will.