Currently there are no less than 2,000 homeless youth in Portland. Outside In, a social service agency based out of Portland is changing this statistic, and hopefully with the release of Elliott Smith’s New Moon, the change will come sooner than later.

A portion of the proceeds from Smith’s recorded rarities album will go to the Portland organization with hopes of creating a monetary catalyst towards helping homeless youth. Outside In has established programs to eliminate homelessness through health and risk education. They also assist youths and low-income adults alike, in obtaining jobs and living arrangements to ensure future independence and self-sufficiency. Elliott Smith had hopes of working with the organization before his death in 2003; his family took over the unrealized dream early last year, saying this about Outside In:

” We feel that this organization is a good fit for Elliott’s fund for a number of reasons. Elliott was vocal about helping abused kids, and those are largely the population that Outside In serves, though it is not a requirement. Outside In hits close to home- their facilities are actually RIGHT across the street from Lincoln High School, where Elliott went to school. Finally, Elliott knew of Outside In and had actually agreed to do a benefit for their needle-exchange program. Sadly, he never got the chance, but now we have an opportunity to give to this organization is his name.” -Elliott’s family, sweetadeline.net site

Larry Crane (of Tape Op magazine and Jackpot! Studios) is Smith’s official archivist, and worked on both selecting and mixing tracks for the new release. A longtime Smith friend/collaborator, Crane aided in the recording of some of his earliest work. For New Moon, he’s written extensive technical and contextual liner notes. Crane had this to say about the family’s decision to work with Outside In in a recent LocalCut telephone interview:

“(Smith) had done benefits (for the organization Free Arts for Abused Children) before, and I think his family, the estate of Steven Paul Smith, felt like it would show good faith to continue on in that direction… Nobody wants this to be seen as making money off our missing friend… we had worked with Outside In at Jackpot. We all certainly agree they do a great job. (Sending proceeds in their direction) wasn’t my doing but I’m really supportive of it.”

Due out May 8th from Kill Rock Stars, the collection of songs, dating from 1994-1997 when Smith’s Self-Titled and Either/Or albums were in the works, will be compiled on a two-disc CD set, as well as on vinyl.

Disc 1
1 Angel In The Snow
2 Talking To Mary
3 High Times
4 New Monkey
5 Looking Over My Shoulder
6 Going Nowhere
7 Riot Coming
8 All Cleaned Out
9 First Timer
10 Go By
11 Miss Misery (early version)
12 Thirteen
Disc 2
1 Georgia Georgia
2 Whatever (Folk Song in C)
3 Big Decision
4 Placeholder
5 New Disaster
6 Seen How Things Are Hard
7 Fear City
8 Either/Or
9 Pretty Mary K (other version)
10 Almost Over
11 See You Later
12 Half Right

Crane also assured LocalCut that New Moon will not sound like a 2006 release, and that his only manipulations of Smith’s original recordings are in the pursuit of making the tracks more audible and clean (as opposed, presumably, to making them flashy, marketable or in aesthetically different in any way). It’s encouraging to know that these tracks are in the best possible hands with Crane at the helm of the project.

[EDITOR’S NOTE: This post was almost entirely written by Anika Sabin. Due to a technical issue that we’re figuring out, it’s posted under Casey’s name.]

Image: The album cover for New Moon, designed by Portland artist Mike King.