A few weeks ago, we received a super-secret, hand-illustrated, advance copy of the new Everything Absent or Distorted (a love story) record, The Great Collapse, along with a straight-forward, hand-scrawled note from the band -- a simple plea, really -- asking us to kindly not talk about the album quite yet. If we could, you know, just keep things under wraps until it gets released on December 6 at the Gothic, that would be great. That said, we won't bother telling you how delightful it is, or how much it's ruined us for all other music in recent weeks. No sir, instead, we'll point you to the act's next gig, a Drunken Halloween Costume Ball at the Oriental Theatre on Friday, October 31, whereupon you might be able to persuade the gents to play some of the new songs. Like, um ... this one, for instance, which we've posted for your downloading pleasure after the jump. Shhh! -- Dave Herrera