So Darren Barefoot (a legend in Vancouver) got this great idea on how all of us who acquired any great music … uh….errr… via less than fully legitimate means can pay back the artist (note: not the record company, if you, like him, think they’re evil).

Here’s the deal: you visit his new site, DearRockers, write the artist you’ve offended an “oops! Sorry!” letter, scan and upload the letter to the site, and send the letter with $5. Now that’s what I call entering the party season with good karma!

Here are some hilarious excerpts:

Dear Whitney,
I remember listening to your music and I thought “GOD DAMN, here is a woman that can sing and is going places”. Even though the only place you have gone is to rehab, I still love your music. I would send you $5, but I know that will just go to crack. So instead I am donating $5 to the local orphanage. I figure they can make a lot out of a little. Don’t worry though, I will always love you. Just like your song.

Dear Axl,
There are a lot of musicians I could have sent this money to; people lke Bob Mould or Henry Rollins or Robert Plant, whose music graced the mix tapes of my youth. But I figured out of all of them, you could probably use the money the most.

Dear Billy Joel,
I should tell you that, about a decade ago, I taped some of the songs from your “greatest hits” album off a friend’s tape. The songs “My Life” & “Moving Out” served as the perfect inspirational soundtrack for a 20-year old aspiring actor, just beginning her career in the Big Apple.

So if you’ve ever downloaded, burned a cd, or (any readers old enough?) taped an LP, you know what to do!