Inspired by a news headline about the Wall Street bailout, Ry Cooder began work on his latest Perro Verde/Nonesuch Records release, Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down, with the track “No Banker Left Behind,” an ode to the corrupt few spared from the financial crisis while most were left to fend for themselves. The original article appeared on Truthdig and was written by its editor-in-chief, Robert Scheer, who in turn spoke with Cooder about the album on Truthdig Radio. Now the site is giving away a copy of the Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down LP and Los Angeles Stories, Cooder's first-ever stand-alone written work just out in paperback from City Lights.

The songs of Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down, conceived as "simple tools for citizens under siege," have been described as those of "a modern-day Woody Guthrie" by Uncut. The New Yorker's Ben Greenman has included "No Banker Left Behind" on his Soundtrack for Occupy Wall Street. The album, says Truthdig, "is not only listenable, but political, with roots in the tradition of protest music." In that vein, the site is asking its readers to enter the contest by picking a favorite protest song and sharing a personal story that goes along with it. To do so, go to truthdig.com and leave a comment, post to the Truthdig Facebook page, or Tweet it mentioning @Truthdig and using the hashtag #powerofprotest, and you'll be entered to win a copy of the album on vinyl and the book.

Ry Cooder was at Book Soup in Los Angeles last night to discuss the new book with Tosh Berman and answer questions.

To pick up a copy of Los Angeles Stories and Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down, head to the Nonesuch Store, where vinyl and CD orders include high-quality, 320 kbps MP3s of the album at checkout; MP3s and FLAC lossless files are also available to purchase.