Love is in the air, but it's not just geared towards your significant other. For these three local Southwest Riverside County-based bands, love is something that is abound in everything they do -- including their passion for donating their time and talent to various charities.

"Even if we weren't musicians, it would still be our duty to volunteer our time to different charities," said Derrick Hatch, who plays drums/keyboards in Temecula's My Last Revelation. "Just look around at the great unbalance in the world. Most people, especially here in America , are afraid to do anything to help because it will actually cost something. It's not right that we can watch the news from our homes and see the devastation and despair of this shattered paradise, and just say 'too bad' and change the channel. The only fair thing to say is that when we forsake the lives of others, we actually forsake our own."

Simon Bleeker, guitarist for Temecula-based Wine Brew agrees, "As a musician, all this volunteer work is building up my personality and helping me to be a stronger person. In the long run, what goes around comes around."

Both My Last Revelation and Wine Brew have donated much of their talent to various charities within the local community. My Last Revelation has worked alongside the now-defunct Cuppy's Coffee as part of their Music for the Children Foundation. The band also performed at both Day Middle School and Race for the Cure. Wine Brew also participated in Race for the Cure -- and hope to do so again this year -- but have also worked alongside fellow musician Brian Carlson on a charity-infused collaboration.

"Brian Carlson has been music minister at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in Claremont since 1973, and has participated in many recordings," Bleeker said. "He is coming out with an Irish Fusion album called 'Voyage' to raise money towards his liver and kidney disease, which he has been fighting and overcoming for quite some time."

In addition to working with Carlson, Wine Brew is determined to put together a few other musically-based charity ventures this coming year. For instance, they're also interested in organizing a free show for the Camp Pendleton soldiers whom Bleeker describes as being "the whole reason we get to do what we do."

My Last Revelation also have big plans for the new year. They are planning to perform at Great Oak High School, and would absolutely love to play various schools for events like Red Ribbon Week. But Wine Brew and My Last Revelation aren't the only two Southwest Riverside County bands looking to do some good for society. Murrieta-based Fellguard are right there alongside them.

Together for two years, and the recipients of various music awards -- such as the City of Murrieta 's 2007 Battle of the Bands, and the Inland Empire Music Award's Best High School Band -- Fellguard has not allowed its popularity to go to their collective heads. Instead, they have held fast to it and used it for good, such as volunteering.

Just last year they held Fellguard Rock Aid, a benefit concert for the Community Food Pantry of Murrieta which raised over $2,000, and featured a performance by Stryper's Oz Fox. But to Fellguard, it's all in a days work.

"We have a lot of friends, family, and fans right here in Murrieta, so we just wanted to do something to give back to our community," said bassist Matt Murrow. "It's always good for Fellguard to play our music and put on a good metal show. The food pantry gets money and food to help feed the community. It's a win-win situation for everyone."

While some may see these musicians participation with various charities as a gimmick to generate popularity for themselves, the opposite is actually true. Each of these three bands is dedicated to their community, as well as their craft, and are simply happy to have not only the ability, but the opportunity, to get out there and help whoever they can.

"The most important thing about these shows isn't the exposure, it's the help that we are trying to provide," Hatch said. "Exposure is a factor, but again, it's not the reason we do these things."

Volunteering may take up quite a bit of their time, but as musicians, it's not the only project they are currently working on. Fellguard is planning on setting up another benefit concert that will hopefully take place during the late spring, or early summer. But aside from that, they are also recording, and hoping to tour. In fact, they have been invited to play in Europe next summer, and are hopeful that they will have the chance to continue playing throughout Southern California, as well as the rest of the United States.

Wine Brew has been spending much of their time performing in various Old Town Temecula venues, such as The Public House, as well as The Promenade Mall, but they have their sights set on something bigger: Hollywood venues such as The Whisky A Go-Go, and The Roxy.

My Last Revelation has been spending much of its time recording their full-length album in an Anaheim studio -- recordings they hope to send to Ron Fairchild in Nashville, Tenn. for mixing. They're anticipating that their album will be available by early spring. Until then, Hatch has one last thing to add.

"I know we can't save the world, but we're going to do the best we can to make it a better place," he said. "It's rad that we get to play shows and stuff, but the important thing is seeing that all of this is for something, and there's a purpose in what we're doing. I believe that prayer and a reformed attitude will be a great initiative in the first step to bringing us one step closer to paradise."