Page 300 Awards for Literature
After a weekend of deliberations, and several of cups of coffee and Kahlua, we're happy to announce the winners of our Black Angels giveaway.
First off, thank you to everyone who got their creative juices flowing and submitted a story. We had a lot of good entries, but unfortunately only three people can win the grand prize. We will be sending a consolation prize to everyone who participated however. The format of the contest inspired a lot of what might be called horror haikus, and considering how I described the album in my original review, it's interesting that two of the three winners come from the southwest. There must be something in the dry desert air.
The winning entries...
From Nik in Glendale, AZ
They hit the road. He saw him at dusk, she pulled over. Quiet conversation. SUDDENLY AN AXE, BLOOD ON THE DASHBOARD!!!...the hitchhiker is waiting.From Jeff in Las Vegas, NV
I dreamed I saw Elvis' ghost at a Las Vegas buffet.From Andrew in Somerville, MA
"What's up E?"
He burped.
I woke up dead but with a full tummy.
Sudden darkness. At the other end of the phone, heavy breathing. A thump. Knock at the window. Hand to the throat. The end.And honorable mention goes to Dom in Blackburn, Lancashire. If I had four grand prizes to giveaway, he would have got one.
The spook community lampooned Phil the Spectre because he was bald. So he frightened the coif off a music producer and fashioned some fuzz. FIN.The Black Angels new album, Directions To See A Ghost, hits stores tomorrow, May 13.
The Black Angels - "Doves" (mp3) from Directions To See A Ghost
The Black Angels - "The First Vietnamese War" (mp3) from Passover
Labels: giveaways
Win the new Black Angels album
If you're a regular reader of this blog, you already know how much I love the new Black Angels album. Directions To See A Ghost is a dark, droning masterpiece. It's been in everyday rotation around here for the past three weeks, and my love for it is showing no signs of waning whatsoever. It has already become the album to beat as my favorite of the year, and it's not even in stores yet (though it will be on May 13, and it's available on iTunes right now). You can find out what all the fuss is about for yourself on the band's imeem profile, where the album is currently streaming in it's entirety. If you haven't heard it already, you seriously need to check it out.
Thanks to our friends at Light In The Attic Records, we are giving away three copies of the new CD, along with the four song bonus EP that is otherwise available exclusively through the digital prerelease promotion that is going on now. How can you win one of these sweet ass prize packages? Simply get your inner Steven King on and tell us a ghost story... in 25 words or less. Shoot us an email with the subject line "BOO!" with your story, and make sure you include your name and address (they don't have to be part of the story, although I guess it could be your house that's haunted). You've got until midnight next Thursday, May 8 to enter. On Friday morning our panel of experts (uh, me... and several cups of coffee) will pick the three best entries, and your CDs will be on their way to your mailbox. So be creative. Be scary. Be goofy. But most of all, be brief.
UPDATE: And the winners are...
The Black Angels - "Doves" (mp3)
The Black Angels - "You On The Run" (mp3)
Labels: giveaways
And The Winner Is...
Congratulations to Wesley L, the winner of our New Pornographers/Okkervil River ticket giveaway. He knew (or at least googled) that in addition to being a member of The New Pornographers, Kathryn Calder is also a third of the Victoria, BC trio Immaculate Machine. If you've never heard of them before, here is your chance to correct that... this song is buoyant pop gem every bit as catchy as anything she's performed with Carl Newman and company. If you can listen to this and it isn't stuck in your head for the rest of the day, you simply don't like music.
Immaculate Machine - "Dear Confessor" (mp3) from Fables
Kathryn, Carl and their fellow smut peddlers will be in Nashville two weeks from tonight, April 18th, to play The Cannery Ballroom. If you're reading this and your name isn't Wesley, you can buy your tickets here.
The New Pornographers - "Myriad Harbor" (mp3) from Challengers
Okkervil River - "Black" (mp3) from Black Sheep Boy
Labels: giveaways
Win New Pornographers Tickets
In October of 2005, The New Pornographers played at the Mercy Lounge here in Nashville. If I had been doing this blog then, it undoubtably would have been my pick for concert of the year. Dan Bejar was touring with them (Destroyer opened the show), and their set was two hours of absolute pop bliss. Seeing them play "The Bleeding Heart Show" with Neko Case singing the harmonies at the end was one of those magical hair-standing-up-on-the-back-of-your-neck concert experiences that just don't happen very often (you can relive the magic visually here).
On Friday, April 18, the Pornographers return to Nashville (minus Dan, though Destroyer will be at the Mercy Lounge on April 29), playing in the exact same building, this time downstairs in the Cannery Ballroom. Okkervil River will open the show, and you can go for free. Here's how...
Like every other member of the band, the New Pornographers isn't keyboardist/vocalist Kathryn Calder's only gig. Shoot us an email with the subject the subject line "FREE PORN", and give us your name and the name of Kathryn's other band. Do it by midnight on Thursday, April 3, and we'll draw a winner next Friday. That lucky person and a friend of their choosing will be going to the show for free, courtesy of Matador Records. If you don't win tickets, or you're morally opposed to games of chance, you can buy your tix here.
New Pornographers - "My Rights Versus Yours" (mp3) from Challengers
New Pornographers - "Graceland" (mp3) from Matador at Fifteen
Okkervil River - "Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe" (mp3) from The Stage Names
Finally, if you like free swag (CDs and concert tix and autographed stuff, oh my!) and would like to help promote Beggars/Matador artists around town (the likes of Blonde Redhead, Vampire Weekend, The National, Tapes 'n Tapes, Stephen Malkmus, Cat Power and such), contact clairetaylor@beggars.com to find out how you can help with the Beggars/Matador street team.
Labels: giveaways
