AWmusic

Any in celebration we were hooked up with a Beatles giveaway, a lithograph:

Yes it doesn’t look like the best Ringo Starr photo to be done into a lithograph but hey, it’s still Beatles merch!

To win this lithograph:
Enter a comment below.
You must have a valid email address.
You must be a US resident (sorry again to our Canadian readers, we will have available for you)
Contest ends next week on September 16th.

Some covers:
I Should Have Known Better by She and Him
Across The Universe by Fiona Apple
Wild Honey Pie by Pixies
Blackbird by Sarah McLachlan

We’ve got an exciting contest to offer today. Our era’s best band has had their albums reissued by by Capitol records. So we’ve got a special contest, we’re giving away all 3 special collector editions of Radiohead’s Kid A, Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief.

I could talk forever about Radiohead, and these albums come at the stage of where the band started experimenting much more. I could go on forever (to stop myself here) so here are the contest rules:
1. US residents only (apologies to our Canadian contingent)
2. Enter by commenting on this post.
3. Must include a valid e-mail address.
4. Winner selected by random draw and will be contacted by email.
5. Winner receives the Collectors Edition of Kid A, Amnesiac and Hail To The Thief for a total of 6 CDs.
6. Contest ends, September 18th.

In case you are unsure of the tracklistings:

Kid A (Collectors Edition) – 2CD
Disc One
1. Everything In Its Right Place
2. Kid A
3. The National Anthem
4. How To Disappear Completely
5. Treefingers
6. Optimistic
7. In Limbo
8. Idioteque
9. Morning Bell
10. Motion Picture Soundtrack
Disc Two
BBC Radio One Evening Session [11/15/00]
1. Everything In Its Right Place
2. How To Disappear Completely
3. Idioteque
4. The National Anthem
Lamacq Live In Concert: Victoria Park, Warrington, England [10/2/00]
5. Optimistic
Canal+ Studios [4/28/01]
6. Morning Bell
7. The National Anthem
8. How To Disappear Completely
9. In Limbo
10. Idioteque
11. Everything In Its Right Place
12. Motion Picture Soundtrack
I Might Be Wrong – Live Recordings
13. True Love Waits (Live)

Amnesiac (Collectors Edition) – 2CD
Disc One
1. Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box
2. Pyramid Song
3. Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors
4. You And Whose Army?
5. I Might Be Wrong
6. Knives Out
7. Morning Bell/Amnesiac
8. Dollars And Cents
9. Hunting Bears
10. Like Spinning Plates
11. Life In A Glasshouse
Disc Two
Pyramid Song
1. The Amazing Sounds Of Orgy
2. Trans-atlantic Drawl
3. Fast-track
4. Kinetic
Knives Out
5. Worrywort
6. Fog
7. Cuttooth
8. Life In A Glasshouse (Full Length Version)
Canal+ Studios [4/28/01]
9. You And Whose Army?
10. Packt Like Sardines In A Crushd Tin Box
11. Dollars And Cents
12. I Might Be Wrong
13. Knives Out
14. Pyramid Song
I Might Be Wrong – Live Recordings
15. Like Spinning Plates (Live)

Hail To The Thief (Collectors Edition) – 2CD
Disc One
1. 2 + 2 = 5
2. Sit Down. Stand Up.
3. Sail To The Moon
4. Backdrifts
5. Go To Sleep
6. Where I End And You Begin
7. We Suck Young Blood
8. The Gloaming
9. There There
10. I Will
11. A Punchup At A Wedding
12. Myxomatosis
13. Scatterbrain
14. A Wolf At The Door
Disc Two
There There
1. Paperbag Writer
2. Where Bluebirds Fly
Go To Sleep
3. I Am Citizen Insane
4. Fog (Again) – Live
5. Gagging Order
6. I Am A Wicked Child
2+2=5
7. Remyxomatosis (Cristian Vogel RMX)
8. There There (First Demo)
9. Skttrbrain (Four Tet RMX)
10. I Will (Los Angeles Version)
Jo Whiley Show [5/28/03]
11. Sail To The Moon
Com Lag
12. 2+2=5 [Live At Earls Court, London, 11/26/03]
Zane Lowe [12/8/03]
13. Go To Sleep

Some Radiohead media:
Video for House of Cards:

Some mp3s:
No Surprises by Radiohead
Creep by Radiohead
High and Dry by Radiohead

Here are the contest rules:
- You must be a North American resident.
- Enter the contest by commenting below with your email address (not in Comments section).
- We’re doing things differently. The FIRST TWO people who comment will WIN the CD.

MP3s from Lasse Passage’s If you don’t have time to cook…
Lasse Passage – Belize
Lasse Passage – Song For Paria
Lasse Passage – New York
Lasse Passage – Far From Love

We have a few writers that are big fans but alas I’m just here to run a contest (look for a review of M and M down the road by one of our writers).

Here are the contest details:
Winner receives 1 Copy of Monuments and Melodies AND 2 tickets to their July 30th show at the Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto.

To enter, it’s easy. Here are the instructions:
1. Leave a comment below (with any sort of text)
2. You must leave a valid e-mail in the appropriate section (you don’t have to leave your email in the comment section – be prepared to be spammed)
3. When the contest ends, I will email the winner and you must respond quickly or I will choose a winner.
4. Winner must be from Canada (specifically please be close to Toronto if you wish to win).

Drive by Incubus
Wish You Were Here by Incubus
Megalomaniac by Incubus

Passion Pit are at massive levels of hype/craze this year with their debut release Manners being both a blogosphere favourite and very positive in critical eyes with an 8.1 from Pitchfork and a boatload of high scores elsewhere.

Our own Spencer Rogers reviewed Manners and Chunk of Change. My own personal opinion is that Manners is very good, well crafted pop and is very well deserving of the hype. (Probably would’ve given it a 4.5 out of 5 or so) It may be flawed but it’s still excellent either way.

That said, Passion Pit is playing a show at Lee’s Palace on June 16th – a small venue for a band of this level. Nonetheless it’s unsurprisingly sold out.

Instead of paying scalpers for tickets (these people on Craigslist are desperately looking) – enter to win by just LEAVING A COMMENT WITH A VALID E-MAIL. Winner will be chosen by random draw.

Contest ends on Monday June 15th. Winner will have to pick up the tickets at the venue! (or else don’t enter!)

Sleepyhead by Passion Pit
Because we’ve posted too many Passion Pit mp3s to piss off their label, here are some remixes:
The Reeling (Calvin Harris Remix) by Passion Pit
The Reeling (Sammy Bananas Remix) by Passion Pit
Sleepyhead (Neo Tokyo Remix) by Passion Pit

Yeah Yeah Yeah’s It’s Blitz remains as one of this year’s biggest releases. Nancy reviewed the album and gave it a 4 out of 5. I personally think that it’s more of a 4.5 out of 5. It’s a pretty good album and has been critically acclaimed. The deluxe edition tracks are awesome as well. Order It’s Blitz here and there.

I think the album is pretty cool that’s why I’m excited to announce a give away. Basically we’re just giving away a CD and a Yeah Yeah Yeahs poster to some lucky US RESIDENT. All you have to do is write a comment below to win. I love the album cover, though being a guy – it hurts sometimes picturing it.

Sorry for the short write up, just need feeling it today and Yeah Yeah Yeahs are a pretty well known band so I don’t think I need the usual introduction.

No No No by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Videos for Heads Will Roll (new!):

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I was a big fan of the band “Pilate” in my highschool years and the release Caught by The Window. I actually enjoyed the album thoroughly though I’d be hard pressed to find friends who shared the same feeling. You can read the allmusic review.

Pilate changed their name Pilot Speed for their second release Into The West/Sell Control For Life’s Speed and I didn’t get a chance to listen to them since after checking out “Barely Listening”.

So 6 years in between albums for a band is a long time for a fan as they have released Wooden Bones on April 29th and I’ll enjoyable review it as well.

Anyway the contest we have for you involves a SIGNED copy of Wooden Bones. Here are the contest rules:

Grand prize: One signed copy of Pilot Speed’s Wooden Bones
Runner up: One unsigned copy of Pilot Speed’s Wooden Bones

Enter by commenting below. Contest is open to just US residents only (yeah a strange predicament but if a Canadian promoter for a Canadian band would like to contibute, I’d be happy to).

Contest will open until June 12th.

Put The Phone Down by Pilot Speed
Into Your Hideout by Pilate
Melt Into The Walls by Pilate

Video for Put The Phone Down

Wooden Bones
1. Put The Phone Down
2. Light You Up
3. Bluff
4. Ain’t No Life
5. Up on the Bridge
6. Where Does it Begin?
7. What is Real, What is Doubt
8. Today I Feel Sure
9. Midnight Fires
10. Wooden Bones
11. Open Arms

Wave Machines kick’s off their tour on next Monday, May 18th at the Islington Academy in London. The Liverpool band specializes in a sort of synth/art pop perhaps a bit similar to MGMT but better . They are definitely a band I’m keeping an eye on as they’ve got some pretty good music.

Anyway here are the rules:
1. Winner gets two tickets to the show (I presume guest list spots)
2. To enter, comment and leave a valid e-mail address.
3. Contest ends Friday morning.
4. Contest is open to anyone who can make the show.

Here are their tour dates:
18 May ISLINGTON ACADEMY (Headline Show) – London
21 May Static Gallery w/ John Foxx – Liverpool
22 May Liverpool Sound City w/ White Lies – Liverpool
22 May Hungry Pigeon Festival – Manchester
23 May Dot To Dot Festival – Bristol
24 May Dot To Dot Festival – Nottingham
6 Jun Pritchattsbury Festival – Birmingham
11 Jun Tolbooth – Stirling
12 Jun Tunnels – Aberdeen
13 Jun Rockness Festival – Inverness
28 Jun Glastonbury – John Peel Stage – Somerset
30 Jun Norwich Arts Centre – Norwich
4 Jul Monarchy Live w/ Supergrass and Happy Mondays – Ragley Hall, Warks.
18 Jul Latitude Festival w/Nathan Jones – Suffolk
19 Jul Lovebox Weekender – Victoria Park, London
25 Jul Camp Bestival – East Lulworth
4 Sep Electric Picnic -Stradbally, Co. Laois
11 Sep Bestival – Isle Of Wight
22 Oct Insomnia Festival – Norway

Anyway they’ve got a cool video for the track The Greatest Escape We Ever made which employs stop motion to its finest:

Wave Machines – The Greatest Escape We Ever Made from Token Films on Vimeo.

Wave Machines – Keep The Lights On
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Do the Arctic Monkeys need to be introduced? They are both a critical and semi-mainstream success out of the UK with two solid releases, Favorite Worst Nightmare and Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. Alex Turner at the young age of 23 has done much more in his career then many artists wish to achieve, with his last release with The Last Shadow Puppets (an album, I probably should’ve picked up).

This live DVD came out on Tuesday, May 5th and the US-only version comes with a bonus live CD. Buy it at Insound and Amazon.

Here’s an edited version of a press release:
Arctic Monkeys are set to release ‘Arctic Monkeys at The Apollo’ on DVD/CD on May 5th, 2009 (Warp Films Productions). The 76-minute film documents the last performance of the band’s 2007 world tour, which was at Manchester Apollo Theatre. Directed by regular Warp Films music video director Richard Ayoade, captured on film by director of photography Danny Cohen (This is England), edited by Nick Fenton (Sigur Ros documentary Heima), and produced by Diarmid Scrimshaw, this is the first ever live Arctic Monkeys performance captured on film.

Here are the contest rules:
1. Enter by commenting in this post. It can say anything (be nice!)
2. Must include a valid e-mail address.
3. Winner chosen by random draw (you can see what your chances are when you enter)
4. Contest ends May 18th at 7 PM.
5. Winner will be contacted by e-mail and will need to provide a postal address.
6. US Residents ONLY.

If you’re wondering what exactly you will be winning:
A DVD of 20(!) live tracks:
1. Brianstorm
2. This House is a Circus
3. Teddy Picker
4. I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor
5. Dancing Shoes
6. From the Ritz to the Rubble
7. Fake Tales of San Francisco
8. When the Sun Goes Down
9. Nettles
10.D is for Dangerous
11. Leave Before the Light Come On
12. Fluorescent Adolescent
13. Still Take You Home
14. Da Frame 2R
15. Plastic Tramp
16. 505
17. Do Me a Favour
18. A Certain Romance
19. The View From The Afternoon
20. If You Were There, Beware

The live cd includes 10 tracks: – Recorded in Austin, Texas
1. Riot Van
2. The View From the Afternoon
3. Still Take You Home
4. You Probably Couldn’t See For The Lights But You Were Staring Straight at Me
5.Cigarette Smoker Fiona
6. Perhaps Vampires Is A Bit Strong But…
7. Dancing Shoes
8. I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor
9. When The Sun Goes Down
10. A Certain Romance

Fluorescent Adolescent by Arctic Monkeys
A Certain Romance by Arctic Monkeys

Enjoy, hopefully we’ll have more contests to get out to our readers.

King Khan and The Shrines, I’ve read a ton about, either in Pitchfork or Now (meh) praising the live show but I’ve yet to actually read a review on the album.

Anyway, I’m getting a chance to review “What Is?” which was released on Vice Records and you can win an opportunity to win a copy as well as witness their high energy and “interesting stage antics”.

While I don’t have much to say about the band (I can just say I’ve heard this and that), here’s a quick contest for you to enter and win a pair of tickets to the show in Toronto as well as a copy of “What Is”?. The tickets are with a +1.

King Khan and friends are on tour in Canada for a few dates:
8 May Babylon – Ottawa, Ontario
9 May La Sala Rossa – Montreal, Quebec
12 May Phoenix Theatre – Toronto, Ontario
19 May Calgary, Alberta – The Warehouse
20 May The Starlite Room – Edmonton, Alberta
22 May Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver, British Columbia

Contest rules:
1. Open to Canadian residents only.
2. Enter by commenting
3. Must leave a valid e-mail address
4. Contest ends Sunday at 11pm.
5. Winner receives a +1 to the show on Tuesday as well as a copy of “What Is?”.

Torture by King Khan and The Shrines