They Might Be Giants are set to release a new compilation, Idelwild. The song, Am I Awake, is the subject of a new video contest. Three winners will be chosen and each gets $1,000. Find out the rules and all the other details HERE.

The song is below via Soundcloud. The deadline is April 7, 2014.

Recording Festival is a new contest/music competition that will give three bands an opportunity to win an all expense paid trip to Ireland to record at the Grouse Lodge Studios. The prize also includes producers. A slew of bands have recorded at the studio ranging from Snow Patrol to Bonnie Raitt. As a general rule? Bands come here to record but if you get a chance for a free trip? Grab it.

The prize includes housing, mixing and a video team. There is a fee for this--$39 and I really cannot 100 percent say I am endorsing this (caveat emptor here musical types). But I have no reason to believe it isn't on the up and up.

For more information head to www.RecordingFestival.com.

Junip is out on tour right now. And if you are lucky enough to live in New York City you can enter our contest for two sets of tickets at Le Poisson Rouge on Thursday, October 10, 2013. The show is at 7 p.m. and is general admission. Doors are at 6 p.m. and the hour before the show (6 to 7 p.m.) features $3 beer and $5 well drinks.

To win tickets just send an email explaining to me why you should win the tickets, as a poem, and I will select the best half dozen. Then I will, literally, put them in a hat and ask the drunk guy who stands outside my apartment yelling "FUCK" to pick the winner out of a hat. The second will be chosen by the guy who runs my corner bodega. Good luck! The Contest is now open until Wednesday October 8, 2013 at 6 p.m.

Junip is José González, Elias Araya and Tobias Winterkorn. Their second, self-titled, LP came out in the spring of 2013. González formed Junip, first on the late 1990s, but the success of his solo career put the band on hold. After all his records sold tons off records. Who wants to fiddle with success? The band's debut, Fields, finally came out in 2010.

They are an exceptional live act and you should be sure to check them out in your town--a full list of current dates are HERE.

Strange Talk, out of Melbourne, have a new LP, Cast Away, coming out in 2014. But their self-titled EP is out now (updated and released in June 4, 2013).  That EP is the subject of a remix contest through Soundcloud. Participants can download stems from each of the EPs four track, remix then and upload them.

One grand prize of $250 will be awarded for each song, a song on the Strange Talk Remix EP, a feature on the band website and a year of Soundcloud Pro Unlimited. One runner-up for each song gets a feature on the band's website and a one year Soundcloud Pro account. Find out more about the contest, HERE.

The band have toured the USA and Canada, playing festivals and opening for bands such as Neon Indian, Foster The People, The Rapture and others. You can download their song, Another Day, HERE.

Susanne Sundfør, from Norway, is set to tour in the USA this fall. The dark electronic artist released the LP, The Silicone Veil, in 2012. It was a big hit in Norway.

In addition to the USA tour Sundfør and Genero.tv are inviting fans to create the offical video for the song, Among Us. You can enter by uploading your video HERE by September 17, 2013. The winnger gets $4,000. Winner and finalists will be chose by Sundfør and Genero.

M83 is performing at the Hollywood Bowl, Sunday Septemmber 23, 2013. The show will feature several special guests including members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.

Anthony Gonzalez, inspired by fan support over the years has teamed up with Genero to hold a video contest. Fans are ased to create visuals for two of the tracks performed at the L.A. show, Intro and Moonchild. Gonzalez will select the videos and both will become the official videos for the songs. Winners will receive $4,000 and a debut of the video at a live M83 event. The videos will also be screened at a special event during the Zookastar Festival in London.

For details go HERE.

To see previous, official, M83 videos go HERE.

The deadline for submitting your video is September 11, 2013 at 23:59 GMT.

 

Jim James (My Morning Jacket) has a solo debut record, Regions of Light and Sound of God, coming out soon. He has just released a song, A New Life, off the upcoming record. You can check it out below.

Fans of James can use Instagram to share photos inspired by this single (tag them with #ANewLifeJJ ). If you use the tag you will be automatically entered to win a limited edition album and other prizes. If you do not use Instagram you can find out how to enter elsewhere, HERE.

Maps & Atlases are heading out to support their latest record, Beware & Be Grateful. Actually they are going to continue supporting their latest record since they have been out on tour already. Remaining dates are below.

The group are also having a fan video contest for their song, Fever. Fans are asked to cover the track on video and upload it to Youtube. The band will select a winner and fans will select another winner (based on how many people “like” the video). Winners will get  Fender Pawn Shop eeries guitar and Fender accessory pack.

Check out the band video on the contest below and find out more HERE. 

Tour
+ - with Metric, The Lumineers, Ben Kweller, Tanlines, Atlas Genius, Civil Twilight
& - with St. Vincent, Kelly Hogan
^ - with Yo La Tengo and Frank Turner
% - with Jukebox The Ghost
$ - with Murder By Death

8/11 - CD101 Summerfest @ The LC Pavillion - Columbus, OH +
8/17 - River Roots Live @ LeClaire Park - Davenport, IA   
8/24 - Shadow Lounge - Pittsburgh, PA 
8/25 - The Depot - York, PA
8/26 - Grog Shop - Cleveland, OH
9/01 - Goose Island Beer Co. - Chicago, IL &
9/08 - Penn's Landing - Philadelphia, PA ^
9/09 - Maxwell's - Hoboken, NJ
9/10 - Signal Kitchen - Burlington, VT
9/11 - The Met - Pawtucket, RI
9/12 - Iron Horse - Northampton, MA %
9/13 - Stony Brook University - Stony Brook, NY
9/14 - The Haunt - Ithaca, NY %
9/16 - Water Street Music Hall - Rochester, NY %
9/17 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar
9/19 - Caledonia Lounge - Athens, GA
9/20 - Emerald Lounge - Asheville, NC
9/21 - Mercy Lounge - Nashville, TN
9/22 - Stickyz RocknRoll Chiken Shack - Little Rock, AR
9/23 - The Conservatory - Oklahoma City, OK
9/25 - The Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
9/26 - Mojos - Columbia, MO
9/27 - The Bluebird - Bloomington, IN $
9/28 - Subkirke - South Bend, IN

Brendan Benson’s new video for the track, Pretty Baby, was directed by Young Hines. Young Hines is also the first signing to Benson’s own label, Readymade. If you are looking at the name “Brendan Benson” and thinking “I know him from somewhere” you are right. He was a founding member of The Raconteurs. Tour dates are below as well as the video.

Good comparisons for his music are Todd Rundgren and Harry Nilsson—perhaps more of the latter. Pretty Baby is off the fifth Benson solo effort, What Kind of World.

There is also a design contest for a commemorative poster for the album, What Kind Of World. The prize for winning is $500 and some other stuff. Find out more HERE.

Tour

June
28 - Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall w/ Young Hines, The Howling Brothers
29 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theatre - w/ Young Hines, The Howling Brothers
30 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest 2012 (6:45 pm @ Big Casino Stage)

August
18 - St. Polten, Austria - Green Park St. Polten
21 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Loppen
22 - Malmo, Sweden - Malmofestivalen
23 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso
24 - Hannover, Germany - Bootboohook Festival
25 - Gronigen, Netherlands - Noorderzon
29 - Louisville, KY - WFPK Waterfront Wednesday

DJ Puzzle (aka Jason Donnelly) has officially launched his new record label, Solar Sounds Records. The label has been sort of functioning for several years but now it is official and they are having a remix contest to celebrate. The contest will give you a chance to win; a record deal, 30,000 loops and samples and a Image-Line FL Studio 10.

Head to the label website and do the whole “Like” and “Follow” thing too. You can also buy stuff there.

The remix contest is for the Illustrated (aka Sean Layton)’s track, Subtle Hints, which is off the project’s debut recording, Mental Drug. The music is a mix of electronic and dance genres (electro house, EDM, dubstep etc).  Remix the track! Enter the contest.

Prizes
• First place is a copy of FL Studio 10 (sponsored by Image-Line software), their tune released, a VIP 1yr all access pass from Peace Love Productions, and goodies from Illustrated Music.
• Second place gets their remix released on Solar Sound Records and three sample pack from Soundtrack Loops.
• Third place gets their remix released Solar Sound Records and one sample pack from Soundtrack Loops.

Enter the contest HERE.