Babelgum/Merge Records XX Giveaway

Written By: Sean on November 6, 2009 Comments

It’s wonderful when a record label forms a distinct identity that you learn to trust. It’s essentially the antithesis of the major label mentality, where you simply sign every cash cow you can get your hands on. That’s not to say smaller labels don’t have financial considerations and that they might not play into their artist selection process, but it’s far less pronounced than when you’re say…Sony BMG.

There are only a few labels I actively follow and consider trustworthy – 4AD, Mute, Domino, Star Time (former home to the much-missed Tom Vek) and certainly Merge. I may not like every single signing, but there’s a reasonable likelihood I’ll like someone they’ve turned their attentions toward. Vagrant has actually surprised me in recent years, though they’re a rather tricky bunch. You never know when you might end up with something like Thrice. Scary!

Getting back on point – Merge is probably best known for their most successful act, The Arcade Fire. But they’ve released records by a lot of indie heavyweights over the years, like The Magnetic Fields, Neutral Milk Hotel and Teenage Fanclub. They recently celebrated their 20th anniversary, and in recognition of that fact they had themselves a hoedown in their homeland of North Carolina. XX Merge was 5 days of music that included performances by over 30 Merge artists including She & Him, The Clientele, Spoon, etc. You can catch videos of the performances over on Babelgum’s Merge channel.

As an extra special added bonus, I’ve been given the chance to give away 1 Merge Tee & Button to a lucky reader. To enter, email me with ‘Merge XX Giveaway’ in the subject line and a winner will be chosen at random (though writing something clever/funny about why you deserve to win never hurts). The contest will be open until Wednesday, November 11th. Good luck!