Contest Update: Coastal Exchange

Well, I've finally gotten around to picking winners in a couple of recent contests and just want to share the results. Both the East and West Coasts represent. First, in the contest to win the New York-based Deedle Deedle Dees' excellent new album, Freedom in a Box (review) for a local school or library, I randomly selected longtime reader and West Coast resident Katy, who offered four historical personages her family would love a Deedle Deedle Dees song about: Amelia Earhart, Abigail Adams, Benny Benson, and Eleanor Roosevelt. Lloyd Miller (Ulysses Dee) will actually record a song for Katy and her family using those people. No word yet on whether Lloyd will choose one or create his own historical mash-up of multiple characters. Anyway, thanks very much to Lloyd on that item. Second, in our contest related to the KidVid Tournament 2007 final, the randomly-selected voter was East Coast resident Christine, a big fan of the Portland (Oregon)-based Captain Bogg & Salty and voted for "Pieces of 8ight." Because she already has all three of the band's albums (including Pegleg Tango), she asked for a copy of San Francisco-based Frances England's Fascinating Creatures CD. Thanks both to Captain Bogg and his crew and to Frances for offering their CDs as prizes. (I'm sure I will have another opportunity to give the Bogg CD away.)

Change The Course of History. Or At Least a History Course

One final reminder: you have until tonight to enter our contest to win Freedom In A Box, the great new album from The Deedle Deedle Dees, for your local library or school. Not only will they get a new occasionally historically-themed album (and associated coloring book), Lloyd Miller (Ulysses Dee) will write (and record for the randomly-selected winner) an acoustic song on a historical event or person of your choosing. Who knows, maybe it'll be so inspired that it'll end up on the Dees' next album. And then you can give that album to your local library or school. Enter now to win.

We Got Contests. Boy, Do We Ever.

A reminder about three contests going on RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE! (Unless, of course, you're reading this on Saturday. In which case, that sense of urgency up above is going to sound sort of silly.) 1. Pick the Top 5 Kids' Songs of All Time -- the person closest to the actual songs (that would be, er, my list) wins a free CD from a selection of my choosing. Entries are due before I post songs 16 through 20, which will probably happen in the next day or so. 2. Vote in the KidVid Tournament Final -- One randomly-selected voter will get to choose between copies of Captain Bogg & Salty's Pegleg Tango and Frances England's Fascinating Creatures, fine albums both of them. Voting closes tomorrow (Tuesday) night. 3. What Historical Event/Personage Should the Deedle Deedle Dees Write A Song About? -- Tell us, and win a copy of the Deedle Deedle Dees' great new album Freedom in a Box, not for you, for your local school or library system. But that's not all on #3. Lloyd Miller, Ulysses Dees himself, has offered to actually write a song based on the event or person you list. That's right, folks, not only are you contributing a CD to a local school or charity, you're contributing a song to the world at large. How totally cool. So if you haven't entered, DO SO NOW. (Entries are due by Thursday night.) TR would want you to.

Contest: Somebody Will Win the Deedle Deedle Dees' New Record. Just Not You.

Regular readers will know that the occasionally history-obsessed Deedle Deedle Dees recently released their excellent second album, Freedom in a Box (review). When I talked with Lloyd Miller (Ulysses Dee) recently, he mentioned how a lot of the new kids music is still out of reach for a lot of kids -- meaning (and these are my words here) that it costs money to see the artists in concert or buy their CDs, of course, and that's not doable (on a regular basis at least) for many families. As a result, they don't get exposed to as much (or any) music that's particularly age-appropriate. It was something I've thought about as well, but Miller really crystalized my thinking. So while we've let readers win a lot of stuff here (and don't worry, your chance will come again very shortly), for this contest, we want to give the Dees' latest album away to a school or library -- some place that will let a lot of kids be exposed to some pretty cool music. Here's the skinny: in the comments below, describe what North American historical event or personage you'd like to see the Deedle Deedle Dees write a song about. I will pick one entry at random, and then ask that person to designate a public school, charter school, or library system to which they'd like to donate a copy of the CD and the accompanying book. (If you'd like to mention your designee in your entry that's fine, but not required.) All entries are due by 11 PM-ish (East Coast time) Thursday, April 5. Thanks and good luck! Your local kids are counting on you to enter!

Baby Loves Disco Scottsdale Contest Winners

We have two (randomly-selected) winners for our contest to win tickets for the Feb. 24th Baby Loves Disco Scottsdale event. Congratulations to Lisa L. ("We Are Family") and Angela A. ("Shake Your Bon Bon"), whose families will be shaking their collective booties (or, in Angela's case, bon bons) on the 24th. Thanks to everyone who entered and to Baby Loves Disco for the ticket packs! (If you still want to join us, order your tickets for this and any other BLD event here.)