popwreckoning

In sunny North Carolina, Merge Records’ celebrated their twentieth birthday this year with 33 bands over four nights. Brian Vetter documented the festival, which we called XX Merge.

Though the actual party is over, the fun doesn’t have to stop. Babelgum.com has a special channel for Merge Records’ XX festival that you can see here and we’ve got some Merge records gear to give away as a part of it.

To our first place winner, we have a Merge t-shirt and tote bag. To second place, we have a t-shirt.

All you have to do to win is be one of the first to correctly comment with a valid email address and name 3 bands that played the birthday party.

Merge Records: website

Today marks the final deadline to sign up for the SCORE! Merge Records: The First 20 Years subscription. The collection includes 14 CDs curated by celebrities from David Byrne to Miranda July to Amy Poehler, a Merge remix CD, a Merge covers album, a 350+ page book of Merge cover art, a comedic CD by Scharpling & Wurster, a custom designed storage box and surprise goodies throughout 2009 all for just $199.00. This subscription offer is not available in stores or through other digital retailers: you  must subscribe through Merge.

The Shins are the latest contributors to hand in their track for the Merge covers album featured in the SCORE! Merge Records: The First 20 Years subscription-only box set, joining a line-up featuring Ryan Adams, Bright Eyes, Broken Social Scene, Death Cab For Cutie, The National, the New Pornographers and many others. SCORE! subscribers will receive the covers collection a month ahead of its April retail release.

Merges’ 20th Anniversary festivities continue with the announcement of XX MERGE, five days of live music from Merge artists past and present taking place in the label’s native North Carolina July 22-26. Lineup and ticket information will be announced shortly. If it’s half as fun as the last 20th birthday party we attended for a record label, we can’t wait!

XX Merge will be commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Merge label, which began in 1989 in Chapel Hill NC, with a handful of 4-track recordings, a couple of cassette tapes, and some hand-stuffed 7″ vinyl. Literally hundreds of singles, albums, and late nights later, Merge will be celebrating its past, present and future throughout 2009. XX Merge will be the label’s party to mark this anniversary: five days of music by Merge artists past and present in the summer heat of sunny North Carolina.

All proceeds from SCORE! Merge Records: The First 20 Years project will benefit specific charitable causes handpicked by the curators.

Merge Records: website | myspace | SCORE!