In the meantime, though, we're giving away a pair of tickets to the show! All you have to do is email this address and include "Cate Le Bon" in your subject line. Please include your first and last name in the email. The winner will be selected at random and his or her name will be added to the guest list. This is going to be a phenomenal show, so don't miss out! This contest will remain open until Wednesday, February 15 at noon, so get those entries in. Good luck! Here's a taste of Cate Le Bon below.

LISTEN:

Cate Le Bon - "Puts Me to Work"

[UPDATE: This contest is closed and the winners have been notified. The correct answer, of course, was Bob Odenkirk. Only partial credit to those who said Saul Goodman. Also, Derrick Tuggle was a good guess, but in his appearance in the "Lonely Boy" video, he did not technically play a used-car salesman. Thanks to all who entered.]

What are you doing on Monday, May 7? How about checking out the Black Keys at the Rose Garden, along with opening band Arctic Monkeys? That sounds pretty good, doesn't it?

We've got two pairs of tickets to give away to two very lucky winners. If you want 'em, all you have to do is send an email to this address and include "Black Keys" in the subject line. In the body of the email, please include your name, and the answer to this question:

What actor/comedian played a used-car salesman in a promo video for the Black Keys' latest album, El Camino?

Oh! One more thing. You'll need to stop by our office to pick up your tickets sometime in the next couple weeks. If you're not able to make it downtown during business hours to grab 'em, there's no need for you to enter. (Sorry, out-of-towners.)

Good luck!

In order to win, send an email to this address with "Cloud Nothings" in the subject line. Please include your first and last name. We'll choose a winner at random, who'll get to check out the show and get a sweet Rubik's Cube in the mail. Not sure if you want in? You want in. Take a listen to Cloud Nothings below, and good luck! (This contest will remain open until Thursday, February 2 at 5 pm.)

LISTEN:

Cloud Nothings - "Stay Useless"

Talkdemonic hasn't played a Portland show since their excellent album Ruins came out earlier this year, but that's all about to change as we tick ever closer to 2012. The Portland duo of Kevin O'Connor and Lisa Molinaro is headlining a New Year's Eve blowout (that's Saturday, December 31, 2011, calendar whiz) alongside Deelay Ceelay, Brainstorm, and DJ Freaky Outty at the Mission Theater. Look how festive they are in the picture! You should go!

Actually, you really should: We're giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky winner, and that lucky winner's name could very well be spelled Y-O-U. (That spells "you," spelling whiz.) So if you want in on this New Year's party—it's really gonna be something, with loads of visuals, a midnight-hour soul dance party, and lots of special guests—shoot an email to contest@portlandmercury.com for your shot to win. Please put Talkdemonic in the subject line and include your first and last name. We're keeping this contest open until Monday, December 19 at noon. Get cracking!

In one week's time, Cass McCombs will take the Doug Fir stage, on the heels of his second album of 2011, Humor Risk. (And word is, he's got some excellent new material in his bag as well, which he'll no doubt play next week.) So the time is nigh for another freebie from your pals at End Hits, and we've got a pair of tickets to give away to McCombs show next week, Thursday, December 8.

Want 'em? Of course you do. All you've got to do is send an email to contest@portlandmercury.com for your your chance to win. Put "Cass McCombs" in the subject line and please include your first and last name. The winner's name will be chosen at random, and we'll put you +1 on the guest list! Good luck, god speed, and do this before noon on Monday, December 5, which is when we're closing this puppy down.

• Deirdre O'Callaghan

The Kooks show at the Crystal Ballroom this coming Monday, December 5—which they're playing with Young the Giant and 1776 at part of 94/7's December to Remember week—is super sold out. Bummer.

But bum not! For we have a pair of tickets to give away to a lucky End Hits reader. Hey, that's you! All you need to do is answer this really easy Kooks trivia question:

The Kooks' second album was named for the recording studio of what legendary British band?

So try your luck, you crazy kooks. This contest will close this Friday morning, December 2, at 9 am. If you don't win—or if you just hate contests—the Kooks are also playing a show later that night at the Doug Fir, for which you can still get tickets here. Good luck!

• Ben Moon

[UPDATE: This contest is closed and the winner has been notified.]

You are in luck, End Hits readers. Your long Thanksgiving weekend just got even thanks-ier. How's that? We've got a pair of tickets to give away to tomorrow's Blind Pilot show at the Crystal Ballroom. (That's Wednesday, November 23.) And the tickets can be yours with a few simple keystrokes on your computing machine.

Here's how to win 'em: Send me an email with "Blind Pilot" in the subject line. Be sure to include your FIRST and LAST name in the email. We'll select a winner at random with our high-tech Blind Pilot Randomizing Winner Selection Machine™ (translation: a set of dice and a dippy bird). So send your emails! But do it quick: This one's ending tomorrow (Wednesday) at 9 am SHARP. Good luck!

Blind Pilot play the Crystal Ballroom (1332 W Burnside) TOMORROW night w/Point Juncture WA, 8 pm, all ages, $18-20; buy tickets here

• This is how Plaid gets made. Science!

[UPDATE: This contest is closed and the winner has been notified.]

Here at End Hits, we're all about Plaid. We wear it, we buy beer from its Pantry, and we put it in our ears, too. That's why we're giving away a pair of tickets to see British electronic artists Plaid next Wednesday, November 23 at Holocene. Say, aren't these guys a long way from home the night before Thanksgiving? Yes, but Brits don't celebrate Thanksgiving, so the duo will be on hand with their brainy, wide-ranging sounds. Wiggle off some calories before you pack yourself full of turkey the following day.

Want to win? All you have to do is shoot me an email with "Plaid" in the subject line. Please include your first and last name in the email. (If you don't, you won't win.) And if you would like to include a picture of something plaid—or better yet, a link to a picture of something plaid—that would be just fine. Your favorite shirt? A family tartan? Some unfortunate wallpaper? Send it along. (It's not required, though.)

The winner will be chosen at random, and this contest will close on Monday, November 21 at noon. Good luck!

We have a soft spot for Scots. Maybe it's their thick, lilting burrs or their decidedly rainy moods, but it's no secret we get regularly entranced with forlorn Scottish tunes. That's why we're excited to give away a pair of tickets to see the fine Scottish lads in We Were Promised Jetpacks, who play the Wonder Ballroom this very Sunday, November 13. In order to win, all you need to do is shoot me an email with "We Were Promised Jetpacks" in the subject line, and include your first and last name in the email. We'll choose a winner at random. This one's gonna be a quickie, so make sure you enter by 5 pm today. Good luck!

In the meantime, take a listen to a song from their new sophomore album In the Pit of the Stomach.

LISTEN:
We Were Promised Jetpacks - Medicine by Fat Cat Records

• photo: Cindy Frey

Here's the way to kick off your week: The chance to win a pair of tickets to see the mighty Mastodon. The Atlanta band, whenever its members are not casually leaning against trees, puts on a fierce, heavy show, which they'll be doing this Saturday, November 5, at the Roseland. To make it even sweeter, Dillinger Escape Plan and Red Fang are also on the bill.

All you need to do in order to win is send me an email with "Mastodon" in the subject line, and include your first and last name in the email. And in order to make it a little challenging, you must correctly answer this question:

The extinct mastodon most closely resembles which currently living animal?

A. Duck-billed platypus
B. Elephant
C. Great white shark
D. Fuzzy bunny

[UPDATE: This contest is closed and the winner has been notified.]

Have you made your plans for Halloween weekend yet? Gonna sit home alone eating Charleston Chews, wearing your Spock ears and waiting in vain for someone to invite you to their annual Slut-o-ween party*? Don't do that: Go out and see Atlanta's own Manchester Orchestra, who have hit new peaks with this year's excellent Simple Math album. We've got a pair of tickets for their Wonder Ballroom show on Saturday, October 29, to give away to a lucky End Hits reader, so if you're interested, answer this "simple math" problem. (Get it?)

2 + 2 = ?

Email your answer to me along with your first and last name, with Manchester Orchestra in the subject line. We'll select a winner at random. This contest will remain open until 5 pm Monday, so you've got all weekend long. Good luck!

*our last five Halloweens :(

• St. Vincent

[UPDATE: This contest is closed and the winner has been notified.]

When discussing St. Vincent, it's customary to follow the mere mention of Annie Clark's nom de plume with either a girlish squeal, or a longing sigh. Perhaps both. Over the course of Marry Me (2007), Actor (2009), and the just-released Strange Mercy, Clark has cultivated a unique and wondrous sound that is entirely her own. I'll never miss an opportunity to post this song...

LISTEN:

St. Vincent - "Dilettante"

St. Vincent will be appearing at the Crystal Ballroom this Friday, October 14 and we want you to join us in the crowd. Just comment below and make your case for these tickets. The best comment by Wednesday at noon will win a pair. Good luck.

Don't feel like commenting? Buy your tickets right here.

• Leah Nash

Stephen Malkmus Fun Facts™:
• Stephen Malkmus, along with his dedicated backing band of Jicks, recently released Mirror Traffic. It's his best solo work to date. Really, it's quite impressive.
• Mirror Traffic was produced by Beck. Not him, not him, and definitely not him. This guy.
• Malkmus once gave up a home run to a certain handsome local music editor during a very important softball game. Congratulations, Casey Jarman!
• He invented indie rock or something in his last band, Pavement. He also invented Pavement. We'd be driving on dirt if it wasn't for Malkmus.
• You won free tickets to see him, thanks to this blog.

Fun Facts™ don't lie. We have a pair of tickets to see Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks (plus killer opening act Ty Segall) at the Crystal Ballroom on Thursday, October 13. It's Malkmus' first homecoming show since the release of Mirror Traffic and his recent relocation from Portland to Berlin. To win these tickets, just comment below and explain why you deserve to attend this show. Best comment by Monday 8am will be the glorious winner. Good luck.

Think commenting is for the birds? Just buy your tickets right here.

Hey Spuds, the one and only Devo will be making their glorious return to Portland tomorrow (Friday, September 16) at the Crystal Ballroom. Great news, right? Even better, we have a pair of tickets burning a hole in our protective yellow suit. Want them? Ha, what a silly question, of course you do.

Just comment below before Friday (that's tomorrow) at 9am and tell us all about your favorite Devo song. The best post will win the tickets. Good luck, and God bless Devo now and forever.

Hate commenting? Buy your tickets right here.

• Sara Kiesling

Want 'em? Just shoot me an email with the words "Low show" in the subject line and include your first and last name in the email. We'll select a winner at random, who'll get two tickets to the show. Good luck! This contest will remain open until 5 pm on Monday, September 12. Meanwhile, if you hate winning things, you can buy tickets through the Aladdin Theater's website.

After our crossword puzzle and word jumble contests, it's tempting to make today's Decemberists ticket giveaway something totally different. Perhaps a dramatic feat of strength? Arm wrestling contest? Rope climbing? Tug-of-war match versus Slayer fans?

Eh, all those things require physical work. Let's just do another dumb word thing:

The World's Greatest Decemberists' Anagram Contest™!

As we all know by now, the Decemberists (and Okkervil River and AgesandAges) are at Edgefield this Friday and we want to send you and a guest to this show. To win, use the words from 10 different Decemberists songs to create 10 separate anagrams. Each song must have their own anagram (no combining them or editing the song titles) and bonus points will be rewarded if your submissions are themed. Please show your work. Email me your entries by 2pm today and our all-star panel of esteemed anagramologists will select a winner. Good luck!

Think anagrams are for raga mans? Me too. Just buy your tickets here.

My, you Decemberites are tricky a lot. Yesterday we presented you with a Decemberists-themed crossword puzzle and we instantly had dozens of responses within minutes. Congratulations, you are the smartest music fans in the land—our Korn crossword puzzle from 1997 has yet to be solved—but will all your fancy book learnin' help you with....

The World's Greatest Decemberists' Word Jumble™.

Below you will find a head-scratching word jumble with 54 hidden words related to both the Decemberists (the band) and the Decembrist uprising (the event). First person to email me all 54 words will be the winner of a pair of tickets to see the Decemberists (plus Okkervil River and AgesandAges) this Friday evening (August 26) at Edgefield.

I'm not gonna lie to you, it won't be easy. If we don't get an answer by noon, I'll update this post with some clues.

12:00 PM UPDATE:
I am so disappointed in you all. Since we haven't received a correct response yet, we've posted the words after the jump. Just find the words in the puzzle, circle them, and send me an image of your work. First person to send over the completed puzzle wins the tickets.

1:25 PM UPDATE:
We have a winner! Stay tuned for another giveaway tomorrow.

Puzzles make your brain hurt? Me too. Just buy your tickets here.

Continue reading »

A few hours ago we told you all about the Decemberists' David Foster Wallace obsession, but we totally forgot to plug their two-night stand at Edgefield on August 25 & 26. Not only will the band be joined by not-too-shabby opening act Okkervil River, but rumor has it that these shows will be the band's last for sometime (possibly years) to come. Thanks to my keen web hacking skills—which I learned here—I broke into the band's email account (password: pantaloons) and secured some tickets to Friday's performance to giveaway on this very blog.

All week long we'll be parting with a pair tickets daily, and we'll start things of with The World's Greatest Decemberists' Crossword Puzzle™ (after the jump). First person to properly fill out the puzzle (or just email me the answers) will be the glorious winner. Good luck, nerds.

UPDATE:
We have a winner. We'll post another contest tomorrow.

Hate puzzles? Or words? Just buy your tickets here.

Continue reading »

• Autumn deWilde

EEEEEEEEEEEEE! A singer so talented they named a letter of the alphabet (and a drug) in his honor, E and his loyal band of Eels will be at the Aladdin Theater on Wednesday, August 10. Eels are touring in support of Tomorrow Morning, the finale to a trilogy of recordings (first there was Hombre Lobo in 2009 and last year's End Times) that finds the band hitting their stride long after their initial breakthrough in the mid-'90s.

LISTEN:

Eels - "I Like the Way This Is Going"

In honor of this joyous occasion we are giving away a pair of tickets to this show. Just send me an email with the subject "I Really Want Tickets to see the Eels" by 5pm today and I will close my eyes and randomly pick out a winner. Good luck.

Contests scare you? Just buy your tickets here.

Oh, hello Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All. After teasing us for months and months with rumors of a possible Portland appearance, the most controversial hiphop act since __________ (fill in the blanks, but I'd either go with Eminem circa The Slim Shady LP or Ice Cube during the AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted days) is finally packing the ski masks and coming to town on their "Golf Wang" tour.

Tyler, The Creator and company will be at the Roseland Theater on Sunday, October 2. Tickets go on sale this morning at 10am right here and we suggest you pony up for a pair since this show will easily sell out in no time.

While we're at it, we just so happen to have a pair of Odd Future tickets to giveaway. Just comment below and explain why these tickets should be yours. Best comment by tomorrow at noon will be the glorious winner. Good luck to you and your precious swag.

Praise our cloven hoofed dark lords, Slayer is coming to town. The evilest band from Eviltown USA (a suburb of Huntington Park, California) will be at the Memorial Coliseum with Rob "Woolite Commercial" Zombie on Friday August 5th.

We're giving away a pair of tickets to the first person who can solve The World's Evilest Crossword Puzzle™, which is loaded with questions about Slayer, serial killers, and (gasp!) Republicans. This thing is so sinister it makes Will Shortz shitz his pantz.

If the puzzle doesn't quite literally kill you, send me the correct answers (you can scan it, or just email me the answers) as soon as possible. The puzzle is after the jump, good luck. *UPDATE* We have our winners, thanks to all that entered.

Don't like crosswords? Can't blame you. You can skip the contest and buy your tickets here.

• Daniel Boud
• Fucked Up

People of the internet, I am not messing around here: Fucked Up's David Comes To Life is one of the best albums of 2011. With roots in hardcore (and an odd appreciate for emo crunk), the Toronto band has always had a reputation for being an impassioned live act, but up until now their recordings have never quite lived up to their presence onstage. Released by Matador Records, David Comes To Life is an absolutely epic conceptual musical (!) that is as inspiring and unique as it is dense and challenging. It's sort of the anti-American Idiot. But better. So much better.

LISTEN:

Fucked Up - "Queen of Hearts"

Of course, you need to see them live to fully appreciate the band. Good thing I have an extra pair of tickets to see Fucked Up this Saturday night at the Hawthorne Theatre. Just email me before 4pm today with "Fucked Up" in the subject line and I'll pick a lucky winner at random.

Don't like email? That's cool, buy your tickets here.