Announcing the Crucial Tracks 2025 Record Giveaway
We're looking to give away up to 10 records across a variety of genres to lucky readers. Enter today!
Welcome to the annual Crucial Tracks record giveaway, 2025 edition. This year we are going to take a little different approach and use this contest as a membership drive. We're currently stuck at 71 newsletter subscribers and I'd like to grow that number this year. We've got some great interviews coming and I want more people to see them!
- One entry for subscribing to the email newsletter
- Three additional entries for subscribing at the Super Supporter Record Club level AND you get a guaranteed free record (not necessarily listed below) just for subscribing. One per year as long as you maintain your annual membership!
- One additional entry for "buying me a coffee"
SO, I'll keep this giveaway open until April 1st, with the following milestones:
- Bare minimum: we will announce 2 winners, even if we don't get any new subscribers.
- If we reach 100 free subscribers OR 6 annual paid subscribers, we will give away 4 records.
- If we reach 200 free subscribers OR 12 annual paid subscribers, we will give away 6 records.
- If we get 300 free subscribers OR 20 annual paid subscribers, we'll give away all 10 records.
If you win, you get your choice of any record listed below, for FREE. All for subscribing to the newsletter and/or helping us pay the hosting bills.
This year's records include:
- Paul Bunyan's Slingshot by Liquid Mike (2024; my #1 album of the year) - (Listen)
- YOU’LL HAVE TO LOSE SOMETHING by Spirit of the Beehive (2024; my #2 album of the year) - (Listen)
- Guided Tour by High Vis (2024; my #5 album of the year) - (Listen)
- 'Dogrel by Fontaines D.C. (2019) - (Listen)
- Hysteria by Indigo Sparke (2022) - (Listen)
- Honey by Caribou (2024) - (Listen)
- New Blue Sun by Andre 3000 (2023) - (Listen)
- Sung Tongs by Animal Collective (original 2004; 20th anniversary edition) - (Listen)
- s/t by SOPHIE (2024) - (Listen)
- I<3UQTINVU by Jockstrap (2023) - (Listen)
So, make sure you are subscribed to the email newsletter to earn those entries!
🤗 Here are a couple blurbs from last year's winners:
Alan from Seattle picked Girl with Fish by feeble little horse (my favorite record from 2023) and had this to say:
I didn't know this band at all! I thought your description of the album sounded like it was something up my alley, so I tried it out. This album makes me want to be in college again, on a summer road trip somewhere, the way each song feels kind of a like a vignette or a really specific moment – with wildly different vibes in each. I think my favorite song is Slide, which has this really nice guitar melody underlaid with electronic boops that crashes into noise a couple of times. It's a trip.
Kevin from Napa picked Copper Blue by Sugar and had this to say:
When looking at the options, I wanted to go with something I had never heard before of which there were three. So I based my choice on the descriptions Crucial Tracks included and chose the one that seemed to be most in my wheelhouse.
"A Good Idea" is probably my favorite track. I love the bass line that kicks it off and really drives the entire song. The guitar almost feels like sprinkles on a nice little treat, adding a little delight with small solos that accentuate everything else going on.
"Hoover Dam" and "If I Can't Change Your Mind" are fun ones too. They give me Collective Soul meets Barenaked Ladies vibes. Although the guitar solo at the end get a little self-indulgent.
Overall, I dug the album. They probably fit a bit too much in the mold of that 90's grungy rock to fit into my regular rotation, but I could still see myself throw it on during a thunderstorm along with Pearl Jam and the like.
🚨 Last but not least, a poll
While I have you, new readers and old, I ask that you answer two questions on my simple readership survey. I'm interested in how people read Crucial Tracks (or want to), so I can focus time and energy on the right places. Thanks in advance!
