If you follow Jon Lindsay on Twitter (@jonlindsaymusic) you’ll be entered to win one of 10 prize packs that include a CD (Escape From Plaza-Midwood), 7″ (Coping Strategies) and two tickets to Jon’s CD release party at the Visulite Theatre in Charlotte, NC on August 28th. If you already follow Jon on Twitter then you’re already eligible to win.

RT this message for a double entry:
“Follow @jonlindsaymusic for a chance to win CDs/Tickets to his release show in Charlotte on 8/28. For details: http://tinyurl.com/2d7g5tz”

Jon’s debut full-length, Escape From Plaza-Midwood is out August 17th digitally and in stores worldwide. The first 200 store orders come with a free copy of the 7″!

August 28th – Jon Lindsay with Modern Skirts and Small Ponds
Visulite Theatre, Charlotte, NC

If you don’t live in the Charlotte area you’re still eligible to win the CD/7″.

We’re excited to announce the first in a planned series of Jon Lindsay twitter contests and reward programs. Essentially, you’ll be rewarded for spreading the Jon Lindsay tip on Twitter and when we hit goals we will be giving out prizes.

twitter.com/jonlindsaymusic

Here’s the deal. If you post the following message to your Twitter account we will send you a secret link to download a free unreleased Jon Lindsay song. When we hit certain milestones we’ll be giving away prizes to random JL followers, new and old. First the Tweet:

“@jonlindsaymusic Follow Jon Lindsay to be eligible for prizes incl. a customized iPod. Visit http://tinyurl.com/28r7x9t for details.”

Just tweet that message and we’ll send you a free JL MP3.

Here are the milestones and prizes:

500 followers: Ten (10) Escape From Plaza-Midwood album downloads.

1000 followers: Ten (10) Escape From Plaza-Midwood album downloads, five (5) Escape From Plaza-Midwood CDs & One (1) autographed test pressing of the Coping Strategies 7″. There are only test pressings in existence!

2500 followers: Ten (10) Escape From Plaza-Midwood album downloads, five (5) Escape From Plaza-Midwood CDs & five (5) Coping Strategies 7″ records. BONUS: If we hit this goal by August 17 we will give away a custom engraved iPod Nano 8 gig preloaded with Escape From Plaza-Midwood and a 20 song playlist hand picked by Jon Lindsay.

We’ll announce future contests and giveaways via @jonlindsaymusic and here, so subscribe to our RSS feed and follow Jon’s twitter and blog.

www.myspace.com/jonlindsaymusic
www.jonlindsaymusic.com

Friend of the label, and my personal friend, Evan Knotek passed away last night after suffering from a stroke on June 6th. Evan was in his mid-forties and is gone too soon. Evan was a filmmaker from Charlotte, NC and was working on a documentary about the Milestone Club in Charlotte. He’d interviewed luminaries like Ian Mackaye and Mike Mills for the project. Evan is survived by his family, including his beautiful wife Jodi and beautiful daughter Maya. When I get more information about donations I will update this post.

This was Evan’s Facebook picture.

We’re currently taking submissions for our first ever European indie rock compilation album entitled Euro Conversion Volume 1. There are just so many outstanding European indie bands that need some US exposure and that’s our plan – release an digital compilation of all European indie rock bands and promote the dickens out of it in the US.

If your band would like to submit tracks for possible inclusion, please email info@chocolatelabrecords.com with links to Myspace and or MP3s (no email attachments please). There is no fee of any kind for bands to be involved. In fact, bands will split the proceeds for the album sales.

We’re pleased to announce our newest signing, Charlotte, NC pop songster, singer and multi-instrumentalist Jon Lindsay (The Young Sons, Benji Hughes, Nicole Atkins). We will be releasing Lindsay’s official debut full-length, Escape From Plaza-Midwood on CD, vinyl and digital formats on August 17.

We’re also excited to announce Lindsay’s new touring band The Tomahawks from Chapel Hill, NC featuring members of Roman Candle, Max Indian and Bright Young Things. The Tomahawks will be accompanying Lindsay on the road throughout 2010 and the foreseeable future.

Free Download:
“My Blue Angels” MP3 from the upcoming Escape From Plaza-Midwood.

www.myspace.com/jonlindsaymusic

Press quotes for Jon Lindsay:

“One of the most exciting artists we’ve seen come out of the burgeoning southeastern lo-fi revival scene.” – Paste Magazine

“Lindsay treads somewhere between the Beatles’ sweeter pop side, the dramatic cabaret of Rufus Wainwright, and the full-band folk-rock of Ben Kweller, while dropping winking pop culture references.” – Charlotte Observer

“Topanga Canyon summer pop re-imagined by The Shins…”- Shuffle Magazine

“Wainwright-style (don’t really matter which one) balladry shot through with a really dry sense of humor and an admirable flair for the dramatic.” – Timothy C. Davis

“Coming off like a synthed-out version of the DBs, this is weird, wonderful stuff. A keep! And a treasure.” – Ken Stringfellow (REM, The Posies, Big Star, Minus 5, The Disciplines)

“Jon Lindsay’s angelic voice and catchy melodies cover a dark pop sensibility; his tunes work their way in to your brain like hookworms and are just as painful to get out.” – Django Haskins (The Old Ceremony, International Orange)

“Each listen to Escape From Plaza-Midwood yields more in return.  And you can quote me on that.” – Caitlin Cary (Whiskeytown, Small Ponds)