Win Bon Iver on Vinyl (Contest)

As we gear up to publish our list of favorite albums from 2008, we’d like to offer up an extra-special contest for Owl and Bear readers.

For Emma, Forever Ago is so good that it deserves accolades, but because the album made our Top 20 of 2007 (though not officially released at the time), our high journalistic standards prevent its inclusion For Emma in this year’s roundup.

In lieu of praise, we’re offering one (1) vinyl copy of For Emma, Forever Ago to the third-to-last person who emails us by January 2, 2009 at 11:59 PST.

To enter, email admin@owlandbear.com. That’s it!

Also! Don’t forget that our Sound of the Smiths contest ends on December 31, 2008 at 11:59 PST.

Donald Fagan Profiles Jean Shepherd (A Christmas Story)

Slate is running a great piece today called The Man Who Told A Christmas Story: What I Learned From Jean Shepherd.

I didn’t realize that the article was written by Donald Fagan (Steely Dan) until near the end, so I was pleasantly surprised to be reading an article about a great modern storyteller (Shepherd) written by a great modern musician (Fagan).

Fagan is as articulate as any professional writer, and the article is not only a nostalgic reminiscence but it’s a touching microcosm of A Christmas Story.

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