This morning, Paste editor-at-large Jay Sweet spoke with Fox 25 in Boston. Sweet, who visits the station monthly to keep viewers up to date on the latest in Paste's world, took the opportunity to mention our National Magazine Award nomination. He also briefly touched on some high profile recent releases (namely over April cover artist, Gnarls Barkley, and a little band from Athens, Ga., called R.E.M.), and talked up the forthcoming festival season.

Watch Sweet here, as he shares a wealth of information, including the news that Chris Rock will appear on the main stage of Bonnaroo this summer.

Related links:
News: Paste editor Jay Sweet charms Boston's FOX 25 again
Jay's Sweet Talk blog
News: Lollapalooza 2008 announces official lineup

Got news tips for Paste? E-mail news@pastemagazine.com.

Who will join Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Shawn Colvin and more Paste-approved artists on Cayamo? It's up to you!

Twenty semi-finalists will be featured over the next two weeks, in two rounds of 10 artists. Rate each artist with 1-5 stars and submit your votes! Let your voice be heard.

Five finalists will move on to a celebrity judges round, with the winner earning a spot aboard Cayamo!

Round 2 artists are (in no particular order):

Trent Dabbs
Kate York
Rachele Eve
John Austin
Carsie Blanton
Alyson Greenfield
Experimental Pilot
Casey Desmond
Maren Coleman
Kat Jones

These artists will be presented in a random order, one at a time, along with their music.

To get started voting, enter your email address below:

*We never sell, rent or share email addresses. We require this to protect the integrity of the voting process. We will validate your email address with your email server as well as log your IP address. We may ask for further validation via email. If things don't check out, well... let's just say we have friends at the NSA. Also, votes from the same email for the same artist and round will only count once.

Beginning today, and continuing for the next two weeks, Paste will be offering one-year subscriptions, and readers — yes, you and you and you — can pay what you want! New subscribers can sign up, and loyal subscribers can renew online at PasteMagazine.com for a minimum payment of $1, though all are encouraged to pay what they think the subscription is worth. Anyone paying more than the $19.95 Paste typically offers for a one-year (11-issue) subscription will be thanked in print in a future issue of the magazine.

The campaign came about from a casual conversation at the Paste offices discussing the recent Radiohead campaign and the Jim Collins book, Good to Great. (We're all Level 6 around here.)

“We were curious to know what our customers thought we were worth. And what better way to find out, than to let them tell us?” explained Paste President/Publisher Tim Regan-Porter. “While it’s certainly a bit unconventional, we also see it as a chance to get our product in the hands of people who could become lifelong fans. It’s been our experience that once people become familiar with Paste, they turn into loyal readers.”

Interested readers can order multiple subscriptions to Paste, as long as there is a valid mailing address. Gift subscriptions encouraged! (That's right, cheapskate, now you can do all your Christmas shopping for 10 bucks. And you don't have to leave the website.)

And, as if you didn't already know, each issue of Paste comes with a CD sampler, so one subscription will give you 11 CDs of great music, in addition to the award-winning writing and entertainment coverage.

Voted “Magazine of the Year” by the PLUG Independent Music Awards for 2006 and 2007, and having won the Grand GAMMA Award (along with four Gold awards and one Silver award) at the 2007 GAMMA Awards, Paste is rapidly emerging as the go-to source for music and film aficionados.

Paste magazine is the premiere entertainment publication for progressive thinkers - people who enjoy discovering new music and film, and who prize substance and authenticity over fads and manufactured attitude. The magazine covers an eclectic blend of music from the worlds of indie rock, Americana, folk, hip-hop, electronica and more.

AWARDS
• Magazine of the Year, PLUG: Independent Music Awards, 2006-2007
• Grand GAMMA, Magazine of the Year, GAMMA Awards, 2007
• Best Consumer Entertainment Magazine, Eddie Awards, 2007
• Chicago Tribune 50 Best Magazines, 2007, 2005
• Best Arts Coverage nominee, Utne Independent Press Awards, 2007

COVERS
From Wilco to Norah Jones, Thom Yorke to Parker Posey, Christopher Guest to Kanye West, Paste's covers feature an undefinable crew of tastemakers, trendsetters and emerging talent.

SAMPLERS
Each issue includes a CD with at least 20 handpicked new songs from acclaimed artists like Coldplay, Danger Doom, Fiona Apple, Death Cab for Cutie, Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, Flaming Lips, Ryan Adams and Van Morrison as well as talented up-and-comers who deserve the spotlight. Think of it as a glorified mix tape from your friends at Paste.

MUSIC
We pride ourselves in being the premier magazine for people who still enjoy discovering new music, prize substance and songcraft over fads and manufactured attitude, and appreciate quality music across a broad stylistic spectrum--indie rock, Triple-A, Americana, folk, blues, jazz, etc.

4 TO WATCH
From new major-label signees to underground sensations, if they’re new, Paste-approved and headed for the next level, you’ll read about them here. Paste was the first American publication to feature artists from Franz Ferdinand to Corinne Bailey Rae to Josh Ritter.

FILM
Paste also features the best in independent film, shining light on arthouse directors such as Jim Jarmusch, Wes Anderson and D.A. Pennebaker, as well as more mainstream figures like Zach Braff, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Cameron Crowe.

CULTURE
Paste's coverage doesn't stop with just music and film. Books editor Charles McNair, a Pulitzer Prize nominee, highlights the best in both non-fiction and fiction from the literary worlds. We also bring you the best from gaming world, as well as other realms of culture, like food and travel.

PRAISE
"Possibly the finest music periodical around."
— Robin Hilton, All Songs Considered, NPR

“The best among American music titles.”
- The Wall Street Journal

"Paste is so deliciously sweet, I often put it on my waffles in the morning instead of syrup. They get music."
— Jason Lee, (My Name is Earl, Almost Famous)

"Hip without sacrificing credibility on the altar of corporately deemed cool."
— Chicago Tribune's "50 Best Magazine" — #21 Paste

"Paste, America’s finest rock-music magazine, pays as much attention to its design as it does to its coverage of music built to last."
— The Christian Science Monitor

"Paste resembles the top British music magazines like Q, Uncut and Mojo, publications that leave most American counterparts looking tone deaf.”
— New York Daily News

Next time you’re 30,000 feet in the air on an American Airlines flight to Party City, USA (anywhere you want it to be, baby), savor the snack option of your choice (Mega Bite® Cookie? Lay's Stax® Potato Crisps?) and save the power in your song-pod by tuning into “The Paste Beat,” a new channel on the carrier’s in-flight radio.

Not only is the program 100 percent peanut-free, it features two hours of audio selected by Paste and our partner Beat Marketing. Expect tracks from 4-to-Watch acts, exclusive live recordings and artist interviews culled from Paste Presents' private parties. This month’s inaugural broadcast includes a bit of Paul McCartney, Norah Jones, Nick Drake, Feist, Johnny Cash, Patty Griffin and nine exclusive cuts from artists like Cold War Kids and Brandie Carlile.

If you fancy yourself a man or woman of the road (or sea), you can still access this type of content by downloading our free Paste Culture Club podcasts. This week’s showcases tracks from Paste 4-to-Watch artist Ferraby Lionheart, Figurines, Standfast, Deertick and a previous Paste magazine Band of the Week, Tiny Vipers.

As for those private parties, you can still win tickets to all three nights of Paste’s Austin City Limits After Hours Festival at Maggie Mae’s. Then, the next time you’re on an American Airlines flight, you may hear an excerpt from the show -- which would be a great way to initiate a chat with the attractive stranger next to you, if only such inoffensive seat-mates existed.

Related links:
AA.com
PasteCultureClub.com
ACLFest.com

Got news tips for Paste? Email news@pastemagazine.com.

The best things in life are free, including your first issue of Paste magazine.

Claim your free issue and free CD now with this special no-obligation offer!

Paste will introduce you to music and films that go beyond pop culture. Discover new artists and filmmakers in the pages of Paste, or revisit ones you already love with Paste's in-depth features, interviews and exclusives. You'll also find reviews of the best albums, DVDs, games, book and more—a go-to guide so you can stay ahead of the curve on the newest releases.

Plus, every issue of Paste includes a FREE Paste Sampler CD, packed with 20+ handpicked tracks of new music from artists like Beck, The Shins, Fiona Apple, Spoon, Danger Doom, The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, The Hold Steady, Paul Westerberg and more! Think of it as a glorified mix tape from your friends at Paste. (See previous sampler artists.)

GET YOUR FREE ISSUE/CD NOW.

Or take advantage of our great 2 for 1 gift special.

Open your ears to new music with the Paste Culture Club podcast.

Each episode is FREE and packed with full tracks of music, including exclusive live performances. Hear Paste's interviews with acclaimed and up-and-coming artists alike, and catch up with the editors of Paste magazine as they tell you about all the music news you must know, and fill you in on the best films and most intriguing directors around.