Music Saves will be participating in the first (and hopefully annual) Record Store Day on Saturday, April 19th. There will be specials, prizes, exclusive releases, a live performance outside the store featuring Bears, The Helper T-Cells, and Marie Corbo, and a coloring contest. In case you’re wondering, why yes, I did color my entry with MS Paint, and no, I’m not trying to influence the outcome of the competition in any way. Kevin and Melanie from Music Saves really do rule.

The Cleveland Scene has a lengthy story on the ongoing preparations for the Lottery League showcase happening at the Beachland on Saturday, April 12th. This unique, one-time event features 150 Cleveland musicians, who subjected themselves to a random drawing in order to create over 30 new bands. Each band has had two months to put together a 10 minute set with original material. More information on the Lottery League can be found here.

The Midwest music blog, People With Animal Heads, recently published an interview with Ryan Weitzel of Exit Stencil Records and Mystery of Two. With new releases by Spanish Prisoners, Hot Cha Cha, and The Dreadful Yawns due out in the first half of the year, this looks to be a big year for the Cleveland based label.