Bjork Hops on Music Video Contest Bandwagon

Aspiring music video directors of the world have never had it better. Fresh off chances to take their Decemberists, Modest Mouse, and Junior Boys fandom to the next level, all the little Michel Gondrys out there now have a shot at creating a chapter in the illustrious book of Björk music video history.

As announced this evening on Björk's official website, the Icelandic songstress is calling all earth intruders to create a video for Volta track "Innocence" (now streaming at Björk's MySpace).

"An idea is born," states the official contest page. "The idea is to make the video. The video to 'Innocence', a song of yet to be released Volta record. Who is to make the video? Another idea is born: It is to be you, my dear!"

And you, my dear, may go to that contest page right now to download the necessary tools: a .pdf of the lyrics, the Volta album cover, and several photos of that cover's cartoon bauble-suit-- which the winner gets to use!-- sans Björk. Along with the song, that's all you get for now (although "more assets" are promised). No green screen hand-holding with this one; let your imaginations soar freely.

The deadline, from what we gather from Björk's site, is "3 weeks prior" to "the beginning of August", so let's say, roughly, early July. Apparently Björk intends to assist in the "completion" of the winning video she selects, so perhaps it's to your advantage to leave a few loose narrative threads and ambiguities in your entries?

Volta, as you well know, hits May 8 (U.S.) and May 7 (UK) via One Little Indian/Atlantic. Björk's tour-- now bolstered with a couple dates with Joanna Newsom-- kicks off April 27 at Coachella, while Björk's inventive syntax will surely be the funniest part of this weekend's "Saturday Night Live".

Björk:

04-27 Indio, CA - Empire Polo Field (Coachella)
05-02 New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall
05-05 New York, NY - United Palace Theater
05-08 New York, NY - Apollo Theater
05-12 Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre
05-15 Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre *
05-19 Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre *
05-23 Vancouver, British Columbia - Deer Lake Park
05-26 Gorge, WA - Gorge Amphitheatre (Sasquatch!)
06-22 Pilton, England - Glastonbury Festival
06-28 Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter
07-01 Gdynia, Poland - Open'er Festival
07-05 Roskilde, Denmark - Roskilde Festival
07-08 Amsterdam, Holland - Cultuurpark
07-13 Bilbao, Spain - Guggenheim Esplanade
07-15 Segovia, Spain - Palacio Real de la Granja
07-18 Madrid, Spain - Plaza de Toros Las Ventas
07-25 Nyon, Switzerland - Paleo Festival
08-23 Nimes, France - Arénes de Nimes
08-26 Paris, France - "Rock en Seine" Festival
08-31 Stradbally Hall, Ireland - Electric Picnic
09-02 Argyll, Scotland - Connect Festival
09-08 Toronto, Ontario - Virgin Festival

* with Joanna Newsom