updated: 01/15/09           

John Allen
1) Excepter opening for Meat Beat Manifesto at Bowery Ballroom
2) Jack Rose & Michael Chapman @ Montague Book Mill
3) Michael Chapman & Bridget St. John w/ Keith/Nuss/JasonNNCK at Hinthouse
4) Dead C / Sightings sets at The Bowery
5) Steve Beresford w/ Okkyung Lee & Nick Evans @ Roulette
6) Vetiver @ WMH
7) Black Dice w/Gibby & Genesis in btw at Market Hotel
8) James Jackson Toth & Band in New Orleans
9) SY / Feelies at Battery Park
10) Cleve Pozar @ Zebulon


rob | sedimental records
no particular order:
PETER HAMMILL(NYC)
KILLING JOKE(NYC)
MICHAEL CHAPMAN(Montague, MA)
LAU NAU(Boston, MA)
NO IDEA FESTIVAL(Austin, TX)
SAYA(London, UK)
MARISSA NADLER(Arlington, MA)
UNDR QUARTET-10th Anniv show(Cambridge, MA)
STARS OF THE LID(Boston, MA)
CHRIS COOPER(anytime, anywhere)




eric baylies | temple of bon matin, boston noise writer)
1 sword heaven @INC miami 2 the tanks @ eris
temple, philladelphia 3 religious knives @ gallery,
aarhus denmark 4 fuzz orchestra,music cafe, stuttgart,
germany 5 la otracina, cakeshop, nyc 6 cash slave
clique, velvet lounge, washington dc 7mike mountain
as220, providence 8 c spencer yeah & john wiese @
gallery, brussels, belgium 9 mean motion @ chateau
noir, stone mountain georgia 10byron house abandoned
secret power plant area,tampa


jack rose
1. richard youngs, gronland kirke, oslo
2. ralph white, mohawk, austin
3. hush arbors, LiteraturHaus, copenhagen
4. cian nugent, time of rivers, portland
5. michael chapman, bookmill, montague
6. d charles speer and the helix, big jar books, philly
7. ignatz, the farm, louvain le neuve, belgium
8. glenn jones, big jar books, philly
9. visitations, brickbat books, philly
10. voice of the 7 woods, vpro, amsterdam
11. helios creed/chrome, manhattan room, philly


Steven | Witchbeam/Telecult Powers
1) Mark McGuire - West Nile, Brooklyn
2) Sam Goldberg, Baghdad, Brooklyn
3) Halflings - Every show, every face made
4) Idea Fire Co. - M. Ducktail's Basement, North Hampton
5) Butthole Surfers, Warsaw, Brooklyn - The bad trip from too heavy brownies made it fucking rule.
6) Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman - Now That's Class, Cleveland
7) Fragments - Now That's Class, Cleveland
8) Fluxmonkey - Embassy, Cleveland
9) Skaters - Eat Records, Brooklyn
10) Every set I saw at Math Bill's Broad Channel: Bee Mask, Slasher Risk, Bob Bellerue, Pharmakon, Hands Rendered Useless, Predator Vision, Grasshopper, Kill YT, Tusco Terror, etc. to infinity...


Giancarlo Bracchi | Viking Foundry | Eroded Goat | Tiny Mix Tapes | DJ Mangoon Presents on Free103point9 1) bardo pond, harmonia, tortoise, wooden shjips, om, dinosaur jr, shellac and mbv @ ATP NY, Kutsher's
2) prurient, evangelista, xiu xiu, august 28, @ bowery ballroom
3) emeralds, keith whitman, hair police, may 17, no fun fest @ knitting factory
4) sonic youth, feelies, july 4, battery park
5) earth, may 6, knitting factory
6) black pus, boredoms, march 30 @ terminal 5
7) tony conrad and sunno))), october 15 @ knitting factory
8) white mice, tusco terror, oct 24 @ death by audio
9) la otracina, infinity window, blastocyst, december 13, eye and ear fest @ vanishing point
10) tie - bunnybrains, may 9, @ ontological theater + kemmialliset ystavat, june 1, ps1


John Bugg | Newburgh,IN
1) Jack Rose & the Black Twig Pickers
2) Sapat
3) Wooden Shjips
4) J.Glenn
5) Plastic Crimewave
6) Bluegrass in the Park - Henderson ,KY
7) MV+EE w/ the Golden Road
8) Pelt
9) The Fatted Calf Stringband
10) & 2 shows I missed because of Terrastock -Michael Hurley & the Alan & Richard Bishop brothers unconnected shows in Louisville..........But felt I was there in spirit....


Brendan Toller | filmmaker/ hooligan/ ineedthatrecord.com
1. Flaherty, Corsano, Mcphee, New Monuments, Josh Burkett- Bookmill, Montague
2. Stooges- NYC
3. Boston Spaceships (Robert Pollard)- Paradise, Boston
4. Dirtbombs- Cafe Nine, New Haven
5. Drive By Truckers- Pearl St, Northampton
6. Idea Fire Company- Bookmill
7. A Stone For Adam Nodelman- VFW, Florence
8. Flaherty, Hartford Duo- Hampshire College
9. Matt Krefting, Baby Dee- Yod, Florence
10. X, Detroit Cobras- Paradise, Boston
11. Wilco- Schubert Theater, New Haven
12. Patti Smith NYE show- Bowery Ballroom, NYC
13. Watt's Poetry- Yod, Florence


Burkett | "another west mass bum"
--Best year ever for local shows(!)---

1.noise nomad/grey skul/fatworms/pak...-- many nights/places/reasons/- every wesmass venue imaginable
2. time of rivers fest:george stavis/chapman plus others...---stavis hits it w/ lobster bar story then dives into ali akbar banjo madness(missed fursaxa)- portland
3. lil dusty/bc/cr/sbhotm(-heavy beats still hang/we are stunned)--ALSO human hairs// schneiderman/crespo duo// flaherty/moore/nace trio (1st ever ron & andy duo!) AND dredd foole solo(always)-amherst
4. Amanda&greg/salvitor & others--livingroom head turner w/ new & bizarre witchcraft directions-easthampton
5.kurt weisman/raub roy-- new tromboner direction from mr. 'mouth of feathers' & raub's balloon madness(!) fresh from insane 'cycle-delic' tour...greenfield(plus bwr house)
6. lau nau-- US return with new wings of power(&cool toys ) -- boston.
8. willie lane /samara lubelski duo- debut of 'new philly sound' at hazed star-lit mid-summer yard party'--gutbucket's mad shredding + sl's killer bass chops=!!- philly
9. metalux- still the great 'electronic-space-voice-vortex-psych-noise?!'band! (missed nace/nomads duo thou) -northampton
10. mean motion - great synth/drum madness ---bwr house/northampton

**** other amazing area stuff: Northern Aggression--great reformed 'now-gen bluegrass band presents: one night only 'hadley basement dust' show !&! Brain Exchange(whenever I could make it to Turners Fall.--long live the impossible monthly mind stretch). !&! International Noise Fest at Dooley's wherehouse(especially tumblecat's set--what the?). whats up '09 ****



Dan Cashman | Grey Skull/Defneg/Anthro Rex/PuritySupreme
1.Harvey Milk at O'Brien's. I suckily missed the first 15 minutes, but they could have played all night and I would have been in heaven.
2.Steamrollers, second set at Casual Academy...I felt like I was watching the E Street Band in 73, but instead of Asbury, they were repping the North Shore Rt. 1
3.Corsano/Flaherty/McPhee at the Montague Book Mill. Truly ecstatic, dangerous peace.
4.Black Pus at Media Play. The neighbors got pretty mad.
5.Go To the Chateau dress rehearsal. This was a play in and around a car, I didn't get to see the real thing even though the director is my wife.
6.Nonhorse, Manuel/Mick Quantius/guy from Maniac's Dream/Grey Skull at Helbaard.
7.Cassis Cornuta at Scheldapen
8.Western Mass INC
9.Noise Nomads,Bunny Brains @Stone for Adam N.
10.Jake Meginsky @ Hampshire


Otto Martin
1) Arisawkadoria
August 10th, 2008 at the Summer Meltdown music and arts festival, Whitehorse Mountain Amphitheater, Darringtion Washington, USA. www.summermeltdown.com
*These guys are so good Labels should be running after them!* I've seen hundreds of bands every year for decades and these guys blew me away. Ari is absolutely savant!
2) Andreas Kapsalis
December 20th 2008 Oak Creek Brewery, Sedona, AZ
Don't judge this guy by his recorded music alone. He's a must see. Watching him made me think ...... Does Thurston know about this guy? Because this is somebody he'd like to play with.
3) Lucky Brown
August 10th, 2008 at the Summer Meltdown music and arts festival, Whitehorse Mountain Amphitheater, Darringtion Washington, USA.
4) Arvel Bird w/ Bob Hanky
December 27th 2008 at the Canyon Moon Theater, Sedona AZ, USA
Arvel has been winning alot of awards lately. 2007 Canadian Instrumental Artist of the Year, 2007 Native American artist of the Year, and the list goes on, and on, but seeing him live really is something special. A classically trained virtuoso violinist goes tribal, complete with Native American story telling. He'd be a great guy to invite to any jam.
5) Mojow & The Vibration Army
February 8th - 11th at The Conscious Life Expo, LAX Hilton, Los Angeles, CA, USA
This funky cosmic duo is an absolute must see. They tour through crowds with a PA on a wagon, plugged in and spouting funky rhymes of wisdom and truth.
6) Earl Greyhound
January 1st at El Cid, Los Angeles, CA, USA
These cosmic rockers just keep getting better and better! Really talented trio that is super committed. I know each one of these beings and offer the highest of blessings to each.(See them or book them if you can, you won't be disappointed.
Greatest Live Show of All Time
Sonic Youth
(Both Shows)1988 The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA, USA


David V. D'Andrea | dvdandrea.com
1) OM / LICHENS @ Brookdale Lodge, Santa Cruz CA. 2) DANIEL HIGGS w/ CHIARA GIOVANDO @ Oakland warehouse
3) PIERCED ARROWS @ Bottom of the Hill, SF CA.
4) THRONES @ Brookdale Lodge, Santa Cruz CA.
5) ASUNDER @ March Into Darkness Fest, Berbati's, Portland Oregon.
6) DANAVA @ Ash St Saloon, Portland Oregon
7) HARVEY MILK @ Stork Club, Oakland CA.
8) CORRUPTED @ 924 Gilman, Berkeley CA.
9) GRAVEYARD @ Ash St Saloon, Portland Oregon
10) SUNN0))) (performing Grimmrobe demos) @ Berbati's, Portland Oregon


Jeff Conklin | Just Music/Bring Out Your Dead/East Village Radio
1)Oneida at Brahloween
2)Marc Orleans/Steve Gunn @ The Place
3)Mark McGuire @ Eat Records
4)Stellar OM Source @ EVR
5)D Charles Speer and the Helix @ Union Pool
6)Blues Control @ The Charleston
7)Tom Carter @ The Place
8)Ducktails @ Cakeshop
9)Miami Beach @ Eye and Ear Fest
10)Onehatronix Point Never @ West Nile
Julia Cafritz | asshole
I'm going to construe both the words "live" and "performance" very loosely..
basically as, I'm alive and my eyes or ears fell on these things...

1) two "boys" in a parking lot debating the relative merits of vampire weekend v. the fleet foxes
2) rachel zoe's husband, roger, playing rachel zoe's husband on the rachel zoe project
3) the wretched crank screwz @ noise for nerds fest 2008
4) the president "erect" in that bathing suit picture
5)l I would say lucy in wendy and lucy but she was just playing herself and hey, I could do that
6) me, screaming fuck you to my students at the top of my lungs while standing on my desk, dec 2008
7) me, pretending to be interested in my daughter's respiratory system report
8) said daughter, alice, playing clarinet in school recital...my girl can make that instrument sound as shitty as a pro...
frankly, I'm surprised she hasn't been asked to gig with northampton wools yet
9) aimee mann xmas show...no , really, that shit was FUNNY and I liked seeing alice and her friend chloe squirm every time todd barry told an anal sex joke.
10) me, pretending to listen to justin as he set me up with pro tools
11) me, playing dj in my car- killer set every fucking time baby


Carlos Giffoni | No Fun Productions
1) Merzbow - april 18 in Bristol, UK
2) Hair Police- August 02 in NY
3) Xeno and Oaklander - December 10 New York
4) Emeralds -May 17 New York
5) Astro- May 16 New York
6) Nevari Butchers- May 17 New York
7) Randy Yau -May 16 New York
8) Consumer Electronics- April 22 London
9) Noveller, -August 22 -Brooklyn
10) Field of Hats - October 11 Oberlin Ohio
Begin forwarded message:
From: keith wood
Date: December 29, 2008 11:53:45 PM EST
To:
Subject: 2008 Ecstatic Peace Live Performance Poll


Keith Wood | Hush Arbors
In no particular order
1)mic flower/chris corsano/matt hyner- London. Cafe oto- some of the most
ecstatic music ive ever heard in my life. People stood up, shouted...felt
like a revival... They just kept pushin & pushin...& taking a piss beside
Jandeck was a little weird.
2) seeing jack rose work his magic ever night for the uk/euro tour we did
together in march.
3)voice of the seven woods. Amsterdam-vpro festival. Rick and Chris tearing
through a dense cloud of smoke...blowin rings...
4) Om- london. Release the bats. Breaking it down. Hard.
5) War on drugs. London. old blue last. So loud & soo good.


jason martin
couldnt get to alotta shows this year but heres some i was into
narcissister
m lamar
peter and the wolf
flaming fire
otto hauser
vetiver
melanie moser
unicornicopia
dj joro boro
mudboy


Yenens | sissi syntrox bremmen
Top Ten Live Performances of 2008:
1) SIGHTINGS - Bremen -Friese
2) RHYS CHATHAM - Groningen
3) TO LIVE AND SHAVE IN LA - Hamburg - Rote Flora
4) EARTH - Hannover - Glocksee
5) NEPTUNE - Bremen - Friese
6) DANIEL HIGGS - Bremen - Zakk
7) GASTRIC FEMALE REFLEX - Bremen - Spedition
8) HANS TAMMEN, JOKER NIES, MARIO DEVEGA - Bremen - mib
9) SEMARA RATIH - Ubud /Bali
10) OLD TIME RELIJUN - Bremen - Friese
Begin forwarded message:
From: Howard Stelzer
Date: December 30, 2008 2:10:35 PM EST
To: poll@ecstaticpeace.com
Subject: 2008 Ecstatic Peace Live Performance Poll


Howard Stelzer, Intransitive Recordings
THE BEST = Laurence Cook Disaster Unit @ The Middle East upstairs
THE REST =
Infinity Window @ Nom d'Artiste
Will Guthrie @ Axiom Gallery
Luke Moldof @ New England Conservatory, Senior Recital
Brendan Murray @ Swedenborg Chapel
The Nevari Butchers @ No Fun Fest
Ricardo Donoso @ The Lilypad
Perispirit @ Smash Palace Fest
Hair Police @ Middle East upstairs
Red Horse @ Mills Gallery
... plus: every time I played a concert in 2008, I was awesome.


noah anthony
peaking lights (beach house,oakland)
lazy magnet (terminal,oakland)
pod blotz (spot on judah,san francisco)
big nurse (denton,tx)
taiwan deth (springwater,nashville)
temple of bon matin (philly cookout)
adult moan/ed schrader/boston terrier connection (pom hole,richmond)
laundryroom squelchers (skylab,columbus)
kites/byron house (tampa)
kevin shields/justice yeldham (inc)


darryl norsen | saucony & artist
1. david byrne - 10/31/08 in boston
- 6th row mind melt. shed a tear and play air guitar dude
2. black mountain - sxsw at the jellynyc garage 3/08
- free dewars/ginger beer and the best sunset with epic heavy jams
3. neil young & wilco - 12/08 in worcester, ma
- young meets old and everyone has a good time even the 40 year old who does a backflip down the stairs ...
4. mika miko & no age - sxsw at the jellynyc garage 3/08
- kick me in the face and ill still enjoy your saxophone swank
5. no more bush tour - somerville, ma stop 9/08?
- sunburned kraut rock 3 piece with a jack rose barn burner. fuck bush.
6. public enemy at pitchforkfest 7/08
- NIGHT OF THE LIVING BASEHEADS!!
7. animal collective at pitchforkfest 7/08
8. vetiver/gary louris - 4/1/08 - somerville, ma
- 1994 meets 2008 and says hey pedal steel is still fuckin' sweet
9. half japanese - sxsw at waterloo records 3/08
- i just wanted to buy records man and i can't escape the music!
10. pissed jeans/wooden shjips/howlin' rain - mess with texas 3/08


Steffan de Turck | staplerfahrer
1) Sun Ra Arkestra @ ZXZW festival, Paradox, Tilburg (NL)
2) Current 93 @ Roadburn festival, Tilburg (NL)
3) Stellar Om Source @ ZXZW festival, De Veschijning, Tilburg (NL)
4) Usurper w/ Guest Beers @ Piano Factory, Boston (USA)
5) Ramon Churruca @ Zarata festival, Bilbao (ES)
6) Eva Braun @ 013, Tilburg (NL)
7) Sword Heaven @ Kunstpodium T, Tilburg (NL)
8) John Wiese @ Royal Noise Fest, Tilburg (NL)
9) Jerome Noetinger @ Hoerbar, Hamburg (DE)
10) Weirding Module @ Kunstpodium T, Tilburg (NL)



David Russell - A Soundesign Recording / Relentless Corpse / Tanked
Skin Graft - December 27th at Turnup Records, Kent, OH
New Pledgemaster - December 5th at Dreamland Theater, Ypsilanti, MI
New Monuments - September 16th at Hessler House, Cleveland, OH
Ryan Jewell - August 16th at Voice of the Valley, West Virgina
Daughters - May 30th at Grog Shop, Cleveland, OH
Tusco Terror - May 29th at The Embassy, Cleveland, OH
Sword Heaven - May 17th at Skylab, Columbus, OH
Magas - April 25th at The Flowershop, Chicago, IL
Laundryroom Squelchers - April 20th at Skylab, Columbus, OH
fluxmonkey - March 22nd at The Embassy, Cleveland, OH
Casket Sinkers - January 11th at Basement 414, Lansing, MI


Philip von Zweck Affiliation: WLUW
Top Ten Live Performances of 2008:
1) Times New Viking/ Psychedelic Horseshit (Mr. City)
2) Sic Alps (Enemy)
3) Little Claw/ Eat Skull (Cobra Lounge)
4) Dead C (Empty Bottle)
5) Yellow Swans/ US Girls (Av-aerie)
6) Psychedelic Horseshit/ Fabulous Diamonds (Flower Shop)
7) Henry Flynt (Empty Bottle)
8) I Heart Presents (Enemy)
9) The Ex & Getatchew Mekuria (Millenium Park)
10) Consumer Electronics (Enemy)


C. Spencer Yeh | Burning Star Core
Ten Sets from 2008 (no particular order):
Laundryroom Squelchers at Southgate House, Newport KY, 4-19-08
Jon Mueller at Murmur, Cincinnati OH, 8-21-08
Ben Hall & Wally Shoup duo at Open Circuit: Interact, Hasselt Belgium, 5-23-08
Sickness at VFW Hall, Florence MA, 6-1-08
Uncle Dave Lewis at Art Damage Lodge, Cincinnati OH, 8-16-08
Hild Sofie Tafjord at Fylkingen, Stockholm Sweden, 2-23-08
Prurient at NADA Art Fair, Miami FL, 12-6-08
Kommissar Hjuler & Mama Bear at Scheldapen, Antwerp Belgium, 9-20-08
Modern Garage Movement at UFO Factory, Detroit MI, 7-4-08
Antoine Chessex at Sound Forest, Riga Latvia, 5-10-08


neri
1) Nisennenmondai - London, Luminaire, july.
2) Charlemagne Palestine - Lausanne, October.
3) Sonic Youth - Milano, October.
4) Sebadoh - Primavera, May.
5) Doddodo - Lausanne, December.
6) Butthole Surfers - Kentish Town, London, July.
7) Rhys Chatham - Guitar Trio, Lausanne.
8) Mudhoney, London, July.
9) Daniel Johnston & Friends - London, July.
10) [SIC] - Lausanne, November.


CAVE BEARS
"Lick My Poll" top of 2008 in the pioneer valley w. mast. cause thats where i live by cave bears
-- three dubious liftings festivals and counting (next: valentines)
-- id m. theft able and then WOW shea mowat @ purple house
-- "dead and skunks" house show leverett
-- also bromp treb in purple house dub dance nite
-- noise nomads everywhere and anywhere
-- new monuments at the bookmill
-- fat worm of error at the elevens
-- heat wilson, white suns & moscow mule should do a show together


Matt Weir
1) Fat Worm of Error @ Enemy (Chicago) - one of the best shows I have ever seen
2) Brotzmann Tentet @ MCA (Chicago) - cried
3) Soloing Over Alanis Morissette @ AV-arie (Chicago) - ohhhh man, hands down favorite band in Chicagoland
4) Buttsavage @ a bar in Montreal - best riffs of 2008
5) Binges + Glochids @ Applebee's (Chicago) - RIP Binges, Chicago's finest
6) Ken Vandermark's Powerhouse Sound @ a place in Montreal - could play forever
7) Oneida @ Empty Bottle - could play forever
8) Ariel Pink @ Empty Bottle (Chicago) - lots of dancing and the band was focused, totally on
9) Fred Lonberg-Holm @ Block Cinema (Evanston) - really funny!
10) Blues Control @ Empty Bottle - because of the extra shredding
Infinity. I saw Speed Racer 9 time, and I can not put into words how completely it has improved my life in every way.


Robert Christgau msn.com, Blender, All Things Considered, Barnes & Noble Review
1) JB Mpiana & Wenga Musica Irving Plaza Pseudo-Fillmore 11/8
2) M.I.A. McCarren Pool 6/6
3) Wussy Cake Shop 3/27
4) Menya Alphabet Lounge 7/10
5) Robert Forster Joe's Pub 9/15
6) Raphael Saadig S.O.B.'s 9/30
7) Sonic Youth/Feelies River to River 7/4
8) R.E.M. MSG 6/19
9) Ladysmith Black Mambazo B. B. King'sx 1/26
10) Passing Strange Belasco Theater 7/19


Mike Connelly
1. Prurient at High Noon Saloon, Madison and some coffee shop in Portland
2. Hatred and Spykes at Art SF, SF and Beyond Baroque, LA
3. Bloodyminded first non-leather show at Empty Bottle, Chicago
4. Hive Mind at Empty Bottle, Chicago
5. Horna and Nocturnal Fear at Blondies, Detroit
6. Sickness..every show I saw him do this year
7. Awkward Squad at Pdome, Ypsilanti
8. The entire Nurse Etiqite Nite--Chainfight, Steve Kenney, Piss Horn, Walter Carson, Wapstan, SCDC
9. The entire exbx nite--Invasion Status, Mossy Throats, Bottom Dweller
10. Sonic Youth at Brooklyn Pool spot
top NO FUN sets:
1. The Haters
2. Consumer Electronics
3. FFH
4. Cleanse
5. Halflings
6. The Nevari Butchers
7. Sudden Infant
8. Sickness
9. Pax Titania
10. and of course..the Jasons


Aaron Dilloway | Hanson Records
1) FIELD OF HATS @ FAIRCHILD, OBERLIN, OH
2) THE HATERS @ NFF, NYC
3) TWILIGHT MEMORIES OF THE THREE SUNS @ VOV FEST, WV
4) ROBERT TURMAN @ DOUBTING THOMAS GALLERY, CLEVELAND, OH
5) RELAY FOR DEATH @ VOV FEST, WV
6) SL MAKITA @ NOW THATS CLASS, CLEVELAND, OH
7) YELLOW YEARS @ PLEASUREDOME, YPSI
8) TUSCO TERROR in the hallway of TUSCO EMBASSY, CLEVELAND, OH
9) SKIN GRAFT - EVERYTIME, CLEVELAND, OH
10) IN CAMERA @ CoS, BRIGHTON, UK


thurston moore | northampton wools
1)Noise Nomads - Bar, New Haven CT + with Bill Nace at Elevens, Northampton, MA
2) Malkuth - Lit Lounge, NYC
3) Colour Out Of Sound fest w/ fave sets by Aaron Dilloway, Byron Coley, Rat Bastard, Charlie Draheim - Brighton, UK
4) Laurence Cook Disaster Unit - Middle East, Boston, MA
5) Black Helicopter / Beatings - knit fac downstairs NYC
6) Okkyung Lee/Carlos Giffoni duo + Oa (Meg Clixby duo) + Nancy Garcia/Biba Bell duo - Glasslands, Bklyn
7) Uneven Universe / The Jasons / Graveyards - KS Art, NYC
8) No Fun fest with killer sets by Halflings, Failing Lights,
Ahlzagailzehguh, Nevari Butchers, Cleanse + Hair Police - knit fac, NYC
9) Social Junk - Mystery Train, Amherst MA
10) Adam Nodelman memorial with Mascis/Dredd Foole Stooges romp, Noise
Nomads, Fat Worm of Error - Florence MA


R. Moore, Aether Alchemy & Arts
1) Pamela Wyn Shannon @ King St. Manor, Northampton
2) Electric Prunes @ Pearl St. Northampton
3) Dredd Foole & the Din w/ Jay Mascis, Florence MA
4) Ilyas Ahmed @ Elevens, Northampton MA
5) Fern Knight @ King St. Manor
6) Bill Nace (many shows)
7) Deer Tick @ King St. Manor & Providence RI shows
8) Michael Chapman/Jack Rose @ Bookmill
9) Jack Rose & Glenn Jones tour
10) Sun City Girls farewell to Charlie tour


Name Genneah Turner | Music Lover, no affiliation to the bands except I do work with Bjoerk, am a friend of Chris Brokaw in The New Year and to Dan Sartain but this has not altered my choices below
1) Bjoerk London Hammersmith
2) HEALTH London Scala
3) Deerhunter at The El Ray, LA
4) No Age London Scala
5) TVOTR Shepherds Bush UK
6)The New Year Luminaire London
7) Black Mountain Glastonbury
8) MGMT Glastonbury
9)Dan Sartain Luminaire
10) Abe Vigoda Rough Trade East in-store


Stephen M. Deusner | Pitchfork
1) Ivo Diaz/Orangel "Pangue" Maestre at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum (following a screening of Smithsonian Channel's documentary on Colombian vallenato music)
2) Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
3) Cut Copy at the Pitchfork Fest, Chicago, Il.
4) Theresa Andersson at IOTA Club, Arlington, Va.
5) Fleet Foxes at Black Cat Backstage, Washington, DC
6) Drive-By Truckers at Pier Six Pavilion, Baltimore, Md.
7) The Jet Age at Fort Reno, Washington, DC
8) Calexico at 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
9) Bodies of Water/Port O'Brien at Black Cat Backstage, Washington, DC
10) Sissy Wish at Galaxy Hut, Arlington, Va.


Bill Kouligas | Family Battle Snake
MARGINAL CONSORT (Kazuo Imai, Tomonao Koshikawa, Kei Shii, Masami Tada) - Instal Festival
CHARLEMAGNE PALESTEINE - St. Giles Cathedral
NEVARI BUTCHERS - No Fun 08
ANTI-MOB - Kallidromiou Squat (Athens) KILLER SHOW!!!
JANDEK / FLOWER / CORSANO / HEYNER / NOLAN - Oto
NAUTICAL ALMANAC - No Fun 08
KOICHI MAKIGAMI - Colour Out of Space
IN CAMERA - Colour Out of Space
WEIRDING MODULE - Avenida (Lisbon)
SKULLFLOWER - Head of a Steam (Newcastle)
BLOOD STEREO - Westhill Hall
G*PARK & DAVE PHILLIPS - Colour Out of Space
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS - Gramaphone
AARON DILLOWAY - Colour Out of Space
ASTRO - No Fun 08
KEITH FULLERTON WHITMAN - No Fun 08
SARAH'S CHARITY - Westhill Hall
TETSUYA UMEDA - Oto
EMERALDS - No Fun 08
THE HATERS - No Fun 08
FFH - No Fun 08
JOHN WIESE - ICA
PRURIENT - Bardens Bodoir
MICHIYO YAGI - Install Festival
ALAN WILKINSON / STEVE NOBLE / JOHN EDWARDS - Oto
STELLAR OM SOURCE - Nog Gallery
BUTTHOLE SURFERS - Forum
BLACK DICE - Ground Zero (Lyon) & London Cargo
YoKO HIGASHI (hamaYoko) & LIONEL MARCHETTI - Divus Gallery
WHITEHOUSE / RAMLEH - Electrowerkz
INCAPACITANTS - Install Festival


dennischh tyfuschhh | ultraeczema
in random order:
yximalloo @ zaal helgie
los llamarada @ cafe de la campine
cassis cornuta & kris vanderstraeten @ stadsfeestzaal mechelen
cassis cornuta @ hallen van schaarbeek
lightning bolt at scheldapen
olson & yeh @ scheldapen
daniel higgs live radio session
evan parker @ beursschouwburg
george myers & german johan @ the church in den haag
noise nomads & def neg at cafe de la campine
dsr lines @ stella lohaus gallery
nuslux @ scheldapen
awesome color @ cafe de la campine
catalogue @ recyclart
colour out of space
pak @ everywhere i saw her play
yutaka sone in shanghai
+ siggy's visit to antwerp, jamming with troutman,
the sensational fix exhibtion, visiting shanghai


Fernando Diaz
1) Menace Ruine, Casa del Popolo, October 3
2) Les Momies de Palerme, Sala Rossa, December 18
3) De La Caucase, Divan Orange, May 6
4) Weirding Module, Casa del Popolo, February 28
5) Hair Police, Zoobizarre, August 6
6) Awesome Color, Divan Orange, September 24
7) Cian Ethrie, Lab Synthese, September 19
8) Karl Lemieux projection, La Brique, March 29
9) USAISAMONSTER, Divan Orange, October 10
10) Mouthus, Sala Rossa, March 9
11) Sightings, Sala Rossa, April 10
12) American Music Club, Divan Orange, April 18
13) Shalabi Effect, Sala Rossa, June 1
14) Times New Viking, Divan Orange, June 30
15) The Silver Jews, Sala Rossa, September 3


Daren Ho | Driphouse/dubDrip/Cuticle/DJ DRIP/Trash Dog/dirtbagmeister/etc
good live things I can think of from 2008:
x) 88BOADRUMS @ La Brea Tarpits in LA - WTF is up with the Nike gear?
x) Eat Skull @ Fun Castle in Sacramento, CA
x) Extreme Animals & Fortress of Amplitude @ Witchdome in Sacramento, CA
x) Eat Skull @ The Cave of Spirits in Iowa City, IA
x) Infinity Window in NYC - Bad grounding = creeping radio beats.
x) Wolf Eyes solo sets @ ArtSF in San Francisco
x) Rubber-O-Cement, MOM @ Vox Gallery in Sacramento, CA
x) Standard Tribesmen @ Punks On Water in Placerville/some small town? CA
x) Sexy Prison and Warm Streams @ some house in Oakland, CA
x) REALICIDE @ Vox Gallery in Sacramento, CA
x) "Black Flag" and MarkSwordHeaven @ Skylab in Columbus, OH
x) Russian Tsarlag and Blue Shift and Then and Than @ some house in Providence, RI - Cat started mewing to my tunes!
x) final Bleach Party @ the bottom of Boys Town II in Providence, RI
x) Wet Hair and Peaking Lights and Ecstatic Sunshine @ The Mill in Iowa City, IA


Matthew Perpetua | Fluxblog
1) of Montreal @ Roseland Ballroom 10/10/2008
2) Nine Inch Nails @ Izod Center 8/27/2008
3) Electric Six @ the Temptress (boat) 8/14/2008
4) Wilco @ McCarren Pool 8/13/2008
5) The Fiery Furnaces @ Southpaw 4/26/2008
6) Yelle @ the Knitting Factory 2/20/2008
7) Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks @ Siren Festival 7/19/2008
8) Deerhunter @ Music Hall of Williamsburg 12/8/2008
9) The Kills @ Webster Hall 5/2/2008
10) R.E.M. @ Jones Beach 6/14/2008


Alyson Ghizzoni
1)astronaut
2)sunburned hand of the man
3)rahdunes
4)a r plovnick
5)oneohtrix point never
6)everything all the time
7)the creeping nobodies
8)a place to bury strangers
9)god&country
10)last lights


Matthew Wascovich | Scarcity of Tanks
1) Paul Metzger / Tim Kaiser - Pat's in the Flats - Cleveland, Ohio
2) T.L. Kryss - Literary Cafe - Cleveland, Ohio
3) Thee Oh Sees - Pat's in the Flats - Cleveland, Ohio
4) Daniel Carter - Dead Herring - Brooklyn, New York
5) Jack Wright - Berk St. Warehouse - Philadelphia, PA
6) Magnet City Kids - Berk St. Warehouse - Philadelphia, PA
7) Al & Richard Bishop - Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
8) Peter Broetzmann & Han Bennink - Hall Walls - Buffalo, NY
9) Nate Scheible - multi performances (band, solo, collabs)
10) Bbob Drake (aka fluxmonkey) & Andrew Klimek - Pat's in the Flats - Cleveland, Ohio


Pascal Hector | Datashock / Meudiademorte Recs
Colour out of Space Festival Brighton (Dilloway, Dave Phillips + G Park, Black to Comm etc,..)
Dolphins Into Future - Helbaard Kierk Denhaag
Heatsick - Grrrnd Zero, Lyon
Nonhorse - Amsterdam, ot301
Time Life - Amsterdam, Vpro Session
Woods Family Creeps - Ex Haus Trier
Cones - Bruessel, Boka Royal
Spectrum - Saarbruecken. Sparte 4
Corsano / Flower Duo - Paris, Instant Chavirez
Air People - Saarbruecken, Modul
Pretty Lightning - Trier, Edeltrude


Kate B
In no particular order. Good question no one's ever asked me for ten. I also have no idea how you have my email address, probably from a bookstore oh well. I have time to diligently do this because my boss is not at work.
1) bi-polarbear
2) cobalt cranes
3) foot village
4) the mae shi
5) aids wolf
6) allah las
7) grand elegance
8) glass candy
9) negative approach
10)jacuzzi boys
11) moment trigger (w/ Brian miller) (incredible.)
sorry i did 11. a fun year.


Tom Derwent | Lost Treasures Of The Underworld / XXX Celebrity Sex Tapes XXX
1) OUTER SPACE / TANKED / JEWELL -MAROTTA - HASSAN TRIO / GINGER FETUS / ENVENOMIST (@SKYLAB - COLUMBUS OH)
2) EMERALDS / DEAD MACHINES (@TUSCO EMBASSY - CLEVELAND OH)
3) JANDEK (@WEXNER - COLUMBUS OH)
4) SUNBURNED / FRANKLINS MINT (@OBERLIN COLLEGE OH)
5) BRAD GRIGGS / MIKE SHIFLET / CLIMAX DENIAL / PETER WOODS / STILLBIRTH (@ ABANDONED BUILDING)
6) VILE GASH (@ 14TH HOUSE & USED KIDS COLUMBUS OH)
7) SWORD HEAVEN / BRADD GRIGGS / ANNA RANGER (@BOURBON ST. COL. OH)
8) WASTELAND JAZZ UNIT / TWINK BULLY/ BIFF BOFF BARF (@ BOURBON ST.)
9) THE SKATERS / LAMBSBREAD / AXOLOTL / TWINK BULLY (@ SKYLAB)
10) C. SPENCER YEH & TAIGA REMAINS DUO (ART DAMAGE CINCINNATI OH)
11) MONOPOLY CHILD / EMERALDS / LAMBSBREAD / BRAD GRIGGS (@ LAMBS DEN)


James Duncan | Le Systeme Records, IZITITIZ, Metro Area, Glenn Branca, Aarktica
In no order:
Spectrum @ Silver Dollar, Toronto
Stars Like Fleas @ Issue Project Room, Brooklyn
Rick Wilhite/KDJ @ APT, NY
Eric Chenaux @ Rivoli, Toronto
Morgan Geist CD Release Party @ Santos Party House, NY
CCMC @ Tranzac, Toronto
Mantler @ The Press Club, Toronto
DJ Harvey @ anywhere
Mudhoney @ Horseshoe, Toronto
Marnie Stern @ Cakeshop, NY
Happy holidays and best wishes for 2009!
James


Johnny Jones | myspace.com/johnny61
1) Hush Arbors - In The Pines/London
2) Thurston Moore/Bill Nace/Chris Corsano - Colour Out Of Space/Brighton
3) Vodka Soap/Family Battlesnake - Instore Second Layer Records/London
4) Byron Coley/Vampire Belt - Colour Out Of Space/Brighton
5) John Weise - Instore Second Layer Records/London
6) Ashtray Navigations - Instore Second Layer Records/London
7) Black To Comm - Colour Out Of Space/Brighton
8) Black Dice/Family Underground - Cargo/London
9) Lionel Marchetti / Yoko Higashi - Colour Out Of Space/Brighton
10) Muscletusk - Colour Out Of Space/Brighton


Karl Bauer | Axolotl
1) Animal Collective - Katowice, Poland
2) Islaja/Samara Lubelski/Bevin Blechdom - The whole UK tour
3) Weyes Bluhd - Big Jar Books, Philadelphia
4) Kria Brekkan - Monkeytown, Brooklyn
5) Eric Copeland - Floristree, Baltimore
6) The Skaters - Cafe Oto, London
7) Watersports - Eat Records, Brooklyn
8) The Berghain DJs after we played, Berlin
9) Ariel Pink - Knitting Factory, NY
10) Black Dice - Williamsburg Music Hall


Steve Krakow
in no particular order:
1.roky erickson at double door
2.DMBQ at the abbey
3.sri aurobindo at the talking head
4.dead c. at empty bottle
5.pierced arrows at empty bottle
6.terry reid/mark fry at empty bottle
7.homosexuals at the hideout
8.OnO at metal shaker
9.oneida at terrastock
10.simply saucer at subterranean


Ed Syder | ghostgalaxy.blogspot.com
1) BYOP Manchester Academy March 25
2) Awesome Color when they played manchester in june sometime
3) that's the only ones i saw over here in blighty.
4) actually thurston played with big business i think at the atp i went to
5) was pretty wasted at the time though
6) okay happy xmas everyone over there
7) peace baby
8)
9)
10)


Edu | head of www.giradiscos.org
1) Religious Knives, Madrid, Oct 2008
2) Psychic TV, Madrid, Dec 2008
3) LSD March, Madrid, Sept 2008
4) Wooden Shjips, Madrid, Sept 2008
5) Butthole Surfers, Barcelona, Dec 2008
6) Daelek, Madrid, Oct 2008
7) Glenn Jones, Madrid, March 2008
8) Steffen Basho, Madrid, February 2008
9) Sightings, Madrid, June 2008
10) Deathroes, Madrid, November 2008


Brett Robinson | Radiopros.org / etc.
In no particular order:
1) International Noise Conference 2008 Holyoke, MA with Belltonesuicide, Schurt Kwitters, Defneg, PAK, David Russell, Noise Nomads, Laundry Room Squelchers, etc.; thank you Chris Cooper !
2) International Noise Conference 2008 Cambridge, MA with Radioactive Prostitute, Howie Stelzer, Bill T Miller's Orgy of Noise, Noise Nomads, Child Bridge, Space Faces, etc.; thank you Jessica Rylan!
3) Belltonesuicide bringing some harsh noise to a Vermillion, South Dakota arts-center-turned-church; thank you Sheridan!
4) Stone For Adam Nodelman with Fat Worm of Error, Noise Nomads, Noho Wools, Bunny Brains, No-Neck Blues Band, Dredd/J/Justin/John/Phil Stooges riffage, MK-ultra's LUCILLE, ET CETERA; R.I.P. Adam
5) No More Bush (incl. Zaika, omg!) segueing into TM/Kate Village + Flaherty/Noise Nomads + HAIR POLICE insanity, all in one day!
6) ZAIMPH (omg! so amazing!) + Jenny Graf (thanks for the NIRVANA cover!) + Barn Owl + Flaherty/Nace at Eleven's in Northampton
7) PINE TREE STATE MIND CONTROL + Illusion of Safety + Abortus Fever at People's Pint in Greenfield, MA; thanks Mike Barrett! (show proving how dismally insular the WMASS scene can be...)
8) Autumn shows at Union CT, Easthampton including such fine performances from SERVITOR, djBRT, Belltonesuicide, Chris Cooper, PAK, Noise Nomads, Cousin Id, Cellura Peptoid, Batschi, Servitor, Cave Bears, Tim Sheldon, etc.; thanks to all who came!
9) Flaherty/Corsano/McPhee + New Monuments @ Montague Bookmill
10) every MELVINS show of 2008 including King Buzzo and Dale Crover making a mockery of an over-zealous fan during their rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner".


Marcelo Aguirre | SPASTIC DEMENTIA
1) Disgorge (Mex)/ Inhume @ Amnesie, Berlin
2) Flagitious Idiosyncrasy in the Dilapidation/ Putrid Pile/ Cock and Ball Torture/ Macrabre/ Namek/a.o. @ Obecene Extreme Festival, Trutnov, Czech Republic
3) Cadaver Eyes/ Lietterspich[Diet] @ Lokal, Berlin
4) Pain Jerk @ Ausland, Berlin
5) Guapo @ Magnet, Berlin Charlemagne Palestine & Perlonex @ Sophiensaele, Berlin
6) Napalm Death/ Suffocation @ SO36, Berlin
7) Hour of Penance/ Origin/ Impaled @ K17, Berlin
8) Charlemagne Palestine & Perlonex @ Sophiensaele, Berlin
9) Mixomatosis/ Diarrhoea/ Serrando Codos @ Amnesie, Berlin
10) Paul Lovens (with the Schlippenbach Trio) @ Sophiensaele, Berlin


Terence Hannum | Locrian:
1) Consumer Electronics @ Enemy / Chicago, IL
2) Oakeater @ Mr. City / Chicago, IL
3) KTL @ Empty Bottle / Chicago, IL
4) The Ex w/ Getatchew Mekurya @ LSA + Milennium Park / Chicago, IL
5) Velnias @ everywhere / Chicago, IL
6) C. Spencer Yeh @ AV-Aerie / Chicago, IL
7) Wolves in the Throne Room @ Husky's / Chicago, IL
8) Sian Alice Group @ Empty Bottle / Chicago, IL
9) Horna @ Metal Shaker / Chicago, IL
10) Nocnitsa & Turboslut @ the DNA in the DNA Test Fest / College Park, MD


pisspisspissmoanmoanmoan
1) tovah and the olsons - no fun fest, knitting factory NY
2) emeralds - voice of the valley noise rally, pentress WV
3) consumer electronics - enemy, chicago IL
4) lunabile - mopery dawns, chicago IL
5) cornucopia - no fun fest, knitting factory NY
6) billington/soliday duo featuring anthony decanini - enemy, chicago, IL
7) laundry room squelchers - INC tour 2008, chicago, IL
8) FFH - no fun fest, knitting factory NY
9) new pledgemaster -enemy, chicago, IL
10) lambsbread - voice of the valley noise rally, pentress WV


Craig Stewart | SXSW
All these here went down in the borin' fuckin' town of Austin, Texas:
1) Ralph White at any goddamn place. He ain't even trippin'!
2) Peaking Light at Sound on Sound Records. Hippies chewin' up them Hipsters!
3) Bun B with 8-piece backing band at The Parish. Dude actually smiled at this show!
4) Roky Erickson hollerin' his ass off at Emo's and that ZedZedTop homie showin' up to shred for bread!
5) A.H. Kraken at Beerland. Them Frog young'uns done slayed all 30 of us!
6) Rusted Shut at Beauty Bar Patio (<---????) that turned into a Grateful Dead nightmare towards the end. Crack is a hell of a drug!
7) Blue Cheer killin' it during ShitBi: a 40-minute set with that there 20-minute song I'm forgettin'. CrustBlues 4Lyfe!
8) John Washington at the ultimate blues joint in this here town, Club 40. When you see a sign on the front door that says "No One Under 37 Admitted," you know it's goin' down!
9) Devin the Dude anywhere. "One blunt, one more shot of Patron..." We gone grind!
10) Unnecessary Exclamation Points Jr. w/ special guests Poser Country Boy Meets Ghetto Terminology at the new club that made the Top 10 Best New Clubs in ATX poll in the publication Live Music Capitol My Ass. Oh yeah, the name of the club: aintnoneyrgotdamn.biz!!!


Adam Shore | The Daily Swarm:
1) Neurosis, Brooklyn Masonic Temple, Brooklyn (first show)
2) Neurosis, Brooklyn Masonic Temple, Brooklyn (second show)
3) Krallice, Union Pool, Brooklyn
4) The Martinez Brothers, Water-gate, Berlin
5) My Bloody Valentine, Roskilde Festival, Denmark
6) Wolves In The Throne Room, Knitting Factory, Los Angeles
7) Radiohead, All Points West, Jersey City, NJ
8) Watain, Knitting Factory, Los Angeles
9) Fucked Up, Old Blue Last, London
10) My Bloody Valentine, Roseland, New York City


Zack Lazar | Black Helicopter
1) Harvey Milk (as The Pleasers) - O'Brien's Boston June 22(drunk show)
2) Harvey Milk - Great Scott Boston June 21(Tight Show)
3) Harvey Milk - Brooklyn NY Nov 2 (3 Piece)
4) Killdozer - Knitting Factory NY Nov 2
5) The Feelies - Roxy Boston Oct 21
6) Helios Creed's Chrome - Church Boston Oct 1
7) AC/DC - TD Banknorth Garden Nov 9
8) Easy Action - Beerland Austin TX March 15 (ish)
9) White Mice - Church Boston Date Hazy
10) Awesome Color - Mideast Up Cambridge


JOHNY | Cosloid
5. MV & EE - all over this land
4. ROKY ERICKSON W/ THE BLACK ANGELS (their version of rollercoaster alone qualifies this)
3. VIVIAN GIRLS (better than i had expected)
2. USA is a MONSTER/MIAMI NIGHTS @ BAR new haven-now that is some pizza.
1. TRULY (Pickeral,Yamamoto,Roth played 2 incredible shows in seattle. not many paying them any attention, as usual, but they were the best i saw this year by far)
thanks, johny
(COSLOID)


James Picardi | Keyboardist (Baylies Band), freestyle drums solo/collab (various)
1) Weasel Walter/Paul Flaherty Duo (Noho basement style)
2) Flaherty/Noise Nomads Duo, Mirror/Dash, Mouthus/Axolotl (Hampshire Red Barn)
3) Hair Police, Red Horse, Puritan Agenda (mid east club upstairs)
4) Zach Hill solo, Pattern is Movement, Subtle (mid east upstairs)
5) Laurence Cook disaster unit, flaherty/nace/moore, work/death, Paper Summer (mid east upstairs)
6) Baylies Band, Aquatic Staff (AS220)
7) Weasel Walter/Paul Flaherty/Greg Kelley/Forbes Graham, White Mice (Church)
8) The Who (Boston TD Garden)


Hans van der Linden
1) Om - Primavera Sound Festival, Barcelona
2) Interact Festival - Kunstencentrum Belgie, Hasselt
3) Wooden Shjips, Scheldapen, Antwerpen
4) Religious Knives - Zoro, Leipzig
5) Lightning Bolt - Scheldapen, Antwerpen
6) Audiomer Festival - Kunstencentrum Belgie, Hasselt
7) Gravetemple - Worm, Rotterdam
8) MV & EE - Bunker, Brussel
9) Neil Young - Rock Werchter
10) Polvo - Primavera Sound Festival, Barcelona


SL | citybirches
1) MV & EE (@Westgermany Berlin)
2) Hush Arbors @Westgermany Berlin)
3) Leslie Keffer (@Maria Berlin)
4) haven't been there..
5) haven't been there..
6) no more ep! shows in town..
7)
8)
9)
10)
all best for 2009!
take care, sl


Cloaca Neil Young | Yeay! Tapes / Fat Worm of Error / Bromp Treb
Top Ten Live Performances of 2008 (in no order):
1) ID M theftABLE's set & Megan Buckingham's lecture for the Phantom Brain Exchange #6 @ the Rendevous, Turners Falls. June.
2) Angst Hase Pfeffer Nase, all stops out & seriously goth w/ a drum machine. @ Montague Bookmill. May.
3) seeing Charles Cohen rock the Buchla Music Easel in Philadelphia. july.
4) Mahmoud Ahmed, bigger than life and commanding the city with his heavy pipes @ Damrosch Park Shell in NYC. August.
5) Debo Band getting hugged midsong by Getatchew Mekuriya @ Middle East, Cambridge. August.
6) GreySkull (all hardcore & back from EU!) and QFWFQ Duo (blasting electrocoustic video eyeball explosions) @ Dubious Liftings, Turners Falls. November.
7) McPheee / Flaherty / Corsano making me dance on hot coals! @ montague bookmill. September.
8) Chris Weisman & Ruth Garbus sets during the perfect waning autumn light @ 8 Main Barn, Montague. October.
9) Nana Grizol playing the next generation of yip jump music to the happiest pile of frolic i've experienced in years @ tinderbox, Brattleboro, VT. June?
10) Flaming Dragons of Middle Earth special epic xmas set for Suzee's Third St Laundrymat Fashion Show, Turners Falls. December.
11) the audience during the Fat Worm of Error set at the INC Tour Show. they re-created a perfect 2003-era noiseshow moshpit @ 17 Mules, Providence. April.
hapy xmas & happy newyear!


Steve Marreyt
1) Family Underground - KC Netwerk, Aalst
2) Sightings - Farmfest, Aalbeke
3) Pink Reason - Pit's, Kortrijk
4) Psychedelic Horseshit - Pit's, Kortrijk
5) Sic Alps - Bunker, Brussel
6) Aluk Todolo - Impakt, Utrecht
7) Reines D'Angleterre - Pauze, Gent
8) Jazzfinger, The Telegraph, Newcastle
9) David Watson, Displaced Sounds, Leuven
10) Jason Lescalleet, AB, Brussel


Jef Mertens | filmmaker/Taping Policies
(in no particular order):
The Skaters (Logement, Antwerp)
Lightning Bolt (Scheldapen, Antwerp)
Ignatz/Kiss The Anus Of A Black Cat (De Firma, Geel)
Head Of Wantastiquet (audioMER fest, Zaal Belgie)
Starving Weirdos (Bunker, Brussels)
Silvester Anfang w/ Pascal Buyse choreography (Can'art, Kuurne)
Paul Metzger (Croxaphox, Gent)
James Ferraro


Floris Vanhoof
Top Ten Live Performances of 20008:
International Music Festival After Kraak - Dolle Mol, Brussel
Lionel Marchetti & Yoko Higashi - Witte zaal, Gent
Dick Raaijmakers: De Grafische Methode Fiets - Artis, 's-Hertogenbosch
Jef Cornelis - Filmplatteau, Gent
Nuslux, Kiiskinen, Reijo Pami, Amon Dude, Jack de Rapper, dj's - Scheldapen, Antwerpen
Discobar Shorty & everything - George W. Myers and Pak total Halloween, Helbaard, Nieuwe Kerk, Scheveningen
Mick Quantius & Vincent Stroep performances - Logement, Antwerpen
Melvins / Keiji Haino / Cameron Jamie collab - IFFR, Rotterdam
Ludo Mich / W. Ravenveer collab - Bokal Royal, Brussel


Jackie Christmas | Dredd Foole & the Din / Shit Spangled Banner:
in no particular order:
-Black Pus - George's basement, northampton, ma
-Noise Nomads - wickermania, goshen, ma & George's basement, northampton, ma - (fireworks / live bodybag /tvs/ stunt driving)
-Malkuth - Lit Lounge, NYC - january 08
-Dinosaur Jr. - primavera, barcelona, spain
-Byron Coley - reading at the stone for adam show, florence, ma
-Sightings - mohawk, austin, sxsw
-Phased Out / SHITSWEAT- tinderbox, brattleboro
-Mick Flower - solo - corsica studios, london, UK
-Northampton Wools - vfw, florence, ma - stone for adam show & the table of the elements show, sxsw
-Demons w/Rodger Stella / Sick Llama /hendrick - yoga studio, northampton, ma
-Thurston Moore - Psychic Hearts show - ATP, new york
-Boredoms - paradise, boston
-Fat Worm of Error - the elevens, northampton, ma
-MV & EE - the yurt, goshen, ma
-Bunny Brains - stone for adam show, florence, ma
-Jow Jow - vfw, florence, ma - stone for adam nodelman show, wickermania & the couple of Time machine jams i'v been to
-Warmer Milks - lexington, ky
-Hair Police - florence, ma
-Dark Meat - austin, tx - sxsw
-Corsano, Flaherty & Mcphee - bookmill, montague, ma
-Ed Askew w/ Joshua Burkett - yodspace, florence, ma
-Anal Parrot / Glass Eagle - yodspace, florence, ma


Mark
1) my bloody valentine at all tomorrow's parties
2) cooper-moore in cambridge
3) me and my four and two year olds playing music and having fun


Brian Turner| WFMU
Heaven & Hell/Judas Preist/Motorhead: Jones Beach NY
Information/Teenage Jesus: Knit NYC
Dead C/Sightings/N Wools/K Darves: Bowery NYC
Blues Control: Johnny Brendas, Philly
Mike Rep: SXSW
Fabulous Diamonds/Rot Shit etc: Asterisk, Brooklyn
Heathen Shame/Kelley-Jewell/Cooper-Moore: Issue, Brooklyn
Huujataat: PS1 Long Island City
Brothers Unconnected: Knit NYC
Spectrum w/band: ATP, Monticello NY
Live FMU-related freebie concerts of 08:
Sonic Youth/Feelies: Battery Park NYC
The Ex/Getatchew Mekuria/Mahmoud Ahmed & co.: Lincoln Center NYC
Wire/Times New Viking: Irving Plaza NYC
Shows without people! Live rock on the radio: Killdozer, Crom, Times New Viking, Negative Approach, Kemialliset Ystavat, Ignatz, The Rebel, the Amazements, Wildildlife, Jersualem & the Starbaskets, Hank IV, Los Llamarada, Cheap Time (all archived at wfmu.org/playlists/BT)


Ivan Daguer | www.especial35.net
1) My Bloody Valentine, Roseland, NYC
2) TV Ghost @ Silent Barn (w/ Pink Reason and Sick Llama), NYC
3) Blues Control, Fabulous Diamonds, Psychedelic Horseshit @ * Art Project. Brooklyn, NYC
4) DMBQ @ Monster Island, Brooklyn, NYC
5) Spectrum. The Zipper Room NYC
6) Sonic Youth @McCarren Pool, Brooklyn, NY (w/ Wolf Eyes, Vivian Girls and Times New Viking)
7) Boris @ Maxwell's, Hoboken, NJ (w/ Psychic Ills)
8) Dinosaur Jr. @ Terminal 5. NYC
9) The No Neck Blues Band @ Knitting Factory (w/ Ya HoWa 13, Folk Spectre and Tom Greenwood)
10) Lucky Dragons @ Silent Barn. Ridgewood, NYC


Jon Nicholson
1. Excepter
2. Xeno and Oaklander
3. NNCK Blues Band
4. Les Savy Fav
5. These Are Powers
6. Black Dice
7. Ninjasonic
8. Indian Jewelery
9. Terrible Eagle
10. Miti Miti


Name Aaron Mullan | Tall Firs
(in no particular order):
James Blood Ulmer solo at ATP Nightmare Before Christmas
Awesome Color at their own record release party
Knyfe Hyts every single show I saw
Talk Normal on the south side when Dave busted down the door
Metal Mountains at Red Desert Nights
Melvins at ATP Nightmare Before Christmas
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks at the Knitting Factory
Sebadoh at ATP in May
Monotonix in Austin at some warehouse
Sonic Youth worldwide


Michael Maly | Sonic Itch Music
1) The Walkmen @ The Parish Room
2) Deerhunter @ Emo's
3) Fleet Foxes @ ACL Festival
4) Wilco @ Stubbs
5) The National @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
6) My Morning Jacket @ The Parish Room
7) Frightened Rabbit @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
8) Ume @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
9) Colour Revolt @ ACL Festival
10) Cat Power @ Stubbs


ilyas ahmed

*marcia bassett / michael chapman / steve gunn / visitations/ jack rose / paul metzger / rafe bookstaber / mv & ee / marc orleans / carter thornton /cursillistas @ time of rivers festival
*fursaxa @ painted cloud
*pete swanson @ valentine's
*valet @ holocene
*grouper @ backspace
*starving weirdos @ valentine's
*chris cooper @ the elevens
*chromatics @ holocene
*prurient @ backspace
*ritchie young @ towne lounge




John Wiese
(in chronological order)
1. Kommissar Hjuler and Mama Bar at KKI, Flensburg Germany, 01/19/08
2. Knelt Rote at Branx, Portland OR 04/14/08
3. 0th at ATA, SF CA 04/18/08
4. Sachiko M at Instants Chavires, Paris France, 05/06/08
5. MNDR/Gerritt/Jealosy (tie) at Lipo Lounge, SF CA, 08/08/08
6. Death Sentence: Panda! at Bay Area 51, SF CA, 08/15/08
7. The New Monuments, Circle of Hope, Philadelphia PA 09/15/09
8. C. Spencer Yeh at Void Skateshop, Lexington KY, 09/28/08
9. Mattin at West Nile, Brooklyn NY, 09/18/08
10. Ghost Ice at Open Lot, St. Louis MO, 10/01/08


Chris Dooley
1) Systematic Death and Dropdead in @ AS220
2) A Stone For Adam Nodelman
3) Daniel Higgs @ Yod.
4) Western Mass installation of the INC tour.
5) Weasel Walter/ Paul Flaherty at Fair st.
6) The Nevari Butchers, Demons+Rodger Stella, Tovah+The Jasons, Emeralds, Hair Police, Skaters @ NFF 08
7) Fit For Abuse weekend in Sept.
8) The Abused, Antidote, Govt. Warning and Cardiac Arrest at A7 gig
9) Diagram A every set. everywhere.
10) Joshua, The New Monuments, Corsano+ Flaherty& McPhee @ Bookmill
11) Noise Nomads, Northampton Wools @ Bar.
12) Shit Sweat, Flaherty/Hartford duo, K. Village/ T.Moore duo, Hair Police in Florence
13) Wiese, Yeh, Sickness, Greyskull + T.Moore, Sondulla. Florence
14) Sonic Youth pool show!
15) Demons, Mirror/Dash, Z.Davis @ Artifacts 20th Century
16) my grandmother gave a great thanxgiving speech via speaker phone. good times!



Josh Medina | Future Name
1) Wolves in the Throne Room at Hall of the Woods in Olympia, WA
2) Tetuzi Akiyama/Jozef Van Wissem Duo at Improvised Music Festival Seattle, WA
3) Wally Shoup Free Three at Volunteer Park Seattle, WA
4) Sunburned Hand of the Man at Sunset Seattle, WA
5) Brightblack Morning Light & Avocet at Eagle's Ballroom Olympia, WA
6) The Brothers Unconnected at Triple Door Seattle, WA
7) Earth & Jesse Sykes at Eagle's Ballroom Olympia, WA
8) What I assumed was a great show judging by the last song: Six Organs at Wall of Sound Records Seattle, WA


Eric Hardiman (Century Plants / Rambutan / Burnt Hills / Tape Drift)
Golden Jooklo Age / Blue Prostitutes / Mean Motion / Peaking Lights @ Helderberg House in Albany, NY
No More Bush tour @ Albany Sonic Arts Collective/UAG in Albany, NY -
Sunburned Hand of the Man @Helderberg House in Albany, NY -
MV/EE and the Golden Road @ Saratoga Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY Northampton Wools @Albany Sonic Arts Collective/UAG in Albany, NY
Hair Police @Albany Sonic Arts Collective/UAG
Sunburned Hand of the Man @Saratoga Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY
Tom Carter/Human Hairs@Helderberg House in Albany, NY
Michael Chapman & Jack Rose @Helderberg House in Albany, NY
New Monuments Trio/Herons @Bard College
Blues Control/Pink Reason/Psychedelic Horseshit @Valentine's in Albany, NY -


S. Kobak | Apples and Heroin (satanrulez.blogspot.com)
1) New York Giants win Super Bowl; David Tyree miracle catch
2) Graham Lambkin & Jason Lescalleet @ Issue Project Room
3) Dead C @ Bowery Ballroom
4) My Bloody Valentine @ Roseland Ballroom
5) Peter Brotzmann & Hans Bennink @ Firehouse 12 in New Haven
6) Nautical Almanac, Nevari Butchers, Sickness, Skaters @ No Fun Fest
7) No Neck Blues Band @ Knitting Factory opening for the trainwreck that was
Ya Ho Wha
8) CC Sabathia @ New York (bitch)
9) Psychedelic Horseshit, Pink Reason @ Silent Barn
10) Jose Molina home run @ Last game in old Yankee Stadium
11) Amebix live bootleg DVD


Rob Spampinato
1) Boredoms
2) Spiritualized Acoustic Mainlines
3) Sigur Ros @ Grand Ballroom
4) Liars
5) Joanna Newsom - BAM shows
6) Ornette Coleman @ Town Hall
7) Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
7) Black Pus
8) No Age
9) Iron Maiden
10) Neurosis / Mastodon



Sarah & Guillaume | S&G Films (Paris)
(In no particular order)
. No Fun Fest (Knitting Factory, NYC)
. Colour out of Space festival (Brighton)
. Tall Firs (Luminaire, London)
. Corsano/Flower + Datashock (Instants Chavires, Paris)
. Magik Markers (Les Voutes, Paris)
. Sebadoh (Trabendo, Paris)
. Melvins (Elysee Montmartre, Paris)
. Sonic Youth (Festival Les Escales, St Nazaire)
. Jackie O Motherfucker + Valet + Inca Ore (De Kreun, Kortrijk & La fleche d'or, Paris)
. Mogwai (Casino de Paris)
 Be sure to check out the 2008 Charts at Volcanic Tongue. 

from Mihai Cucos | The See Throughs / Vagon / Massif Central / cucosblog.com
1) MV & EE @ Luminaire, London 6th Feb - they're so great, felt bad because we were such a lame audience and the set as so early and short
2) Neil Young @ Hammersmith Odeon, London 14th March - the best I've ever seen him. Great set list both accoustic and electric. He is the most skilled guitarist with noise.
3) See Throughs @ Gallery 411 London - nice venue miles away.
4) Glenn Branca Symphony 13 @ Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle WA 16th May - This piece needs to be heard in all major cities. Please make arrangements.
5) Ascended Master @ Brookdale Lodge CA 24th May - transcended the situation. Great venue for shows too.
6) Sun City Girls @ Echoplex LA 25th May - moving, wake-like atmosphere. Tribute to Charles Gocher with old films he made.
7) Earth @ Scala, London 17th July - Earth are solid and very reliable. Recommended if you never saw them.
8) Butthole Surfers @ Forum, London 26th July - Good fun.
9) Glenn Branca Symphony 13 and 14 @ Pageant, St Louis MI 13th Nov- every gig is a bomb.
10) Massif Central @ The Grosvenor London 5th December - stonking debut show from the redneck metallers.


Mel Crowley | Ocelocelot, Ashtray Navigations, Termite Club Leeds, UK www.termite.org.uk
1) Nihilist Spasm Band, Termite Conch Fest, Holy Trinty, Leeds. Fortified by BHS breakfast, they raged and blew the faithfuls heads inside out.
2) Golden Cherry Ball (MV&EE, Cherry Blossoms, Michael Flower +Phil Todd), Instal Glasgow
Backporch whiskey-crazed Armageddon, the wreck of '67 resurfaced and saved the world that night! Shame they were too busy packing up the chairs to notice.
3=) Vodka Soap, Santiagos, Leeds. Spencer invited the people not at the Melvins into his Tiki wonderland, and very cozy it was too.
3=) James Ferraro, sets at Helbaard Den Haag and Occii Amsterdam. The awesome Mr F, putting out the old dark energy, a 2 hour set in Den Haag, wow!
5) Marginal Consort. An outpouring of pure joy, the fitting last rites of | Yasushi Ozawa, rest in Noise.
6) Anti-Pop Consortium, Brudenell Social Club, Leeds. Absolutely bloody brilliant. I dare you to call them 'black bourgeoisie' to their face, Mr Anarchist.
7) Primordial Undermind and Thoughtforms, The Packhorse, Leeds. Rockin.
8) Spit Swap, Occii, Project band of Helbaard heads threw up some doom sludge howlings that rattled the fenders most agreeably.
9) Public Enemy, APC, The Bomb Squad, Kool Keith, Manchester Academy. Never been in a big crowd with that much good feeling between everyone, a fair bit of the herb going round, good times and very 'UP'!
=10) Shemboid, Leeds, Zaimph + Michael Flower, Skipton, Sunburned, Leeds, Nackt Insecten on Glasgow Tube, and anyone else I've forgotten.


Tom Caw | Music Librarian
Top Ten Live Performances of 2008, in chronological order:
1) Mirror/Dash, Paul Flaherty/Hartford, Mouthus/Axolotl, 3/11/08 (Red Barn, Hampshire College, MA) This was the only indoor show I attended this year where someone brought a dog, and the dog did a fair amount of improvising with Flaherty.
2) Boredoms, Northampton Wools, 3/29/08 (Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA) Earth Hour happened this night, and at the Boredoms' request the Paradise had the PA turned off and as few lights on as possible from 8-9 p.m., creating the oddest pre-show atmosphere I have ever experienced. Mr. Moore and Mr. Nace came onstage at the conclusion of this dark and silent hour, and confounded those expecting "rock" with their half-hour improv set. Eye had a boot cast on his right foot, but this did not ground him as he conducted/collaborated with the three drummers in precise Boredoms order. Eye's attack on the Sevena, his sound sculpture created from seven electric guitars, was both hostile and beautiful.
3) Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, 4/4/08 (MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA) There was something that felt right about seeing/hearing Mr. Malkmus and his band inside an art museum. They were loose and chatty, and casually brilliant in their playing. There was a juggler in the crowd, which was something I had never seen before, and he seemed particularly moved by "Hopscotch Willie," adding two extra balls to his usual three for the duration of the song. This performance happening in the audience also felt right.
4) Tom Waits, 6/28/08 (Ohio Theatre, Columbus, OH) I had performed on this stage several times in my youth, and seen many amazing performances there throughout my life, but this was a night in which I felt as if the entire space was transformed and it was as if I had never been there before. Waits is an alchemist. This was definitely the live music performance highlight of 2008.
5) Matthew Shipp Trio, 7/7/08 (Asylum Congregational Church, Hartford, CT) This gig was supposed to be in Bushnell Park, but the threat of rain moved it inside. Mr. Shipp (piano), Whit Dickey (drums), and Joe Morris (bass) gave all of us who managed to cram into the hot and crowded sanctuary the sort of nuanced performance that would not have been possible in the expanse of the park.
6) Jim Hobbs' The Brothers of Heliopolis, 7/14/08 (Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT) The Brothers were a mixed-ages all-star group from all over New England, and they delivered challenging jazz sounds--collectively and individually--to a large crowd sprawled on the grassy hillside.
7) Tim Berne's Bloodcount, William Parker Quintet, 7/28/08 (Bushnell Park, Hartford, CT) Bloodcount's quartet dynamic was tight, and then William Parker's music opened up the evening and his quintet sounded like a tentet.
8) Califone, 8/16/08 (High Noon Saloon, Madison, WI) Ben Massarella and his percussion miscellany stayed home for this trip, but Califone without Ben is still better than no Califone at all.
9) Broken Social Scene, Land of Talk, 10/11/08 (UW Union Theater, Madison, WI) The Canadians crossed the border and seemed to have more fun than the audience. Land of Talk's Elizabeth Powell looked like she was having the most fun, as she danced and sang and played auxiliary percussion as part of the BSS collective.
10) The Notwist, 10/18/08 (Turner Hall, Milwaukee, WI) It was good to see/hear these Germans in a venue built by Germans in such a Germanic city. They seemed as if they were scientists conducting experiments, and Markus Ascher looked uncomfortable at center stage, but the sound world they concocted was immensely pleasing. Martin Gretschmann appeared to be controlling his electronics with Wii remotes, and he even looked like he was having fun at one moment.
Bonus show: Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, 10/30/08 (High Noon Saloon, Madison, WI) It was good to see them again in '08, and in a packed club instead of another art museum. Speaking of art, I was especially touched when Malkmus dedicated "Post-Paint Boy" to Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Greg Jennings--"my favorite Packer."


nico mazet | sister iodine
1) No Fun Fest - NY
2) Liars - Mc Carren Pool BK
3) Liquid Liquid - NY
4) Sunburned with T Moore / L Ranaldo - St Nazaire / France
5) Sonic Youth - July 4th NY
6) Samba club - Sao Paulo
7)...............
8)...............
9)...............
10) Boca Juniors vs Tigre Finale - Buenos Aires


Jamie Summers | All Tomorrow's Parties
1) My Bloody Valentine at London ICA / London Roundhouse / ATP New York
ICA as it was the first comeback show, small venue, every expectation exceeded, Roundhouse
for the joy of so many people seeing something so amazing, ATP New York for being the perfect
end to an eventful weekend.
2) Neil Young - London Hammersmith Apollo
Last time I saw him here (my first time seeing him) it was the most disappointing show of my life.
This time was louder than Earth and 200% unforgettable.
3) Bjork - London Hammersmith Apollo
To my shame my first time seeing her after years of worship. Met every expectation.
4) Fuck Buttons at Primavera
For the joy of seeing so many people enjoying such a great performance.
5) Devo at Primavera
6) Current 93 + Baby Dee at London Queen Elizabeth Hall
With guests/bandmembers Antony, Andrew Lilles, Andrew WK, Marc Almond, Matt Sweeney, Alex Neilsen...an amazing night
7) Public Enemy performing 'It Takes A Nation...' at Primavera
8) Glen Campbell with orchestra at the Mermaid Theatre, London
9) Melvins at ATP Nightmare Before Christmas
Including performance of The Bit with 3 drummers including all of Mastodon
10) Killing Joke (original lineup) at the London Forum


Elaine Kahn | 50 Foot Women / Horsebladder
*buck pig at the corral room, madison
*genesis climber Florence, mass
*brain band at intense fractal mindgaze hut, Oakland, ca
*animal collective san Francisco
*magik markers at amnesia, SF
*gris gris at the wc in Oakland
*Eugene chadbourne the mill, iowa city
*bill nace / kate village boston, ma
*axolotl / skaters / weyes bluhd / zac davis / dolphins into the future-bug jar, philly


Matt Krefting
Dredd Foole and the Din -- Florence
Byron Coley -- Florence, Amherst, Turner's Falls, etc
Richard Thompson -- Brattleboro
Michael Chapman -- Montague
Thurston Moore/Kate Village -- Florence
Greil Marcus -- Amherst
Noise Nomads -- Goshen
Jack Rose -- New Haven
Noise Nomads/Paul Flaherty -- Florence
Lambkin/Lescalleet -- Montague
Patti Smith -- NYC
Danny Fields -- Kim & Thurston's living room/Turner's Falls
Tarp -- Florence (was that this year?)
X -- NYC
Aaron Rosenblum/Josh Burkett -- Holyoke
Jamie Oltmans singing about stuff -- Easthampton, Northampton, etc.
But the VERY BEST show I attended was my wedding. Hands down.
HARTFORD / slowdancer / maggot

JUSTICE YELDHAM in pelham, ma. and providence, ri.
MICK BARR / THRONES @ bar in new haven
CASSIS CORNUTA @ ultra eczema 10 yr anniversary, sheld'apen
SHIT SWEAT / HAIR POLICE @ florence american legion
HARVEY MILK 2 nights in boston
PROVIDENCE HALLOWEEN : CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR, BYRON HOUSE (3 SONG SET!), WHITE MICE/flipper, SUFFERING BASTARD/gg allin, and cover bands of swans, nirvana, and t rex.
ATTITUDE PROBLEM, VCR DOGS, SICKNESS, BLACK PUS, TUMBLE CAT, PAK, MUSHMOUTH, BERNARD HERMAN, LAUNDRYROOM SQUELCHERS, OBITUARY, and WORK/DEATH.
BLUE SHIFT / RUSSIAN TSARLAG LP
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (only good movie this year)
GARY PANTER BOOK ON PICTURE BOX.


Justin Pizzoferrato | Engineer Bank Row, Bisquiteen, Verdant, etc.
in no particular order..
1) Northampton Wools at Florence VFW
2) MBV Roseland Ballroom
3) Religious Knives getting takes in the studio
4) Tarp at Yod
5) Dinosaur Jr. at Northampton Center for the Arts
6) MV/EE with Golden Road also getting takes in the studio!
7) Sunburned at new Mystery Train
8) Fat Worm at Florence VFW
9) Jow Jow at Florence VFW
10) Last but definitely not least.. John Moloney - "The Weirdo" in the Bank Row alley. Krefting and I were the the audience. We stood there with tears in our eyes. This will not be forgotten!


J Mascis
1)spectrum atp ny
2) throbbing gristle primavera
3) mbv Roseland nyc
4) six organs primavera
5) richard thompson Brattleboro
6) jens lekman atp
7) devo primavera
8) awesome color primavera
9) michael chapman bookmill
10) demons Bob's


Paul Flaherty's Top 28 concerts of 2008 ( Random Order )
1. Barn Owl ( at The Elevens , Northampton , MA)
2. 50 Foot Women & Axolotl ( New Haven , CT cafe #9)
3. Daniel Carter & Helana Espvall ( Hasselt, Belgium)
4. Evan Parker , Chris Corsano , John Edwards trio ( Hasselt, Belgium )
5. Luca Venatucci , Christine Sehnaoui , John Edwards trio ( Hasselt , Belgium)
6. Byron Coley ( New Haven , CT and Hadley , MA )
7. Wally Shoup and Ben Hall ( Hasselt, Belgium )
8. Mirror Dash ( Hampshire College) Amherst, MA
9. Sven-Ake Johansson & Christine Sehnaoui ( Hasselt, Belgium )
10. Marcia Bassett solo ! ( The Elevens, Northampton , MA)
11 .Graveyards ( Hasselt , Belgium )
12 C. Spencer Yeh & John Olson duo ( Hasselt, Belgium)
13 Rene' Crespo's 3 year old niece dancing at Andy and Rene's wedding. ( MA)
14. Kate Biggar and Thurston Moore duo ( Florence , MA )
15. Laurence Cook's Disaster Unit ( Middle East , Boston , MA)
16. Andy Crespo & Ron Schniderman duo ( Mystery Train Records )Amherst, MA.
17. Harmonize Most High ( Asbury Park , NJ... and Petersborough , NH)
18. Scott Verrastro & Elliott Levin's group ( Washington DC)
19. Jack Rose ( rare solo concert ) New Haven , CT.
20. Weasel Walter and Peter Evans duo ( The Delancey , NYCity )
21. United Bible Studies with Randy Colbourne ( BAR , New Haven , CT)
22. Jacqui Ham & Bill Nace ( New Haven , CT, Cafe #9)
23. Hair Police ( Florence , MA)
24 Shit Sweat ( Florence MA)
25. Matt Krefting ( New Haven, CT.....cafe #9)
26. 7k-Oaks ( Hasselt, Belgium )
27 Fabrizio Spera, Daniel Carter, John Edwards trio ( Hasselt, Belgium)
28. Sharon Kraus & Randall Colbourne ( BAR , New Haven, CT )


Bruce W. Siart / sidemouse.com
1) Bobb Trimble @Ralph's Worcester 05/03
2) Joe Buck Yourself @ Ralph's Worcester 09/29
3) Awesome Color @ Ralph's Worcester 02/01
4) Black Helicopter, Red Dawn II, Matt Krefting @ Kesin's 40th Northampton 02/16
5) Paul Flaherty & Thurston Moore / Kate Village duo @American Legion Hall Northampton 08/01
6) Bovachevo @ Ralph's Worcester 06/28
7) NO MORE BUSH TOUR opening night Northampton 08/01
8) Murphy's Law @Ralph's Worcseter 03/01


Taylor Richardson | Infinity Window/ Prehistoric Blackout
1. Alan and Rick Bishop - Knitting Factory NYC
2. Nonhorse - Silent Barn, Queens
3. New Monuments - Glasslands, Brooklyn
4. Nevari Butchers - Knitting Factory, NYC
5. The Coconuts - Silent Barn, Queens
6. Sonic Youth - McCarren Park, Brooklyn
7. Wolf Eyes - McCarren Park, Brooklyn
8. Earth Station - Si lent Barn, Queens
9. Tomutonttu - Silent Barn, Queens
10. Pengo - Bug Jar Rochester, NY

Every Nackt Insecten and Usurper Set on tour, Every Mark McGuire Set on tour. Every O.P.N set. Thank god this year is over. fuck


George W. Myers | Breaking World Records / Grey Skull
1) Helbaard 100 Halloween w/ Blood Stereo, Mik Quantius, Head of
Wantastiquet, Floris Vanhoof, R.O.T, City Hands, DJ Bongoman and more
2) Yeh / Olson, Pak, Pigs In the Ground, Keffer, @ Ultra Eczema Fest, Antwerp
3) Pak @ Purple House, Northampton
4) Chris Cooper, M Ax Noi Mach, Keiren Lally @ the basement, Northampton
5) Skoal Kodiak, Mark Lord, Pak/Noise Nomads duo Providence, RI
6) Black Pus, Fat Worm of Error @ 145 South St, Northampton
7) Mo Ha! @ Instants Chavires, Paris
8) Russian Tsarlag @ Phantom Brain Exchange, Turners Falls, MA
9) Harvey Milk, Great Scott, Allston
10) Record Hospital Fest, Cambridge, Ma w/ Heathen Shame, Pak, Abraham
Lincoln Brigade, Dolphins into the future, Dreamhouse, Child Bride, &
more
Bonus round:
11.) Nautilus live set on Tyfus' radio show, Antwerp
12.) Soaking Rasps, Attitude Problem @ Eli's, Haydenville, MA
13.) Western Mass INC
14.) Grey Skull EU tour
15.) Mark Lord, Noise Nomads / Nace Duo, Metalux @ Elevens
16.) Byron Coley's Reading @ Mystery Train
17.) Tarp @ the Brain Exchange.
18.) Robedoor, Pocahaunted, Noho Wools, Woods, 145 south st. Northampton, MA
19.) Torche doing TWO LONG Cavity songs @ the end of their set, Rotterdam
20.) Inside Inzane Studios Podcast.


Matt Ealer | rendit.tumblr.com
1) Sonny Rollins, The Kennedy Center; Washington, DC
2) Kanye West; Nissan Pavillion; Bristow, VA
3) Monotonix; DC9; WDC
4) The Points; F.C.D.C.; WDC
5) Magrudergrind; Rock 'n' Roll Hotel; WDC
6) True Womanhood; Civilian Art Projects/Velodrome; WDC
7) Seun Kuti; 9:30 Club; WDC
8) The Young Lions; National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden; WDC
9) KBD; The Velvet Lounge; WDC
10) McCoy Tyner/Christian McBride/The Latin Jazz Project; Duke Ellington Jazz Fest; WDC


Mark Van Fleet | Sword Heaven
(in chronological order):

Pink Reason at Beachland Ballroom (Cleveland OH) 01/26/08
Kites/Kevin Shields/Justice Yeldham at Churchhill's Pub as part of the Intl Noise Conference (Miami Florida) 02/14-16/08
Holographic Dog Disease at Skylab (Columbus OH) 02/20/08
Laundry Room Squelchers/Psychedelic Horseshit/Out There Dudes at Skylab as part of the Columbus iteration of the Intl Noise Conference (Columbus OH) 04/20/08
Anna Ranger at Rumba Cafe (Columbus OH) ??/??/08
TV Ghost at Bernies Distillery (Columbus OH) 06/14/08
Nelson Slater's Bored Teen War Team at Skylab (Columbus OH) 06/28/08
Panicsville at Skylab (Columbus OH) 06/18/08
Hair Police at Skylab (Columbus OH) 07/27/08
Little Claw at Carabar (Columbus OH) 09/13/08
Jandek (w/ Ryan Jewell, C. Spencer Yeh, and Derek Dicenzo) at Wexner Center for the Arts (Columbus OH) 10/10/08
Ludo Mich / Koonda Holla at Bokal Royal (Brussels Belgium) 11/02/08
Indian Jewelry at Cave 12 (Geneva Switzerland) 11/09/08
Adam "Smitty" Smith/ Russian Tsarlag at Skylab (Columbus OH) 11/22/08
Aaron Dilloway at Modern Formations (Pittsburgh PA) 12/13/08


Weasel Walter | Flying Luttenbachers, Burmese, XBXRX, ugEXPLODE Records etc.
1) Revenge @ Annie's Social Club, SF
2) Burmese with Thrones and Silentist @ Huffin House, Oakland, CA
3) Malignancy with Cattle Decapitation, Phobia, etc. @ Oakland Metro, Oakland, CA
4) Weasel Walter/Peter Evans/Mary Halvorson @ Sanctuary For Independent Media, Albany, NY
5) Weasel Walter Tentet w/ Kaiser, Winant, et al. @ The Uptown, Oakland, CA
6) The Germs @ The Uptown, Oakland, CA
7) Evans/Fei/Smith/Walter @ Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, California
8) Weasel Walter/Mario Rechtern Duo @ Bunker Ulmenwall, Bielefeld, Germany
9) Mick Barr - ALL
10) Marnie Stern - Bimbos, SF, CA


Daniel Rizer | together tapes / budweiser sprite / the cysts
no order:
*)Bloodbiker (Halloween killer)
*)Honed Bastion (everytime)
*)the Tenses (everytime)
*)Josh Hydeman (recent performances)
*)Dilloway / Emeralds / Tusco Terror / Hair Police / Argumentix (Cleveland)
*)Frozen Body (everytime)
*)Id m Theftable (impersonating Crank Strugeon in Maine)
*)Little Claw (various shows)
*)Maherr/Woolf/Pittman (Portland Bike Doings)
*)Wasteland Jazz Unit w/ Teeth Collection (Dayton)


Jorgen Ramstead | music fan / couch surfer<
Top Ten Live Performances of 2008: all shows in los angeles.
1) Etran Finitawa at amoeba instore and especially one night later at the japanese american museum with Chicha Libra.
2) Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80 band at the California Water Plaza.
3) Frank Fairfield at the House Of Fashion.
4) The Mystical Unionists at Ron Rege's art opening at Hope gallery and a week later at the echo with Cryptacize and The Finches.
5) Warm Climate and the Dirty Branches in Andrew and Helga's basement.
6) Emily Lacy with Laura Steenberge, Adrian Chi, On Holiday and Mad Gregs at House Party in Garvanza.

7) The Wild Stares with the Urinals, the Muslims, Savage Republic, Pylon, the Nightingales, and many more at the Part time Punks Fest at the echo.
8) Evangalista at amoeba records instore and months later at the echo opening for xui xui and mike kelly / paul mccarthy / violet onsen geisha.
9) Many Tuesday Nights at Club Ding-a-Ling at the Hyperion Tavern : Fancy Space People, Naked On The Vauge, Justice Yeldahm, Kim Fowley, the Seeds, Rats, the Amazements, DJ Dogdick, Moment Trigger, Metal Rouge, Garbj Katz, Everybody, Gypsy Explosion, Dead Western, Anna Oxygen, Mad Gregs, Wolfkin, Johny Chang / Steve Kim / Corey Fogel, ect...
10) Many great shows at the Echo Curio especially Silver Pines but also the Akron Family, Great White Jenkins, Soul Junk, Elliot Levin trio, Refrigerator, Herman Dunne, Woods, Wet Hair, Super Minerals, Right Hand Band, Holy Holy Holy, Gift Machine, Blake E/E/E, Tim Rutili, The Why Because, U.S. Girls, Harry Merry, Sun Araw, Hell Kite, Tent/City, Polar Goldie Cats, White Fang, Lucky Dragons, Wavves, Jerboa, Soggy Duchamp Quartet, Residual Echoes, Monstro, Peter Kolovos, Ellen Macgee, White Rainbow, Ruthann Friedman, Blanket, Adam Lipman, Young Hunting, Frank Moore and His Cheurotic All Stars, Native Fauna, My Feral Kin, Sascrotch, Horse Thieves, Amps For Christ, Rahdunes, Monstro, Unpopable, Skyline Electric, Dave Scott Stone, Swords Of Fatima, Fort King, 60 Watt-Kidd, Voices Voices, Tara Jane O'Neil, Black Black, Bobby Birdman, Little Wings, Azalia Snail, Fantastic Ego, Fantastic Sleep, Sleepwalkers Union, and VxPxC.
11) 88 Boadrums at the La Brea Tar Pits 8/8/08.
12) Oscillator playing at sunset on a hillside in lincoln heights.


Joshua Vrysen | Tumblecatppp , Wheel of Doom/We Love Doom

1) Ben Hersey - a few different places... but maybe tops at Mystery Train with the sexual lamp, before the Terribles and Jacob Berendes, or opening for Missoula Oblongota's "The Most Mysterious Day of the Year" in northampton with the rope and hockey and history, or maybe with Geroge as bengeorge7 in my basement pointing a lightbulb loaded slingshot at my face - seriously. role model/hero.
2) Bennink/Brotzmann - Unitarian Church in Amherst
3) Jake Meginsky - Montague Phantom Brain Exchange + Hampshire College weird dining room. the most Pro shit happening, totally stepping the game up. amazing reminder of how to get things done...
4) Dubious Liftings Festival #1 - Bonos in the woods, Barn Owl in the basement,cave bears with the mattress/jelly/trashcans, id M theftable in the living room having it out with the wasted dude... most f'd day of my summer probably.
5) Ravindra Goswami, sitar, and Ramchandra Pandit, tabla, North Indian classical music concert at Smith college
6) Kurt Weisman - People's Pint in Greenfield. unbelievable solo trombone situation.
7) Black Pus, Fat Worm of Error (best band ever), Grey Skull - in my basement. (bonus of getting to meet the Boredoms... in my house...geezlouise...)
8) horaflora/Raub Roy - in my basement. killed it with the rumble and the squeal... start of the cycledelic tour.
9) Steamrollers - in my basement. (I think there were only 5 of us that proved our loyalty to the Steamrollers by sticking it out, and we were rewarded with one of the most glorious moments of '08, hands down: Tollbooth orgy. "Take off your pants boy! You're in the tollbooth now!")
10) Liz Tonne - in a few different places, solo/duo/trio
AND obviously,
11) If you're my pal, I was honored to see you play and glad I was there. WM


Daniel Lopatin |Infinity Window/Oneohtrix Point Never
1. Xeno And Oaklander at NY Eye and Ear Fest, Brooklyn
2. Nevari Butchers at NFFest, NYC
3. Prehistoric Blackout at West Nile, Brooklyn
4. Nonhorse at Silent Barn, Queens (even lucas got a little misty eyed)
5. Coconuts at Silent Barn, Queens
6. Mark Mcguire at Eat Records, Brooklyn
7. Usurper and Nackt Insecten east coast rippers
8. Brendan Murray at The Piano Factory, Boston
9. Monopoly Child at Mary's house, Jamaica Plain
10. Golden Jooklo Age at Nom D'Artiste
RIP(?) Nom D'Artiste; beantown cryogenically frozen until further notice
Go Celtics


T Glitter
10- Red Dawn 2 @ Gooskis, Pittsburgh PA (Feb)
09- White Gold @ Gooskis, Pittsburgh PA (March)
08- Anita Fix & Working Poor @ Wherehouse, Winston Salem NC (?)
07- Centipede E'est & Raw Blow @ Outside in Parking Lot Next to Bloomfield Bridge, Pgh PA (Sep)
06- Knife Hyts @ O-Fest, Knitting Factory (Dec)
05- Dirty Phases @ Gooskis, Pittsburgh PA (April)
04- Oneida Every Night On Tour in August
03- Awesome Color @ Brahloween, Brooklyn NY
02- Grand Buffet @ 31st St Pub, Pittsburgh PA (?)
01- This Moment in Black History, Cleveland OH (Aug)
This List is Really in No Particular Order and May Be Way Off Factually...thats what lists are for...subjective recall...thanks, t glitz


Krauty McKraut | WCSB-Cleveland
1. Raven/Times New Viking/Mike Rep and the Quotas (Beachland)
2. Cock ESP/Laundry Room Squelchers/Tusco Terror (Now That's Class)
3. Mirrors (Beachland)
4. New Lou Reeds/Sic Alps/Scarcity of Tanks (Pat's in the Flats)
5. Plastic Crimewave Sound w/Djin of Yahowa 13 (Grog Shop)
6. Eat Skull/Little Claw/Blues Control (Now That's Class)
7. Hair Police/Emeralds/Aaron Dilloway (Embassy)
8. Pink Reason (doing acoustic hardcore covers in the basement of Now That's Class)
9. Cave (Bela Dubby)
10. Psychedelic Horseshit (Duck Island)


ren schofield
1- john mannion @ red light district. far rockaway, ny.
2- lazy magnet (crust band line up) @ bettys. nashville, tn.
3- frozen body @ pink eye. seattle, wa.
4- cacaw @ litte hamilton. nashville, tn.
5- m ax noi mach @ pifas. philadelphia, pa.
6- social junk @ springwater. nashville, tn.
7- gaybomb @ bettys. nashville, tn.
8- justice yeldham @ INC. miami, fl.
9- privy seals @ southgate house. newport, ky.
10- VOICE OF THE VALLEY


Borisfly | I just like the music
Top Ten Live Performances of 2008:
1) Built To Spill @ veftet i Bergen, Norway. Superb show by a band at the peak of its powers and they knew it!! A gig for the legends!!
1) Charalambides @ Landmark in Bergen. How can two people make such wonders out of two guitars and voice (ok, & a few boxes and such...)? Mesmerizing!
1) Spire@hardingtonar festival in Norheimsund. Five concerts over five or so hours at three localities!! All different, all great and all fondly remembered!
2) Stian Carstensen & Mike Patton@ logen during Borealis festival, Bergen. Two legends having fun and also giving the audience that fun!!
2) Neil Young@koengen, Bergen. What can one say: The King!!
2) Howlin Rain@hulen, Bergen. Awesome!
3) Beach House@hulen, Bergen. Became awesome when they came out of the jet-lag!
3) Sharron Kraus & Thinguma*Jigsaw@ Kafe Knoderen, Bergen. Thinguma delightfully weird 'n' great and Sharron delightful. Both wonderful.
3) Motorpsycho@verftet, Bergen. Totally great!!
3) Gentle Friendly@garage, Bergen. Total surprise!and Great!!


Jason Dean | 7inches.blogspot.com
Top Ten Live Performances of 2008:
1) The Muslims/Browns @ union pool (CMJ)
2) Love is all @ the cakeshop (NYC popfest)
3) Ween @ mccareen pool
4) Bowerbirds @ mercury lounge
5) Dodos @ spiegeltent
6) Crystal stilts @ more condos less artists
7) Vivian girls @ Death by Audio
8) Times new viking @ siren
9) Ford and fitzroy @ union pool
10) Los Llamaradas @ the charleston


Tom Smith | Hating All You Still-Lame Fucks
1) Franco & OK Jazz 1972
2) Family 1968
3) The Wirstschaftswunder 1981
4) Starkey 2008
5) Eliades Ochoa 1978
6) Der Hassliche D 1980
7) Sickboy Milkplus 2008
8) Messehalle 1981
9) Dr. K. Gyasi & Nobel Kings 1978
10) Nothing by You or Your Friends 0000-9999


Brian Miller | foot village; http://myspace.com/footvillage / deathbomb arc; http://deathbombarc.com
Basshaters @ every show I got to see them at in Europe. - This Ettrick related free jazz noise duo were some of the most inspiring tourmates we could have had!
Caldera Lakes @ Smog Shop (San Deigo), @ Pehrspace (LA), & @ WOMEN (LA) - heart wrenching ballad noise that nails it so hard that a room full of crazy drunk party goers will stop everything they are doing and be hypnotized by them.
Social Junk / Big Nurse @ The Smell (LA) - Contemporary classic touring duo that I am so proud to call Cali bands now. I love it when I see a band and think, "I wish I was in that band."
Father's Day @ LA Tigers House (LA) - I'm laughing so hard that it is unclear to me if their insults are sincere. In any case, Ryan Avery is the greatest showman on earth.
Lazy Magnet / Trash Dog @ Hall Mall (Iowa City) - Some acts are impossible to followup. I thank the lord for this.
White Mice / Captain Ahab / Kevin Shields / KIT / Anavan / Justice Yeldham / Jason Forrest / etc @ Red Scoot Inn (SXSW) - Everyone at their best and getting to meet email buddies from all over the globe. Plus laughing my ass off at how Ben/Load always thinks that people have a secret subtext to their words.
Boadrum 88 @ La Brea Tarpits (LA) - My religious experience for the decade.
PRE @ The Luminaire (London) - Iggy Pop move over.
Extreme Animals / Captain Ahab / Kevin Shields @ WOMEN (LA) - Not all shows are good because they are fun. Some are good because they are apeshit crazy. Broken glass is not your barefooted audiences friend. Well, fuck the hippies. Rave till dawn. The cops fucking love WOMEN.
Oscillator @ The top of some mountain in Washington Heights (LA) - Over 100 degrees out and this unstoppable psychedelic version of Oscillator (with Steve Kim of Silver Daggers and Nick Murrary of Rose For Bohdan) would have been worth watching for hours and hours.


Adam Fleischer/Ex-Taco Ninja Proprietor/Swamp Leather member/Columbusite
1)Birds of Hair at Skylab
2.) Laundry Room Squelchers at Skylab,
3.) Swamp Leather at Whole Foods Columbus company Picnic @Columbus Shamrock Club,
4.) Jandek @ Wexner Center ,
5.) Matmos at Wexner Center,
6.) Leprechaun Catering@ Wexner Center,
7.) Mark Van Fleet covering Throbbing Gristle@ Ruby Tuesday's
8.) Necropolis@ Ruby Tuesday's
9.) Out There Dudes @Skylab,
10.) Raven (1st show w/band in over 30 yrs.) @Ruby Tuesday's
thanks for continuing to rule.
adam f.


David Gwiazdowski | Organic Entertainment, Rehab
1) Kilslug with Full Blown AIDS @ Passout Records, Brooklyn, NY 1/5...first a crippled Seth Putnam put a wall of stacks and delivered a crushing "For Those About To Rock" against a nervous small merchant, than Larry Lifeless with most of the original Kilslug squad (Rico!, Big Daddy!) railed against the packed slamming kids and took it home. Purely awesome. I may be biased having put together, played and opened this bill, but if I didn't, who would? The previous nights show at Midway was also classic with Larry taking apart the mic stand and swatting it at some smelly sqatters he put on the list getting too close to the stage; as well as a tight opening set by Psycho.
2) Bob Dylan @ Prospect Park, Brooklyn NY 8/12 Beautiful day, last minute 10th row face ticket scalped, a perfect summer night! 11/21 @ United Palace up on 175th St probably had the more interesting set list, but Prospect Park was just a great environment to see Bob, and Bob, was, well, Bob. The master.
3) Neil Young @ Madison Square Garden NYC 12/16 Life affirming hits + unreleased stuff (Neil calls "buried tracks", ha ha) and "A Day In The Life" blowout. The latest I've ever seen an arena show end (12:40).
4) Bottomless Pit @ Knitting Factory NYC 7/11 Post Silkworm, and great. My favorite "discovery"---although I've been an avid fan of Silkworm since Firewater, I never got around to seeing them live. O regret!
5) My Bloody Valentine @ All Tomorrow's Parties, Kutchers, Monticello, NY 9/22 Great audience torture during airplane hanger 20 minute noise drone portion of "You Made Me Realize"...the pleasure of watching people in glasses and backpacks get uncomfortable and put the fingers in their ears offset my own tired ass, and gave me extra umph to watch til the end. Better bands and sets, like Shellac, may have been played, but this was the grand event, unlike 1992 when I was bored watching the band at Avalon and a second time at The Ritz, and still think Loveless is nowhere near as good as Isn't Anything.
6) Antidote + 29 other bands @ Knitting Factory, NYC NYHC tribute to A7 and 1983 (slightly before my time as I'm 38 and from Worcester where we had bands like The Clock and Patience, and sometimes the Ramones would come to EM Lowes when Motorhead would cancel). KF sold 3 floors out to mostly the kids today in this 30 new & old band all day affair. Warmed my heart, even when I got kicked in the head. Heartening to see the next gen cool as the last couple sucked ass. The world is due for revolt.
7) DMZ @ Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ 10/25 I mean, how could my Worcester-born heart not be warmed by seeing J.J. Rassler next to a rocking Monoman?
8) High on Fire @ Europa, Brooklyn NY 2/10 I was very drunk with my friend Sara and barely remember this show. Yet, I remember this being a blissful day full of punishing metal and feeling like this was the ultimate High on Fire show.
9) Lyres @ Midway NYC 2/16 This was supposed to be my last hurrah at Midway before the ex-Pianos booker took over my job to try for a more "indie-friendly" aesthetic. Pictures prove I was drunk and happy at the mere sight of Monoman. I barely remember the Black Hollies playing or the consecutive beers spilled later that annoyed my friend Sara from the previous entry. However, like Iron Man, I have returned to Rehab to put the hurt on backpacks and faux-sensitivity before I get fired again. Now I just need a sponsor to cover Monoman's fee for DMZ 3/21.
10) Judas Priest/Black Sabbath/Motorhead @ Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ 8/12 Working out of my Manhattan apartment on a hot summer day, the thought suddenly flashed through my head that Priest, Sabbath & Motorhead were all a short train ride away and I couldn't make the closer shows next week. Of course, I dropped everything and went. Camden is actually less of a pain in the ass going to the show via public transport than Jones Beach or PNC Bank, but you have to go to Philly to get back home. Anyway, I got walk up 10th row for face, drank a ton of beer and enjoyed the show drunk and alone except for some girl that though she saw me at Evanescence or Disturbed or some nu-metal show the week prior and a father son combo sitting in front of me that got handed their seats randomly from the lawn and father regaled me uncaring self with Sabbath tales of yore. Halford came out like a prince with a great new one--"Nostradamus", Dio + Sabbath did those classics and Motorhead were Motorhead.
10 tie) Soundtrack of Our Lives @ Village Voice Party La Zona Rosa, Austin TX Great new songs from the best album of 2008 not released, Originals Vol. 2 (I guess out in March). Great live cover of Nick Drakes "Fly". I nearly came and I wasn't even loaded!

Kurt B. Reighley a/k/a DJ El Toro | KEXP 90.3 FM Seattle, MSN Music, No Depression, etc.
1) Ponytail, Thurs. Oct. 2 at Nectar Lounge
2) Baby Dee, Mon. Feb. 11 at the Triple Door
2) Cause Co-Motion/Crystal Stilts, Sun. Nov. 9 at Chop Suey
3) Love Is All/Vivian Girls, Nov. 23 at Nectar Lounge
4) Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens, Sun. Aug. 17 at Central Park Summerstage, NYC
5) Thao with Get Down Stay Down, Sat. March 8 at Chop Suey
6) Ponderosa Stomp, Tues. & Weds. 4/29 & 4/30, New Orleans
7) Was (Not Was), Sun. May 18 at the Tractor Tavern
8) Long Blondes, Weds. May 28 at Neumo's
9) Hauschka, Weds. Nov. 27 at the Triple Door
10) Six Organs of Admittance, Sun. Nov. 16, Wall of Sound in-store performance
All shows Seattle unless otherwise noted.
ps: I hate polls. But I love Ecstatic Peace. And love wins out over hate. Plus most of these shows delighted me with just how fantastic they were, for myriad reasons, so I want to share my lingering joy.
xoxo, el toro


Chuck Bettis's choices of best performance of 2008 in chronological order
Zorn/Reed/Laurie Anderson @ the Stone 1/10/08
*metal machine music for 2008!
Prurient (doing his thang) w/ his mom (reading from her new book) @ the Strand bookstore 3/13/08
*noise gone wild?
Ikue Mori doing music for Maya Deren films @ the Japan Society 3/21/08
*master of electronics!
Boredoms @ Terminal 5 3/30/08
*me on 3rd level, looking down, felt like staring into Kubrick's 2001
Krallice @ Matthew Barney's warehouse 7/27/08
*roasting pig, black metal, and S1W security
Black Dice @ Summer stage 8/16/08
*outdoors with the Dice men
Hair Stylistics @ Issue Project Room 8/18/08
*in surround sound!!!
Ex w/ Getachew & an amazing dancer @ Lincoln center 8/20/08
*uplifting to say the least
Sean Meehan & David Watson @ Issu Project Room 9/12/08
*opening for my group, Brown Wing Overdrive
Sightings @ Bowery Ballroom 10/13/08
*personally i thought they blew Dead C away...


matthew gentner
1)lightning bolt
2)wolf eyes
3)black dice
4)demons
5)religious knives
6)liars
7)animal collective
8)kylie minogue
9)xiu xiu
10)kylie mingoue


William Forthman
1) Built To Spill 9/25/08 @ Terminal 5, NYC
2) REM 6/14/08 @ Jones Beach, Wantagh, NY
3) Sonic Youth 8/30/08 @ McCarren Park Pool, Brooklyn
4) Radiohead @ Susquehanna Bank Center 8/12/08 Camden, NJ
5) Mission of Burma 6/15/08 @ Bowery Ballroom NYC
6) Dinosaur Jr 9/25/08 @ Terminal 5, NYC
7) My Bloody Valentine 9/23/08 @ Roseland Ballroom, NYC
8) Monotonix @ The Knitting Factory 10/24/08 NYC
9) Yo La Tengo @ McCarren Park Pool, 8/24/08 Brooklyn, NY
10) Thursoton Moore @ The Knitting Factory 1/8/08 NYC


Amy Porter
1)pollution
2)brother oak
3)aids
4)eleh
5)among
6)upsidedown cross
7)
8)
9)
10)


Vice Cooler | XBXRX, Hawnay Troof, VC4, Kit
1) Younger Lovers @ The Terminal, San Francisco
They showed up three hours late with nothing but a stolen guitar and then were surprised that no one brought them equipment (???). A woman let them to go her house and grab a kick and snare. Another friend went and brought an amp. They didn't have drumsticks so they ran across the street to ace's hardware and got a long stick and broke it in half. That broke right away so they ran outside again and came back in with a tree branch. This served as sticks for the remainder of their set. Brontez tried tuning his guitar but couldn't because their stolen axe was one of those heavy metal 80's ones with a lock on the strings so you can whammy the shit out of it.
2) Urxed/ Soft Circle/ Car Clutch @ Tripple Base, San Francisco
I was lucky enough to be on the Cali portion of this tour. Everything bubbled up and peaked with this gig. Tripple Base is a super small gallery in the heart of the mission. Tons of people came out and pretty much lost their shit for every band. It was a pretty incredible night.
3) The Onesies/ Bleachy Bleachy Bleach/ Guns N Broses @ 21 Grand, Oakland
This was part of the VC4 X Mas show that happened in December. The Onesies used a one string bass and refused to use the frets. They also only used ONE TOM. BBB played their "last show" which was pretty abrasive. I started to feel the emotion of anger just from what was coming out of the speakers. They also got into a fist fight. GNB is Kyle Mabson, Josh Taylor (Friends Forever, Foot Village), and Grace Lee (Foot Village) doing Guns N Roses "Covers". This means that Kyle got a bunch of GNR midi mp3's and they play over it. The VC4 set was X Mas Themed. Photos here: http://flickr.com/photos/cheeiz/
4) Peaches in Australia/ New Zealand
I was lucky enough to do this huge tour with Peaches overseas. She was pulling the ballsy move of playing 80% unreleased material from her new album. It was amazing to see her totally control the enormous crowds and suck them into music that they had never heard before. The new jams are THAT good. She also has a band now, the Sweet Machine, who play everything in real time. Nothing is pre programmed. Oh, and she was wearing 9 outfits at onces on stage!
5) 88 Boadrum @ La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles
WOOOOAHHH this was a total trip to play! I was one of the first drummers, smack up against Yoshimi. I was playing in between Weasel Walter, Hisham, Rob Barber, and Brendan Fowler. A fucking mind melter!
6) Dave Stone/ Lucky Dragons/ Barr @ Luminaire, London
This is one of those shows where you play with amazing bands and realise that there are a lot of artist who are currently moving their artform into new and unseen terrains. Dave Stone had these massive, homemade oscillators, a sampler, and a long tin wire running through a contact mic. It was really incredible to see him incorperate all of these things into one huge sound. I hadn't seen lucky dragons as a two piece until this show either. What a treat. And Barr, as always, really inspired me. It's really interesting to see pop go through the Brendan Fowler filter and come out as this super strange and beautiful music with amazing lyrics.
7) Quintron and Miss Pussycat @ Spellcaster Lodge, New Orleans
It had been a while since I'd seen them play. This particular night was Quintrons Birthday at his own club in his hometown of NOLA. The incredible thing about it was that I think most of the people there were his neighbors. So there was everything from a young, african american teen to an old, fat southern white dude dressed as a sailor dancing to his music. I think its really amazing that those two have created such a bond with their neighborhood. They are two very important people to that city.
8) BDRM PPL @ Rhinoceropolis, Denver
This was my favorite band that I found out about this year. I played with them in Denver and it's this super cool, mega effected out, dance bliss thing.
9) Foot Village @ The Smell, Los Angeles
XBXRX played with them down there. It was really hard to play after it.
10) Deerhoof "Offend Maggie" tour
Deerhoof recently added Ed Rodrigez to the mix. Its fucking rad because he totally looses his shit and as a domino effect this causes everyone else to loose theirs. I don't think I have ever seen them so locked into each other, having fun, and really connecting. I used to play with Ed when he was in XBXRX and he kind of just does that to a group when he is in it. Both the band and him are really lucky to have each other. I watched them play every night when Kit was opening for them and was always blown away by whatever new thing would happen to pop out during their set.
And an honorable mention that would be in it if it didn't happen in December of last year: Toxic Lipstick in Vienna (two girls in the veign of cobra killer except they throw up and bleed on each other).


Michael Lucio Sternbach | Harmonize Most High (myspace.com/harmonizemosthigh)
1)The Young Equestrians @ The Stone, NYC
2) Woods & MV/EE @ Death By Audio, Brooklyn
3) Mary Halvorson/Jessica Pavone @ The Stone, NYC
4) Lau Nau @ The 3rd Degree, Asbury Park, NJ
5) Stars Like Fleas @ Union Pool, Brooklyn
6) Brotzmann/Bennink @ Firehouse 12, New Haven, CT
7) Herculaneum @ The Annex, Asbury Park, NJ
8) Bang/Jordan/Parker/Drake @ Vision Festival, NYC
9) Ras Moshe 5tet @ Brecht Forum, NYC
10) Daniel Higgs @ The 3rd Degree, Asbury Park, NJ


Chris Grier | Ultimate Vag, To Live And Shave In L.A., Scarcity of Tanks
Spinal surgery and moving (twice, urgh) sucked valuable gig-going time out from under me in 2008, but I managed to drag me carcass out to some historic ones, like the TJ&J reunion and 611 Florida and McCarren Park Pool both going under.
2/7/08 -- Little Howlin' Wolf, Velvet Lounge, DC
3/7/08 -- Lexie Mountain tape and vocal freakout, the Lighthouse, DC
6/13/08 - Teenage Jesus & The Jerks, NYC. Don Fleming said this was the best show he'd seen since he and Tom Smith caught the Sex Pistols in Atlanta. Definitely one of the best things to ever whoop me upside the head, that's for sure.
7/04/08 -- Sonic Youth, Battery Park. Also Sonic Youth at McCarren Pool on 8/30/08 was awwwwesome. "No Way" and "Mars" were both in my head for like a week afterward. Wolf Eyes were on that bill, too, they totally killed it.
8/8/8 -- "No More Bush" tour, Velvet Lounge, DC. Coley's travellin' psychedelic hoedown and poesy readin' revue was of course great, but MV+EE and Zaika were especially thrumlicious.
9/13/08 - Last ever show at 611 Florida - "Free Folk Phantsmagory V" -- the space went out in a blaze, very nearly literally. Max Ochs, Kohoutek, Human Adult Band, Hat City Intuitive, Layne Garrett, Silver Summit, etc etc.
9/24/08 -- These Are Powers, Civilian Arts Project, DC
9/27/08 -- Robert Pollard's Boston Spaceships, Black Cat, DC. Watching Bob Pollard do his thing after hanging with Rat Bastard for several hours gives me a new perspective on the resilience of human organs and their ability to survive traumas that should reduce them to useless goo. Dude played for, what, three hours? And the band did all the hits. They were absolutely perfect. I didn't even feel foolish singing along to every damn word, the whole time, like a 16-yr-old goofball.
10/21/08 -- Awesome Color and DMBQ at the Velvet Lounge. Two of the best rock bands currently workin' it, on the same stage. DMBQ drummer played half his kit whilst held aloft by a rabid crowd, good gravy. Total insanity from start to finish. Also: if you ever run into Awesome Derek at a show, ask him to tell you the story of Scott Asheton and the albino frogs, you will pee yourself laughing.
11/22/08 -- foot, Windsor Terrace Library, Brooklyn. The fluxus-oriented action team ends its six-yr hibernation by emerging amidst a gaggle of youngsters in the children's section of a public library in broad daylight.
12/04/08 -- Max Ochs, record-release gig, Velvet Lounge. Every time I see MO, I appreciate his thing more and more. Pretty soon, he's gonna have heaps of his archives up on his webs, he's givin' it all away, so stay tuned for that. The new CD, Hooray For Another Day, is pretty great, too.


Eric Dawson
1) 24 Hour Nuclear War - various venues and public spaces, Knoxville, TN
2) Terrastock, as a whole, but especially Jack Rose, Grails, Kawabata, Pelt, MV/EE merch room show, fans and musicians swarming/drooling over Coley's records for sale
3) Cormac McCarthy's The Road music interpretation - Pilot Light, Knoxville
4) Tom Waits (Fox Theatre) / Boris (The Earl) - Atlanta, same evening
5) Vivian Girls/Tyvek/ Three Man Band - Pilot Light
6) Earth - Asheville, NC
7) Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble - Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville
8) Dirtbombs - Pilot Light
9) Mountains of Moss - Birdhouse, Knoxville
10) Pere Ubu, It is a Code - Pilot Light


James Pee Fahy | Coalition of Independent Music Stores
1) Seth Kauffman and Floating Action
2) Wax Fang
3) Blood On The Walls
4) Polvo
5) Mountain St. Mountain
6) Dressy Bessy
7) X - Emo's (SXSW)
8) Fuck Buttons
9) Vulture Whale
10) Mastadon / Neurosis (Masonic Temple, Brooklyn)


Cory Rayborn | Three Lobed Recordings
1) The Brothers Unconnected - June 26, 2008 - The Grey Eagle, Asheville (NC). Everything that it should have been, including the smattering of Charlie's ashes that I inhaled.
2) The Dead C - October 12, 2008 - Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia (PA). An evening I had waited well over a decade to see and then had it meet those lofty expectations. Awesome.
3) Bang on a Can All-Stars (featuring Lee Ranaldo) - April 12, 2008 - Memorial Hall, Chapel Hill (NC). Anytime old folks are forced to plug their ears with their hands due to the sheer volume and then applause afterwards you know you're onto a good thing (as it was with the premier of a new piece written by Ranaldo).
4) Howlin Rain - April 4, 2008 - Local 506, Chapel Hill (NC). As Nall truthfully said, this set was "all jam and no hippie."
5) Polvo - May 10, 2008 - Cat's Cradle, Carrboro (NC). Damn, dudes take 10 years off and get **heavy**. Excellent.
6) Six Organs Of Admittance - January 23, 2008 - Local 506, Chapel Hill (NC). A great run through from Chasny's entire catalog.
7) David Byrne - December 8, 2008 - Meymandi Hall, Raleigh (NC). Seriously fun.
8) Key Demo - December 14, 2008 - Eaglewing Farm, Chapel Hill (NC). A wondrously intimate evening with Dave and Margot in the shadow of Dylan...
9 - 10) Sunburned Hand Of The Man + Bill Nace - March 8, 2008 - The Green Bean, Greensboro (NC). Some of the wildest action in Gboro in quite some time.


KILYNN LUNSFORD | SOUND COMMODITIES
NO ORDER...
THE TENSES- EVERYWHERE- PORTLAND, OR
NAKED ON THE VAGUE- TWILIGHT- PORTLAND, OR
XNOBBQX- SXSW
MIKE REP-SXSW
SONIC BOOM- ROTTURE- PORTLAND,OR
SIGHTINGS-SXSW
BLUES CONTROL-SXSW..CANADA..CLEVELAND...
DEAD C-BRO BAR-SEATTLE, WA (BOO!..KINSKI..CRAP!)
LOS LLAMARADA- MEXICO..SXSW
BUDWEISER SPRITE- EVERYWHERE- PORTLAND,OR
WET HAIR/PEAKING LIGHTS-EAST END- PORTLAND, OR
BLOOD BIKER- A BASEMENT- PORTLAND, OR
PAT MAHERR- EVERYWHERE- PORTLAND, OR
PUFFY AREOLAS- NOW THAT'S CLASS- CLEVELAND
TYVEK- DETROIT.. MEXICO..SXSW
EAT SKULL-EVERYWHERE USA
FABULOUS DIAMONDS/TNV- DOUG FUR- PORTLAND, OR


Richard Gehr
1) Red Hot + Rio 2: The Next Generation of Samba Soul, Brooklyn Academy of Music, 12/4/08
2) St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Messiaen's "Turangalila-symphonie," Carnegie Hall, 2/15/08
3) Pierre Boulez and the Lucerne Festival Academy Ensemble, Carnegie Hall, 1/17/08
4) Chhandayan All-Night Concert, St. John the Divine Cathedral, NYC, 5/10/08
5) Umphrey's McGee, Blender Th., NYC, 10/14/08
6) Keith Jarrett Trio, Carnegie Hall, 10/18/08
7) Eddie Palmieri, SOB's, NYC, 10/30/08
8) Liza Minnelli, United Palace, NYC, 12/20/08
9) Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, Barbes, Brooklyn, 10/26/08
10) Yo La Tengo, Maxwell's, 12/23/08


Rebekah Why | Penny Ante
Bored at the rents house on Xmas Eve and have gone on too long I'm sure for a list-thing, but here it is...
One show that comes to mind was this festival up in Oakland. It was a poorly planned festival. Too many bands were booked, and everyone was playing these hour and half sets... By 2am, billed bands (who had driven states to be there) started leaving. G R I M. Two small stages. Upstairs and downstairs. GREG ASHLEY was "headlining" the acoustic stage downstairs. I saw him around 2:30 saying fuck this, I'm off to bed. (Apparently, he lives in one of the rooms at Ghost Town). 3:45 rolls around and finally what bands that had stayed (and played to 4 or 5 people left in the audience) had finished, and out comes Greg, looking like he just rolled out of bed. Ghost Town Gallery was exactly that. A bunch of drunks asleep face-down on couches, people loading gear off on the sidewalk outside, the promoters took off. Nobody gave a shit about anything. Everyone wanted O U T. In a freezing, dimly lit, huge concrete room, Greg sits down in this chair in the middle of the room, with his nylon acoustic and starts to play. There was a homeless dude sitting, resting his head up against the wall and this pretty girl, sitting directly in front of Greg, intently watching, looking drunk and in puppy love. I've seen Greg play many times, but there was something about that set that was pretty magical. I swear to god, he was channeling Leonard Cohen that night - he sounded so fucking good in that room.
(I attached the only two photos I took for you- I'm doing a piss poor job explaining).
Here's a few more, no order:
2. FANCY SPACE PEOPLE @ Hyperion Tavern (LA). Nora Keyes and Don Bolles + Co.
3. KIM FOWLEY at Don Bolle's B-Day @ Hyperion Tavern (LA). Being one of the two audience members Fowley decided to bring up on stage and ultimately try and humiliate. "Do you like it animal or human?" ... something along those lines.
4. PIERCED ARROWS @ Spaceland (LA)
5. SUNBURNED HAND OF THE MAN @ The Smell (LA)
6. EYES @ Masque Reunion Show (Echoplex)
7. LOTO BALL SHOW supporting SILVER APPLES at The Knit (NY). Some people loved it, some were furious, the majority were confused. People "didn't get" the pairing. Dirty mad-genius, attic creature Loto Ball (+ SAX & TRUMPET) paired with the man who invented electronic music? Blasphemy! Loto seemed completely immune to whatever was going on in the audience. Talking to himself... rattling on - In his own world, disconnected from the 15% cock in the audience... No one could say a damn thing about it, because 1) it was fucking L O U D and 2) most people's mouths were busy wide open, in awe of what was happening on stage. "If Fugazi was fed a boat load of cocaine," is what some blog said the next day, not exactly accurate, but an interesting comparisons.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lflzld1MWc
8. VALET @ The Echo (LA)
9. STIFF RECORDS TRIBUTE BAND @ Don't Knock the Rock Film Festival (The Silent Movie Theatre). Jade Gordon (of My Barbarian) played Lene Lovich. A spot on impression. . Dressed the part, the whole bit. Freaky S P O T O N.
10. WARMER MILKS @ a Penny-Ante benefit at Little Pedro's in downtown LA. They got into LA too early - By the time they had to play, they were PISSSSSS drunk. MT used a grimy carpet off the floor as a stage prop, rolling himself in it, doing stage dives (off no stage), screaming bloody murder into the mic. MT apologized later for the poor set. Nothing poor about it. It was magnificent. That was in 2006 actually, might not count... Late 2007, less piss drunk, more pulled together, different set, in a huge hall at the University of Kentucky. Beautiful acoustics, great set. Great band. 2008, never saw them, but I'm sure they played shows that killed it in KY.
11. Any RESIDUAL ECHOES show.


Matthew Tennant | blueskyandclear.co.uk
1)mbv - roundhouse london
2)why - london (us election night)
3)shellac - primavera festival barcelona
4)scout niblett - primavera festival barcelona
5)times new viking - camden london
6)black dice - cargo london
7)holy fuck - rough trade london
8)pissed jeans - silent barn nyc
9)no age - bardens boudoir london
10)high places - old blue last london


Twig Harper | NONE(complete)HUMAN
Top Ten Live Performances of 2008, No SPECIFIIFC ORDERS:
1) Noise for Obama Bi(nLi)den. same shit diff asshole, does is n't matter. The Empire IS Ending.
3) Overdosing on the Aztec hallucinogen Sinicuichi, Internal private audible metallic phase swirling Wolf Eyes gig inside my broken skull, complete with death rattling convulsions turning me into a 5,000 year old corpse. FUCKED UP.
4) Baltimore Round Robin Tour, logistically seemed like a complete nightmare, plus us Nauticals being odd balls against the Rainbow Rock blinding good times, But a magical unicorn came and diffused all potential negativity and sunshine sprayed everywhere.
5) Daniel A.I.U Higgs, They almost have the hadron collider fixed so they can find the elusive Higgs particle, don't let them scientists know hes in Baltimore getting Stoned For Jesus. Every show is pure metaphysical badassness glory to the unspeakable.
6) Needle Gun, Baltimores premiere high-school-free-noise-punk-skree group! Live its a freak-out youth mania and then I got to record them and help tweak out the mixes so you still get that queezy feeling. That was fun, 2009 the record will come out...
7) Knitting Factory vs. No Fun Fest
8) Teeth Mountain- Throbbing haze tribal drum/drug noise collective..... aint no burning man technohippy shit in the mix either.
9) Every band that came and played at The (world) Bank in west Baltimore, fuck yes.
10) The new secret total music and movement, movement which is beyond anything imaginable and completely underground at this time. So it must remain a secret!


Sharon Cheslow | Coterie Exchange/Decomposition
1) Boredoms 88 Boa Drum Event @ La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles
2) Art Ensemble of Chicago @ REDCAT, Los Angeles
3) Sylvie Courvoisier/Mark Feldman, Dwight Trible ensemble @ REDCAT, Los Angeles
4) collaborating w/Steve Touchton @ Ooga Booga, Los Angeles
5) Religious Knives/BARR/Evangalista @ The Smell, Los Angeles
6) Listen Again writers' performances @ REDCAT, Los Angeles
w/Janet Sarbanes, Ann Powers, Oliver Wang, Josh Kun, etc.
7) KIT @ The Smell, Los Angeles
8) Gowns, Caldera Lakes @ The Smell, Los Angeles
9) No Age on the same bill as New No Age (Josh Taylor & Kyle Mabson covering No Age songs) @ Pehrspace, Los Angeles
10) Ulrich Krieger's Sonic Boom doing Metal Machine Music @ CalArts, Valencia CA
(actually better than seeing Ulrich perform w/Lou Reed @ REDCAT!)
Begin forwarded message:
From: "J. Niimi"
Date: December 25, 2008 3:44:03 AM EST
To: "Ecstatic Peace Poll"
Subject: Re: Ecstatic Peace 2008 Live Performance Poll


CHRIS JONES/ ARTIST/MUSICIAN
1NEIL YOUNG-Intimate acoustic set followed by a wild electric storm.
2)LEONARD COHEN-The coolest 70 year old kid.
3)RTX-She is now officially a metal star-'Boo.... more beer and vodka backstage"
4)MY BLOODY VALENTINE- The closing 25 minutes felt like armageddon.
5)PETER WALKER-Cosmic acoustic blues slight return
6)KATH BLOOM-Eccentric boho with added harmonica
7)THE BREEDERS-Warm and effortless, Kim and kelley should have their own sitcom
8)SCOTT WALKER-Amazing to hear that music live, wish he'd have sung.
9)DIRECTING HAND-Dynamic duo ripping up borderlines
10)ZORN/ PARKINS/ LA BARBARA- Great way to start the best night of the year-4 november.


Michael Fierstein | Static Aktion
1) Work / Death at The Smell
2) Daniel Menche at Beyond Baroque
3) Damion Romero at Echo Curio
4) Yellow Tears at Pehrspace
5) Oscillating Innards at The Smell
6) Jason Crumer at The Smell
7) Envenomist at EMR House
8) Deep Jew at The Smell
9) Lazy Magnet at The Smell
10) Privy Seals at Pehrspace


alex hornbeck | wmua 91.1 fm
1) the coathangers / dinowalrus / rahim / fiasco / pictureplane /
scary mansion / air waves / pwrfl power / bdrmppl / boo and boo too /
flying / double dagger / parts & labor @ death by audio, brooklyn, ny
2) david byrne @ calvin theatre, northampton, ma
3) eric hnatow / dan friel / the death set @ umass, amherst, ma
4) monotonix / silver jews @ point ephemere, paris, fr
5) eat skull / little claw / thurston moore (psychic hearts!) @ pearl
street, northampton, ma
6) old time relijun @ mains d'oeuvres, paris, fr
7) cullen stalin / blaqstarr / spank rock (christmas party!) @ talking
head, baltimore, md
8) matteah baim / jana hunter / deer tick @ king st mansion, northampton, ma
9) monotonix / matt + kim / the death set (fuck yeah tour!) @ talking
head, baltimore, md
10) best fwends @ nyu, new york, ny


Ryan Wynns | aspiring shut-in/recluse (and failing miserably at it, since I can't seem to stop going to shows and jamming with people and shit)
Dude, I don't know if I can distill the essence of 2008's musical occurrences and encapsulate them in a fucking ten item list, but here goes ...
1. Okay, rather than trying to figure out every time and place I saw them and narrow it down to specific shows, I'll just lay it out like this: there's certain bands that I see often, many of whom are my friends, that have absolute support and solidarity from every measure of my being: Jow Jow (and offshoots such as Cousin Id, Cellura Peptoid, etc ... well, ok, full disclosure, I'm in Jow Jow, but it's so big, a lot of it I'm not responsible for in any way, I feel very much like a spectator of the whole thing), Matt Valentine and Erica Elder (fucking killer raga set on the small stage at Terrastock!), Sunburned, Tarp, Fat Worm of Error, Barn Owl, Nace/Moore/Flaherty in whatever collaborative or solo form you might find any of them this week, Noise Nomads (and the whole Greyskull/Pak/Tumblecat Poofy Poof/etc continuum), Belltone Suicide, Radioactive Prostitute, Chris Dooley, Cave Bears (my first two times seeing Cave Bears were a house show in Amherst, MA on February 25th and then a few days later on March 1st at the Tinderbox in Brattleboro, VT. Out of nowhere, the devastating force that they are came into my awareness, and my mind was fucked and blown forever. Been seeing them all over the Valley since. I believe I am the only person not in the band who saw both Cat Picture Parts One and Two. Actually, scratch that, I'm pretty sure Dooley saw both as well), Zebu/No Sound, Alpha Industries projects, Ducktails/Predator Vision/etc., Id M Theft Able, people I haven't heard yet ...
2. House shows at 11 Union Court in Easthampton , the King Street Manor (Nalle!!! On March 20th. It was like seeing Comus reborn), The Purple House, 37 Fair Street and George's all in Northampton , and the Zebu house in Williamsburg . Stuff Josh and Cynthia host at Mystery Train. Dooley's pulls some damn good ones out of his sleeve in rented halls in Florence every now and again. Every single fucking Montague Phantom Brain Exchange there's been, even the ones I didn't make it too - Neil is a fucking vital cultural force. And then there's other places where stuff is happening that I don't know about yet ...
3. Ed sets up some good shit at Hampshire. The Cooper /Jewell/Kelly trio, Jake Meginsky, and Heathen Shame on September 21st - that lineup was perfection. As was Predator Vision, the Davis/Jewel duo, and Oneohtrix Poinht Never on September 13th. And in fact, as was Mouthus with Axlotl, Flaherty with Noise Nomads, and Mirror/Dash on March 11th. And at the gig April 11th, x.o.4, Predator Vision, and the Moore/Davis/Stellar trio stood out the most for me personally. (Hey, who will take over when Ed graduates?)
4. Six Organs of Admittance, Mick Turner - Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge, MA, January 27th. Ben fingerpicked his acoustic and sang sinewy, ravaged melodies like the motherfucker that he is, then Elisa came out and he switched to electric, playing cavernous, glistening chords with lots of reverb and shit, while Elisa made killer guitar noise, playing exactly like her fucking self and no one else. (Loved the scraping and sklorping noises in "Dust and Chimes".). A fucking divine pairing. A lot of it was really, really lovely, but it wasn't for pussies. Mick Turner was really nice, too. Kind of reminded me of chill post-rock. His music and paintings have the same feel. He had a good drummer, added some nice jazzy momentum.
5. Paul Metzger, David Gross - P.A.'s Lounge, Somerville , MA , November 18th. These men sleigh. Killer tone.
6. Fursaxa, Ilyas Ahmed, Rafi Bookstaber, and Chris Cooper at Elevens, Northampton , MA , October 14th. True transcendence took place in a bland bar.
7. Various '08 festivals:
- Wickermania (haven't gotten to mention them elsewhere, so I'll state how inhuman Visitations with Big Blood were at this)
- A Stone for Adam Nodelman (the only time I've ever seen No Neck, it was fucking stunning)
- Dubious Liftings I and III (alas, I missed II)
- No More Bush's Florence, MA date on August 1st (Zaika, Jack Rose, Dredd Foole, 50 Foot Woman with Axlotl for music, plus assorted readings), and then Dooley hosting Hair Police, Shitsweat, Moore with Village, and Flaherty with Noise Nomads at the American Legion in the same town the same night
- Terrastock (some highlights: Matt and Erica's aforementioned raga jam, Black Forest/Black Sea, Bardo Pond, Masaki Batoh + Helena Espvall, Makoto Kawabata, Ignatz, Insect Factory, Kinski, Grails, Mono
8. Jandek - German Society of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , PA , April 12th. Jandek carefully and steadily selected skeletal, melancholy phrases on piano (for someone who supposedly can't play, or whatever assholes say, he had some pretty complex stuff going on between his left and right hands), joined by dissonant, free jazz influenced harp, bassoon, and clarinet. Was like seeing a classical recital from another planet on which only introverts live. The pieces were very long, and their naturally evolving/existing form/structures were genius, as were Jandek's words/narratives
.
9. The Smashing Pumpkins - Wang Theater, Boston , MA November 15th and Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville , CT , November 16th. A lot of morons are coming to their shows just to dance to fucking "1979" like they're at a frat party, but the band is saying "fuck 'em" and playing truly psychedelic opuses like "I Am One Part Two", "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" (which has some noise parts!), and the glorious "Gossamer".
10. The Autonomous Battleship did two blistering, blazing sun free jazz type shows this year: Dave Gross, Bhob Rainey, and Fat Worm of Error at the Jones Library in Amherst, MA on April 18th and the McPhee/Flaherty/Corsano trio, New Monuments, and Joshua Burkett (who I missed, alas ... 'cause it was the same night as a show at Hampshire that I mentioned above!) at the Montague Bookmill in Montague, MA on September 13th.


John Fell Ryan | Excepter:
1) Mirror Mirror at loft party
2) Nautical Almanac at No Fun
3) Dome Theater at Death by Audio
4) Idea Fire Company at Glasslands
5) Jaws at Glasslands
6) Juan Atkins at Studio B
7) SSPS at Wreck Room
8) Krallice in Bushwick vacant lot
9) Spectre Folk at BAR, New Haven
10) Wolf Eyes at McKarren Pool, but heard from ball-field a block away


dan hougland / excepter, hex message
(all NYC apart from when noted)
1) fabulous diamonds @ pianos
2) I.U.D. @ santos
3) MBV @ kutshers monticello, ny
4) spectrum @ kutshers monticello ny
5) dent may @ le poisson rouge
6) kria brekkan @ new museum
7) mick barr @ old gavin brown space 15th st.
8) city center @lisa cooley fine art
9) Zs @ vanishing point
10) walrus machine @ rendezvous jewel box seattle


Michael Stahl
1) MV&EE - UNROCK INSTORE, Germany
2) Sunburned - Unrock Instore, Germany
3) Sic Alps - Krefeld, Germany
4) Woods - Koeln, Germany
5) Pink Reason - Brussels, Belgium
6) Silver Mt. Zion - Nijmegen, Nederland
7) Evangelista - Namur, Belgium
8) Marshall Allen - Brussels, Belgium
9) James Blackshaw - Unrock Instore, Krefeld


Todd P | Todd P
hmmm, wish I'd gone to more shows that I wasn't involved in one way or the other, but here goes

Psychedelic Horseshit / Sic Alps / US Girls @ Le Divan Orange in Montreal
the show had it all, great performances, plus semi-legendary status on two counts; half the bill (Pink Reason / Blues Control) couldn't get into Canada and canceled last minute, and then Sic Alps (who had been playing great) melted down early on mid song in a violent way, weighted mike stand getting swung over the audience's heads and then crashed down on the stage, cracking the plywood and breaking the stand, followed by the guitar player storming off into the Montreal night, barefoot in the streets, and a really angry French Canadian soundguy threatening to pull the plug on the remainder of the show. Cooler heads prevailed and Psychedelic Horseshit played, were the most on that I've ever seen them be.

Knyfe Hyts @ Ms Bea's in Austin
They went on a couple bands after Kimya Dawson and long after all the indie rocker Juno fans had left. Rendition of "Smoke the Milk" had to have gone on for 45 minutes that night

Screaming Females / Ergs @ Asbury Lanes in Asbury Park
This bill happened twice at Asbury Lanes, that I attended. My favorite time involved someone projecting old horror b-movie trailers behind them, while the Jersey kids moshed. Screaming Females floored me immediately, straight up rock band fronted by an under 5 foot tall petite woman who plays guitar like J Mascis and sings like John Lydon on "Seattle." strange. Ergs were awesome, Minneapolis / SST reminiscent and the kids knew every word, fists in the air and in halo around the singer the whole time. We missed our train back home and ended up sleeping in Ali's unheated New Brunswick apartment (it was winter), after stopping for milkshakes and Tasty Kakes at Wawa. perfect night in New Jersey.

Black Lips @ Market Hotel in Brooklyn
they wanted me to buy goats heads to put on stakes on the sides of the stage, but I couldn't find a carniceria open at 7pm on a weekday. probably for the best. Show was so hot and sweaty that people fainted. the band looked like they'd been through a hurricane. eventually too many people got on stage, someone took a swing at cole or jared or someone, or the other way around (I don't remember) and the show was over. Place was wrecked, the stage almost collapsed. show was supposed to happen at a legal space with air conditioning and permits and fire safety certifications, but the local police precinct fucked it up for dumb reasons. so instead, it happened at the Market Hotel, with 500 sweaty people shoved inside and lots of near death experience.

Fucked Up / Inepsy / Vivian Girls @ Market Hotel in Brooklyn
pretty similar but also the opposite of the Black Lips show. total love fest, complete with quasi karaoke HC sing along for several songs at the end, with famous dudes involved. Inepsy were fucking terrific Motorhead homage.

Deer Tick playing covers @ a warehouse parking lot at 530am on the last day of SxSW in Austin
this was a last minute, hastily concocted guerrilla show I got talked into putting together by these movie folks who were filming our fest, booked that afternoon and promoted entirely via text message. I'd put on two marathon shows already that day, with a total of like 30 bands having played since noon. We rolled up to the spot where the show was supposed to be at 3:00am and immediately had to move it because the place was covered in cops. They'd found a body there or something. I soldiered on, immediately decided to do the back up location that I luckily had and start texting, while driving, to everyone I know who's in town to tell them it changed. Then we get there and the generator won't work. We jerry rig the fuse arc with tinfoil and duct tape. My (ex)girlfriend and all my volunteers and friends keep trying to talk me into canceling it and going to sleep. Then... half the bill doesn't show up (Mika Miko, others I don't remember) but Ninja Sonik and Dear Tick do. There were like 40 people there, tops. It started really late, even for an after after party. Dear Tick got impatient and increasingly drunk on free beer I was giving away out the back of my fucked up van, while Ninja Sonik freestyled, at length, with Spank Rock and Diplo and Blaqstarr playing Deer Tick's instruments as backup. Eventually McCauley got fed up and started playing Crickets songs, which turned into a Townes Van Zandt sing along with him and me and the members of Dark Meat and a lot of bowls being smoked. Eventually the sun came up.

Teengirl Fantasy @ Copycat Annex in Baltimore
a super fucking sweaty as hell cement box loft space in Baltimore with no windows. All kinds of Baltimore electronic music whatever was going on, I was getting more and more bored, then my ex intern Logan's band came on, were awesome, and the crowd went apeshit. I didn't even know he was in a band, and here they were great, anthemic, catchy, triumphant live electronic jams. Cops came pretty soon after that.

Vivian Girls crashing the hipster lesbian dance party @ Wrong Bar in Toronto
Mark Pesci got the ok for Vivian Girls to swing over and jump on the bill at this lesbian hipster dance night after the sort of lame big club show VG's had played earlier in the night. They played on the floor, were excellent, made up for all the awkwardness of the big stages they'd been playing on all week, opening TV on the Radio's tour. The hipster lesbians were confused, kinda cleared out fast. I was running the sound and cranked the shit out of Frankie's kick drum through the dance PA they had there, trying to get those kids to dance. Didn't work, but show was great regardless.

Religious Knives / Woods / Pocahaunted / Robedoor / Car Commercials @ 66 Hope St in Brooklyn
Great Woods show in particular, in a great temporary show space, though really short set. Just excellent performances and vibes all around. Lots of band members sitting in with the other bands, which can be terrible but was really really great this time.

TV Ghost @ Silent Barn in Queens
they played several times, blew everyone away each time, no matter who else was on the bill. They're weirdo small town kids who somehow got themselves exposed to the Birthday Party and Suicide and a lot of other jarring, dark shit. This band makes you feel kind of teenaged, maladjusted, sexually frustrated, awkward, and angry just watching them play, all in a good way. Seems like each time they played they managed to knock down and into someone in the crowd who would later bitch about them being touchy feely but concede they were fucking amazing

Jeff Barsky | Insect Factory
with love from Insect Factory. didnt catch a lot due to grad school, but caught some damn good stuff.
1. terrastock
2. fantastic voyagers festival in pittsburgh (curated by mike tamburo)
3. final blowout at dc's 611 florida ave
4. watching dc's Plums and Dark Sea Dream turn into what theyre turning into.
5. sonic circuits dc. only caught opening night due to having an exam, but it gave a glimpse into what dc has going on right now.
6. night marchers/obits
7. jeffrey's new coffeeshop in pittsburgh (morning glory coffee), front room gallery in cleveland, and kung fu necktie in philly for putting up with insect factory in late december, in some ugly winter weather. much love.


Luke Kranker | Servile Sect:
Top Ten Live Performances of 2008:
1) OM @ Shangri-La (first song)
2) OM @ Shangri-La (second song)
3) OM @ Shangri-La (third song)
4) OM @ Shangri-La (fourth song)
5) OM @ Shangri-La (fifth song)
6) OM @ Shangri-La (sixth song)
7) MBV @ Roseland
8) Corrupted/Asunder in Humboldt
9) Inquisition @ Matthew Barney's studio
10) Prurient @ Cake Shop


L.R.J. MARTENS | CETACEAN NATION COMMUNICATIONS / DOLPHINS INTO THE FUTURE
my 5 minutes of rethinking the cultural luggage of 2008:
(the order is as random as your life)
1) steven warwick in amsterdam = most interesting liveshow of recent years. a collaged radioplay that could've been done by allan kaprow with the brain of daevid allen??!!
2) monopoly child losing 12 - 8 in fifa 07 = and the neighbour kid came recollecting his console, so this is the final score....
3) hannah moemling in den haag = if john cale had been a girl during his early recordings......
4) idm theft able + shay moffat in portland = two greatest living artists of modern day.
5) mik quantius in antwerp = one greatest living artist of modern day. insanely honest, influential and talented.
6) nautical almanac in baltimore = intersystems was a pretty regular band compared to these messed up ct-scans. no that's a joke. but still, what a fantastic gig.
9) weirding module in den haag = heavy full moon features desert ambient.
7) dj jelle crama collab with the boy with the 200 i.q. in den haag = so it's less girls but more records??? (joke nr 99809 from 2008)
8) iasos live videos on his youtube channel = PERFECT!!!!!
9) blues control & yximalloo in hasselt on the probably best festival of 2008 = perfect festival! thanks laurent for having olivier and me.
10) catalogue in brussels (+ the video projections of pinhas' set) = berrocal still going strong.
11) the regular braindrops wich i saw a bunch this year again and loved it every time i see them play live:
ignatz, orphan fairytale (and eekhoorn x), zimzimzim, skaters and skaters solo, dj paniekzaaier's radioshow beerbelly / coke snorters extravaganza, partkdolg, w ravenveer, floris vanhoof, buffle, r.o.t. and.... .........
12) i'm forgetting many things, but somebody downloaded my memory and erased the traces on my personal head server. bummer.


Ruaraidh Sanachan | Sick Head Tapes
Aye aye, here's ma favs mins:
Colour Out of Space Festival in Brighton, especially Adam Bohman, Dylan Nyoukis & Ali Usurper trio
Instal Festival in Glasgow, especially Toshiji Mikawa, Junko and Kazuo Imai / Marginal Consort
Pengo / Usurper with Sticky Foster at Bug Jar, Rochester NY, October
Infinity Window / Treetops / Earth Station / Non Horse at Silent Barn NYC, October
Usurper & Guest Beers, Boston MA, October
Chris Corsano & Heather Leigh Murray / Ashtray Navigations / Blood Stereo at CCA Glasgow, November
Whitehouse at The Tunnels Aberdeen, April
Skullflower, Mick Flower at CCA Glasgow, March
Single Helix at 13th Note Glasgow, July then again in September
Religious Knives, Starving Weirdos at Occii, Amsterdam, September


Brad Duncan | freelancer Detroit, MI
(Thanks to greedy developers 2008 was the last year of the Bohemian National Home, one of the Midwest's d.i.y. gems)
1) Instant Composers Pool after party w/ Han and friends
Bohemian National Home, Detroit, MI
2) Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Swedish American Hall, San Fransisco, CA
3) Cooper-Moore
Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit, Detroit, MI
4) MV & EE and the Golden Road
Pike Room, Pontiac, MI
5) Fred Anderson w/ Hakim Jami and Skeeter Shelton
Bohemian National Home, Detroit MI
6)Faruq Z Bey w/ Viki
Bohemian National Home, Detroit, MI
7) Kenn Thomas and Olu Jemi
Bohemian National Home, Detroit, MI
8) Eugene Chadbourne
Bohemian National Home, Detroit, MI
9) Thollem McDonnas
Kerrytown Concert House, Ann Arbor, MI
10) Bonnie 'Prince' Billy
Old Tarr Distillery, Lexington, KY


John Rich | Art Damage / Wasteland Jazz Unit
(in no particular order)
1) New Monuments @ Fairchild Chapel (Oberlin, OH)
2) Jandek (w/ CS Yeh, Ryan Jewell, Derek Dicenzo) @ Wexner Center (Columbus, OH)
3) Dead C, Wolf Eyes @ Empty Bottle (Chicago, IL)
4) Glenn Branca's Hallucination City @ The Pageant (St. Louis, MO)
5) Laundryroom Squelchers, Sword Heaven, Ryan Jewell, Rage Against the Cage @ International Noise Conference (Miami, FL)
6) Mark 1/2 Man @ Contemporary Arts Center (Cincinnati, OH)
7) Astro @ Art Damage Lodge (Cincinnati, OH)
9) John Wiese, IOVAE @ Art Damage Lodge (Cincinnati, OH)
10) Hair Police, Handicapper Horns @ Art Damage Lodge (Cincinnati, OH)