I have been a slacker with reviews this year. Ah well, what can you do? This was a good year for music, in my opinion. I saw a lot of shows, which I haven't done since college. Here is my list of the 10 best:

1. GOGOL BORDELLO on 28.August at The Contemporary - This was incredible. Gypsy Punk Rock from NYC that is easily one of the best shows I've ever seen. So much energy and the crowd really got into it. Seeing gypsys, punks, and trendy people dancing together merrily was an event probably never to be repeated.
    
2. RED ELVISES w/ Rocket 350 and The Penetrators on 9.May at The Echo Lounge - A great show, and my first time seeing the Red Elvises. They put on an energetic, silly, and very FUN show. Rocket 350 were also great, with a rocking, psychobilly performance.
    
3. PATTERSON HOOD w/ Will Johnson on 13.August at The EARL- Patterson played the best version of Let There Be Rock that I've ever heard. Will Johnson was also incredible the first time I'd see him.
    
4. JASON ISBELL on 15.July at The EARL - He put on a phenomenal show and played one of my all time favorite songs, TVA.
    
5. THE DRIVE BY TRUCKERS on 27.August at The 40 Watt - The Truckers' release show... amazing as always.
    
6. BELLA MORTE w/ eNTERTAINME.nt, Egostatic, Empire Hideous, and The Last Dance on 24.July at The Masquerade - Great show of goth/punk/rock bands.
    
7. EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY w/ Zykos and The Silent Kids on 2.October at The EARL - I really liked all of the bands, Explosions in the Sky, especially.
    
8. BIGMOUTH STRIKES AGAIN w/ From the Ice Age on 18.July at The Echo Lounge- This was a great show. Both bands I thought did a great job with their covers (Smiths and Joy Division, respectively).
    
9. MYSSOURI w/ Salome's Wise, Phoenix Nebulon, and Belljar on 09.July at The 9 Lives Saloon - This was the last time I will ever see Myssouri, as they have since broken up. Myssouri was great, Salome's Wish was new and improved, and the other two bands weren't bad, either.
    
10. LEVINHURST w/ Envie on 6.August at The EARL - Envie is always great in concert and Levinhurst was a pleasant surprise.

I don't really see many movies, so I'm only listing the two this year that made me go WOW!

1. Hero - This was an amazing, visual treat. Very moving story and cinematography.
2. Kill Bill Vol. 2 - The only movie in a long time that has left me speechless afterwards. I loved it.

I also don't buy a lot of music, but here are three new albums that I've been listening to the most this year.

1. American Idiot by Greenday. This is by far, one of the best albums I've heard in a long time. An infinitely listenable, political punk concept album. Brilliant.

 

2. Dirty South by The Drive-by Truckers. Southern rock at its finest. I don't find it quite as listenable as Decoration Day, but it is filled with complex, deep songs.
    
3. Storm by Assemblage 23. Industrial music that has good lyrics and meaningful songs.