2008

We’ve reached December which means it’s time for every website, blog and music fan to start putting together their best of lists including us. Each week in December, I’ll present a new B List featuring my favorites of the year. Here’s a list of my ten favorite live archival releases of 2008…

10. Widespread Panic – Carbondale 2000

Release Date – 06/10/2008
Highlights – Jack, Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys, Chilly Water
The Skinny – Widespread Panic finally opens up their vault to release a fantastic show featuring the late Mikey Houser.
Where You Can Sample This Disc – Imeem

READ ON for the Top Nine Live Archival Releases of 2008 featuring albums from Ween, Frank Zappa, The Clash, Neil Young and much more…

This could be my favorite viral video of the month… [youtube]fXFfcubPYEE[/youtube] [Directed by Simon Owens, HT – MBV]

Today marks the anniversary of Frank Zappa’s death in 1993 and the music industry hasn’t been the same since. We would love to hear what Frank would’ve thought about Napster

We are a couple of days late on this, but we wanted to report on the passing of music and civil rights legend Odetta, of heart disease at age 77.

In what’s become an annual tradition, quintessential Grateful Dead tribute act Dark Star Orchestra returned to the Nokia Theater in New York City on the Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving Weekend. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to help burn off the Thanksgiving Turkey doldrums than with a recreation of the epic Red Rocks ’78 two-night stand. The group was joined by former Grateful Dead vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux MacKay for a number of tunes each evening adding to the fun.

[All Photos by Adam Kaufman]

I hit the second night of the run where the band made one of my favorite Dead tapes of all-time come to life: July 8, 1978. After hearing that DSO had covered 7/7/1978 on Friday night we were all pretty sure we were in for 7/8/1978 which was confirmed when they started Bertha. The lovely Godchaux MacKay added some nice harmonies before leaving the stage at the end of the song. I expected Donna to sing with the band the whole night, but she sang on less than half of the songs. The majority featured Lisa Mackey, who normally sings Donna’s parts with DSO. It was pretty weird to see both real and recreated Donna tag in and out all evening, but it seemed to work for the band.

READ ON for more of Scotty’s review and Adam’s photos from the Nokia…

After taking the past four months off to finish recording their new album, the Disco Biscuits return to the road on January 16 for what promises to be a full

The war between industry giants Live Nation and Ticketmaster continues to heat up with the news that ticketing newcomer Live Nation has struck a deal with Blockbuster to sell tickets

As we approach the end of 2009, it’s time to start thinking about the best releases of the year. For me, Consolers Of The Lonely by The Raconteurs is a