While all other websites are pumping out "best album" lists for the latest defunct year, I decided to focus on the "live music" aspect for my own list.

I have seen the following bands perform live this year: P:Ano, And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, The Sons and Daughters, Rasputina, Pinback, The Decemberists, CocoRosie with Antony and The Johnsons, Devendra Banhart, Medeski Martin and Wood, Orishas, American Analog Set, Broken Social Scene and Spoon. (And maybe a few more that I can't remember.)

The very best shows, the ones that left my head spinning and my thoughts dumbed down to "Wow. woo. wooow.", were:

1. The Decemberists
2. Broken Social Scene

Other impressive acts were P:ano, Trail of Dead, Devendra Banhart.

The lame show of the year: Spoon. They have the most boring stage presence I have ever seen. They never talked to the crowd. They played their songs exactly like they do on the recordings, without surprising the crowd with alternative arrangements or lengthened sections or anything. The most exciting part was when the lead singer knocked the microphone stand down at the end of the show. Wow man, you're so cool.