Great Northern

Best Album(s) of 2008

Bon Iver - for emma, forever ago (jagjaguwar)
MGMT - oracular spectacular (columbia)
Ray LaMontagne - gossip in the grain (RCA)
Sigur Ros - med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust (XL)
The Kills - midnight boom (domino)
NIN - ghosts I-IV (nuLL corporation)
M83 - saturdays=youth (Mute U.S)
Beck - modern guilt (DGC)
Lil Wayne - tha carter III (cash money/universal)
NAS - NAS (island def jam)

Favorite Song(s) of 2008

kids - MGMT (immediate "feel good" song of 2008...an immediate classic album)
chemtrails - BECK (everybody loves a good drum solo)

Your Personal Favorite On-stage Moment/Show of 2008

3/7/08 Chicago,IL Metro theater. It was a double show....we played at 2am....after driving two days straight from Seattle,WA......through the Dakotas.....very very.....very COLD. they made everyone wait outside for hours before the show...so once they let the people in it felt like we had a bonding experience.....together we had survived the cold....and together we became a human heater. it's amazing what people can endure together.

Classic Album or Artist You Discovered This Year

Ray LaMontagne.....he's been around for a while, but i just recently discovered him. In a word, i would say....genius.

Best Film You Saw This Year

Synecdoche, New York: Charlie Kaufman is a true rarity......someone who comes into the world once in a while with an important message....and if we pay attention, we could all learn some invaluable lessons....he's well beyond his years, like an old soul that has held onto all its past lives....and
when someone has tapped into that and lets you in even a little bit, it's emotionally overwhelming.

Favorite new gadget, technology, site or application you can't live without

iPhone....i don't even have one and i can't live without living vicariously through other people who have one.

Artist You Are Most Excited About In 2009 (any medium)

I'm extremely excited about the singer/other songwriter in Great Northern, Rachel Stlote. now I know what you're thinking, but this is not at all some "MY BAND IS SO FUCKING AMAZING...CHECK US OUT...IT'S ALL ABOUT ME ME ME" bullshit, it's about the gift of watching someone you love evolve and completely blow your mind. she is by far the most talented person i know.

Your Latest Guilty Pleasure

My cat penny....but she's been in my life for 4 years now, and I have absolutely no guilt about knowing her, so maybe that doesn't count.

What should President Obama change first in 2009?

He's already made what people, including myself thought impossible possible.....so after that I would say.....try to change America's obsession with overconsumption....overpopulation.....and disconnection from each other, just to name a few. That might be ambitious, but if anyone can lead us to that road, it's him.

A Memorable/Humorous/Classic Moment on the tour bus/road in 2008

I made $50 bucks for eating 6 snowballs and chugging a beer in ten minutes without vomiting. it was a very colorful experience.

*Bonus question – great YouTube or viral video you saw this year

Star Wars kid Drunken Jedi.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GJOVPjhXMY