Auld Lang Syne Set 1: Dave Schools, Brendan Bayliss, Dr. Dog, Chris Frantz, Reed Mathis, Adam Deitch, Tim Carbone and More
2008-12-17
It's December, the holidays are right around the corner and once again we've asked a slew of out favorite musicians, managers, festival organizers and other tastemakers to boil down the past twelve months of music, pop culture and politics into four easily debatable, pocket-sized answers. What album did Dave Schools love and what festival set did Brendan Bayliss hate? Which member of Talking Heads loves Lykke Li and what's the one thing hippies, hipsters and hipster-swaying hipsters seem to agree on (hint: he's from Chicago, recently packed Grant Park, but doesn't play in Umphrey's McGee or Wilco).
Be sure to scroll down to see our first batch of answers and tune in throughout the month of December to hear from a number of additional musicians and industry insiders featured on Jambands.com in and in the pages of Relix. Set 1 features thoughts from Dave Schools, Brendan Bayliss, Reed Mathis, Dr. Dog and many, many more.
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DAVE SCHOOLS (WIDESPREAD PANIC) 
What will you remember most about 2008?
Sitting in a hotel room in Indianapolis glued to the TV, watching the election results and feeling a little bit of "hope" for the first time in many years as Barack Obama delivered his historic "Yes we can!" speech from Grant Park in Chicago.
Who's the band to watch in 2009?
Dead Confederate
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
This isn't a plug but rather the god's honest truth: Jimmy Herring's Lifeboat
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Robert Plant & Allison Kraus, Bonnaroo, Sunday afternoon, 2008.
Click here for a recent site interview with Dave Schools
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BRENDAN BAYLISS (UMPHREY’S MCGEE) 
What will you remember most about 2008?
Getting Obama'd in Chicago the night he won the election.
Who's the band to watch in 2009?
Gov’t Mule. Every time I see them they get better.
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Split between Chinese Democracy and Evil Urges.
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Kanye at Bonnaroo. And by favorite, I mean least favorite.
Click here for a review of one of Umphrey's McGee's 2008 performances
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ADAM DEITCH (LETTUCE, CHAPTER 2, BREAK SCIENCE)
What will you remember most about 2008?
I will always remember the conversations I had with my African American friends and musical cohorts after Obama got elected. Talk about uplifting...
Who is the band to watch in 2009?
Lettuce\ Chapter 2\Break Science
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Album of ‘08 was RAGE [Lettuce]...a ‘lil biased.
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Dumpstaphunk at Bear Creek....so funky, it hurt. The whole stage packed wit mamas...like it was supposed ‘ta be.
Click here for a review of Lettuce's new CD
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KERRY BLACK (SUPERFLY, BONNAROO, OUTSIDE LANDS)
What will you remember most about 2008?
The look on my rabbit's face when Obama was elected president.
Who is the band to watch in 2009?
Red Cortez
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Meshuggah - ObZen
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Joanna Newsom with Orchestra at BAM.
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ZACH MILLER (DR. DOG) 
What will you remember most about 2008?
We had a lot of good memories from 2008: playing THE (original) Fillmore in San Francisco. Our next stop is Australia, sure to be memorable. We’ve never experienced a summer New Year. I’m sure we’ll remember it.
Who is the band to watch in 2009?
Hmm, I’m going to say Delta Spirit in 2009. God knows they’ve really put their time in this year.
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Most played this past year was Floating Action, née Seth Kauffman, on our very own, very near and dear Park the Van Records. The album is called Research and it rules.
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Ah, this old question. I guess it depends on syntax: my favorite Dr. Dog performance would probably be our booking agent’s showcase at SXSW; it was the one of the loudest and most responsive crowds I can remember playing to. My favorite performance as an audience member would have to go to Rage Against the Machine at Lollapalooza. I was never much of a fan, they’re a never had a CD but I wouldn’t change the station kinda band for me but they straight up killed it at Lollapalooza and I have to hand it to them for that.
Click here for a review of Dr. Dog's most recent album
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AARON KAYCE (JAMBASE.COM)
What will you remember most about 2008?
2008 will be remembered by the election of Barack Obama. After 8 years of
shame we can finally hold our heads high and once again be Proud Americans.
Who is the band to watch in 2009?
Dead Confederate
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
My Morning Jacket, 3/11/08, The Parish, Austin, TX
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RACHEL SEIDEN (ZENBU MEDIA, RELIX MAGAZINE)
What will you remember most about 2008?
My parents came to Langerado
Who is the band to watch in 2009?
Gene Ween Band
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Ryan Adams, Cardinology
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
My Morning Jacket, Bonnaroo
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TIM CARBONE (RAILROAD EARTH) 
What will you remember most about 2008?
What I will remember most about 2008 is the feeling of the world shifting into a positive gear at the news of the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States. A huge weight came off our collective shoulders.
Who's the band to watch in 2009?
The band to watch in 2009 is Blitzen Trapper. Their latest record, Furr, is fantastic. In fact the song “Furr” should be song of the year.
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Corn Pickin' and Slick Slidin' by James Burton and Ralph Mooney on the Sundazed Label. My good friend Scott Law (one of the greatest guitarists on the planet and a national treasure) gave it to me and I listened to it over and over for a couple of months!
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Well that'd be a tie. On back to back nights I saw Zappa Plays Zappa at Rothbury and Surprise Me Mr. Davis, late night, High Sierra Music Festival.
Click here for a recent interview with Railroad Earth
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MATT KASS (THE BRAKES) 
What will you remember most about 2008?
The loss of our drummer and friend Josh Sack to Leukemia, the Phillies winning the World Series, and Obama winning the Presidential Election.
Who’s the band to watch in 2009?
Annuals
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Radiohead, Susquehanna Bank Center, 8.12.08
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HOWIE SCHNEE (CEG, SULLIVAN HALL)
What will you remember most about 2008?
Obama giving the country and the World a feeling of hope after 8 dark years
of Bush and co.
Who's the band to watch in 2009?
New Mastersounds. Close runners-up: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Marco
Benevento Trio.
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes and The Bad Plus’ Prog, but it's often hard for me to direct my iPod away from something Jerry's playing on.
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Toss up between Trey in Brooklyn and Kanye at Bonnaroo.
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CRIS JACOBS (THE BRIDGE) 
What will you remember most about 2008?
I'll remember my renewed sense of hope in this country after eight horrendous years of government.
Who's the band to watch in 2009?
Uh...hmm...I'd have to say...The Bridge?
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Probably Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks. Never gets old.
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Levon Helm Band at moe.down. I believed every single note.
Click here for a recent interview with The Bridge
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JESSE MILLER (LOTUS) 
What will you remember most about 2008?
Barak Obama being elected President.
Who's the band to watch in 2009?
Fleet Foxes. Believe the hype.
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Black Mountain - In the Future
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Lotus at Rothbury (from on stage), Radiohead in Camden, NJ (from the crowd).
Click here for a recent interview with Lotus
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CHRIS GANGI (CORNMEAL) 
What will you remember most about 2008?
Standing in Grant Park in Chicago, IL with 100,000 other hopeful Americans as Barack Obama gave his acceptance speech. There was a quiet affirmation in the eyes of everyone there that change is possible.
Who's the band to watch in 2009?
Backyard Tire Fire
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Brett Dennen, Hope for the Hopeless
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Blind Melon, Double Door Chicago, IL
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ANDY BERNSTEIN (HEADCOUNT, PHARMER’S ALMANAC)
What will you remember most about 2008?
Registering 100,000 voters.
Who's the band to watch in 2009?
Cliffside Push
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Beck - Modern Guilt
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Eddie Vedder solo
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FUZZ (CARAVAN OF THIEVES, DEEP BANANA BLACKOUT) 
What will you remember most about 2008?
The election
Who's the band to watch in 2009?
HoneyHoney
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Trout Fishing in America, Pawling, NY
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JON TOPPER (TOP ARTIST MANAGEMENT: MOE., CORNMEAL)
What will you remember most about 2008?
Presidential Election, Food banks running out of food, moe. not playing for almost 5 months, Meeting Bob Costas at Farm Aid.
Who’s the band to watch in 2009?
Cornmeal, U-melt, The Bridge, macpodz, Phish, The Heavy Pets
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Rattlin Bones - Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson
What was your favorite live performance from 2008 ?
Presidents Of the United States Of America at moe.down. Check it out on iClips.
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CHRIS FRANTZ (TOM TOM CLUB, TALKING HEADS) 
What will you remember most about 2008?
That's easy. The election of Barack Obama!
Who is the band to watch in 2009?
I'm digging Lykke Li (a choice clip from Chris)
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Senor Coconut. El Baile Aleman, Nacional Records (The songs of
Kraftwerk played on marimbas and bongos!)
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Yelle at Le Festival de Art Rock, St. Brieuc, France
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REED MATHIS (JACOB FRED JAZZ ODYSSEY, TEA LEAF GREEN) 
What will you remember most about 2008?
Tea Leaf Green teaching me 1,000 ways to be a better bassist.
Who is the band to watch in 2009?
Whoever comes to your town! I'd like to see us all attend as many shows as humanly possible.
What album appeared in your CD player or iTunes most often?
Iron & Wine, Shepherds Dog
Sigur Ros, Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
Flaming Lips, At War With Mystics
What was your favorite live performance from 2008?
Tea Leaf Green, New Haven, CT, Toad's Place, 11/08
JFJO, New York, NY, Blue Note, 10/08
Benevento/Mathis/Fishman, Hartford, CT, Real Art Ways, 11/08
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