Was 2008 a ground-breaking year for music? Probably not. But the past 365 days did bring us many sonic surprises, some good and some bad. Here are a few highlights, as well as our Top 3 Bands of the Year (all, incidentally, from New York). more ›

This past Monday, Stereogum celebrated the release of their annual reader-pickedGummy Awards with a little get together at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. In what felt more like an open invitation holiday party than any sort of awards show, the blog got Bell, Violens and Deerhunter to perform to a packed room. While Deerhunter haven't been strangers to the city this year, playing over a half dozen times in 2008, this was perhaps their best effort yet—sounding a bit restrained, but utterly consistent and on-point throughout. They had a tough act to follow in Violens, who played an excellent and moving opening set, perhaps positioning themselves for a breakout year in 2009. For videos from all the acts that night, check here. more ›