Best of 2008: Zach Bodish, Assistant House Manager

Over the course of the next few weeks we'll be posting some "best of" lists from a wide range of opinionated, art-appreciating Wexner Center staff members. Feel free to post your own by leaving a comment. We start it off with ever-vigilant Assistant House Manager, Zach Bodish, a raconteur and music freak if there ever was one.

The following are in no particular order and includes reissues, a movie, a couple of live events and BOTH Jazz and Rock:

Dark Meat Universal Indians (Vice Records Edition)
The neo-psych, gospel, marching band w/ didgeridoo movement that is sweeping the nation has found its leaders in this 11 piece Athens Ga. Collective. Whatta ya' mean there's no such movement… that would mean this band was (gasp) original!

La Otracina Love, Love, Love
Comets on Fire and Mars Volta should just give-up; this is the real thing when it comes to over loaded, molten guitar, psych exploration. I have seen the heart of the sun.

Gordon Withers Jawbox on Cello
The title sums it all-up- Jawbox classics performed on cello. The song arrangements are sparse and beautifully affecting yet are not stripped of their drive.

Big Dipper Super Cluster; the Big Dipper Anthology
Perhaps the quintessential late 80's Indie Rock band; Big Dipper combined smart pop with strumminess and crunch plus a healthy dose of wit, in an amiable, good natured package.
Songs like “She's Fetching”, “Faith Healer” and “Meet the Witch” were on par with anything R.E.M. was jangling and mumbling, while also being twice as fun.

Tim Berne's Bloodcount Seconds
John Zorn may get the most name recognition but for my money Tim Berne fiery sax always has more soul. Combining composition and improvisation, each lengthy piece is a freewheeling work that can be brooding and chamber like for a passage only to erupt in an explosion of chaos the next.

Fred Katz Folk Songs For Far Out Folks
Imaginative adaptations of African, Hebrew, and American folk tunes performed by different groupings of jazz cats with a 6 man percussion section. These compositions were upbeat and playful yet totally of the “cool” jazz variety.

The Byard Lancaster Unit Live at Macalister College
Wildly swingin' free Jazz that incorporates soul music and the blues. If Miles Davis had done “Bitch's Brew” free Jazz style he'd have been touching this album instead of that over produced mess.

Mission of Burma remastered reissues
Essential post punk, indie rock from back in the day when Indie rock bands weren't afraid to rock. Note to so many current bands- soft rock hits of the 70's weren't cool then and they aren't cool now.

Mission of Burma performing their classic albums “Vs.” and “Signals Calls and Marches” in their entirety; Bowery Ballroom, NYC June 12 and 13.
Blistering. There is no way that this band could have sounded any better back in the early 1990's.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains
DVD of the 1981 movie that stared a 15 year old Diane Lane and a 13 year old Laura Dern as the prototype for the Riot Grrrrrrl movement. This movie presages the whole rise and fall of that movement. There is some great music from the fictional band “the Looters” featuring ex-Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook plus ex Clash member Paul Simonon.

Obits at the Summit, Columbus Ohio 12/12 2008
Former Hot Snakes & Drive Like Jehu member plus a former member of the D.C band Edsel make rippin' good 60's garage rawk that is equal parts link Wray and Rocky Ericson dipped in a reverb tank of the blues.