As we continue to muddle our way through the onslaught of “Best of 2008” lists it is now explicitly clear – 2008 will be a hard act to follow. For many, said lists are a way to confirm their importance in the greater music community, their big chance to voice a difference of opinion (or not), and most commonly – a confirmation of insular tastes. Of course there were several records that everyone had on their fav’s list (pointing to that insular idea) – and if you looked around, you will know a good majority of those that would come to mind. Portland, and it’s ever expanding ‘local’ community of recognized musicians received many-a-nod once it came to the Top 10. This pleases me, and one can only imagine that this hotbed of culture will thrive for many years to come. There was a lot to listen to this past year, and considering habits are universal, a finite few received the honor of ‘repeat’. Whether at home, in the office, or on commute – we all had our favorites.
Well, having been working on our 2009 Lineup for a while now and I can confidently say that Pickathon is making sense of these lists, and excited to introduce several new acts to our 2009 crowd. So far, of the 15 confirmed – 10 are brand spanking new, 3 return from 2008, and 2 are local favorites from years past.
Who will be the new favorites of 2009? Who will be returning? What “Local” phenoms will we have this year? …all up for speculation, as we still have three weeks to wait out any official announcements.
Ideas? Thoughts?…..Themes?… 2009 has been dubbed a year for change, let us imagine for a minute what that really means.
We are looking forward to it.

So Hey! Post YOUR favorites of 2008 as well as ideas, thoughts, and themes for a perfect 2009….

That said, here’s a little pick-me-up to start the year off with a nice groove.
Red Stick Ramblers at the 2008 Pickathon – Bosco Stomp