Amanda Palmer, "Creep (Radiohead cover, Live at Best Music Poll 2008)"

In only her second show since vocal-cord surgery, Amanda Palmer took the Best Music Poll concert stage to preview a bunch of tunes off her forthcoming solo debut, Who Killed Amanda Palmer?, most of 'em at the piano -- although she began with her patented showstopping ukulele rendition of "Creep" and ended, with Dresden Dolls drummer Brian Viglione on guitar, by howling a cover Neutral Milk Hotel's "Two Headed Boy."

We knew Bob Mould had gotten his feet wet a few years ago with a brief foray into electronic music and a monthly DJ night, "Blowoff," down in DC. What we hadn't realized is that a) Mould is back to making very Sugar-like rock music, and b) that his DJ tastes have evolved to the point where he's become a huge Paris/Ed Banger fanboy.

When the ladies of the Phoenix art department came running up to us at Best Music Poll in full-hyperventilation mode, we hoped that their excitement meant that someone had just uncovered a secret stash of drink tickets, or maybe an electric blanket. When we managed to calm them down, they claimed to have spotted Jim Halpert wandering around the venue.

Presidents of the United States of America

Death Cab for Cutie

Amanda Palmer

Bob Mould

Eli "Paperboy" Reed

All photos (c) Carina Mastrocola

It's a wrap: the 2008 Best Music Poll Concert is in the books, and as far as we know, no one died of hypothermia. Fuck, was it cold.

Digitos Grandes stepped in as last-minute replacements on our last BMP showcase, filling in for Pretty & Nice, who had to cancel due to injury. Was nice to see TD and Mac again in full sweatbox mode -- that's TD in the chain-mail bank-robber mask and the Mickey sweatshirt -- and we finally got a glimpse of DJ Wii-J Mark E.

Hallelujah the Hills + Ho-Ag, "Rain Dogs (Tom Waits cover; live at Great Scott)"

It's not like either Hallelujah the Hills or Ho-Ag lack for members; and it's not like they're such natural collaborators that they were bound to appear on the same stage eventually.

If we had a Best Music Poll category for most-improved, Mike Fiore's FACES ON FILM would've had another notch in their belt, not to mention a pretty-much unimpeded cakewalk to the victory. As it is, he's up for best local singer-songwriter, for which we apologize because we didn't know quite where else to put 'em.

So, Best Music Poll is a little thing we do with our brothers and sisters over at FNX every year, as yet another way of drumming up bragging rights for local rock/rap/pop/jazz/dj/etc supremacy. It's a time-honored tradition to bitch about who got nominated, talk shit about how your favorite band is way better, and stuff the ballot box for the Dresden Dolls -- or at least, that's what we do in-house.