Top 5 records 2011 / Mikey Bat Bite

1 - The Vaccines - What did you expect from the vaccines
2 - The Dwarves - Are born again
3 - The Black Lips - Arabia mountain
4 - The Copyrights - North sentinel island
5 - House Boat - The thorns of life (ed. - The song on the playlist is not from this album)

Top 5 Apers Moments 2011 / Ivo Backbreaker

1 - Partying at the 5th Monster Zero Mash and celebrating our 15th aniversary.
2 - Touring twice with the Queers in the States.
3 - Playing shows with old member Jerry Hormone.
4 - Recording our first live record in Nordenham.
5 - Touring with Sons Of Buddha and Los Di Maggios in France.

Top 5 shows 2011 / Max Power

1 - Monster Zero Mash-Dec.2./3.-2011
2 - Chixdiggit-Apr.4.2011
3 - Kepi Ghoulie-acoustic-Apr.17.2011
4 - Moto-Dec.22.2011
5 - Sons Of Buddha-Dirty Witch festival 2011

Top 5 random stuff 2011 / Kevin Aper

1 - FC Barcelona winning the Champions League
2 - Great new thrash by Warbringer, Toxic Holocaust and Fueled By Fire
3 - Moving from Holland to Austria
4 - Opening for Suicidal Tendencies with my band Insanity Alert
5 - 65 shows with The Apers

Click here to listen to songs from THE APERS’ top 5 on Spotify!

In no particular order…

Ryan Adams, “Ashes and Fire”
Secret Samurai “Zanshin”
Jake Shimabukuro “peace love ukulele”
Pebs “Sweet Surrender”
Blackout Party “closed mouth don’t get fed”

Cheers and Happy Holidays

Jonas

Click here to listen to songs from Jonas’ top 5 on Spotify!

1. Tenement - Napalm Dream
2. Sundials - Never Settle
3. Joyce Manor - S/T
4. Timeshares - Bearable
5. Hold Tight! - Call the Zoo (technically an EP, but too good to not put on the list)

♥ Pat

Click here to listen to songs from Pat’s list on Spotify!

(Since Spotify didn’t have Tenement or Hold Tight! here’s links to their stuff:
http://tenement.bandcamp.com/album/napalm-dream
http://holdtight.bandcamp.com/album/call-the-zoo)

Andy Vandal of THE RIPTIDES contributes his favorites of the year:

Ricky Gervais hosting the Golden Globes
He was so controversial in the 2011 ceremony with his skewering of Hollywood egos, they asked for him to come back and host in 2012. Genius.


“Game of Thrones” (TV / Books)
Admittedly, I was late to the table in discovering George R. R. Martin’s brilliant series “A Song of Fire and Ice.” But after watching the exceptional HBO series, I dove into the novels and I am now consumed by them like wildfire on the Blackwater Rush. Winter is Coming.


Seal Team Six’s Dog
The Team that silenced Osama had help from a four legged friend that served to detect explosives, protect the soldiers and locate Bin Laden himself. That’s just awesome. The President thought so and insisted on thanking the dog personally.


“Ron Swanson” (Nick Offerman) from NBC’s “Parks and Recreation”
One of the funniest characters on TV.


Tim Thomas (Boston Bruins)
It’s hard to remember an NHL goalie who has dominated a season as Thomas did in his 2010/11 campaign. Vezina Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy (ie: league MVP), Stanley Cup winner, NHL 1st-line All-Star. 2011 was HIS year. And he did it all with a smile on his face.


“Breaking Bad”, “Walking Dead”, “Boardwalk Empire”, “Game of Thrones”, “Sons of Anarchy”
Best dramas on TV.


“Modern Family”, “Happy Endings”, “Louie”, “Community”
Best comedies on TV.


Dan Aykroyd’s “Crystal Head” vodka
No, this has nothing to do with the disastrous “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” - this is simply a vodka that Mr. Ghostbuster has packaged into an insanely awesome crystal skull. Made in Newfoundland too, eh!


And lastly, this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGeKSiCQkPw

KEPI GHOULIE’s Top 5 of 2011

Top 5 for 2011???? I need a top 500!!!
weren’t the ” Asian Man 15” shows more than 5 alone? I’m gonna count that as ONE!
Then there’s the new AJJ and Kepi and tons more on Asian Man Records? I’m gonna count the whole label as #2!!
And touring all over the world with Chixdiggit? I’m gonna count that as #3!!!
and what, Kepi, you say you got to play with Vic Ruggiero, Tommy Stinson, the Frustrators and one of your ALL TIME heroes David Johansen of the NEW YORK DOLLS????? all in one big extended weekend? you surely better count THAT as #4!!!!!!!
And you are healthy and happy and have a bowl of cereal in your belly, washed down by a chocolate cookie and a cup of black coffee and you got $23 in your pocket and a truckload of some of the best friends in the entire universe??? That certainly has to be #5 and you my friend, are DONE before this list has even BEGUN!!!!

HAPPY 2012!!!!!!! I hope I get to do all 780 exciting things that I have planned for this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WE BLEED ROCK N ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

DAN P’s Top 5 of 2011

#1- Album of the year: “I bleed rock n roll” by Kepi ghoulie. Such great, ear blistering rock n roll from one of my all time favorites, Kepi! I had the honor of going into the studio and shredding leads on the title track. As I was tracking, Kepi was jumping around the studio like a crazed grasshopper, screaming and cheering me on.. Easily one of my favorite moments of 2011!

#2- Dog of the year: Louise Moon. Chihuahua/pug mix? Don’t know. My wife and I adopted a dog this October from the Santa Cruz county animal shelter. She’s made me laugh out loud at least twice every day the past two months. Am I a bad person for putting clothes on my dog? I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I’ve become that person.

#3- Favorite show of 2011 that has already happened: mu330 at slims with slapstick and the chinkees. So fun. So surreal.
Was that Matt Skiba skanking on stage?

#4-Favorite show of 2011 that hasn’t happened yet: new years eve at the firebird in St Louis with mu330, all original Press era lineup! We haven’t played together with this lineup since 1994. That’s 17 years! I’ve been in STL practicing for the past couple days, and it’s been silly fun relearning our entire first album. Poor Rob Bell. Our early horn arrangements were ridiculous. No stopping, just playing constantly through a four minute song. Did we really arrange a song to have four verses!?!

#5- Favorite on-stage star struck moment: During a Kepi ghoulie set at the crepe place in Santa Cruz, I was playing guitar with the Kepi electric band, and Kepi invited Josh Caterer from the smoking popes to come up and shred leads. I’m a huge dork of a smoking popes fan. Total dream come true.