1. Dean Allen Spunt – No Age –  Dean makes up for No Age’s lack of a bass player in a tremendous way. He is both a crafty artist and a heavy hitter. He defines some of No Age’s best tunes (Cappo, Every Artist Needs A Tragedy, Here Should Be My Home, etc), not to mention the fact that he sings on every one of them as well.

2. Matt Barrick – The Walkmen – The thing that I really love about Barrick is his pacing and control of tempo. He is just a commander from behind the drum set, whizzing through each song with passion and friendliness. A man of small stature and youthful appearance, Barrick is just as great on fast songs like “The Rat” and “Thinking Of A Dream I Had” (a personal favorite) as he is on a slower one like “Canadian Girl.”

3. Joe Bradley – Black Lips – Joe is simply the man, providing a solid vocal/drum combination for my favorite band. He’s incredibly high energy and intelligent. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves. On record, admittedly I don’t really pay attention to his drumming as much as I do the other instruments; live, it’s a thing of a beauty to watch him play.