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Today, Amy sent out an email to everyone in team ATL. It's time to pick our stand out local acts of 2010 and attempt to put them in some kind of order. A near impossible task, but at least there's no shortage of bands to pick from.

But wait - quite a few of the acts on last years top twenty no longer exist!! Number 6, 7, 14, 15 and 20, for a start.

2010 has been amazing. We've watched shiny new acts like The 1930s, Screendeath, Key of Atlas and More Than Conquerors start to cause havoc. But it's also been quite a cruel yearÌý- slaying a load of bands we'd grown to love in the last few years.

Oppenheimer and Cutaways for a start. Two bands that spray-painted smiles on our grateful faces every single time we saw them live, played their album, or had them in the studio. Even though I've seen Oppenheimer a whole bunch of times, loads of their shows stand out, reflecting 'big moments' in the best possible way. The AU birthday party in Derry, the first year Glasgowbury had a proper 'Main Stage', the Skibunny Christmas gig in Belfast, during which they handed the baton to a support act called The Wondervillians - all special moments. And then they were gone.

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It was bye bye Panama Kings - my own personal favourite act of 2009. A band I raved about to anyone who'd listen. The biggest compliment I can pay them is that I once brought a girl to see them.... on our first date. I didn't even know if she liked that type of music - either I was convinced they were just that good and thus she'd be won over and impressed by my excellent taste, or I didn't care about the date at all and just wanted to see my favourite local band. Either way - a risky business.

ÌýLove and Chirstmassy hugs,

Rigsy

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