5. Dream Syndicate – Live at Raji’s Recorded towards the end of Dream Syndicate’s existence, Live at Raji offers a nice overview of the band’s music, delivered with the kind of raw energy and enthusiasm studio recordings lack. A few of these songs are superior to their original incarnations, and the rest do not dissapoint.

4. 801 - Live (FAN SUGGESTION) Although they would record a studio album a few years after the release of Live, 801 was initially formed to perform a handful of shows. A super group whose members included Brian Eno and Phil Manzanera, 801 mostly stuck to previously recorded compositions by its various members as well as inspired arrangements of the Kink’s”You Really Got Me” and The Beatles “Tomorrow Knows”.

3. Townes Van Zandt – Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas This is considered by many to be not only the definitive Van Zandt live recording but an essential document of a time and place in popular American music. Van Zandt fans cherish the intimacy and purity of these solo acoustic performances which are far preferable to many of their over-produced and over-arranged counterparts. Recently reissued on double vinyl!

2. Don Cherry – Live at Cafe Montmartre First volume of a three part series of Don Cherry at his best.  If you like Free Jazz or wanted to like it, this would be a worthy selection, culled from the formative years of the genre. Not only is this 1966 set a beautiful recording but comes with a 12 hour DVD-audio sampler filled with music from the great ESP label roster.

1. Underworld – Everything Everything Electronic music lends itself surprisingly well to live performance when placed in the right hands. On Everything Everything, Underworld are invigorating as they playfully extend and blend songs from their catalog to create a unique piece of music. Check out the video version of the show for an added layer of awesomeness thanks to a stunning visual contribution from Tomato, an art design collective whose membership includes two-thirds of Underworld.