Before anything is said about our second place winner in the Best Music Blog Contest, I’d just like to take a minute to thank Rock Sellout for pulling me out of the fire once again this holiday season with a post on the best gift ever. Get excited, Grandma, my faithful postal carrier, and the rest of the Hey! Nielsen staff…prepare to rock your way through the New Year.

In addition to having a color scheme reminiscent of my college roommate’s bed spread (which I covet to this day), the diversity of Rock Sellout’s contributers set it apart from the other blogs in the blogroll. With its core staff of six comprised of writers from Sweeden, London, Canada, and three from the US, Rock Sellout offers different points of opinion from around the world on the music blog staples of videos, new bands, and music news. Although they also do have some pretty kickin’ gossip posts thrown in there once in a while too, don’t mention Posh and Becks to them again. Ever.

We asked Rock Sellout’s Kip from Wisconsin to answer a few questions and, thankfully, he obliged.

How/why did you start your blog?
K: I was music editor of a London-based magazine at the time. I was unhappy with the rate things were progressing and decided to part ways with them. I spoke with a friend about starting our own music-based project. He mentioned having the domain rocksellout.com parked and ready to roll…without further thought, I created a blog called Rock Sellout.

We entertained starting a publication at one point, but after interviewing the editor of my favorite magazine (Jack Rabid from The Big Takeover), that idea was quickly laid to rest.

How do you interact with the local music scene?
I maintain the local record store’s Myspace. I also help the manager of the store promote the shows he books. From time to time, I’ll interview local artists and help promote their new releases on Rock Sellout. Currently, I’m writing the bio for a local musician’s press kit.

What’s the next great band everyone should know about?
There are far too many influential bands that people should be getting acquainted with before worrying about the next big thing. Here are a few of our favorites (in no particular order): The Kinks, Big Star, The Jam, The Go-Betweens, Buzzcocks, Gang of Four, Wire, The Undertones, Modern Lovers, Television, Cheap Trick, Redd Kross, Jesus And Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, Mission of Burma, The Replacements, Husker Du, etc.

As far as forthcoming releases to take note of…the new Martina Topley-Bird album, The Blue God, really has a hold on me. It will be released the early part of 2008.

What was your favorite live show this year / ever?
I braved -40 degree temperatures this past February to see Redd Kross at the Double Door in Chicago. That was definitely one of the highlights of the year! Seeing Spoon at Milwaukee’s Summerfest a few days before the release of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga was also pretty incredible. If I had to narrow it down to one favorite show though, it would have to be seeing America’s garage band, The Fleshtones, at The Eagles Club in Green Bay. If you haven’t experienced a night of “super rock” in your life, you haven’t lived yet.

Favorite show ever? I saw a lot of bands before commercial success knocked on their doors. Those shows always seem to have higher story telling value than others. Seeing Metallica at a supper club in Green Bay in 1985 is one of those shows…seeing Guns n Roses shortly before Appetite For Destruction really took off in a tiny town called Oshkosh is another. The most memorable recent show was seeing The Strokes before the release of their debut at The Metro in Chicago.

If you could add a category to a music awards show, what would it be and who would win it?
The Category? Hottest Female Vocalist
The Winner? Under Byen’s Henriette Sennenvaldt

In your opinion, what was the most overhyped story of 2007?
Constantly hearing about Posh and David Beckham got old relatively quickly, did it not?!