New Model Army - Fuck Texas, Sing for Us (Live) (2008)

For those who enjoyed NMA's 11th LP, Today Is a Good Day, it might seem like overkill releasing a fourth live album in 18 years (along with a live rarities LP to boot). But Fuck Texas (recorded at four European shows and a snippet from a New Orleans jaunt, not the Lone Star State) is not only another fierce example of the incredible Clash-like intensity of their gigs, it's a reminder of how little they need to rely on "classic" material. The vast majority of these songs weren't written when they released their previous live LP, 1999's ...& Nobody Else, with "Bloodsports" and "Wired" from 2007's High being particularly dazzling, and 2005's Carnival's "Island" displaying new urgency. It's not only brilliant that they documented this fiery, flat-out smokin' 2000s NMA lineup, but these songs on-stage as well -- and this may well be their best live LP ever.