Archive article of the week: absolutely massive bumper Christmas '02 edition

Naturally enough, seeing as our relationship has grown and flourished over this first tender year into something quite special... (you lot and us lot... we've got a thing going on) we wanted to get you something nice for Christmas to seal our smoochy-luve. so, we went to our music writers and asked each of them to select their own very favourite music-related article that they got to write this year, to fetch from our archive for you..
the resulting list, below, is actually one of the damn-finest collections of music writing we can remember seeing, anywhere, ever. we loved reading it all again & we think you will too. enjoy..

Peter Murphy gets on the bus with Zen cowboy Willie Nelson:

Kim Porcelli hears Streets poetry from Mike Skinner:

Colin Carberry has a perfect moment in Belfast's Botanic Gardens:

Stuart Clark meets Howlin' Pelle and gets a new favourite band:

Hannah Hamilton finds a fitter, happier Feeder:

James Kelleher takes the train with DJ Shadow:

Paul Nolan goes intergalactic-planetary over Supergrass:

Eamon McCann admires Ani DiFranco's straight talking:

...and Nadine O'Regan finds she's not a half bad musician, either:

Eamon Sweeney meets punk "recording engineer" and general wise man Steve Albini:

John Walshe says, y'all get the Reindeer Section's new album, y'hear!:

Helen Toland swaps L.A. stories with David Holmes:

Phil Udell takes a Turn for the better in Phoenix Park:

Colm O'Hare lets Thomas Walsh out of Pugwash tear the world a new arsehole:

Marc O'Sullivan records the musings of "quirky Cork band" (c) Fred:

Sarah McQuaid gets her heart's desire listening to Niamh Parsons:

Barry Glendenning avoids sitting in dogs' piss at Ozzy Osbourne's:

Colm Walsh listens as So Solid Crew blame everything on the tabloids:

Jackie Hayden recalls the glory of Rory Gallagher:

Simon Roche watches The Vines in front of a home crowd:

Stephen Robinson meets head Head David Byrne:

Oliver P. Sweeney is awed by the Hayes & Cahill gig of a lifetime:

and last but not least, Fiona Reid lingers in the Singles department:
'Weak Become Heroes', The Streets
'Time To Bleed EP', Woodstar
'Six Days', DJ Shadow
'Black Rooster EP', The Kills
'Country Fair'/'Bang', Moldy Peaches/Yeah Yeah Yeahs

That should keep you til next year, anyway... see you then.