Best of 2008!

Better late than never!

This was so much more difficult to do than last year's post, mainly referring to the top 20 shows list. Last year I had to narrow it down from 88 shows/dj sets. This year I had to narrow it down from 122. It took me 4 hours alone just to figure out who I had gone to see this year, never mind the deliberating...

A few things:

I didn't make a list of Top 10 Albums/EP's because there are quite a few that came out last year that I haven't gotten to listen to that would probably be in the running.

I will however say...Lambs Anger by Mr. Oizo is my number one album of 2008. I think it has a really complete, cohesive album feel. I also think it does a great job of showcasing Mr. Oizo's weirder side that is present in his earlier releases, but also includes a great crop of new bangers. I even don't mind the Uffie track which up until this point was something that was not possible. And of course, my four favorite little words - Vous êtes des animaux!

Some other albums that came out in 2008 that I got to hear and like to varying degrees (most, quite a bit) are (in no particular order):

The Rapture - K7! Tapes
The Whip - X Marks Destination
Cassius - CASSIUSPLAY: Nike+ Original Run
Surkin - Next of Kin EP
Soulwax - Part of the Weekend Never Dies
The Black Ghosts Mixtape
The Black Ghosts - self-titled
Jamie Lidell - Jim
Lord Skywave - self-titled
Boys Noize - Bugged Out! Presents Suck My Deck
Simian Mobile Disco - Live from Soho
Runaway - Wurst Edits #6
Eamon Harkin - Wurst Edits #5
Louis La Roché - The Peach EP
Friendly Fires - self-titled
Evil Nine - They Live
Des Peres - The Adventures Of Cowboy and Miniman
Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
The Bloody Beetroots - Rombo EP
M83 - Saturdays = Youth


Top 20 Shows:

20 - Trus’me @ the Yard, 6/8
19 - DFA @ MoMa, 3/1 (you can download the dj sets from that night and check out some more photos and video here)
18 - Trevor Jackson @ the Mini Rooftop, 9/12
17 - Holy Ghost, Stretch Armstrong, and Feadz @ the Yard, 9/14
16 - Boy 8 Bit @ 88 Palace, 11/14
15 - Boy 8 Bit @ Glasslands, 3/13
14 - Fake Blood @ Plan B, 12/16
13 - Fake Blood @ the B, 12/12
12 - the Black Ghosts @ Glasslands, 5/10
11 - Busy P and DJ Mehdi @ Santos, 9/18
10 - DJ Falcon @ Le Poisson Rouge, 11/1
9 - Fred Falke @ the Tribeca Grand, 7/12
8 - Busy P @ Le Royale, 3/14
7 - Justice dj set @ Webster Hall, 10/30
6 - Justice @ the WaMu Theater @ MSG, 3/11
5 - M83 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg, 6/3
4 - Ulrich Schnauss @ the World Financial Center, 6/24 (check out some pics by Ryan here. Btw, Dorit Chryssler also played at that show and was awesome.)
3 - Underworld @ All Points West, 8/8
2 - Soulwax @ Irving, 8/6
1 - Insiders with Soulwax, Late of the Pier, and the Whip @ Irving, 10/24

From Insiders with the Whip, Late of the Pier, and Soulwax

Plus honorable mention to WhoMadeWho and Friendly Fires who were completely new to me and excellent during CMJ!

Non-electro shows (not ranked - all pretty awesome):
1/19 – Tim Fite @ Joe’s Pub
7/25 – Ween @ McCarren Pool
8/17 – Sharon Jones @ Central Park Summerstage
8/3 – Jamie Lidell @ Central Park Summerstage
8/8 – Radiohead @ All Points West
8/9 – Radiohead @ All Points West
10/15 – Jamie Lidell @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg
11/9 – Jamie Lidell dj set @ Public Assembly

Jamie singing "Little Bit Of Feel Good" during his dj set:



11/20 – Sondre Lerche @ Bowery Ballroom
12/12 – the Tallest Man on Earth @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg


More bests and other random-ness:

Best of 2008 - Soulwax
Best Facial Hair – Paul (for the Logans)
Best Namer of Facial Hair - Busy George for coming up with "the Logans"
Best Nickname - Miqueeee Le Teque!
Best Electro Twinz - Busy George & Sebastien Tellier
Best People I’ve met through my blog – too many this year, though I think Mitch is the only one I actually hang out with.
Best blast from the past who I now hang out with regularly (yay!) – Van Scott
Best electro-related work moment: My boss asking if he should rub Vicks on his chest before listening to most of the music I put on.
Best family supporter of banging jams – my brother, through his incessant repetition of “Mr. Oizo” and “Busy P” in French accents, despite the fact that he would probably hate their music if I ever made him listen to it. Plus this year I even got him to listen to Soulwax and he has kept "Much Against Everyone's Advice"!
MVP’s – red bull, purple Adidas high-tops, and the purple & green low-tops.
Best Excuse to Dance during the daytime – Sunday Best at the Yard
Best Week Ever: Tie! The week of August 6th which included Soulwax at Irving Plaza, Underworld's Beautiful Burnout Art Jam opening, and All Points West. AND the week of CMJ which was awesome thanks to Brooklynvegan.
Best dj set by someone whose stuff I didn’t know at all prior: – Trus'me at the Yard
People who should come out of going out retirement: Busy Jason and Busy George

Also, thanks to Busy Paul, Miquee le Tequeee, and Eddie (shtuuuk) for hitting dancefloors all over the city with me. Thanks to BV for endless hookups. Thanks to Mike for letting me interview Karl Hyde (amazing!). Can't wait to see what '09 will bring!