NME Cool List 2007
Wow! Suddenly my site has woken up from its deep coma. Anyway, it's time to publish my end of the year list. For a few years now I have called it the NME Cool List. NME stands for Nicole's Music End of the year list.
2007, a year in which French music (a thank you to Ed Banger for the massive parties) ruled the nation, parties were being held in so called warehouses, new exciting DJs (Duke Dumont, Sinden, Brodinski, Matt Walsh etc.) destroyed the dancefloor, boys went crazy about t-shirts and lots of excellent pop bands (Late of the Pier, Foals, Friendly Fires) who are making themself ready for an even more exciting year in 2008.
For me personally it has been about obsessions, stalking, seeing DJs/bands in four different countries (Holland, France, Iceland & Belgium), being partied out and having a music breakdown. London, I absolutely still love you, but please can someone give me some brakes, as life goes a bit too quick sometimes.
What a year, eh? The NME Cool List of 2007!!! Check out my year in photography at Flickr.
Wow, that was cool!
At the beginning of this year a friend suggested that I should keep track of my clubbing & gigs adventures, which is what I did. Here's a selection of the most memorable gigs I have been to.
* The Rakes @ Kings College
I can't really say that it was their best one ever, but it sure was a night to remember. Have you ever been treated by a whole pint of beer? One that someone throws from down the front all the way to the back, it hits your head, the beer flows all over you and the smell on your hair and clothes is just disgusting.
* Liars @ White Heat
I queued up for an hour, as it was sold out, but some tickets were still available on the door. It was worth queuing up. My god, how fantastic were they, eh?
* !!!, Holy Fuck and Midnight Juggernauts @ Koko
All three were amazing! It was good to see Midnight Juggernauts again. It was absolutely great to hear Holy Fuck play 'Lovely Allen'. What a tune. It was fantastic to dance to every !!! song. I love Nic Offer's dance moves.
* Simian Mobile Disco @ Hoxton Bar + @ Durrr
SMD live? Is it good? Oh yes!!! They run around their machines, play with them and wow! It's the b.e.a.t.
* Iceland Airwaves 2007
I love Iceland. I love this festival. I saw way too many great acts. Someday I will go again and you should too. (pics)
5 coolest all-repeat albums
* Justice - cross
My number 1 album of 2007. Thanks guys!
* !!! - Myth Takes
Moves and grooves.
* Holy Fuck - LP
The masters of all beatmachines. Definitely my kind of band. (link)
* Black Devil Disco Club - In Dub
Bought the album after hearing it in Tiga's last podcast. (link)
* Sigur Ros - Heima
Not an album, but a DVD. Truly wonderful.
Some very cool songs
* Justice - D.A.N.C.E. (link)
* Holy Fuck - Lovely Allen
* Late of the Pier - Bathroom Gurgle
* Battles - Atlas (link)
... I actually can't think of any more. I might get back to this one.
Supercool DJs
I am gonna stick to three or actually four DJs only this year. Not really that much of change from last year.
* Erol Alkan
Best DJ in the world. Erol, thanks for everything you do. A true inspiration.
* Justice
What can I say. I love these two French boys. They released a great album and singles, and they made the first half of 2007 just amazing. (pics)
* Tiga
"Sexy lighting always strikes twice, twice..." Tiga at the T(iga)-Bar. (pics)
I've got a cool obsession
So, 2007 has been about obsessions. Some of them were serious, others were not. Let's start with the serious one.
* French electronic music
I have always had a slight obsession for electronic music from France, but this year it got a bit out of hand. Going to every single (secret) Ed Banger party in London, seeing these two robots live in Paris, trying to say 'sexy sourire s'il vous plaît?' fluently and falling in love with almost every French DJ. Ouuuuiii!
* Men with beat machines (link)
"What's more exciting then to watch men go absolutely freaky with beat machines? Or actually just about everything with knobs on it," is what I wrote on PopScene earlier this year. Holy Fuck, Slagsmallsklubben, Zombie Zombie, Battles and more to mention. Still, it's not enough. Make this girl happy and start a band with lots of beat machines. The more, the better! Roarrrr!!!!
Is it cool to stalk?
Ok, having a slightly worrying obsession is not always cool. What about being a stalker? I have been out and about way too many times this year. Sometimes I saw a new band only once and other times I saw a band for the 10th time.
* Late of the Pier (link)
Seriously, I can not believe that I have actually seen LotP 10 times this year. Hey, they are amazing and they will be even more amazing in 2008.
* Justice
According to a colleague I am Justice' number one stalker. It is not as much as LotP, but 8 times in twelve months is still a lot. They sure did make me d.a.n.c.e.
Not so very cool
Of course, a year also has its bad moments.
* It all started with me being partied out. A few months later having a music breakdown and not enjoying writing about anything music related, buying music etc. No wonder PopScene ended up in coma. It is all slowly getting back to normal again. I bought a shit lot of records the last few weeks, I am enjoying parties again and... hopefully PopScene will fully wake up too.
Fuck, what a cool party that was
I could mention millions of great parties I have been to, but am gonna stick to just this one only.
* The last ever Trash @ The End (pics)
Wow! What a great way to end this legendary night. So many good tunes were played. So much fun we had, but also some sadness. Thank you for the music and turning me into a dancing queen every single night I went.
On their way to be cool
Who/what is gonna be cool next year?
* F#ck electro, it is all gonna be about (indie)pop in 2008. Late of the Pier, Foals, Friendly Fires, Cajun Dance Party, Fryars, Mystery Jets, Long Blondes, a Filthy Dukes pop album etc. etc.
* Men with beatmachines will rule completely. Come on guys, start a band with lots of machines. Yeah!
Coolest weblog fan
Last but not least, I'd like to give one fan of mine the status of coolest weblog fan. The 'award' goes to.....
* Nathalie. Just a thank you and remember 'You can do anything you want as long as it makes sense.'
AND a thank you to everyone I have partied with this year. You know who you all are. Let's do it again in 2008 and even better.
AND a thank you to that very addictive message board on which I spend most of my internet sparetime on. Argh! Make it stop!
Motto for 2008: "It is all too techno for me!"
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