2007

The year I became uninspired as a blogster, throwing myself into real life instead. But I couldn't not stop by to list my aural favourites of the past 12 months considering my real life largely consisted of la musique...

Start at the edge and end on the throne

ALBUMS OF 2007
1 Klaxons Myths Of The Near Future
Like last year, my album of 2007 happens to mirror that of the NME and Mercury Music Prize. And, like its predecessor (Arctic Monkeys' Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not), it is a debut album which prevails. While many of the year's more anticipated albums served to disappoint (see albums 14-18), Myths Of The Near Future genuinely surprised me despite the fact that I adored every single which preceded it. With the wise exclusion of their Kicks Like A Mule cover ('The Bouncer') - the only track from 2006's Xan Valleys EP not to appear - it's impossible to fault any of the 11 contibutions. Klaxons claim to have invented nu rave but while this movement has dissolved almost as rapidly as it emerged, it's still not clear what the whole shebang meant aside from fashions that were neon. Musically, the rave references are few and far between, instead the living boys from New Cross have re-invented guitar pop. As if appealing to indie sorts and Club Kid fashionistas alike were not enough, the infectious 'Golden Skans' single ensured mainstream "ooh ahs" not heard since Gina G.

'Two Receivers'
'Atlantis To Interzone'
'As Above So Below'

2 Digitalism Idealism
'Zdarlight'
'Digitalism In Cairo'
'Apollo Gize'

3 Trademark Raise The Stakes
'Toe The Line'
'More Than I Deserve'
'Come To Love'

4 Calvin Harris I Created Disco
'Neon Rocks'
'Merrymaking At My Place'
'Acceptable In The 80s'

5 Arctic Monkeys Favourite Worst Nightmare
'Fluorescent Adolescent'
'Brianstorm'

6 Britney Spears Blackout
'Gimme More'
'Get Naked (I Got A Plan)'

7 Simian Mobile Disco Attack Decay Sustain Release
'Sleep Deprivation'
'It’s The Beat'

8 Babyshambles Shotter’s Nation
'Delivery'
'There She Goes'

9 Hard-Fi Once Upon A Time In The West
'We Need Love'
'Watch Me Fall Apart'

10 Justice †
'Phantom Part II'
'D.A.N.C.E.'

11 The Cribs Men’s Needs Women’s Needs Whatever
'I’m A Realist'
'My Life Flashed Before My Eyes'

12 Róisín Murphy Overpowered
'You Know Me Better'
'Let Me Know'

13 Bloc Party A Weekend In The City
'The Prayer'
'Song For Clay (Disappear Here)'

14 Kylie X
'2 Hearts'
'Nu-di-ty'

15 Boys Noize Oi Oi Oi
'Let's Buy Happiness'
'& Down'

16 Björk Volta
'Declare Independence'
'Wanderlust'

17 Girls Aloud Tangled Up
'Girl Overboard'
'Call The Shots'

18 Felix Da Housecat Virgo Blaktro And The Movie Disco
'Lookin My Best'

19 Mika Life In Cartoon Motion
'Relax Take It Easy'

20 Sophie Ellis-Bextor Trip The Light Fantastic
'Can’t Have It All'

21 Ash Twilight Of The Innocents
'You Can’t Have It All'

22 Shy Child Noise Won’t Stop
'Cause And Effect'

23 Super Furry Animals Hey Venus!
'Run Away'

24 Dragonette Galore
'I Get Around'

25 Manic Street Preachers Send Away The Tigers
'Your Love Alone Is Not Enough'

Love and Kissy

REMIXERS OF 2007
1 (NEW) Kissy Sell Out
One of the cringiest things about previous Oshiblog posts is the apparent schoolgirl-like obsessions with (generally) indie boy musicians. Being fanatical about the music, however, is acceptable in the Noughties. And if I'd continued blogging since Celebrity Big Brother contestant Donny Tourette was in, er, favour, one Kissy Sell Out would be hogging the column inches due to his fresh approach to remixing - fusing rock and rave like a more commercial Switch. He certainly fingered the additional production pie somewhat and even got to touch the hits of some big-name girlies such as Gwen Stefani and Sugababes. His cut-and-paste DJ sets are tackled with such enthusiasm, which, in clubland, is such a punk ethic. He's also likely to have scored highly in the Oshiblog picture count of 2008 because yes, I'll admit, he is a bit hot to boot.


GoodBooks 'Leni' (Kissy Sell Out Remix)
Mark Ronson feat Daniel Merriweather 'Stop Me' (Kissy Sell Out's True Romance)
All Saints 'Chick Fit' (Kissy Sell Out's Excellent Adventure)

2 (1) MSTRKRFT / JFK
One half of the duo (JFK) re-editing Bloc Party (in what is quite possibly my remix of the year) and Goose boosts up the credentials of last year's chart-topper MSTRKRFT. FYI they're doing Kylie in the new year.
Bloc Party 'Flux' (JFK Remix)
Justice 'D.A.N.C.E.' (MSTRKRFT Remix)
Goose 'Bring It On' (MSTRKRFT JFK Remix)

3 (NEW) Midnight Juggernauts
Australian music became listenable as Modular Records' popularity soared. This lot's rather stupendous debut album isn't released here until 2008 but they reproduced enough gems in 07 to be included here.
The Presets 'Down Down Down' (Midnight Juggernauts Remix)
Dragonette 'I Get Around' (Midnight Juggernauts Remix)
Stardust Five 'Pussy Got Your Tongue' (Midnight Juggernauts Remix)

4 (NEW) JBAG
Stands for Jerry Bouthier and Andrea Gorgerino, who would regularly play records at Shoreditch's answer to Studio 54. Boombox shuts its bombastic doors after tonight's final soiree. Goodbye try-hards.
Rex The Dog 'Circulate' (JBAG Edit)
Kylie 'Boombox' (JBAG Remix)
S'Express 'Stupid Little Girls' (JBAG Remix)

5 (NEW) Boy 8-Bit
Dubstep genius who DJed at my birthday party (see Tracks of the year) playing a total of four and a half records.
Burial 'Archangel' (Boy 8-Bit's Simple Remix)
Mika 'Lollipop' (Boy 8-Bit's Running Man Remix)

6 (2) Soulwax
Ghentleman's agreements:
LCD Soundsystem 'Get Innocuous' (Soulwax Remix)
Hot Chip 'Ready For The Floor' (Soulwax Dub)

7 (3) Touche
Body Clap anthems:
Fil OK 'Wink Wink' (Touche Remix)
Craig David 'Hot Stuff' (Touche Remix)

8 (7) Dirty South
Melbournian filth:
Tracey Thorn ‘Grand Canyon’ (Dirty South Remix)
Mark Ronson feat Daniel Merriweather ‘Stop Me’ (Dirty South Remix)

9 (NEW) Goose
Webbed-foot fancies:
Scissor Sisters 'She’s My Man' (Goose Remix)
The Cribs 'Men’s Needs' (Goose Remix)

10 (NEW) Punks Jump Up
Indie disco choons:
Gossip 'Listen Up' (Punks Jump Up Remix)
Kleerup feat. Robyn 'With Every Heartbeat' (Punks Jump Up Remix)

2006

The end is nigh. And while I tried to document as much of my life as possible since Oshiblog 'opened' on 1 February, I didn't manage to display my geeky enthusiasm for lists.

I feel now is the perfect time to share the albums, compilations, remixers and tracks I thought rocked over the past 12 months. As well as a picture count of the desirable famous folk I often posted to distract from any dodgy write-ups.

So before we see in the new, let's reflect...

Jackpot out the fruit machine

1 Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am That's What I'm Not
Yes, it is everybody's fucking album of the year but surely that, as well as the genius, observational, witty lyrics of love set in Web 2.0-generation Sheffield, speaks for itself. The pioneers of marketing-free success's eagerness to move on from the fastest-selling debut in chart history may have affected the chances of it being the biggest-selling of the year (Snow Patrol? Honestly) but they'll be reyt. Visual sample

2 Keane Under The Iron Sea
Do all lead singers have to be sexy or does the indie scene have a zero tolerance policy towards the piano? Whatever the case, Keane just aren't cool yet they equal the brilliance of their melancholy debut Hopes And Fears with this LP. And all with just three instruments. Visual sample

3 The Long Blondes Someone To Drive You Home
The indie underdog that is the female-fronted band returned this year in the guise of this Sheffield five-piece. Their Stock Aitken Waterman influences not as apparent as their love of Britpop and all things retro with lyrics that Jarvis Cocker would have written if female. Visual sample

4 The Killers Sam's Town Visual sample
5 Razorlight Razorlight Visual sample
6 Tiga Sexor Visual sample
7 Robbie Williams Rudebox Visual sample
8 The Knife Silent Shout Visual sample
9 Muse Black Holes And Revelations Visual sample
10 The Automatic Not Accepted Anywhere Visual sample
11 Scissor Sisters Ta Dah Visual sample
12 The Kooks Inside In/Inside Out Visual sample
13 Amy Winehouse Back To Black Visual sample
14 Cerys Matthews Never Said Goodbye Audio samples
15 Bat For Lashes Fur And Gold Audio samples

Divers artistes

1 Kitsune Maison Compilation 2
Bloc Party. MSTRKRFT. Boys Noize. Azzido Da Bass. Digitalism. Wolfmother. Johnny Blake! Adam Sky. Simian Mobile Disco... Compilation of the year. Undoubtedly.

2 Kitsune Maison Compilation 3
3 Girls Aloud The Sound Of Girls Aloud
4 DJ Hell Misch Masch
5 Dannii Minogue The Hits And Beyond

RMXR 2006

1 MSTRKRFT
Canadian electro producers who not only brilliantly tampered with Wolfmother's 'Woman' but also proved that polishing a turd is possible as their metamorphosis of All Saints' 'Rock Steady' is my remix of the year.

2 Soulwax
Belgian cut and paste pioneers who excel at reconstructing pop tracks to the point of oblivion. This year they made The Gossip's 'Standing In The Way Of Control' dancefloor-friendly and, on 'Lovelight', made Robbie Williams fans out of new ravers everywhere.

3 Touche
He with the handle-bar moustache was responsible for the greatest free-with-a-magazine CD ever. Mixmag's House Party Dynamite showcases a fair few of his awesome re-edits including Erick Morillo feat P Diddy's 'Dance I Said' and Phunk Electric's 'Video Games Crash'.

4 Tocadisco
Electro house became the new funky among superclubbers and this German DJ/producer was responsible for a number of 2006 anthems, namely The Egg's 'Walking Away'. He also added a touch of Ibiza's Space to Pet Shop Boys' 'Minimal'.

5 Van She
Australian electro combo who made Klaxons' 'Gravity's Rainbow' sound like Daft Punk and updated the latter act's classic 'Around The World' with full-on electric guitars. Wank-tastic.

6 Switch
(The Futureheads 'Worry About It Later'; Lily Allen 'LDN'; Freeform Five 'No More Conversations')
7 Dirty South
(Chris Lake 'Changes'; Mind Electric 'Dirty Cash'; Evermore 'It's Too Late')
8 Simian Mobile Disco
(Klaxons' 'Magick')
9 Trentemoller
(Moby 'Go'; The Knife 'We Share Our Mother's Health'; Yoshimoto 'Du What You Du')
10 Erol Alkan
(Hot Chip 'Boy From School'; Scissor Sisters 'I Don't Feel Like Dancin'')