DJ Nina Ramone’s Guilty Pleasures of 2008
December 25, 2008
Whether wasting your life on YouTube or getting wasted on the dance floor, 2008 was an undeniably great year for dance-pop guilty pleasures. Here are the best and brightest. Along with the songs and videos, enjoy some commentary on why these superstars make us feel a little guilty for loving their music, and why in the end we just don’t care.
- compiled by Chances’ Nina Ramone (Aay Preston-Myint) illcutyou.com
1. Róisín Murphy – You Know Me Better
I dont know what it is, there’s something about the ecstatic overproduction on “You Know Me Better” that ends up working in the end. I can’t fight it. Play this track in a room full of queers and they WILL MOVE. Not to mention, Róisín doesn’t just look good in a fancy outfit, she can actually sing too.
OK Beyoncé. We’ve all had enough bubble-gum feminism to last us a lifetime. And I’m SO OVER marriage. But…your dance is just so…bewitching. And anyone who inspires JT to get freaky in a leotard and stiletto pumps on national TV deserves a little respect.
3. Mariah Carey – I’ll Be Lovin U Long Time
If I had to live through that “Glitter” phase I wouldn’t even be able to get up in the morning. This diva does it every day – now that’s strength. So, the whole beach bunny photo shoot thing makes me a little ill, but you know what, girl deserves a comeback, and she’s going for the gold.
The acid-trip-lost-boys aesthetic that their stylist seems to have ripped straight from all those warehouse-living kids from Baltimore to West Oakland makes me wonder what the point of making art is ever again. But whatever, this groove is undeniably good. Besides, someone’s gotta fill the void that Beck left after he got too deep into Scientology and just plain fell off.
I don’t know why this song isn’t higher up on the list, it’s actually a really good song. Maybe that’s why…because GIRL IS AMAZING. FOR REAL.
6. Crystal Castles – Untrust Us
OK, so technically, this is an older song, but it (and Crystal Castles in general) are blowing up this year, so I’m letting it slide. The guilt trip: Alice Glass’s petulant screeching on most of their other tracks is actually kind of annoying; and furthermore, Crystal Castles have been accused of stealing other people’s art and music twice this year. Why I don’t care: the vocals are not so screechy here, and when it comes down to it, we all need a good rave-up every once in a while. Maybe the heydays of Aphex Twin and Underworld are coming full circle. Get excited.
7. Hot Chip – Ready for the Floor
Hot Chip’s music is sometimes quirky to a point of being contrived, and they play up this ordinary-guy image in a way that makes it seem like they’d be total wankers in person. But musically, that quirkiness brings a little more to Hot Chip than most of the other acts on this list. There’s something to be said about a well-crafted pop tune, and this certainly is one.
Look at this video. Beyoncé would never ever wile out like that (although her cyber-gauntlet is pretty rad – see entry #2). Now if only Rihanna would ditch whatever producer is using that awful autotune effect and go get Trent Reznor to crank some beats out for her. He’d probably be down.
Birds of a feather, TI must have caught the autotune bug from his girl Rihanna (see #8). I mean, that stuff got played out with Cher. CHER! But you know what, it’s alright because in the end, we’d all probably ditch our crappy McJobs if we could ride in a jet with TI.
10. Britney Spears – Womanizer
Props to whoever wrote in the line: “You think I’m crazy, I got your crazy.” But the chorus is just one word repeated over and over. Blah. I know this is supposed to be the comeback of the year, but I’m just not feeling it that much. It’s all been downhill since “Toxic.” I’ll dance to it after a few beers though.
Honorable Mention: The Raveonettes – Dead Sound
OK, so maybe the Raveonettes are not quite dancey enough to make this list. But the new sound on their album Lust Lust Lust is, admittedly, rather infectious. Who cares if it’s a total ripoff of Suicide and The Jesus & Mary Chain, I like those bands. It works.
I don’t understand why anyone bothers bringing up an uncleared sample in an unreleassed Crystal Castles song that was made 4 or 5 years before their debut album and never released or performed. Seems like people are real fucking bitter. I’m in a band and I stole art for my demo CD, actually I don’t know anyone who hasn’t lifted art for their demo CD. What was I going to do, draw a picture? They lifted art for their limited edition 7″, just proves that CC had no idea they were gonna blow up. Holy fuck I love the Raveonettes new stuff so much more than the old stuff. Peace.