December time is list time, and we here at Where’s Wetzler? could not escape the fervor. The only thing different about this list is that it is definitive. This is the list. Subjective, objective—whatever. If this isn’t the list you made you are wrong. And you if you didn’t make a list because you were waiting for me to make a list so you could figure out what to like, here it is:
5) L.E.S. Artistes - Santogold
I’m not trying to seem worldly or anything here, but I first heard this song in Scotland (I’m fucking worldly). I was sipping cider with black current on Neil’s couch when I heard the Ah, Ah, Ah–a of the chorus. I said, “Neil, who is this? Turn this shit up!” And then I danced around the living room and flailed my arms and we ate blood pudding and were merry.
The reason this song’s not higher on the list is its replay value. Of course, this is partially my fault for listening to it for two weeks straight and driving it into the ground.
Another song destined for the lower echelons of this list by love at first listen. It’s also pretty repetitive. But, uh, that’s OK because: “WHO THE FUCK CARES?” If you don’t like this song I don’t want to talk to you. Ever. If you don’t listen to this song and have the urge to make your fingers into a gun and shoot the air after “All I wanna do is—” I don’t really want to talk to you ever, either. This was my pump-up song when I was traveling around Europe this fall on a trip that included said Santogold moment in Scotland. I would play it anytime I got on a new mode of transportation headed for a new place.
So, uh, no funny business…
The first 0:22 seconds of this song played at high volume is like putting six blotters of acid on your tongue and hanging by one hand off the Tacoma Narrows Bridge while a Japanese Geisha girl massages your temples. Probably. I have never done any of these things. But I’m sure it is similar.
You all know (and by “you all” I mean “Darren”) how I feel about this song because anytime I’m at a party I want to put it on on repeat and stick my boot out and shimmy it from side to side. This is by far the best song off Ratatat’s album LP3 and the third best song of 2008.
2) Lollipop - Lil Wayne
Oh, Lil’. “I said he so sweet that I wanna lick the wrapper.” “Shawty wanna thug/Bottles in the club.” Are you kidding me? Did Shakespeare never die but actually dye his skin black and move to Miami?
This song was THE song of the beginning of last summer for me, even inspiring me to see if the domain name “shawtywannathug.blogspot.com” was taken, which it was (!) by some dude from Denmark or some shit selling ring tones.
Anyway, Jesus. What to say about this song. And the video? A tour de force of limousines, fancy suits, iced-out ears, and dancing in hotel rooms. In other words: everything rad. I’m going to go take a Sharpie and draw a tear near my eye right now.
And the number one song of 2008:
1) Kids - MGMT
“Oh my god, what about like, ‘Electric Feel’? Or ‘Time to Pretend’? That song ‘Kids’ sucks.”
This is why most of you are going to hell while I’m going to be chillin’ with St. Peter at the gates, laughing and sipping a Bridgeport IPA and telling hilarious jokes about nuns and rabbis.
I first heard this song pulling out of a Lumber World in Victoria, B.C., back when I was living there, wearing steel-toed boots and building decks with my bare hands. We were pulling out of the parking lot in Zach’s pickup and the guy on CBC radio (or it might have been a girl) says, “This is the new hot shit from Brooklyn. It’s spelled MGMT but pronounced ‘Management’ and this is their song ‘Kids.’” Now here’s the rad part: I kind of hated this song at first, or at least the keyboard intro, but when I got back home I found myself downloading it and kind of bobbing my head. And then I listened to it for three months straight on repeat. No fucking joke. Winter turned to Spring and I was still listening to this song. The geese started flying back up North and I was still listening to this song. And you know what? Everyone I lived with started to like this song, too. By the time I moved out this one chick was like, “Dude, what was that song you always used to listen to? I want to download it.” And I was like, “Fuck yeah.”
“Picking insects off plants/ No time to think of consequences.”
****
So those are the songs. Act right.
-Wetzler
This entry was written by , posted on December 20, 2008 at 12:35 pm, filed under Music and tagged disturbia rihanna, falcon jab ratatat, lollipop lil' wayne, m.i.a. paper planes, mgmt kids, santogold l.e.s. artistes. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.