2008 innit

Its a funny old time of the year, don’t you find?
I’ve been aching to spend a week on the sofa watching re-runs of Jeeves and Wooster, eating Toblerones and drinking endless cups of tea, which I’m pleased to say I think I’ve nailed.
I’ve also been reunited with my love of disaster movies (the perfect antidote to hearing Fairytale in New York again) and my imagined affair with Jack Bauer back on after a new box set was received on Christmas day.
All this sitting around gives time to reflect so in between terrorist cells being infiltrated, comets destroying the earth and Bertie getting into another pickle, I’ve been taking stock of my own 2008.
The lows have included one half of Lost In Paris hitchin up her knee-highs and actually moving there to get lost for real everyday, a rubbish stay in hospital for 2 weeks with a botched tonsil job and first hand feeling the effects of the credit crunch as I was made redundant.

But the highs have been bounteous and brilliant. Kat loves Paris, my healed throat allows me to sing louder in the shower (plus my sneeze sounds different which is amazing) and my new job is super. I interviewed a unsurprisingly sleazy Sebastian Tellier, put a sticker on the face of Vampire Weekend and chased Jeffrey Lewis down the street in Texas with plastic fruit.
Plus it’s been a stellar year for music, so with a deep breath I’m pleased to announce that here are my lists of the year.

My 12 albums of 2008 (12 is a nice number I think)
1. Gonzales - Soft Power
2. Late Of The Pier – Fantasy Black Channel
3. Metronomy – Nights Out
4. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
5. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
6. Hercules and Love Affair
7. James Pants - Welcome
8. Lykee Li - Youth Novels
9. Adam Kesher - Heading For The Hills Feeling Warm Inside
10. Sebastian Tellier - Sexuality
11. Last Shadow Puppets - Age of Understatement
12. Icy Demons - Miami Ice

The announcement of Chilly Gonzales' latest album filled me with elation and dread. Maybe this would be the album that would finally let me down, that would go unlistened, unloved and standing out on the shelve as a beacon of disappointment. But of course it wasn't. It was an album which included 80s tinged nostalgia, Big Pop Songs, the gentle piano range of Solo Piano, hip hop mixes and even Disco. It's an album that shouldn’t work on paper yet ticked every one of my boxes. First class.
Saying this, Late Of The Pier were very close behind being one of my most loved debut albums for years.

Rolling out the 21 tracks

1. Estelle & Kanye – American Boy
2. Cocknbullkid – On My Own
3. Your Twenties – Caught Wheel
4. Julian, Santogold, Pharell – My Drive Thru
5. Midnight Juggernauts – Shadows
6. Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules Theme
7. The Virgins – Rich Girls
8. MGMT – The Youth
9. Metronomy – Thing For Me (Breakkbot mix)
10. Gonzales - Map of the World
11. Belaire – You Really Got Me Goin’
12. Mystery Jets - Young Love
13. Late of the Pier – Mad Dogs and Englishmen
14. Britney Spears – Womanizer
15. We Have Band - You Came Out
16. Dizzee and Calvin – Dance Wid Me
17. Coathangers – Parcheeze
18. Little Boots – New In Town
19. Portasound - Funnyfair
20. Passion Pit – Sleepy Head
21. Sebastian Tellier - Divine

Bands I Like which doesn't mean they’ll be big next year (even though they should be)

Tin Can Telephone
Gold Panda
The Coathangers
Boy Crisis
We Have Band
Rogues

And the year ahead? Well I have my tickets for Blur in Hyde Park, Marina and the Diamonds in two weeks and Passion Pit the week after. The Rakes have a new album due as to Phoenix. Just so long as Fred Perry, Leon and Spec Savers don’t shut down, I think we’re gonna be alright folks.

We Have Christmas Card

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches?



Is that how it goes? While the pines from my tree are turning up all over the shop (I noticed some had made it to my desk at work), I've received a Christmas Card in the post with a more lasting effect.
With this hand-made potato-print card, We Have Band have given me a festive glow and bribed their way into my ones to watch for 2009 (extensive post to follow!)

BEST VIDEO OF THE YEAR

I kind of hate Metronomy for the fact that they just keep on delivering. Here's the video for Thing For Me, it's just a little bit amazing.



HOWEVER, the Breatbot remix is actually better then the original, and jumping straight into my top 5 of 2008 (that post is coming soon).
Metronomy - Thing For Me (Breakbot remix)

Lost In Japan!

Oh we love it when our international friends send us snaps of Lost In Paris going global. And make us very jealous in the process.
Here's Miho in central Tokyo with her LIP bag and stickers.




We love you Miho x

OMG - bit of a Blur

It's a great, glorious day today. It might be hitting the minus numbers outside but the sun is shining. After a couple of months of persistent rumors (including me nearly falling off my chair as when it’s casually mentioned in a business meeting recently), it’s set in stone. Or at least on the cover of the NME.
Blur with the Coxon are back together.

Now I know all the arguments for the horrors of band reunions, but I’m a sucker for thinking bands can manage to capture the magic of the first time round. It rarely delivers, but sometimes comebacks are brilliant. Take That for example.
But something seems ace about this. I could write an essay on how much Albarn and his smug face annoy me in 2008 or how much it tugs at my heart that Alex James partakes in that disgrace on T4 on Sundays, but let’s remember the good ol days.

Popscene.
That bit in Starshaped when they’re having the family special in Little Chef.
This Is A Low.
“And when she lets me slip away….”
The Universal.
Graham Carton going to heaven.
Sing.

I missed out on the Mile End stadium gig in 1995 but the idea of standing in Hyde Park singing along to Parklife next summer makes me feel a bit funny. I’m very excited.
And I’ll bet my bottom dollar they’ll have a James’s Home Made Cheese stand at Glasto…

This is my favourite one of all, For Tomorrow

an utter gem of a video

He's the debut release from our dear muckers, Your Twenties.
So charming, so intriguing and a just a little bit vom' inducing

just in case you ever wondered...

what the view from the stage of the Royal Festival Hall looks like, this is it:



fancy that!

99 problems but Stephen Fry ain't one...

Hello Kitty bangs it out

Someone turned up on my doorstep yesterday in the pouring rain with possibly the best present I've ever received.
This is Hello Kitty - the iPod speaker!


Here she is listening to listening to You Could Have Easily Had Me, damn she's cool.

"rolling the ball - ROLLING!"

Oh wow. I've talking about this for years, and no one has ever seemed to be able to share my enthusiasm but this is indeed the moment where Alan Partridge declares his love for Kate Bush

BOOOOOOOOOOO!

wif waf's coming home

I'm not a huge fan of Tory Boy, but this fell in to my inbox today and made me laugh for a bout 20 minutes. I think I need to get out more.

Alex's Mobile Disco #24

C'mon the VooDoo

I want a leotard

seriously, have you seen a better video this year?

Alex's Mobile Disco #23

MRSA? No thanks

So I finally had the old tonsils whipped out and what better thing to do whilst hooked up to your drip, a photoblog.
Heads up everyone, my real age is about to be revealed


This chap brought Ribena, checked his own pulse rate and temperature and made me watch X Factor, the one time I literally couldn’t get away.


In hospital they have seperate bathrooms for patients with or without MRSA, how terrifying is that? Maybe they should clean their windows more often


The good thing was that I had 4 Music by my bed and was cheered up no end by Estelle and Kayne



Lost In Paris’ resident poet, Kat Garbo, wrote me a poem to make me feel better:
Alex you are silent now,
But that won’t be for long,
See you’ll get better soon,
And at least your tonsils are gone!

up up and away

Gawd bless Keith. In 2006 their song Hold That Gun firmly featured in my tracks of the year and now they are back back back.

Here's the video which is out on Lucky Number on Oct 27th. Wooop woop woop!

"hey there my tonsils, what's it like in new york city..."

After literally months of throat releated agony and croaking, I'm having my tonsils removed next week. While I'm sure my friends will be thrilled by my medically induced silence, I am very much not looking forward to it.
Gabriel Green drew my attention to this lady singing an ode to her tonsils. Someone sign her up.

illustration by coercion

We're big fans of Primary 1 here at Lost In Paris, in fact if they paid royalties for DJs spinning tunes, we'd have made Joe enough to buy at least 3 pints of ale this year. Oh wait, they actually do charge DJs for that? Ho hum...

Never one to miss an opportunity, Joe took time out of his busy album making schedule to draw a little picture, featuring half the team. Go P1!

I've redirected my mail to The Macbeth...

...as with all our killer nights I might as well live there now. I still don't seem to be getting any better at playing pool mind. Check out the September listings!

Alex's Mobile Disco #22

they don't make videos like this anymore (which is probably a good thing)

watch out Paris, we're coming back!

technically Kat is an honorary resident but the Lost In Paris DJ team return to Fleche D'Or with this juicy line up

Alex's Mobile Disco #21

I've been house bound with tonsillitis this past month which has mean twatching lots of daytime TV. I spotted this odd gem on TOTP2 - remember when Fischerspooner were the future?

We have sexy stuff you can take home!

T-SHIRTS!



BAGS!



AND MOST IMPORTANTLY; RECORDS!

PARIS003 - BELAIRE 'You Really Got Me Goin'

Click the image above to pre-order the ever so summery new single by the Texan super band BELAIRE! On bubble-gum pink vinyl and hand screen-printed by the band. Numbered and limited to 300 only EVER!

AND MORE RECORDS!


Click that image above to pre-order the brand spanking-new ADAM KESHER 7". Each record comes with a completely unique photograph taken by the ever so talented Yann Stofer. This baby comes on white vinyl and is the only way you can get Local Girl on vinyl - EVER!!

In my spare time I like to bother Kruger Magazine with my musings...

This issue they let me rabbit on about our neigbours across the pond. Its a jolly good read too (but I would say that, wouldn't I)

1.2.3.4 penguins waiting at the door

wonderful

holy fock - Late Of The Pier live at Pure Groove

(photo by Gabriel Green)

Never mind the monsoon closing in on Farringdon last night, as the queue that stretched far past Pure Groove and the meat market were buzzing with the news that it was true what they’re saying; Late Of The Pier indeed have just dropped the debut album of the year.

The band take to the stage, handing out torches to the audience to fully control the lighting effects in the darkened shop, it soon becomes clear that this isn’t your average instore appearance but a full on mini-rave.

Racing through the majority of the album, the band look confident and ecstatic - playing their instruments like their GCSE results depend on it (seriously, how old are they?). There’s flawless versions of Heartbeat, Focker and the introduction of a xylophone seemingly made MFI bed-slats for the opening bars of The Bears Are Coming.

It all draws to a sweaty close with Bathrooom Gurgle. Shirts came off, the audience were moshing and signer Sam was half naked and crowd surfing before attaching himself upside-down to a lightfitting which swings perilously as Pure Groove staff looked on with a combination of horror and pride.
Focking awesome.

does the world need another Kooks?

This is a cracking article...

have a look on the Independent website

it wouldn't be the Lost In Paris blog...

...if we didn't post the new Metronomy video



If you scan right down our blog you'll see this came top of our favourite songs of last year. We're literally thrilled it's a single. Gawd bless em.

how doo, voodoo

We can't wait for this one - the Voodoo boys smashed it on their first night, we're super excitied to be taking part :)

Alex's Mobile Disco #20

I clean stole this from our friends Disque Primeur...

but i'm sure they don't mind

"...I had to beat him to death with his own shoe"

Anyone who's ever had a pint with me will know that my hero is Del Preston from Waynes World. No one cooler in the whole world, i'm sure of it.

Word has reached me that Del (or Ralph Brown if you want to give him his *other* name) has a band - not just a band, but a Beach Boys covers band
The Brighton Beach Boys

They're playing monthly in Brighton - who's coming with me?

it's my birthday soon

I'm after a dog please.
I'd like this one specifically, I've already named him Pickle


Andy Force has a dog called Professor Yaffle, this is him

I know it's nothing but an overblown comercial for Chuck Taylors....

But damn, I'm digging this right now (especially at 44 seconds in)

do you VOODOO?

Friday night is all about this baby! The Thick as Thieves boys have pulled out the stops on this lineup. And who's that I spy; ADAM KESHER and us DJing? Awesome.
Plus I hear Justice are in town that night...

the where "where have you been Lost In Paris?!?!" post

Well well, it's been a little on the quiet side from us and for this we can only say "sorry about that guv, we've been rather bleedin busy".

So I thought I'd do a little photo blog to let you know what we've been up to...

I moved house and had just a touch more stuff then I'd anticipated


Kat got down with the MGMT look - or is that Zoolander?


We enjoyed the first Pure Groove Music Video night (complete with 3D glasses)


Whitey made a triumphant live return at Durr


Those pesky stickers turned up everywhere, and you know, it's not even us doing it...


...well, sometimes it is, but this Rake deserved it


Edywn Collins threw a cracking exhibition at Pure Groove (still on unitl August) with this inclusion from Harry Hill


And finally, today I saw the best graffiti I've seen in years


Stay tuned as this week our beloved Adam Kesher return to the UK for 3 live dates which we'll be covering AT LENGTH (maybe).

Alex's Mobile Disco #19

ever so exciting

The Music Shorts Video Sessions start at Pure Groove tonight, I know I can't wait to see the semi- naked Klaxons in huge on the screen in the shop. Er, I mean, admire all those glorious and innovative new music videos. Opps...

WHITEY LIVES

Now we all know how traumatic it would be to wake up one day and find your myspace account DELETED by some dweeby little 'acker so spare some love for WHITEY today and add him once more as a friend...
http://www. myspace. com/whiteylives


x

Alex's Mobile Disco #18

Pure Groove vs. Metronomy

gotta love that band

"Oh I say, what a charming t-shirt you've got on..."

Check out our brand new t-shirts! Printed on American Apparel shirts and available exclusively from Pure Groove. Swanky.

PGTV strikes again

Health played in the new Pure Groove shop and were siiiiiiiiiick. Ho ho.

Check the trailer for the eppisode of PGTV here


And then head over and watch the full eppisode. Well alright.

Part Of The Weekend Never Dies

Alex and I watch a screening of this tonight, it was friggin DIABOLICAL. Not only did we dance in our seats, but we reminisced about big nights out, especially dancing to this little gem:
NY Excuse (Justice remix) = AWESOME
(thanks to Notontheguestlist.com)

quiz quiz quiz

i'd like to say that you won't actually be able to beat our team so you might as well not bother, but we've never got higher then the top 3 so come along and do better then us!

NEW METRONOMY VIDEO

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

White Heat

this Tuesday....

Alex's Mobile Disco #17

it's been the soundtrack to opening the all new Pure Groove - who says we're not right on the cutting edge?

s.p..o.o...f

flippin awesome

I thought we couldn't love Seb Tellier any more...

...how wrong i was.

Let's put on our Classics and have a little dance, shall we?

bag me up and take me home; I'M SOLD

Flippin genius. Glad to have Bromheads Jacket back

pictures of the week

It's been a bit of an accidental big week (the best kind I think you'll agree). We've been all about:
The arrival of our Adam Kesher trainers


Capturing Jay Reatard at a low point at a party


Breaking out two amazing Dj sets (the guy in the second picture didn't go for Late Of The Pier)



Finally, almost getting Roots Manuva to do a sticker on your face