It's usually a bad thing when the mainstream media finds out about a big indie band, because then the band loses it's mystique and edge---it's called selling out. It's a whole other thing when the mainstream media makes a total ass out of itself (which isn't rare) when trying to define an entire music scene--in this case, New York Magazine listing the Top 40 songs [14] that define the music scene in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Here's the list:
40. Light Asylum - "Angel Tongue"
39. Oakley Hall - "All the Way Down"
38. Here We Go Magic - "Fangela"
37. Apache Beat - "Tropics"
36. Bishop Allen - "Click, Click, Click, Click"
35. White Rabbits - "Percussion Gun"
34. Japanther - "Challenge"
33. Class Actress - "All The Saints"
32. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - "The Debtor"
31. Ninjasonik - "Art School Girls"
30. Antibalas - "Beaten Metal"
29. Black Dice - "Glazin'"
28. The Antlers - "Kettering"
27. Panda Bear - "Comfy In Nautica"
26. The National - "Mistaken For Strangers"
25. Amazing Baby - "The Narwhal"
24. St. Vincent - "Actor Out Of Work"
23. Neon Indian - "Deadbeat Summer"
22. Matt & Kim - "Daylight"
21. Grizzly Bear - "Knife"
20. Suckers - "Beach Queen"
19. Sharon Jones And The Dap Kings - "100 Days, 100 Nights"
18. The Drums - "I Feel Stupid"
17. A Place To Bury Strangers - "To Fix The Gash In Your Head"
16. Chairlift - "Bruises"
15. Telepathe "Chrome's On It"
14. Crystal Stilts - "Crippled Croon"
13. Das Racist - "Combination Pizza Hut And Taco Bell"
12. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - "Young Adult Friction"
11. Hercules & Love Affair - "Blind"
10. Animal Collective - "My Girls"
09. Yeasayer - "2080"
08. Vampire Weekend - "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"
07. Vivian Girls - "Where Do You Run To"
06. Gang Gang Dance - "House Jam"
05. TV On The Radio - "Golden Age"
04. LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends"
03. MGMT- "Kids"
02. Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"
01. Dirty Projectors - "Stillness Is The Move"
First off, I love New York Magazine. I think they're bold and stocked with great writers, however, this was a subject too packed to headline as a cover story. I agree with a lot of the picks, and I'm happy to see Otto-Tune favorites St. Vincent [15] and Neon Indian [16] making the cut, but some of the picks in the top 10 were just plain amateur.
As if Vampire Weekend [17] making the Top 10 wasn't shameful enough, MGMT [18]'s "Kids" at No. 3 is a credibility annihilator. Not only is "Kids" really old, but MGMT is a band that seriously needs a makeover. They've completely lost the Wesleyan University pop-band look, and now look like Metallica after they cut their hair. To sum up, I saw MGMT live in Boston a year ago after they had exploded but before they reached Lady Gaga status, and their show was spiritually orgasmic. The crowd loved it, and the guys looked like the LSD-using burnouts that made them famous, but after seeing their set at All Points West [19] this past summer, something had changed drastically. They looked bored. The energy and fire wasn't there. Maybe they're burnt out, but it's a sin to have them represent Williamsburg's music culture. Period.
There are tons more wrong with this list, but in the end, it's New York Magazine we're talking about. One wouldn't expect them to have an insightful opinion on Williamsburg, but the biggest problem is that the rest of the world now has fabricated image of the music scene. Yes, the Dirty Projectors [20] are a great band, but I don't think an entire music scene has one face--not even Animal Collective [21] can hold that title. The story should've been shot dead in the water while it was being discussed in the editorial meeting. Now, they just look like hermits who don't know anything about indie rock.
All criticism aside, enjoy New York Magazine's top song that defines Williamsburg:
