The nearly completely useless NME Cool List hit the internet today and while most of the list is predictable (M.I.A. and Lil Wayne are cool? This is entirely new information!), one inclusion/exclusion seemed a bit odd. Most people have likely made up their minds about MGMT at this point–especially since their music has been difficult to avoid in late 2008–and their inclusion in an arbitrary list makes sense. But what made Andrew VanWyngarden the “cool” half?
2008 saw the words “shamanic” and “cosmic” bandied around more recklessly than at any time since 1973, and it was primarily down to MGMT’s bandana-clad frontman, the blissed-out figurehead for a new generation of inner-vision voyagers.
Sure, I get the bandana thing: You can always tell the cool guy by the bandana. (Just look at Bret Michaels!) But wouldn’t Andrew’s bandmate and fellow Wesleyan grad Ben Goldwasser merit a mention in the top 50, especially on a list that honored Brandon Flowers’ moustache last year? I don’t even think the Klaxons did anything in 2008 and one of them made the list, and certainly Lethal Bizzle could have been knocked off to make room.
Hey, NME: Why do you hate Ben Goldwasser?
The list in full:
50. Jon McClure, Reverend & The Makers
49. Carl Barat
48. Lethal Bizzle
47. Eva Spence, Rolo Tomassi
46. Matt Bellamy, Muse
45. Brian Fallon, The Gaslight Anthem
44. Gruff Rhys, Neon Neon
43. Karen O, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
42. Tom Vain – S.C.U.M.
41. Shunda K, Yo Majesty
40. Robert Plant
39. Robbie Furze, The Big Pink
38. Jason Pierce, Spiritualized
37. Brandon Flowers, The Killers
36. Frank Carter, Gallows
35. Little Boots
34. DJ Mujava
33. Josh Homme, Queens Of The Stone Age
32. Lovefoxxx, CSS
31. Rivers Cuomo, Weezer
30. Will Roan, Amazing Baby
29. Scarlett Johansson
28. Miles Kane, The Rascals/The Last Shadow Puppets
27. Yannis Philippakis, Foals
26. Nick McCabe, The Verve
25. Peter Gabriel
24. Zack de la Rocha, Rage Against The Machine
23. Jamie Reynolds, Klaxons
22. Jay Reatard
21. Damon Albarn
20. Dev Hynes, Lightspeed Champion
19. Florence Welch, Florence & The Machine
18. Ed MacFarlane, Friendly Fires
17. Santogold
16. Ezra Koenig, Vampire Weekend
15. Johnny Marr
14. Dave Sitek, TV On The Radio
13. Lil Wayne
12. Guy Garvey, Elbow
11. Pink Eyes, Fucked Up
10. Caroline McKay, Glasvegas
9. Liam Gallagher, Oasis
8. M.I.A.
7. Caleb Followill, Kings Of Leon
6. Ladyhawke
5. Sam Dust, Late Of The Pier
4. Alex Turner, Arctic Monkeys/The Last Shadow Puppets
3. Andrew VanWyngarden, MGMT
2. Jay-Z
1. Alice Glass, Crystal Castles
NME Cool List 2008 [NME]
@Poubelle: Apparently their justification for half the names on the list included “hung out with the Arctic Monkeys a few times”, so that does compensate a bit.
@MayhemintheHood: Phew! I thought listening to all this terrible noise rock was all for nothing.
(1) Ed McFarlane of Friendly Fires needs a higher placement on this list. Spoke with and saw him perform again for the first time in a minute last night and I’m still a little smitten, for lack of a better word. YEAH! MAN CRUSH! [Crushes beer on head.]
(2) Where is Kevin Barnes?
(3) Lil Wayne is only at number 13? That’s suprising.
(4) I like Jay-Z as much as the next man, but two? Right now? Is it because of Glastonbury or that whole Oasis “feud” thing?
(5) Does the fact that he may be having relations with Zoe Kravitz also explain why Andrew VanWyngarden is placed at number three?
(6) And finally, of course, where’s Soulja Boy Tell Em?
@AL: Yes.
These sorts of lists have nothing but the opposite effect on me.
Dammit they left me off again! Must’ve gotten bumped by…Peter Gabriel?
Are you sure that’s the real NME list? Alex Turner seems awfully low.
Woo hoo Damon Albarn #21. Wait what? Liam’s at #9? Blerg!
It’s just like 1995 all over again.
O.K Liam, you take your #9 and we’ll see who has the most successful career in 5 years…because, you know, the NME cool list is totally based on careers. Wait it really is 1995- Guy Garvey, Jason Pierce, Zack de la Rocha…
Alice Glass freaks me out, I saw Crystal Castles last summer and she’s more than a little scary which must convert into cool at some point.
Dave Sitek cooler than Tunde???
@goldsounds: When the Idolator Cool List comes out, you’ll probably be on it. I, however, will not make either list.