Megan's Top 18 of 2008 - #4 - Crystal Castles

Several weeks ago, I briefly scanned an NME list of the coolest motherfuckers in music from the year 2008. It was full of those you'd expect, and a few that I had absolutely no clue who they are.

But all lists have their end, their pinnacle. Looking down at all the other cool people, according to this particular list, was Alice Glass. If that name doesn't ring a bell, allow me to introduce you. Ms. Glass is one half of my possible favorite Canadian band these days, Crystal Castles.

So what is it about Alice (and for that matter, Crystal Castles) that got her the number one spot? Well, I like to think it all started with this here self-titled record.

It's a bevy of bleeps, a veritable feast of 80s video game sound-alike noise. It features two remixes (of Death from Above 1979 and Health) that are just about better than the original tracks. It's an album made for dancing, for drinking, for having a grand old fucking time. If a preponderance of pulsation is your thing, if you get turned on by the twiddling of knobs, if albums with excessive ego (with the goods to back it up, of course) make your day, then chances are good you too might agree that Crystal Castles is a fine, fine record (and that Alice Glass is indeed pretty damn cool).

It's all great, but I recommend excessive listening to "Air War" (both of them), "Courtship Dating", "Vanished", "Knights", and "Tell Me What to Swallow." You won't be disappointed.