Dubstep
I’m basically obsessed with anything Skream puts out and Benga’s pretty damn awesome, too! I’ve been listening to strictly dubstep for past month straight, and I really don’t think I see an end in sight. Together these guys are heavy hittazzz.
Joe Weber, Insound

Jumpstyle
It’s the biggest new/old trend in the Netherlands, sort of like skipping rope without the rope. The dance style is hated by everyone in the NL, but the reason why it’s so cool is that gets at the prime core element of being a teen. It’s stupid, a ton of fun, social, relatively easy to do, and your parents hate it. Plus, it’s slowed/stripped-down gabber/hardstyle sound totally kicks ass on any soundsystem (even cell phones). Turns out everyone likes huge kick drums after all.
Jason Forrest, Cock Rock Disco

Squat Parties
Thank goodness for promoters making use of the few squats and secret spaces that we still have left in London, particularly in light of this year’s smoking ban in the capital.
Georgina Cook, photographer

Radiohead
Allowing people to name the price they want to pay for their new album. That is genius.
Ethan Holben, XLR8R

The Return of Funk
From Amy Winehouse to Sharon Jones to a plethora of funk re-issues, funky drums and bass and great musicianship are back and making butts shake.
David Ma, XLR8R writer

Soca
Soca is the shit. It’s so hype that you can’t resist! I’m always including soca in my DJ sets.
Ghislain Poirier, Ninja Tune

8-Bit Punk
If only I had kept my NES from when I was four, I could throw on a black hoodie and tour with Crystal Castles and Gameboy/Gamegirl and be a cool kid once more.
Cameron Cook, XLR8R writer

Worst Music Trends of 2007

Instructional Hip-Hop Music
Any song that tells you how to do a dance while they’re singing it is fun in the club but over all it’s horrible!
Ron Upperman, Leroy Jenkins

Minimal echno
Could someone please explain what’s so interesting about a style people listen to because their ketamine-damaged braincells are incapable of dealing with any more information than a straight-ahead kick drum?
Paul Beller, Ben Mono

Everyone seems to have forgotten techno like this has been going on for a long time. Ditch the reverb on your snares and start thinking before you produce.
JPLS, Minus

New Rave
Because it spawned a train of shitty bands and kids who pretended to be ravers “back in the day.” At least it brought back the classic tunes into the clubs though…
Curses, Institubes

MP3 Blogs
It’s a love/hate thing. Blogs do promotion for bands, but also for a lot of shitty music that gets the same attention. The blog is run by some 17-year-old kid who doesn’t know anything about music and production, kids download the music in a crap quality months before the release, play it in the club (aaaahhh), and throw it away after a week. That really makes me start to think if the new generation appreciates music at all.
Boys Noize

Too many bands with “wolf” or “wolves” in their name (other than Wolf Eyes).
Paul “Strategy” Dickow, Kranky

Every DJ with a laptop and an internet connection having the exact same playlist.
Mike Davis, Burlesque Design

Club Rap
I can’t think of anything worse than oversexed fashionista 20-somethings charging promoters $2000 just so they can get on stage and lip-synch to their little MySpace hit. I don’t want to name any offenders because I might have to interview them next year.
Mosi Reeves, XLR8R writer

AutoTuning
If you can’t sing, try anyway. Do not hide behind technology or else you will hide behind it forever. I blame Daft Punk and Cher, but the underground and overground need to get off this shit. It kills a song dead like Raid.
Scott Thill, XLR8R writer

More Best of 2007
Switch: Artist of the Year
Sage Francis’ Top Five Albums of 2007
Best Artists of 2007
Best of 2007 by Cameron Bird
Best Albums of 2007
Best Singles of 2007
Best of 2007 by Busy P
Best Live Events of 2007
Best of 2007 by Dust La Rock
Best Visual Artists of 2007
Best of 2007 by Dirt Crew
Best Style of 2007
Best of 2007 by Mochipet
Best of 2007 by DJ Ulysses
Best Music Technology of 2007