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I don't know about you, but 2012 went by fast! Despite it being a blur, our camp had some moments to remember including a write up in Spin Magazine (see article below). The big Uno Dos got dancefloors bouncing (Trap music), Electronic & Indie Dance invaded Rock radio (M83, Naked & Famous, AWOLNATION, Alex Claire, Two Door Cinema Club), Award shows finally gave recognition to EDM (Grammys, VMAs), the "hipster" generation found a voice (Lena Dunham), and the Republican party finally got the memo that they are not in touch with the youth of America and our interests. It'll probably go down as a transition period for many things from music to politics since many trends seamed transient as new ones blind sided us and older staples began to take hits. Despite EDM's co-opting of Trap music, the southern cousin of Gangster Rap, Hip-Hop might be the force that edges uptempo music out of commercial radio and night clubs. Like wise, Urban music made major headway from other angles with the emergence of new alternative R&B talent, namely Frank Ocean, The Weeknd and Miguel, making the genre a viable format again for the first time since the 90's. 2013 will prove if House music has true staying power beyond the festivals, and if Bass music (Dubstep, DnB, Moombahton, Trap, Downtempo) or Indie Dance/live acts are the future of the genre. Either way, the stakes are much higher (remember when we were all listening to Electro in dive bars 4-5 years ago).
While we wait 12 months to find out the answers to these questions we decided to take another look back and asked a handful of the industry contributors we enjoyed working with last year to help us list the absolute BEST! Producer/DJ's Dave Nada (Nadastrom), Flinch (SMOG), Run-DMT & TBMA (Play Me Records) join Videographer of the year, Justin Nizer (Eyewax) , and super talent manager Luke Allen (Redlight Management) to tell us what to download, eat and even smoke. In addition, our key contributors here at HipsterOverkill and Ov3rkill Entertainment drop their two cents as well. Clear your afternoon and start browsing. Cheers and happy new year! - d.painter.jpg)
===== AS AlWAYS, THANK YOU TO ALL THE DJS AND INDUSTRY REPS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SPECIAL EDITION! *big thanks to the main H.O. crew in DC and LA: Shawn Lucas, Alexis Fedoroff, Jacqueline Dubin, Michael Hogan, Anna Falzetta and all our street team promoters and DJs grinding in Washington DC
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FLINCH
(Los Angeles)
Dubstep/Bass Producer with SMOG
smogrecords.com/flinch
soundcloud.com/flinchbass
TOP Producers Udachi (NYC) Harvard Bass (San Diego) Kastle (San Francisco) 
Brillz (Los Angeles) Seven Lions (Santa Barbara, CA) Etc! Etc! (Los Angeles) Dillon Frances (Los Angeles) 
Brown and Gamon (UK) 501 (UK)
TOP 10: Weed Strains From LBC 1. Sky Walker 2. O.G. Kush 3. Chem Dawg 4. Blue Dream 5. Buba Kush 6. Youth Blood (exclusive) 7. Platinum Green Crack 8. Larry O.G. 9. Purple Drank 10. 12th Planet X Train Wreck (private reserve)
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RUN-DMT (Austin, TX) DJ / Producers
TOP 10: Everything 1. Bacon - Because it's number one, regardless of the year. 2. Purity Ring Shrines - Straight up amazing, sexy, futuristic album. Get laid to this. 
3. Pocket App - Literally saves any text you are reading for later. Like a bookmark, but you can read anytime. 4. Moonrise Kingdom and The Cabin In The Woods - 2 very different, but awsome movies. My favorite Wes Anderson since Rushmore. Cabin is Super funny and scary. 5. GIRLS (HBO Show) - Very real and heartfelt show. I'm a huge fan of Lena Dunham. 6. N.I. Komplete 8 Ultimate - While This came out just before 2012, it has been a standard tool all year. Amazing. 7. Tattoos - Waited a long time to get any ink, but finally busted my cherry this year. I'm hooked. 8. Counterpoint Music Fest - First year for this Atlanta based festival and it was insane. I had a blast. 9. Game Of Thrones season 2 - Fucking badass! That is all. 10. Trap music craze - I love it. I grew up listening to Three-6-Mafia, Swisha House, etc and I have always loved the style.
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| DAVE NADA of Nadastrom (Los Angeles by way of Washington DC)
TOP 10: Vibiest Spots in 2012 1. Moombahton Massive @ U Street Music Hall (Washington DC) Of course I'm bias, but it's the truth! I've been traveling the world for years now and Moombahton Massive in DC is still the best party experience. Total family vibes with great people and great music all night long. U Hall is the perfect setting, with its "no pretense and no bullshit" approach to clubbing, and the loyal MM crowd always bring the energy each month. Also, it's the only place where you can sample Mama Nada's Empanadas! 2. Panorama Bar (Berlin, Germany) Finally got a chance to visit Berlin this year and of course that meant trying to get in to Panorama Bar. The timing was perfect, as one of my favorite groups Waze & Odyssey were scheduled to play on a Sunday while we were in town. Anyway, I got to the club around noon and found myself exploring the venue. It was pretty wild! It really did feel like it was an "anything goes" type of place. It was dark, smokey, and vibey as fuck. Panorama is this mid-sized industrial warehouse room with an amazing system and plenty of elbow room to vibe out. Everyone was having the best time, including myself. I wish we could have something like that here in the states!
3. The Do Over @ Lure Night Club formerly Cabana Club (Hollywood) The Do Over is the epitome of summer time in Los Angeles. This is hands down the best summer vibes in the world. Its outdoor, sangria filled, hiphop lifestyle is unfuckwithable. The secret dj guests are always top notch and the music is always diverse. And it goes down every Sunday during the summer! super win
4. Sneaky Pete's / Cab Volt (Edinburgh, UK) What a great fucking town! Edinburgh was killing it this year, the Scots really know how to party and really know their music. Not only is it a gorgeous city, but the club scene there is pretty forward thinking. Nadastrom played this small punk rock dive club/bar called Sneaky Pete's and it had the best vibe. Reminded me of Velvet Lounge in DC or the old Ottobar in Baltimore. Total party crowd that would lose it to all kinds of music. We had the same experience at Cabaret Voltaire, which was this dungeon like club with a HUGE system. Edinburgh was a definite VIBE highlight of 2012.
5. Grand Central (Miami, FL) Love love love this club! You know you can't go wrong when the club has a mural of DJ Mehdi on their wall. The vibe here is incredibly good. So good that we started doing a Moombahton Massive residency. Amazing sound system, amazing crowds, and we get to go late til 5am. Miami downtown throws down for sure!
6. Wrong Bar (Toronto, Canada) I've been playing Wrong Bar for years now and it remains to be one of my favorite places to play. Toronto in general kills it, but this bar has an awesome vibe, every time! Nadastrom usually plays the SLOWED party there with Lucie Tic and Torro Torro and their loyal crowd always makes us feel welcomed.
7. The Mid (Chicago, IL) Chicago felt like a 2nd home for Nadastrom this year, having played Lollapalooza to Red Bull Thr3Style to the Mad Decent Block Party…all amazing events. And almost each time, we've managed to throw down at one of our favorite spots, The Mid! What a sick spot, with multiple levels and a crazy sound system to boot. Chicago seems to be popping off a lot more these days too so me and Matt usually like to cruise around town to check out other places like Smart Bar. Chicago city vibes are tops right now.
8. 285 Kent / Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival (Brooklyn, NY) We got a chance to do a proper Moombahton Massive this year at Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival and it was perfect! We got to throw down at this spot called 285 Kent, total warehouse vibes! We got to run the show from beginning to end with our friends DJ Blass and the Que Bajo crew Uproot Andy and Geko Jones. We even stuck around the next day to check out cats like Nick Hook, Lauren Flax, Dre Skull, Jubilee, Benji B, Pearson Sound, Salva, Mike Q and so much more.
9. La Cita (Downtown Los Angeles) This little cumbia bar downtown really packs a punch. It was definitely my go to spot in DTLA this year. From the awesome Mustache Mondays night to Dance Right Thursdays, you really can't go wrong. The music is always tight and the vibe there is the best. Very loose, chill, no pretense, cheap bar, people always dancing and it tends to get wild by the end of the night. They even have a sick outdoor patio in the back which is always a good time whether your'e wildin' or chillin'.
10. Seacrets (Ocean City, MD) Seacrets was exceptionally vibey this year! I'm not the biggest fan of going there at peak time weekend nights, but catch me chillin there hardcore during the week daytimes. it's all outdoors with, for the most part, great reggae dub tunes and bars on the beach. You can even get your feet wet by the dock and the food there is amazing. Also beware, the drinks there are crazy strong! Fave drink by the way is the "Pain In The Ass." Really packs a punch and you'll be vibing out super hard. Love this place.
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Justin Nizer
(Los Angeles)
Director / Videographer
Owner of Eyewax TV
In 2012 clients included heavyweights from Kaskade to Zedd to Porter Robinson and the Electric Daisy Fest
TOP 10: Everything
1. After Show Food: Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs (see also: danger dogs, street dogs, gut busters)
I can't leave Hollywood without eating one or two of these bad boys. They're the corner stone of any late night production diet.
2. Wing Sauce at Buffalo Wild Wings: Parmesan Garlic
Anyone who knows me knows I am a hot wing freak. Buffalo Wild Wings is my spot and I'll put down 6 parmesan garlic and 6 blazin wings in 5 days a week no problem. Well...it's kind of a problem.
3. Airline: Virgin America
Thanks for opening up more destinations. You make flying almost tolerable when I'm not in the G6.
4. App: Instagram
I can't stop popping off shots to share on my feed. I'm the annoying guy with my iPhone and I'm all about obsessing over my three favorite things: my english bulldog, my food and my adventures. Holler at me @justinnizer
5. Track: Porter Robinson "Language"
I heard this song on every stop I was on of the Language Tour with Porter Robinson. It's everything that is right with Dance music right now.
6. Best DJ: TJR
TJ is a good friend of mine with amazing skills in the studio and on the decks. He's the guy cutting and scratching and mixing with sync off. "Funky Vodka" is one of my all time favorite tracks.
7. Camera: Red Epic
It came out a few years ago but really started making it into our Eywax productions this year and upped the ante in our film game.
8. EDM Moment: Armin Van Buuren closing EDC Orlando with Porter Robinson
"Language" /Coldplay "Every Teardrop" mashup. Goosebumples all over.
photo by Rukes.com
9. Festival: Nocturnal Texas
Not the largest or the most hyped but the most coolest party of the year for us. The two day outdoor festival in the woods of Apache Pass had the best vibe, lineup and party people of the year.
10. Show: Kaskade's sold out show at the Staples Center Los Angels
I've been working with Kaskade for a few years now and I've seen his well deserved rise to the top of Dance music. I stood on the center of the floor and saw seats full to the roof and it was reminiscent of standing on the floor of the Coliseum when EDC was still in LA. It was another one of those magic moments to be a part of.
CHECK OUT EYEWAX
* EDC Las Vegas Trailer
* EDC New York Trailer
*Kaskade Freaks Of Nature Tour webisodes
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Luke Allen (London + Los Angeles) Talent Manager Clients include Kelis and Cedric Gervais.
TOP 11: Songs These are some more chilled out delights of what I've been listening to on my i-pod in and from 2012 1. Arkist – "Fill Your Coffee" 2. The White Lamp – It's You (Ron Basejam Remix) Massive amouts of love for these boys, and this shaped our summer in the UK & Europe.
3. Ry & Frank Weidemann – Howling (Ame Remix) 4. 14th – Take Me There 5. AJ Hierro – 011 A DJ mix a friend of mine did. It's fucking aswesome... and he's a super nice guy so check it out.
6. Close – OSCAR 7. Olafur Arnaulds & Nils Frahm – A2 (Max Cooper Remix) 8. Behling – Without you 9. Nicolas Jaar – Space Is Only Noise 10. Placeholder - Just keep checking this guy's soundcloud player, it keeps doing things that make me smile. 11. Kimbra – Build Up (George Fitzgerald Remix)
Joey Fisher of TBMA (The Bolivian Marching Affair) (Boston, MA) break out DJ / Production Crew in 2012 with Play Me Records
TOP 10: Everything 10. Run-DMT – "Drop Top II" 9. Terravita – "This Time It's personal" 8. Bella Terra Festival 7. Mixed In Key 5 software 6. Izotope Ozone 5 software 5. our Tour with Rednek and Mord Fustang 4. Gold's Gym 3. Fall Massive 2. all the new shoes I got 1. ALL OUR NEW FANS |
OUR BIGGEST MOMENT OF 2012:
SPIN MAGAZINE'S big article on Dubstep in their July 2012 special summer issue featured 2 full paragraphs about HipsterOverkill co-founder Shawn Lucas and Ov3rkill Entertainment's parties in the DC area. Needless to say, we were very excited when this came out without warning.
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WHAT WE THOUGHT:The Overkill / Ov3rkill staff look back at 2012 from Best Albums to Memes
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Anna "PunkAsFuck" Falzetta
(Los Angeles)
West Coast contributor
Twitter: @TheOnlyAnnakins
TOP 12: REMIXES
TOP 12: Live Performances
@ Coachella Festival, Indio, CA, April 2012
photo of Paper Diamond at King King by HipsterOverkill.com | 
SHAWN "MCSL" LUCAS
aka Maximus Jonx
(Washington DC)
HipsterOverkill co-founder
Ov3rkill Ent. Head Honcho
Video Producer (8112 Studios)
Dubstep MC
facebook.com/TheMCSL
BEST OF 2012
1. MEMES From Bad Luck Brian to Scumbag Steve, Grumpy Cat to Insanity Wolf, /b/ to Reddit armies, memes blew up in 2012! Often misused, there are subtle ironies to each motif that when used properly can deliver a penned message as mighty as any Hatori Hanzo. Sometimes they just make us laugh, other times they make us take a different view on the world we live in, sometimes they are just cute animals doing cute shit. No matter what the subject, memes had a HUGE 2012.
2. LOLLAPALOOZA, SAO PAULO, BRASIL
Since 2003, I have been on tour in Brazil 6 times. In 2012, the band I tour with, Veiga & Salazar, were booked to play Lollapalooza in Sao Paulo. It was the first time the festival had been to South America, and the homies were gracious enough to have me join. We rocked the dance tent in front of 7000 people going HAM! There was a moment backstage, where our trailer was right next to those of Bassnectar, Peaches, Calvin Harris and Crystal Method, and all was well in the universe.
3. INSTAGRAM
4. TRAP MUSIC
The recent electronic spin on this Hip Hop born syncopation of drums and bass has become more of an EDM addition than many originally anticipated. Being dropped in just about every set this year (even by the likes of Trance King Tiesto), Trap was making asses drop and kept things bouncing. I'd like to see more shit like Baauer, Brillz, Bro Safari, Mayhem & Floss in 2013.
5. ELECTRIC FOREST FESTIVAL
From the first round of festival promos in early 2012, I had my interests set towards E. Forrest. Knowing the caliber of production Insomniac provides, and having Bunny (former Rabbit in the Moon front man) as creative director, and seeing the perfectly well rounded line up, I knew this was going to be THE event of the season. I got to go as a guest with ZERO responsibilities, and had the most fun I've had in years! Rave the fuck on! Huge shout outs to Danny, 12th Planet and Riddem for the wild times.
6. GOTYE "SOMEBODY THAT I USED TO KNOW"
This song got so much rinse, that Hip Hop stations were pumping it in between Chris Brown and Waka Flocka. How does that happen? I don't care what you might tell your friends, when that joint came out you were singing it in the car, in the shower, in the clubs, mentally rehashing some past relationship, and wishing this had been around when you broke up! I have a friend that played it so much, he decided that he no longer loved his girl and left her. Now that's a powerful tune!
7. MOLLY No, the other one. The Cedric Gervais one, actually. As co-producer of the video for one of the most controversial song of 2012, I had no idea that it was going to become the global phenomenon it did. As an homage to the NOH8 campaign, I grabbed a roll of duct tape at the shoot, put it on Molly, took a pic, and now the iconic image is on t-shirts in every mall and boardwalk in this country. Ha. After Madonna and Deadmau5 had their Twitter tiff during Ultra Week, the video took internet spotlight, and finished the year at just over 5,000,000 views on YouTube. Wait till "You Got The Look" hits them this year!
8. DC MEGA
Wow. Ok. Se we opened this new club in DC called, Echostage. It''s fucking amazing! One room, 4000 cap., HD LED screen, lasers, all the bells and whistles. Then we started our new monthly event, Mega. With only 3 iterations to date, this party has blown my mind! Not to mention playing host to events with Nero, Zeds Dead, Flux, Doctor P, Paper Diamond, Funtcase, Cookie and more, I am gassed to be a part of such an amazing venue.
9. TRIPPY STICKS and DABS
As people are always looking for new and interesting ways to get lifted, 2012 saw a big jump in heavy weight ways of getting stoned out of your mind.
10. SPIRITUAL AWAKENINGS It seems as though more and more people are waking up to some sort of new awareness. It buzzes around like the new kid trying to fit in, but not yet comfortable with himself. However small scaled, there has been a shift in the way people are looking at life, the universe, and our place in it. I hope that 10 years from now, we look back and remember 2012 as the year things changed for the better. It's so easy. Be healthy, be grateful, be genuine, be loving, be free.
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BEST ALBUMS OF 2012 According to Hipster Overkill's Michael Hogan
2012 was a big year for music, EDM continued to grow, and we saw the release of so many great albums, so many great festivals, live performances, mixes, and so on. But the world continues to grow outside of EDM as well, and when you actually look at music as a whole, its hard to deny that 2012 was an amazing year for music, with so many hugely diverse albums making such a massive impression on myself, and so many other people. Here is a collection of what I consider to be some of the best albums to be put out in 2012, spanning everything from hardcore, to post-rock, to electro. In no particular order of course, because picking a favorite would be like comparing apples to oranges, so I consider, all things equal, that these are the rank-free best releases of the past year.
| **CLICK ON Album Graphic To Link To The Music**
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TOP 10: ALBUMS
Converge - All We Love We Leave Behind
Hardcore legends, Converge, released their follow up to 2010's Axe To Fall this year with the impossibly heavy All We Love We Leave Behind, and I couldn't be happier with it. Honestly, this is not an objective rendering, Converge is my favorite band of all time; I actually have two Converge tattoos, but regardless of my obvious bias, I think this was a fantastic release that ranks up there with their best. Which of course stands among the greatest hardcore albums of all time. Converge may not be for everybody, but if you get it, its impossible to not love.
Zedd - Clarity
There are few people in the scene that are blowing up as quickly as Zedd is, and I would be hard pressed to come up with someone who deserves it more than him. He has dropped banger after banger leading up to this album, like his huge remix of “Breakin' A Sweat” by Skrillex and The Doors, and so the anticipation for this album was absolutely huge. And rightfully so, as it turned out, this album was absolutely huge, one of the few albums that I could literally just listen to on repeat for hours on end. It seems like the future is limitless for Zedd, and he has certainly earned it with absolutely fantastic releases like this, and if he keeps it up, he's going to go down as an EDM legend in no time.
The Gaslight Anthem -Handwritten I have been a huge Gaslight Anthem fan since their 2008 release, The '59 Sound, their Americana fueled old school rock n roll sound, mixed with modern day New Jersey punk appealed to me on so many levels. I was instantly obsessed with The '59 Sound and still listen to it on a regular basis, and when a band puts out an album that is that monumental, its hard to follow it up, but they managed to do so with their last release, and have done it once again with this new album, , driven by a more raw sound than their last album, and sticking firmly to their roots while still allowing their sound to progress freely. They are one of the most brilliant examples of heartfelt musicianship, and they portray that flawlessly.
Feed Me - Escape From Electric Mountain I am a self-professed Feed Me addict, I'm not going to try and pretend that I'm simply fond of his work, and plan on objectively talking about his jittery and syncopated synth lines, and his epic melodies. Instead I can be expected to gush on about how awesome they are, and Escape From Electric Mountain is a perfect example of not only his skill, but his diversity as well, from his huge drumstep tune, “Trapdoor”, which is quite possibly one of my favorite tracks of the year, to his epic electro track, “One Click Headshot”. Escape From Electric Mountain really does have it all, and proves exactly why I'm such a huge fan of Feed Me.
Caspian - Waking Season I'm a huge post-rock fan, I know it seems like quite a departure from the brutal hardcore style of Converge, but I really do love it. Something about the scale and astronomical dynamics of post-rock, the music is more than an instrumental song, its a composition, and an expression of some of the rawest emotion that can't even be matched by even the most gut-wrenching of lyrics. And Caspian are some of the most celebrated underdogs of the genre; they won't sell out massive venues like Explosions in the Sky, Sigur Ros, or Mogwai, but they can write music that could humble the lot of them. Immediately following the release of Waking Season it was almost universally heralded as the most important post-rock release of 2012, dwarfing the hugely anticipated album from Sigur Ros which was the first album they have released since their return from hiatus. And I certainly agree with them. Caspian are absolute giant killers in post-rock, and they are sure to make waves with this amazing new album.
The Killers - Battle Born I'll be honest, I've always dug The Killers, but never really called myself a big fan. I would never say I didn't like them, but usually wouldn't consider putting them on a top 10 list like this. In fact, I waited six months before I even listened to Battle Born, but boy, was that a mistake. I had been missing out on one of the greatest rock albums of the year. The album is wonderfully written, full of a light and reverb-y Southern California kind of feel, that's just a subjective feeling that the album invokes I suppose, but I think it still speaks volumes on the style of the album. I have it on repeat now, as the year draws to a close, wishing I discovered it earlier. But either way, I can say for sure that this album won't be leaving its constant rotation any time soon.
Kill The Noise - Black Magic EP
Kill The Noise has been on a roll for a long time now, he's been throwing down banger after banger over the years, and his newest EP, Black Magic, is certainly no different. Featuring a killer mix of electro and dubstep, and collabs from huge names like the aforementioned Feed Me, and the newest trap star, Brillz, who worked together to create a really laid back electro track that I definitely love. Though, I have to say, “Thumbs Up (For Rock N Roll)” with Feed Me proves to be a standout track, and really brings the album up another notch. But either way, Feed Me collab or not, this is probably my favorite release from Kill The Noise to date, and I'm a big KTN fan, so that's saying a lot.
As I Lay Dying - Awakened / Architects - Daybreaker
I simply couldn't decide between these two, so I'm calling it a tie. We're talking about two metalcore legends, its kinda hard to split the difference between the two. Daybreaker is a technical masterpiece that I'm still trying to wrap my head around, and the delivery is so brutal and full of energy, its just how metalcore should be. And Awakening proves once again why As I Lay Dying are still the kings of metalcore; they don't try to mess with the formula, they don't get needlessly complicated, they simply do it better than just about everyone else. But I can't quite say that one does it better than the other, which is why they both deserve a spot on this list.
Zeds Deaed and Omar Linx - The Living Dead
Zeds Dead have really been changing up the scene for years, really pushing the boundaries of EDM beyond the standard conventions that everyone had come to accept. And even redefining the practices of the industry itself, presenting the idea of an organized tour to EDM. They helped perfect the concept of rapping over electro and dubstep, and really brought the concept to a whole new level with their newest album, The Living Dead, is not like anything that anyone has ever released before; its unmistakably Zeds Dead, no one could even imitate their signature style with any effectiveness. There is a very good reason they're one of the most highly regarded names in EDM, and this album only further proves that they're only continuing to push the envelope further.
Deadmau5 - >Album Title Goes Here<
This list really wouldn't be complete without mentioning the newest album from Progressive/Electro House superstar Deadmau5. To some it may seem a little commercial and cliched to mention the mau5, but anyone that has listened to this album knows that this is a well deserved spot. The album features awesome tracks like a collab from one of the queens of EDM guest vocals, Imogen Heap, and another collab from one of my childhood heroes, Gerard Way from My Chemical Romance. This is a huge album, and certainly deserves to be called one of the best of the year, this is not just a cliched filler spot, this is a fantastic album no matter how you look at it.
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Jacqueline Dubin
(Washington DC)
East Coast contributor
TOP 1: Moments In EDM In 2012
1. CALVIN HARRIS WINS A MOON MAN for "Feel So Close To You" in the first ever EDM category at the MTV VMAs
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