Last night, my friend asked if I had a song for the new year. I didn’t. I thought about it, though, and answered Kneecap “H.O.O.D.,” more for the band than for the specific song. They’re the group I would consider the MVP of 2025, one that has had a lot of bullshit thrown their way just for speaking out against the genocide that so much of the world has watched transpire on their phones. Yet, they’ve stuck to their principles and refuse to be silenced. They’re the real deal in a time of fakers and I appreciate that so much. That’s the kind of energy we need this year.
Anyhow, I played upstairs at the Grand Star for Underground’s New Year’s Eve party. Super cool crowd. Thank you all for being there, especially on a rainy L.A. night. It was great to overhear someone in the crowd saying, “I love this song…it’s Confidence Man” when “Gossip” came on. Even better to hear from people who came up to the booth because you were excited to hear “Juicebox” or “¿Porqué te vas?” or some other song that I can’t recall right now. Hope to see more of all of you in 2026. Set list is below. The 2025 songs link to other mentions on this blog.
Medio Mutante – Inestable
Glass Candy – Beatific
Ultraflex – Work Out Tonight
Depeche Mode – My Secret Garden
Liasons Dangereuses – Los Niños en el Parque
LCD Soundsystem – Someone Great
Ladytron – Discotraxx
Siouxsie and the Banshees – Happy House
The Cure – Let’s Go to Bed
Psychedelic Furs- Love My Way
New Order – Perfect Kiss
Real Life- Send Me an Angel
Boy Harsher – Come Closer
Chromatics – Shadow (Maceo Plex Remix)
The Horrors – Something to Remember Me By
Golden Boy, Kittin- Rippin Kittin
Crystal Castles – Celestica
Daft Punk – Digital Love
The Cure – In Between Days
The Smiths – Hand in Glove
Hot Hot Heat – Bandages
Bloc Party- Banquet
Franz Ferdinand – Michael
Joy Division – Digital
Depeche Mode – Nodisco
Yaz – Don’t Go
Human League – Don’t You Want Me (Purple Disco Machine remix)
Boy Harsher – Machina
Crystal Castles , Health – Crimewave
Justice, Simian – We Are Your Friends
Scissor Sisters, Mylo – Drop the Numb
Kittin and the Hacker, Frank Sinatra
Phoenix – 1901
Modest Mouse – Dashboard
The Strokes – Juicebox
The Smiths – This Charming Man
Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
The Stone Roses – I Wanna Be Adored
The Beatles – It’s All Too Much
Animal Collective – My Girls
NY 2026 Countdown
Daft Punk – One More Time
Purple Disco Machine – Dished (Male Stripper)
New Order – Blue Monday
The Flirts- Danger
The Bucketheads – The Bomb (Armand Van Helden Remix)
Sextile – Women Respond to Bass
Le Tigre – Deceptacon
Fontaines D.C. – Starburster
White Town – Your Woman
Daft Punk – Da Funk
Midnight Magic – Beam Me Up
Hercules and Love Affair – Blind
Tame Impala – One More Year (request)
Robyn – Dancing On My Own
Gorillaz – On Melancholy Hills
Bronski Beat – Smalltown Boy
Future Islands – For Sure
The Smiths – Bigmouth Strikes Again (request)
New Order – Ceremony
Fontaines D.C. – Favourite
MGMT – Time to Pretend
Echo and the Bunnymen – Killing Moon
Jeanette – Porque Te Vas
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Follow on Instagram or sign up for the weekly, Beatique newsletter for updates on new stories and gigs.
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