Alice Glass tops the NME cool list (From Gazette Series)

Alice Glass tops the NME cool list

1:21pm Wednesday 5th November 2008 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

The NME has published its annual Cool List - and put indie newcomer Alice Glass at the top.

Toronto-based Glass, frontwoman of electro punk band Crystal Castles, once described her look to the Independent as "more grandmother's leftovers than heroin chic".

She beat the likes of hip hop veteran Jay-Z, who the music magazine placed second in its cool barometer following his triumphant performance at Glastonbury this year.

Stateside newcomer Andrew VanWyngarden, whose band MGMT's music featured in hit TV show Skins, was third.

Glass told the NME: "I'm flattered, thank you. Why do I think I won? My pact with Satan hasn't expired yet."

Noel Gallagher was last year placed at 16 - but dropped entirely out of this year's list. But his brother Liam's cool credentials have rocketed - making him a new entry at nine.

Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant and Damon Albarn are other familiar faces who made it into the list as new entries this year. Others who slipped entirely off the cool radar in 2008 are Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty. Winehouse featured at number eight last year, while Doherty was at 34.

His former Libertines band mate Carl Barat scraped into the top 50 this year at 49. Doherty and Barat came joint first in 2004.

Conor McNicholas, NME editor said: "The NME Cool List is the year's definitive list, acknowledging those who have - and have not - made the rock n' roll grade in 2008.

"It's a testament to the current eclectic scene that we can have a new pretender such as Alice Glass enthroned at the top alongside the likes of global rap megastar Jay-Z and British music icon Liam Gallagher."