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LCD Soundsystem

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LCD Soundsystem is the musical project of American producer James Murphy, co-founder of dance-punk label DFA Records. The group's style is a mix of dance music and punk, along with elements of disco and other styles. They have released three critically acclaimed albums, with 2010's This Is Happening also charting in the Billboard Top 10.

History

Early singles and self-titled album (2002–2005)

LCD Soundsystem gained attention with its first single, "Losing My Edge". Described as "an eight-minute, laugh-out-loud funny dissection of cool over a dirty electronic beat"[1] the single became an underground dance favourite. This was followed by other well received singles "Give It Up" and "Yeah".

LCD Soundsystem released a double disc set simply titled LCD Soundsystem in February 2005 to critical acclaim. The first disc contains the album and the second contains re-releases of previous singles. The opening track "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House" quickly gained popularity and entered the UK Top 40 in March 2005 and was later featured on several video game soundtracks like SSX on Tour, Forza Motorsport 2, Burnout Revenge, and FIFA 06. The band toured with M.I.A..[2]

In June 2005, the band covered a Siouxsie and the Banshees song, "Slowdive" for the B-side of "Disco Infiltrator".[3]

On December 8, 2005 the group received nominations for two Grammy awards in the Electronica category for their self-titled album and in the Dance category for "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House."[4] This album was also chosen as one of Amazon.com's Top 100 Editor's Picks of 2005.[5]

45:33 and Sound of Silver (2006–2008)

In October, 2006 James Murphy released a track entitled "45:33" as part of a promotion with Nike for download from iTunes[6]. The track is, strangely, 45 minutes and 58 seconds long, and was claimed to "reward and push at good intervals of a run"[7]. However it was later revealed that this was not the case, but that Murphy merely wanted the opportunity to create a long piece of music, akin to E2-E4 by Manuel Göttsching.[8]

LCD Soundsystem's second album, Sound of Silver, was released on March 12, 2007, to near universal critical acclaim.[9] Praise included Mixmag awarding it the title Album of the Month, a 9.2 score from Pitchfork Media[10] and a 5-star review from The Guardian[11]. The album release was preceded by the single "North American Scum".

LCD Soundsystem's subsequent single "All My Friends" included a cover of the song by both Franz Ferdinand and former Velvet Underground member John Cale[12]. The digital download "All My Friends" EP also includes a cover of the early Joy Division song "No Love Lost". In September 2007 the "A Bunch of Stuff" EP was released[13] and the band went on tour with Arcade Fire[14]. Late in 2007 the band released "Someone Great" as the third single off of Sound of Silver and re-released 45:33 on CD and vinyl through DFA Records[15]. In December 2007 there was a release of a 12-inch record containing b-sides from European singles for the North American market entitled "Confuse the Marketplace"[16].

Also in December 2007 the band received a nomination for the Grammy for Best Electronic/Dance Album[17]. The album was also named the best album of 2007 by publications such as The Guardian[18], Uncut[19] and Drowned in Sound.[20]

Time magazine named "All My Friends" one of The 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at #4. Writer Josh Tyrangiel praised the “magic” in the song, saying that the song’s “straightforward repetition of the same guitar, keyboard and bass lines, combined with lyrics about life without regret, and life with all kinds of regrets pays off with a punch about what we lose as we get older."[21][22] The album was also nominated for the 2007 Shortlist Prize, where it lost out to The Reminder by Feist.[23]

After finishing touring for Sound of Silver the band recorded and released a song entitled "Big Ideas" on the soundtrack of the film 21.[24] This song was ranked number 63 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.[25]

This Is Happening (2009–)

On November 18, 2008 Al Doyle seemed to suggest in an interview with 6 Music that the band would soon be discontinued.[26] However the following day both Doyle and James Murphy quashed this rumour, with Murphy indicating a new LCD Soundsystem album was on the way.[27][28]

Murphy began recording in the summer of 2009 in Los Angeles. Possible song titles mentioned at that time included "Why Do You Hate Music?" and "Love in LA".[29] For the 2009 Record Store Day the band released a cover of Suicide member Alan Vega's song "Bye Bye Bayou".[30]

On February 23, 2010, the official LCD Soundsystem website announced that the album had been completed. The first single is set to be Drunk Girls and on March 25, a stream of the song was put on music site One Thirty BPM.[31] The title of the album and the cover were revealed on the DFA site on March 30.[32] The album, titled This Is Happening, was released in the UK on May 17, 2010 and in the US on May 18, 2010. Prior to the release Murphy promised that it will be "definitely better than the other two."[33] Murphy also stated that it was likely to be the last LCD Soundsystem album.[34]

The band performed two secret gigs in New York on April 9 and April 12, 2010, at the Music Hall of Williamsburg (Brooklyn) and Webster Hall in New York respectively. James Murphy made an impassioned plea with fans and industry attendees at the New York gig not to leak the album to the internet in advance of the May 17 release date.[35] It was reported in the NME that Murphy went down on his knees onstage and stated:

"If you got a copy of the record early and you feel like sharing it with the rest of the world, then please don't ... We spent two years making this record and we want to put it out when we want to put it out. I don't care about money – after it comes out, give it to whoever you want for free but until then, keep it to yourself."

For the 2010 edition of Record Store Day the band released 1000 copies of a single-sided 12" single of This Is Happening track "Pow Pow".[36]

Band members

When performing live, Murphy is accompanied by the following band members:

  • Nancy Whang – keyboards, synthesizer (also of The Juan Maclean)
  • Pat Mahoney – drums
  • Tyler Pope – bass (also in !!! and the now-defunct Out Hud)
  • David Scott Stone – guitar
  • Matt Thornley – percussion
  • Gavin Russom – synths

Former live members include:

  • Phil Skarich – bass
  • Phil Mossman – guitar, percussion
  • Al Doyle – guitar, percussion (also of Hot Chip)

Discography

Studio albums

Other releases

Singles

Compilations

Award nominations

Grammys 2006

Grammys 2008

References

  1. ^ 'I speak as a lifetime failure' | | Guardian Unlimited Arts
  2. ^ http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/34916-mia-announces-headlining-tour M.I.A. announces Headlining Tour
  3. ^ LCD Soundsystem covered a Siouxsie and the Banshees song on this CD
  4. ^ EMI Music earns 54 Grammy nominations including honors in key categories "Album of the Year", "Record of the Year", "Song of the Year" and "Producer of the Year"
  5. ^ Amazon.com Message
  6. ^ LCD Soundsystem records track for Nike
  7. ^ LCD Soundsystem Makes 45-Minute Track for Nike | Pitchfork
  8. ^ Is this it?: James Murphy | The Guide | Guardian Unlimited
  9. ^ Metacritic – Sound of Silver
  10. ^ Pitchfork Media Review
  11. ^ Guardian review
  12. ^ LCD Soundsystem covered by Franz Ferdinand and John Cale for new single
  13. ^ SPIN.com: Arcade Fire, LCD Team for Seven-Inch; Vedder, Malkmus, Tweedy Cover Dylan
  14. ^ http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/44834-arcade-fire-and-lcd-not-just-a-tour-but-a-split-7 Arcade Fire and LCD: Not Just a Tour, But a Split 7"!
  15. ^ http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/45244-lcd-soundsystems-ifabriclive-36i-mix-revealed LCD Soundsystem's FABRICLIVE 36 Mix Revealed
  16. ^ Market Trends
  17. ^ "50th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominations List" for Sound of Silver
  18. ^ "2007's Best Albums" The Guardian, December 7, 2007.
  19. ^ "Uncut Sings the Paries of SOund of Silver"
  20. ^ DiS's albums of 2007
  21. ^ Tyrangiel, Josh; "The Best Top 10 Lists of the Year"; "The 10 Best Songs"; Time magazine; December 24, 2007; Page 39.
  22. ^ Time magazine's Top 10 Songs of 2007 at time.com
  23. ^ Feist wins Shortlist Prize 2008
  24. ^ New LCD Soundsystem – "Big Ideas" (Stereogum Premiere) – Stereogum
  25. ^ "The 100 Best Songs of 2008". Rolling Stone (December 25, 2008). Retrieved 2009-01-12
  26. ^ LCD Soundsystem reach end of road
  27. ^ LCD Soundsystem not splitting – new album on the way
  28. ^ Hot Chip's Al Doyle: 'LCD Soundsystem haven't disbanded'
  29. ^ James Murphy reveals details of new LCD Soundsystem album
  30. ^ Pitchfork: LCD Soundsystem Cover Suicide's Alan Vega on New Single
  31. ^ http://onethirtybpm.com/2010/03/25/listen-to-the-new-lcd-soundsystem-single-drunk-girls/
  32. ^ http://dfarecords.com/main/archives/432
  33. ^ LCD Soundsystem – New Album in April
  34. ^ [13082,52591Rolling Stone: James Murphy Opens Up About "Crazy" May LCD Soundsystem LP]
  35. ^ LCD Soundsystem beg crowd not to leak album at New York show
  36. ^ FACT MAgazine: The A-Z of Record Store Day
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