LCD Soundsystem is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002 by James Murphy, co-founder of DFA Records. The band comprises Murphy (vocals, various instruments), Nancy Whang (synthesizer, keyboards, vocals), Pat Mahoney (drums), Tyler Pope (bass, guitar, synthesizer), Al Doyle (guitar, synthesizer, percussion), Matt Thornley (guitar, synthesizer, percussion), and Korey Richey (synthesizer, piano, percussion). They have been signed to DFA since their inception, and also signed to Columbia Records in 2016.
The band began by recording and releasing multiple singles from 2002 to 2004, the first of which was "Losing My Edge", one of their signature songs. This led up to the release of their 2005 self-titled debut studio album. It garnered critical acclaim and a Grammy Award nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album. Their song "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House", which became the band's most commercially successful single, received a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording. In the following year, LCD Soundsystem recorded and released "45:33", a forty-five minute-long composition that was a specially made "workout track" for Nike's Nike+ Original Run series. In 2007, the band released their second studio album, Sound of Silver, to critical acclaim and another Grammy nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album.
In 2010, LCD Soundsystem released their third studio album, This Is Happening, which became their first top-ten album in the United States. In February 2011, the band posted a statement on its website announcing that it was disbanding following a large farewell concert at Madison Square Garden on April 2, 2011. The farewell concert is chronicled in the documentary film Shut Up and Play the Hits and was also made available as a live album titled The Long Goodbye, in April 2014.
After a series of rumors hinting at a possible reunion, in December 2015 the band released their first single in five years, "Christmas Will Break Your Heart". The group later confirmed their reunion and announced an expanded tour, including appearances at several high-profile music festivals, and released their fourth studio album, American Dream in September 2017. It went on to become their first number-one album in the U.S. The album was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 60th Annual Grammy Awards and the single "Tonite" won for Best Dance Recording.
James Murphy founded LCD Soundsystem in 2002[1] in the New York City borough of Brooklyn.[2] The "LCD" part of the band's name stands for "Liquid Christmas Display", a play on "liquid-crystal display", and originated from the earliest iteration of the band during a live performance at a Brooklyn Christmas party where bassist Murphy and drummer Pat Mahoney were covering songs by Liquid Liquid.[3]
They began by releasing a string of singles under DFA Records, which was co-founded by Murphy.[4] They gained attention with their first single, "Losing My Edge", which peaked at number 115 in the UK.[5] Described as "an eight-minute, laugh-out-loud funny dissection of cool over a dirty electronic beat";[6] the single became an underground dance favorite. This was followed by the single "Give It Up", and in the following year, "Yeah" and "Movement". The latter two peaked at number 77 and number 52 in the UK, respectively.[5]
LCD Soundsystem released their eponymous debut studio album in January 2005 to critical acclaim.[7] The CD version includes a second disc of non-album singles.[8] The following month, they released the single "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House", which became their first UK top 40 hit (peaking at number 29)[5] and their most commercially successful single (charting in Australia,[9] Belgium,[10] and the Netherlands).[11] The band toured with M.I.A. following the release of the album.[12] In June 2005, the band covered the Siouxsie and the Banshees song "Slowdive" for the B-side of their single "Disco Infiltrator".[13]
In December 2005, the group received nominations for two Grammy awards, one for Best Electronic/Dance Album with their self-titled album and one for Best Dance Recording with "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House".[14] Their self-titled debut was also placed at number 94 of Amazon.com's "Top 100 Editor's Picks" of 2005.[15]
In October 2006, LCD Soundsystem released a composition titled "45:33", as part of Nike's Original Run series. It was made available for download from iTunes.[16] Despite its name, the track is actually 45 minutes and 58 seconds long—the title being an apparent reference to vinyl speeds (45 and 33 RPM)—and was claimed to "reward and push at good intervals of a run".[17] However, it was later revealed that this was not the case, and that Murphy merely wanted the opportunity to create a long piece of music, akin to E2-E4 by Manuel Göttsching.[18]
LCD Soundsystem performing in Turin, Italy in 2007
LCD Soundsystem's second studio album, Sound of Silver, was released on March 20, 2007, to critical acclaim.[19] Praise included Mixmag awarding it the title Album of the Month, a 9.2 score from Pitchfork[20] and a 5-star review from The Guardian.[21] The album release was preceded by the single "North American Scum", which was released in February 2007.[22] LCD Soundsystem's subsequent single "All My Friends" included covers of the song by Franz Ferdinand and former Velvet Underground member John Cale.[23] 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[24] and the band went on tour with Arcade Fire.[25] Late in 2007, the band released "Someone Great" as the third single from Sound of Silver and re-released "45:33" on CD and vinyl through DFA Records.[26] 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.[27]
Also in December 2007, the band received a Grammy nomination for Best Electronic/Dance Album with Sound of Silver.[28] The album was also named the best album of 2007 by publications such as The Guardian,[29]Uncut[30] and Drowned in Sound.[31] The album was also nominated for the 2007 Shortlist Prize, where it lost out to The Reminder by Feist.[32]Time magazine named "All My Friends" one of The 10 Best Songs of 2007, ranking it at number 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."[33][34] The track was later named the second best song of the 2000s by Pitchfork.[35]
After finishing touring for Sound of Silver the band recorded and released a song entitled "Big Ideas" on the soundtrack of the film 21.[36] This song was ranked number 63 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008.[37]
On November 18, 2008, Al Doyle seemed to suggest in an interview with 6 Music that the band would soon be discontinued.[38] However, the following day both Doyle and Murphy quashed this rumor, with Murphy indicating a new LCD Soundsystem album was on the way.[39][40] 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".[41] For the 2009 Record Store Day the band released a cover of Suicide member Alan Vega's song "Bye Bye Bayou".[42]
LCD Soundsystem performing in Santiago, Chile in 2011
On February 23, 2010, the LCD Soundsystem website announced that the album had been completed. The first single was set to be "Drunk Girls" and on March 25, a stream of the song was put on music site One Thirty BPM.[43] The title of the album and the cover were revealed on the DFA site on March 30.[44] The album, titled This Is Happening, was released in the UK on May 17, 2010 and in the U.S. on May 18, 2010. Prior to the release Murphy promised that it will be "definitely better than the other two."[45] Murphy stated that it was likely to be the last LCD Soundsystem album.[46] The band performed two secret gigs in New York on April 9 and April 12, 2010, at the Music Hall of Williamsburg and Webster Hall in New York City. 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.[47] 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".[48] When speaking to The Quietus in August, Murphy insisted that LCD Soundsystem would continue to record music, stating: "We'll do some 12"s and things like that. I just need to get away from it being a big thing".[49]
On February 8, 2011, LCD Soundsystem announced on its website that it would be playing its last show on April 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. When tickets went on pre-sale and sale, there were widespread problems with availability and online ordering. Following the immediate sale of all available tickets, LCD Soundsystem announced that they would be playing four warm-up shows at New York's Terminal 5. The setlists at those shows were nearly identical to the setlist of the final show at Madison Square Garden. The final song performed at the farewell show was "New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down". The show lasted almost four hours with appearances by Arcade Fire, Reggie Watts and others.
LCD Soundsystem covered the Franz Ferdinand song "Live Alone" for the Franz Ferdinand Covers EP (2011). The cover was also released as a single through the Domino Recording Company on April 11, 2011.[50] On April 12, Murphy confirmed the release of the final show on DVD, with a better quality than the stream offered by Pitchfork.[51][52] In addition, a documentary called Shut Up and Play the Hits, chronicling James Murphy during the 48 hours before, during, and after the final show, screened at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was later screened in select theaters. On March 5, 2013, LCD Soundsystem was named one of Rolling Stone's New Immortals—"currently active (or relatively recently defunct) artists who [they] think will stand the test of time."[53] On April 19, 2014, a live recording of the farewell show was released in a 5-box vinyl edition as The Long Goodbye: LCD Soundsystem Live at Madison Square Garden.
Reunion: American Dream and Electric Lady Sessions (2015–2019)
In October 2015, a Consequence of Sound article reported that "multiple sources" confirmed that LCD Soundsystem would be reuniting in 2016 and headlining "high-profile music festivals in the US and UK". This report was eventually confirmed by Billboard, but later that day, DFA Records label manager Kris Petersen stated that the band would not be reuniting. DFA co-founder Jonathan Galkin also affirmed this in a Pitchfork article.[54][55]
On December 24, 2015, LCD Soundsystem released the song "Christmas Will Break Your Heart", the band's first single in five years. Regarded as a "depressing Christmas song" that James Murphy had been singing to himself for years, the song was recorded during 2015 after Murphy arranged for band members Al Doyle, Pat Mahoney, Nancy Whang and Tyler Pope to come to DFA Studios to record the track.[56][57] It was released as both a digital download[58] and 7-inch vinyl.[59] After the release of the song, Consequence of Sound and Billboard again alleged that LCD Soundsystem would reunite in 2016.[60][61]
LCD Soundsystem performing in 2016
The band's reunion was confirmed on January 4, 2016, when it was announced that it would be headlining the 2016 Coachella Festival.[62][63] The following day, the band announced that they would be releasing a new studio album in 2016.[64] Murphy, who worked on David Bowie's Blackstar, stated that Bowie helped convince him to reassemble the band (prior to Bowie's death in January 2016).[65] On February 13, it was reported that LCD Soundsystem had signed with Columbia Records.[66][67] On March 23, it was announced that the band would also be headlining the 2016 Lollapalooza Festival.[68] The band performed two shows at Webster Hall in East Village, Manhattan on March 27 and 28, marking their first shows in almost five years. The event had a ticket distribution system in the form of a lottery.[69] During the rest of 2016, the band headlined the Outside Lands,[70]Primavera Sound,[71]Austin City Limits,[72]Bonnaroo, LouFest,[73] and Wayhome[74] festivals.
In August 2016, the band canceled tour dates for shows in Asia and Australia in order to complete work on the album.[75] Although plans were made to release the record in 2016, it was suggested that the release date would be moved into the following year, as the recording was predicted to take another few months.[76] LCD Soundsystem performed their first show of 2017 at the then-recently opened venue Brooklyn Steel on April 6. During their performance, they premiered three new songs titled "Tonite", "Call the Police", and "American Dream" during the first encore of their set.[77] A fourth new song, "Emotional Haircut", was performed during a later show at Brooklyn Steel.[78] On May 5, the band released "Call the Police" and "American Dream" together as a digital double A-side single.[79] Accompanying the single was a lengthy post on their Facebook page, which also included an update regarding the progress of their upcoming studio album.[80] The band performed the two songs during the May 6 episode of Saturday Night Live's 42nd season.[81] On June 19, the band revealed that the title of their fourth studio album would be American Dream and that it would be released on September 1 through Columbia Records and DFA Records. The tracklist for the album was also revealed as well as dates for a world tour.[82]American Dream released to critical acclaim following the release of several singles. The album was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album and the song "Tonite" won Best Dance Recording at the 2018 Grammy Awards, earning the band their first ever Grammy win.[83]
Holiday Special and concert residencies (2020–present)
During his appearance on Marc Maron's WTF with Marc Maron podcast in July 2021, Murphy revealed that LCD Soundsystem had not worked on any music during the COVID-19 pandemic and were on a "full hiatus". He added that the band were at the point of their cycle where they "[return] to normal life completely" and that they had no plans to tour until they release another album. Regarding when the band plans to begin recording again, he stated "we'll figure something out when the time is right".[86] The band's hiatus effectively ended in October 2021, following their announcement of a 20-date residency at Brooklyn Steel from late November to late December 2021.[87] Synth player Gavilán Rayna Russom revealed in a November 2021 interview with Pitchfork that she decided against performing during the Brooklyn Steel shows and had permanently left LCD Soundsystem, citing an increased desire to work on other projects.[88] Multi-instrumentalist Matt Thornley was also absent during the shows.[89] The band picked up two new synth players for the residency: Abby Echiverri and Nick Millhiser, the latter being a member of fellow DFA Records signees Holy Ghost!.[90] The residency ended prematurely as the band canceled the final three dates, from December 19–21, due to a large increase of COVID-19 Omicron variant cases in New York City. Though they had planned on continuing through the end of the residency despite the rise in cases, the band announced on December 17 that they would cancel the remaining shows and offer refunds if enough concert attendees backed out of attending, which was the end result.[91]
On December 22, Amazon Music aired The LCD Soundsystem Holiday Special through their Twitch channel. The special was a one-off episode of a 1990s-style sitcom titled All My Friends, with comedians and actors portraying LCD Soundsystem members, including Eric Wareheim, the writer and director of the episode, playing James Murphy, Macaulay Culkin playing Pat Mahoney, and Christine Ko playing Nancy Whang. The episode was interspersed with footage from a prerecorded live performance by the band.[92] Wareheim stated that he and Murphy had been developing the sitcom project for 15 years.[92] The special was produced during November and December 2021; the live performance was filmed in New York City with the sitcom episode being filmed immediately afterward in Los Angeles, the latter over a span of two days.[93] Wareheim and Murphy both expressed amazement at Amazon Music's willingness to air the episode.[92]
LCD Soundsystem was the musical guest for the February 26, 2022, episode of Saturday Night Live's 47th season, which was hosted by John Mulaney.[94] Breaking with tradition of musical guests performing new material, the band performed the songs "Thrills" and "Yr City's a Sucker" from their debut studio album for the episode.[95] Additionally, the band collectively appeared in a sketch during the episode, where they portrayed members of the Guardian Angels.[96] In March 2022, Murphy posted an update to the band's Facebook page explaining their direction for 2022, stating that the band collectively desired playing live shows without having to promote an album.[97] Murphy, Whang, Mahoney, and Pope reunited with former member Phil Mossman to perform together as LCD Soundsystem at a DFA Records 20th anniversary show on March 26.[98] LCD Soundsystem began their 2022 run of concert residencies in March 2022 at Franklin Music Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, lasting four nights.[99] Through the rest of the year, they performed a four-night residency at the Roadrunner in Boston, Massachusetts,[100] a six-night residency at the O2 Academy in Brixton, London,[101] and an eight-night residency at the Fox Oakland Theatre and Warfield Theatre in the San Francisco Bay Area.[102] Also in August, Variety reported that the band had contributed to the soundtrack for Noah Baumbach's 2022 film White Noise with a new song titled "New Body Rhumba". It was released as a single on September 30, 2022.[103] On the same day, the band announced another 20-date residency at Brooklyn Steel, running from mid-November through December 2022.[104]
On January 31, 2023, AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group) Presents announced that the band would be one of three headline acts at the inaugural Re:SET Concert Series.[105] In November and December, LCD Soundsystem embarked on the Tri Boro Tour, playing 12 shows in New York City comprising four shows each at Brooklyn Steel, Manhattan's Terminal 5 and Queens' Knockdown Center.[106] On October 18th, 2023, the band Idles released the single, "Dancer," which featured LCD Soundsystem members James Murphy and Nancy Whang performing backing vocals.
DFA Records is an American independent record label founded in 2001 by Mo' Wax co-founder Tim Goldsworthy, musician James Murphy, and manager Jonathan Galkin. They previously had a production team called The DFA, consisting of Goldsworthy and Murphy.
LCD Soundsystem is the debut studio album by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released on January 24, 2005, jointly through DFA and Capitol Records in the United States and EMI elsewhere. The album encompasses genres that range from dance-punk to electronica to indie rock to dance music. The album was critically acclaimed upon release and was nominated for the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Electronic/Dance Album. Many singles were released to promote the album, including the band's breakout "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House", which reached number one on the UK Dance Chart in March, 2005.
"Losing My Edge" is the debut single by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released as a 12-inch single in July 2002, through DFA Records. It was later featured on the CD version of their eponymous debut studio album. "Losing My Edge" peaked at number 115 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also listed at number 13 on Pitchfork's Top 500 Songs of the 2000s list. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 40 on its "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years" list. In June 2018, Rolling Stone listed it at number 77 on its "The 100 Greatest Songs of the Century – So Far" list.
James Jeremiah Murphy is an American musician, DJ, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His most well-known musical project is LCD Soundsystem, which first gained attention with its single "Losing My Edge" in 2002 before releasing its eponymous debut album in February 2005 to critical acclaim and top 20 success in the UK. LCD Soundsystem's second and third studio albums, Sound of Silver (2007) and This Is Happening (2010) respectively, were met with universal acclaim from several music review outlets. Both albums have also reached the top 50 in the Billboard 200.
Tim Goldsworthy is a British record producer, DJ and recording artist.
"45:33" is a six-part composition by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. Commissioned by Nike, it was released digitally as a one-track studio album on October 17, 2006, as part of the Nike+ Original Run series. Initially, it was available exclusively through the Nike Music Store on iTunes. New York–based creative lifestyle marketing and public relations agency Cornerstone helped the musical efforts and coordinated the track. A CD re-release with three bonus tracks was issued by DFA Records on November 12, 2007, with the "45:33" composition also receiving a vinyl release. An eight track remix CD entitled 45:33 Remixes was released September 2009.
Sound of Silver is the second studio album by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. The album was released jointly through DFA and Capitol Records in the United States and EMI elsewhere, first on March 12, 2007, in the United Kingdom. Sound of Silver was produced by the DFA and recorded during 2006 at Long View Farm in North Brookfield, Massachusetts and DFA Studios in New York City, New York.
"North American Scum" is a song by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released as the lead single from their second studio album, Sound of Silver, on February 26, 2007 as a digital download and on other formats on March 5, 2007. It peaked at number 24 on the Belgian Flanders Tip chart and number 40 on the UK Singles Chart. The song is also frequently used to open up The Ron and Fez Show on XM Satellite Radio and was also featured in the 2008 film Step Brothers as well as the video games Saints Row 2 and Top Spin 4.
"All My Friends" is a song by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released as the second single from their second studio album Sound of Silver on May 28, 2007 and was written by Pat Mahoney, James Murphy, and Tyler Pope. The song received acclaim from critics and was on many year-end lists. It peaked at #41 on the UK Singles Chart. B-sides for the single include covers of the song by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand and former Velvet Underground member John Cale. The song was featured on the trailer for the 2024 movie IF.
American rock band LCD Soundsystem has released four studio albums, three extended plays (EP), one compilation album, two remix albums, three live albums, eighteen singles, and fourteen music videos. The music of LCD Soundsystem is a mix of dance music and punk, and contains influences of disco. The band first gained attention when they released the single "Losing My Edge" on DFA Records, which became a well-known indie song in 2002. They then released more singles over the next few years and their self-titled debut album to critical acclaim. The album was certified gold in the UK but failed to chart on the US Billboard 200.
This Is Happening is the third studio album by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released first on May 17, 2010, jointly through DFA and Virgin Records in the United States and Parlophone elsewhere. It was recorded over the course of 2009 and early 2010 in the Mansion recording studio in Los Angeles. The first single, "Drunk Girls", was released in April 2010, with a music video directed by Spike Jonze. The album is dedicated to Jerry Fuchs (1974–2009), who performed drums live with the band on occasion, as well as having a big part in associated DFA acts.
Gavilán Rayna Russom is an American electronic music producer, musician and DJ. Russom has released music under various names, including Black Leotard Front, Black Meteoric Star and The Crystal Ark, as well as collaborative work with Delia Gonzalez and the band LCD Soundsystem. In addition to her musical work, Russom is also a visual artist and a writer. Russom lives in New York City.
Holy Ghost! were an American synthpop duo from Brooklyn, New York City. Founded in 2007, the duo consists of Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel.
"Yeah" is a song by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released as a 12-inch single through DFA Records on January 13, 2004. The Crass and Pretentious mixes of "Yeah" later appeared on the CD version of the band's eponymous debut studio album. The song peaked at number 77 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Christmas Will Break Your Heart" is a song by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released as a download single as well as a limited one-sided 7-inch vinyl on December 24, 2015, making it the band's first single in five years.
American Dream is the fourth studio album by American rock band LCD Soundsystem, released on September 1, 2017, by DFA and Columbia. It was announced on January 5, 2016, the day after it was revealed that the band was reuniting after a disbandment lasting nearly five years. It is the band's first album in seven years, following This Is Happening (2010). This album reached number 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart and was LCD Soundsystem's first record to top the US Billboard 200.
"Call the Police" is a song by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released together with "American Dream" as a digital double A-side single on May 5, 2017, through DFA Records and Columbia Records, as the lead single from their fourth studio album, American Dream (2017). The song peaked at number 78 in Scotland and number 26 on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.
"Tonite" is a song by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released as the second single from their fourth studio album, American Dream (2017), on August 16, 2017, through DFA Records and Columbia Records. A music video for the song was also premiered on the same day. The song peaked at number 191 in France and number 33 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart. At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards, the song won the award for Best Dance Recording, making it the band's first Grammy win.
Electric Lady Sessions is a live in-studio album by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It was released on February 8, 2019, through DFA and Columbia Records. It was recorded over a three-day span at Electric Lady Studios in Manhattan, New York, during their American Dream Tour. The session featured a twelve-song setlist that included covers of songs by Heaven 17, Chic, and the Human League.
"New Body Rhumba" is a 2022 song by American rock band LCD Soundsystem, recorded for the soundtrack of the 2022 Noah Baumbach film White Noise. It was released as a digital single on September 30, 2022, through DFA and Columbia Records.
↑ Pytlik, Mark (March 20, 2007). "Pitchfork Media Review". Pitchforkmedia.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
↑ Diver, Mike (December 23, 2007). "DiS's albums of 2007". Drownedinsound.com. Archived from the original on April 1, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2011.
1 2 American Dream (album liner notes). LCD Soundsystem. DFA Records; Columbia Records. 2017.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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