With over a month to go until its official release date, LCD Soundsystem’s highly anticipated third LP, This Is Happening, leaked late last night to the Interweb. Fishpork will not post any additional details regarding the locations of the leaked files. However, your usual sources should not let you down. If you decide to download the album early, please be sure to purchase the album on May 18th and support the band on their current tour. Let the summer begin!
It looks like this will be the summer of LCD Soundsystem after all. Although I am a fan of “Drunk Girls,” we were all waiting for those songs on the level of “All My Friends” and “Someone Great.” James Murphy did promise the new record was better than the last. That moment has arrived with “I Can Change” and “Dance Yrself Clean,” the epic 9-minute opener to This Is Happening (due May 18th). I’m not going to post the latter, because it deserves a better quality version. I’m sure you can find it elsewhere in the LCD blogisphere. You can download “I Can Change” here (via We All Want Someone to Shout For) or stream it below:
The first two songs have surfaced from the highly anticipated third album from LCD Soundsystem (aka James Murphy). Listen to “Drunk Girls” via OneThirtyBPM below and “Pow Pow” via Juno Records here. Murphy also produced the soundtrack to the new Ben Stiller/Noah Baumbach film Greenberg, which hits theaters Friday. Amazon.com has previews of each song here.
LCD Soundsystem (aka James Murphy) looks to follow-up 2007′s Sound of Silver with easily the most anticipated album (yet untitled) of 2010. Sound of Silver served as Murphy’s magnum opus and was one of the most critically-acclaimed records of last decade. With all the anticipation and expectations, it will be nearly impossible to top that success. However, Murphy brags that the new album is better than the last two. If this is true, fans will not know what to do with themselves this summer. The album is due on May 18th. In the meantime, Murphy also produced the soundtrack for the Ben Stiller/Noah Baumbach comedy, Greenberg. The soundtrack features several original LCD Soundsystem songs, one of which is circulating the music blogisphere. The song is not derivative of LCD Soundsystem’s usual incorporation of dance elements; instead, Murphy does his best David Gilmour impersonation in this bluesy rock tune. If the song is any indication of what fans can expect from future releases, then Murphy was not just bragging. You can download “Oh You (Christmas Blues)” by LCD Soundsystem here (via We All Want Someone To Shout For) or stream it below:
This is an attempt at the impossible. Here are our 100 favorite songs of the past decade (featuring multiple tracks from Animal Collective, The Knife, Radiohead, and Elliott Smith). Our top two choices are more like 1a and 1b. Be patient, as the page needs to load the embedded songs.
1. Panda Bear – “Bros” (2007)
2. The Knife – “We Share Our Mother’s Health” (2006)
3. Animal Collective – “For Reverend Green” (2007)
4. Grizzly Bear – “While You Wait For The Others” (2009)
5. The Knife – “Heartbeats” (2003)
6. Grizzly Bear – “The Knife” (2005)
7. LCD Soundsystem – “Someone Great” (2007)
8. TV on the Radio – “Staring at the Sun” (2003)
9. Crystal Castles – “Crimewave” (2008)
10. Beirut – “Ciloqut” (2007)
11. Thom Yorke – “Harrowdown Hill
12. Animal Collective – “Derek” (2007)
13. Nine Inch Nails – “Me, I’m Not” (2007)
14. Beck – “Lonesome Tears” (2002)
15. At The Drive-in – “One Armed Scissor” (2004)
16. Animal Collective – “Grass” (2005)
17. Deerhunter – “Nothing Ever Happened” (2008)
18. Atlas Sound – “Recent Bedroom” (2008)
19. Panda Bear – “Comfy in Nautica” (2007)
20. System of a Down – “Chop Suey” (2001)
21. Animal Collective – “Peacebone” (2007)
22. Battles – “Atlas” (2007)
23. Error – “Jack the Ripper” (2004)
24. Enon – “Pleasure and the Privilege”
25. Elliott Smith – “Son of Sam” (2000)
26. Animal Collective – “Did You See the Words” (2005)
27. The Knife – “Marble House” (2006)
28. LCD Soundsystem – “All My Friends” (2007)
29. Thom Yorke – “Analyse” (2006)
30. The Flaming Lips – “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell” (2002)
31. Girl Talk – “Smash Your Head” (2006)
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32. A Perfect Circle – “Judith” (2000)
33. Radiohead – “Idioteque” (2000)
34. Tapes N’ Tapes – “Manitoba” (2006)
35. TV On The Radio – “I Was A Lover” (2006)
36. Radiohead – “Reckoner” (2007)
37. Fever Ray – “Coconut” (2009)
38. Animal Collective – “My Girls” (2009)
39. Built to Spill – “Things Fall Apart” (2009)
40. Wilco – “I’m Trying to Break Your Heart” (2002)
41. Modest Mouse – “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” (2000)
42. Animal Collective – “Leaf House” (2004)
43. Modeselektor – “Happy Birthday” (2007)
44. Arcade Fire – “Wake Up” (2004)
45. Autolux – “Blanket” (2004)
46. MGMT – “Time to Pretend” (2007)
47. Built to Spill – “Conventional Wisdom” (2006)
48. Wilco – “Side With the Seeds” (2007)
49. Elliott Smith – “Happiness/The Gondola Man” (2000)
50. Avey Tare – “I’m Your Eagle Kisser” (2007)
51. Department of Eagles – “Waves of Rye” (2008)
52. Animal Collective – “Summertime Clothes” (2009)
53. Radiohead – “2+2 = 5″ (2003)
54. Dredg – “Sang Real” (2005)
55. While Lies – “Farewell to the Fairground” (2009)
56. Grizzly Bear – “Ready, Able” (2009)
57. Matisyahu – “King Without a Crown” (2005)
58. Modest Mouse – “Paper Thin Walls” (2000)
59. Dillinger Escape Plan – “When Good Dogs Do Bad Things” (2002)
60. Elliott Smith – “Twilight” (2004)
61. Deerhunter – “Flourescent Grey” (2007)
62. Holy Fuck – “Lovely Allen” (2007)
63. LCD Soundsystem – “Never As Tired As When I’m Waking Up” (2006)
64. The Notwist – “Boneless (Panda Bear Remix)” (2008)
65. Liars – “Nothing Is Ever Lost or Can Be Lost My Science Friend” (2004)
66. The Mars Volta – “Inertiatic E.S.P.” (2003)
67. The Notwist – “Solitaire” (2002)
68. Of Montreal – “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” (2007)
69. Queens of the Stone Age – “Tangled Up in Plaid” (2005)
70. Radiohead – “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” (2007)
71. Saul Williams – “Raised To Be Lowered” (2007)
72. Autolux – “Great Days for the Passenger Element” (2004)
73. Sigur Ros – “Untitled 8″ (2002)
74. Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs – “Maps” (2003)
75. Portishead – “Threads” (2008)
76. Sufjan Stevens – “Chicago” (2005)
77. Ugly Casanova – “Things I Don’t Remember” (2002)
78. Animal Collective – “Brothersport” (2009)
79. Radiohead – “Pyramid Song” (2001)
80. Nine Inch Nails – “Only” (2005)
81. El-P – “Flyentology” (2007)
82. Queens of the Stone Age – “No One Knows” (2002)
83. Ghostface Killah – “Shakey Dog” (2006)
84. Modest Mouse – “Missed the Boat” (2007)
85. UNKLE – “Persons and Machinery” (2007)
86. Amon Tobin – “Verbal” (2002)
87. The White Stripes – “Denial Twist” (2005)
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88. Tomahawk – “Captain Midnight” (2003)
89. Modest Mouse – “Bukowski” (2004)
90. Sigur Ros – “Hoppipolia” (2005)
92. Fuck Buttons – “Sweet Love For Planet Earth” (2008)
93. Bon Iver – “Skinny Love” (2008)
94. Built to Spill – “In Your Mind” (2001)
95. The White Stripes – “Icky Thump” (2007)
96. Does It Offend You, Yeah? – “We Are Rockstars” (2008)
97. Dub Trio – “Not Alone” (2006)
98. Modest Mouse – “The World At Large”
99. The Walkmen – “In the New Year” (2008)
100. Nine Inch Nails – “The Great Destroyer (Modwheelmood Remix)” (2007)
Compiling a list of your favorite albums for an entire decade is quite the challenge, especially when that decade was as strong as the 2000s were. Six of our favorites come from two bands (Animal Collective and Radiohead), and two were from this past year (Veckatimest and Merriweather Post Pavilion). This list is by no means a definitive statement of the best music from last decade. Instead, these are our favorite albums that were on heavy rotation in our iPods and scrobbled endlessly on Last.FM.
1. Strawberry Jam (2007) – Animal Collective
2. Silent Shout (2006) – The Knife
3. The Moon and Antarctica (2000) - Modest Mouse
4. Kid A (2000) – Radiohead
5. Figure 8 (2000) – Elliott Smith
6. Veckatimest (2009) – Grizzly Bear
7. De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003) – The Mars Volta
8. Future Perfect (2004) – Autolux
9. The Eraser (2006) – Thom Yorke
10. Person Pitch (2007) – Panda Bear
11. Return to Cookie Mountain (2006) – TV on the Radio
12. Sea Change (2002) – Beck
13. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) – Wilco
14. High Society (2002) – Enon
15. The Loon (2006) – Tapes N’ Tapes
16. Microcastle (2008) – Deerhunter
17. Feels (2005) – Animal Collective
18. Sound of Silver (2007) – LCD Soundsystem
19. In Rainbows (2007) – Radiohead
20. Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) – Animal Collective
Tapes ‘N Tapes hit me hard when I discovered their 2004 LP The Loon. At the time, I was discovering a goldmine of great new bands (TV on the Radio, Saul Williams, LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, Autolux), but Tapes ‘N Tapes’ debut album was stuck in my head for months, while all other tracks were deemed unworthy during that time. I listened on the way to work, on my computer, on the iPod, and even at family BBQs with family members giving me bewildered looks because of the awkward music selection. I can easily say that The Loon will certainly rank on my top 10 of the decade. How on Earth do you follow up a masterpiece? This is something I was worried about, as so many artists rarely reach the heights of their debut.
Upon first hearing the April release of their sophomore effort Walk It Off, I wasn’t sure what to think about the new songs. However, knowing that first impressions do not often last with challenging music (see Amnesiac), I continued to listen and wait for the payoff. It took a few weeks to warm up to the record, (partially delayed by my obsession with Animal Collective), but it finally hit me that Walk It Off is an another extraordinary collection of songs. The album’s first single, Hang ‘Em All picks up right where The Loon left off. The catchy guitar and offbeat lyrical delivery of frontman Josh Grier let the listener know they are in for something special. Grier mentioned in a recent interview that the lyrics on this record were written with a bit of ambiguity as to let the listener interpret their meaning.
The distorted guitars and offbeat rhythms may confuse listeners expecting a pop record, but Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Elf Power, MGMT) has tied the loose edges into a digestible dish of cerebral indie rock. Additional standouts on the record include addicting indie anthem Conquest and the ultra-catchy and equally obnoxious George Michael. The album slows things down at times with the beautifully constructed Time of Songs and Say Back Something. It’s obvious that these guys are growing into their own as talented song writers. Most importantly, they don’t seem to be solely focused on the cash cow and continue to challenge their fans with new and exiting sounds. I really don’t get the comparisons to Pavement and the Pixies. Never being a big fan of either band, it seems to me that Tapes ‘N Tapes is taking indie rock into the next decade with an new and original sound. Whoever wants to come along better get on board before you miss the train.
http://myspace.com/tapesntapes
Video for first single, Hang ‘Em All:
Crystal Castles got its start by remixing better known bands, such as Bloc Party and Death From Above 1979. Earlier this year, they released their first full-length album. But first, what’s up with that name? Due to an uncommon reliance on video game samples, you might think the band got its name from the popular Atari game with the same name. That’s actually not the case. Crystal Castles is named after the secret refuge of She-ra, from the popular 80s cartoon, and the following is my personal interpretation of the connection:
Vocalist Alice Glass plays the role of Adora in this two-piece electronic music outfit from Toronto. Her voice, usually heard in distorted fashion, is her Sword of Protection, transforming her into She-ra, Princess of Power, and preparing her for battle. What does that make Ethan Kath, the multi-instrumentalist wizard behind the deafening bass and Atari samples? No, he’s not He-man, She-ra’s twin brother. Instead, he assumes the role of Light Hope, a magical entity composed entirely of light. He is the protector of the Crystal Castle and serves as mentor to She-ra.
Ethan Kath is a light of hope, indeed, especially in an electronic music scene where the putting the word “fuck” in your band’s name seems like the best way to get noticed these days (see Holy Fuck and Fuck Buttons). Mr. Kath needs no such gimmick, as he has created 50-minutes of pure magic in his self-titled debut album. Within the album’s 16 tracks, there is a song that speaks to every emotion. Whether you’re enraged (“Alice Practice”), blissful (“Good Times”), frustrated (“Xxzxcuzx Me”), or reminiscent (“1991″), the palette of sentiments is full. Mr. Kath’s beats are oddly original but aren’t composed of original sounds, especially with his heavy use of sampling. The band’s producer has confirmed that Kath uses a modified keyboard that was found broken in the garbage with an Atari 5200 sound chip. The result is a twisted soundscape, supplemented by heavy, repetitive bass, and backed by the distorted pleadings and screams of Glass.
There’s not a moment on the album that feels slow or tedious, or a song that can be classified as filler. No wonder why Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) asked them to open up for a leg of his North American tour. From the original backbeat of the band’s first single, Crimewave, to the extremely chill electronic tinkerings of Magic Spells, a completely instrumental track, I was unable to find an ounce of fat. I can’t say the same for recent albums by others in the genre, including both electronic “fuck” bands, or even LCD Soundsystem’s instant classic, Sound of Silver. There are no songs here as impressive as “All My Friends” or “Someone Great,” but it just might be a better album. I haven’t decided yet. – Mark
RECORD REVIEW
Artist: Crystal Castles
Album: Crystal Castles
Release Date: March 18, 2008
Record Label: Last Gang Records
