2008 Woodie Awards
LCD Soundsystem blurs genres with sophomore album
Electronica for normal people comes in the form of Daft Punk, and now LCD Soundsystem is picking up where they left off
By: Amy Shaunette, Arts Editor
Issue date: 4/6/07 Section: The Arts
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The music world is ridden with, and some may say plagued by, genres. Whether your musical menu sticks to underground rap, Britney and Beyoncé, or a strict diet of indie rock, you still need some beats you can dance to, and that's where James Murphy, working under the name LCD Soundsystem, comes in. The electronic-rock infusion Murphy creates bridges the gap between rock and electronica, offering accessible dance music to anyone who's interested. And when it comes to LCD Soundsystem, most people are.
There are many layers in the world of electronic music. At the heart of everything is the DJs, but before the DJs there was Kraftwerk, disco, and the new wave bands of the 1980s. Electronic music is influenced by just about everything, and it's almost an impermeable genre. Electronic music includes a wide array of various subgenres - acid house, trance, techno, ambient, electro-pop; the list goes on. Mixes and remixes come out nearly everyday, it seems, and there's a lot to weed through - a lot of names to know, and at least eight different versions of all the best songs.
But there's hope for those who wish to only skim the surface. Electronica for normal people comes in the form of Daft Punk, and now LCD Soundsystem is picking up where they left off, delivering a kind of electronic music so infused with rock and indie sensibilities that it almost defies genre.
"Sound of Silver," LCD Soundsystem's second studio album released March 20 on Murphy's own DFA Records, doesn't depart from the sound Murphy laid out in 2005's self-titled debut. Low-key but energetic, with vocals that balance the techno beats, LCD Soundsystem really is electronic music for people who love acoustic guitars. Yet, Murphy understands what makes dance music good, extending his appeal to true electronica fans as well. "Sound of Silver" consists of nine songs so different that's it's hard to talk about the album as a whole, but somehow the album still flows. You can dance to it, but you to also can listen it while you do homework. It's got the guitars, it's got surprisingly good piano riffs, and most importantly, it's got the synthesizers. The album clearly shows Murphy's progress and musical maturation. The loose ends are tied, with the sound ending up much cleaner and more developed than what we heard on the first LCD album.
There are many layers in the world of electronic music. At the heart of everything is the DJs, but before the DJs there was Kraftwerk, disco, and the new wave bands of the 1980s. Electronic music is influenced by just about everything, and it's almost an impermeable genre. Electronic music includes a wide array of various subgenres - acid house, trance, techno, ambient, electro-pop; the list goes on. Mixes and remixes come out nearly everyday, it seems, and there's a lot to weed through - a lot of names to know, and at least eight different versions of all the best songs.
But there's hope for those who wish to only skim the surface. Electronica for normal people comes in the form of Daft Punk, and now LCD Soundsystem is picking up where they left off, delivering a kind of electronic music so infused with rock and indie sensibilities that it almost defies genre.
"Sound of Silver," LCD Soundsystem's second studio album released March 20 on Murphy's own DFA Records, doesn't depart from the sound Murphy laid out in 2005's self-titled debut. Low-key but energetic, with vocals that balance the techno beats, LCD Soundsystem really is electronic music for people who love acoustic guitars. Yet, Murphy understands what makes dance music good, extending his appeal to true electronica fans as well. "Sound of Silver" consists of nine songs so different that's it's hard to talk about the album as a whole, but somehow the album still flows. You can dance to it, but you to also can listen it while you do homework. It's got the guitars, it's got surprisingly good piano riffs, and most importantly, it's got the synthesizers. The album clearly shows Murphy's progress and musical maturation. The loose ends are tied, with the sound ending up much cleaner and more developed than what we heard on the first LCD album.
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