Nobody doesn’t like LCD Soundsystem. At least I’ve never heard someone say that. At the very worst, they might not know who LCD Soundsystem is until you remind them, “They’re that band that has all those songs that you hear at parties and in bars, you know, like ‘All My Friends.’” ”Oh yeah, I know who you’re talking about, cool.” James Murphy’s songs are so pop-indie good, and Sound of Silver is such a well-rounded top-to-bottom album, that it’s hard to argue too much against this band. Maybe the sing-talking over a funky groove gets a bit formulaic, but it’s always presented smartly. Because of that, in my mind, they’ve been a band in the background, a band that’s always there and taken for granted.
Their show at Webster Hall on Monday night, the second of their first impromptu performances in three years, was an enormous wake-up-call for my musical memory. A call to arms from an important band that’s been off the scene for awhile, putting on one of the best shows I’ve ever seen (and all the other reviews and tweets I’ve read 100% agree). Sometimes things actually are popular because they are good, and LCD is one of those rare acts who are completely accessible and completely brilliant. The band is a group of mature, polished musicians who groove captivatingly enough on their own, but understand how to back (and sometimes control) Murphy well. He comes off as a half-drunk 40-year-old manchild singer/mad genius, and spent much of the performance as sound conductor, tweaking amps and volume knobs. I wasn’t prepared for how beautiful his voice would be. So melancholy. So representative of what it must be like to grow older and live in New York City in the 21st century. He reminds me a bit of David Byrne- an imposing presence with a concrete vision, who ever so slightly outshines his own incredibly tight band. His between song banter is famously entertaining, and the energy never faltered the entire lengthy set. The songs are universally beautiful. I’m not sure what else to say. As good as tiny DIY shows can be, sometimes really good bands get big because they’re really good, and nothing beats a world-class band playing iconic songs while you dance along with the masses.
Fall On Your Sword were sort of cool, if not a little gimmicky. They sound like New Order, and did in fact cover “Ceremony.” They also play along with videos that they presumably make, which sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t. The highlight was a song they created with the orgasm scene from When Harry Met Sally. Photos below, and two of the new LCD Soundsystem MP3s follow.
Fall On Your Sword:
LCD Soundsystem:
That guy looks like he’s singing into one of those old-school lint brushes. Nice shots.
James Murphy is a genius.
nice photos.