Album review - LCD Soundsystem 'This is Happening'

LCD Soundsystem

‘This Is Happening’

(DFA/EMI)

JAMES MURPHY has always been known as something of a prankster, famously roping EMI into releasing albums by other lesser known artists in return for the rights to his music as LCD Soundsystem and releasing songs such as the jokey dance classic “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House”.

Murphy, co-founder of DFA Records, released his first single as LCD Soundsystem, Losing My Edge, as something of a lark in 2002, before it became an underground dance hit.

Here, on his third and apparently last excursion under the Soundsystem moniker, it appears Murphy is getting a bit serious on us.

After the universally acclaimed Sound of Silver in 2007 - the second LCD album - Murphy had the world at his feet, such was the superb quality of anthems such as Someone Great and All My Friends.

However, it seems Murphy never imagined LCD as a long-term project, a fact reflected on some of the tracks on this album.

Gone mostly is the bombastic dance-pop tracks we knew and loved - with the exception of the loudmouth indie-dance tracks Drunk Girls and Pow Pow, and in its place is a sort of beleaguered electro, that still often reaches euphoric levels, despite Murphy’s hangdog expression.

The key track on the album is ‘You Wanted A Hit’, where Murphy sings: “You wanted a hit / but maybe we don’t do hits / I try and try / but it ends up feeling wrong’.

This album is something of a grower, such is the diversity of sounds and influences on offer, from the synth-heavy, Human League influenced opener Dance Yrself, the Chemical Brothers beat of One Touch, and the slow, druggy, Lou Reed haze of Somebody’s Calling Me.

The standout tracks are the effervescent All I Want, which sees Murphy employ a David Bowie of Heroes-era guitar line, and the absolutely superb album closer Home, drenched as it is in synths, beats and harmonies.

Murphy would have us believe that he is tired of all of this, a 40-odd year old producer lost in a world of younger dance producers.

Despite this, his latest album, against the odds, stacks up among his finest work. It is just a pity he doesn’t seem interested in continuing to add to this heritage.

RATING 4/5

Eight new acts added to Electric Picnic line-up

This just in; eight new acts have been added to an already impressive Electric Picnic 2010 line-up: Mark E Everett's Eels, who are set to release their eighth studion album this year, End Times; UK electro-pop outfit Friendly Fires; world renowned DJ Laurent Garnier, Mancunian post-punk veterans The Fall; downtempo Ninja Tunes’ act Bonobo, who will appear as an eight piece band; Oxford five piece Stornaway, who featured on the BBC’s Sound of 2010 poll; much loved Irish electro-pop-punk act Fight Like Apes and Dublin techno rockers Channel One.

The acts join a line-up that already consists of Roxy Music, Massive Attack, LCD Soundsystem, Leftfield, Modest Mouse, Hot Chip and the Frames, among many many more. Tickets are currently on sale from all usual outlets. For more on the original line-up announcement see here.

In other news, EP '10 organisers have put a "Ticket Installment Plan" in place for this year’s Electric Picnic to make things a little easier for those wishing to purchase a ticket. The scheme is open until the end of this month, 31st May. For more details see here.

Rubberbandits Launch Picnic, Create A Stir

IN A sign of their growing national profile, comedic Limerick rappers The Rubberbandits last week launched the line-up for this year’s Electric Picnic festival, which features a reformed Roxy Music, Massive Attack and LCD Soundsystem as headliners.
The assembled media were clearly bemused by the duo from Limerick, who recently became the latest You Tube sensation, clocking up close on 40,000 views for their tribute to Limerick’s former Defence Minister, “Song for Willie O’Dea”.
The Rubberbandits performed their first ever live version of the song to a packed Crawdaddy venue for the launch, but earlier posed with models for the press to launch the impressive line-up for the Stradbally held music and arts festival.
The Limerick duo were the only act asked to perform at the launch and are booked to appear at the festival for a second year running, after upwards of a thousand people crammed into a tent to see their performance last year.
Speaking after they performed in Dublin, the ‘Bandits said they were “delighted” to be playing at the Picnic, and said that their first ever live performance of their Willie O’Dea-inspired song “went down a storm”.
“The Rubberbandits are delighted to be playing Electric Picnic, we are going to bring some culture - some Limerick culture - to a festival that only has Poxy Music and L-S-D Soundsystem on the line-up,” said Rubberbandit ‘Mr. Chrome’ after the gig.
“It's the highlight of the summer, drinking cans, watching beoirs - the food is only ok, but we can’t wait to go back,” added the comedic rapper.
The duo have captured the public’s imagination with a succession of hilarious songs, including “Bag of Glue” and their EP “Drawing Pictures of Each Other Smoking Fags”, which is on sale in Empire Music. They will play a hometown “festival gig” in Limerick in June.
Other acts announced for Electric Picnic include Public Image Ltd (Pil), featuring Johnny Lydon of the Sex Pistols, Leftfield, Hot Chip, Mumford and Sons, Jonsi from Sigur Ros, Gil Scott-Heron and Irish acts such as The Frames, Villagers, Redneck Manifesto and Imelda May. Tickets are on sale now from Ticketmaster outlets, at a cost of €240.

Electric Picnic 2010 line-up - first batch of acts announced

Line-up just announced - Massive Attack! Modest Mouse! The National! Jonsi from Sigur Ros! Here is it is in full:

ROXY MUSIC

LEFTFIELD

MASSIVE ATTACK

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM

HOT CHIP

THE FRAMES

IMELDA MAY

PUBLIC IMAGE LIMITED (PiL)

THE NATIONAL

MODEST MOUSE

MUMFORD & SONS

SEASICK STEVE

GIL SCOTT-HERON

FAT FREDDY’S DROP

BREAKESTRA

CYMANDE

THE WATERBOYS

AFRO CELT SOUNDSYTEM

STEVE EARLE

PAUL BRADY

JONSI

FEVER RAY

BAD LIEUTENANT

LIQUID LIQUID

THE LOW ANTHEM

BEACH HOUSE

THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS

VILLAGERS

ADRIAN CROWLEY

BOOKA SHADE

MR SCRUFF

BLOODY BEETROOTS

CRYSTAL CASTLES

THE BIG PINK

808 STATE

CARIBOU

MESSIAH J & THE EXPERT

THE HORRORS

THE ALARM

HERE WE GO MAGIC

MONOTONIX

REDNECK MANIFESTO

MEMORY TAPES

STEVE MASON

FIELD MUSIC

EDAN

THE DUBLIN GOSPEL CHOIR

And much, much more..

Tickets go on sale this Friday 26th March 2010 @ 9am. Electric Picnic takes place in Stradbally on the weekend of September 3-5.

Weekend Tickets are €240 / Family Camping Ticket €240 per adult, from all ticketmaster outlets..

Electric Picnic 2010 line-up announced this lunchtime

We are expecting the Electric Picnic line-up announcement in a little over two hours, and are, suffice to say, very excited indeed! Rumour on the mill - from very educated and well-placed sources - has suggested that LCD Soundsystem (pic above), Leftfield and Bryan Ferry are all set to form part of the bill, but we couldn't possibly speculate any further at this time..

One act definitely playing at this year's Picnic are The Rubberbandits, who played in UL last night as part of Charity (Rag) Week and confirmed, in their inimitable style, that they will be playing the Stradbally fest, and are in fact playing at the launch today/tonight in Dublin. Whoop!

For more, stay with On The Beat - we'll be back in a couple of hours with the line-up..