In anticipation of Sept. 26, here is an old review/preview combo

Note: The following post is made up of a review for the LCD Soundsystem album Sound of Silver and a brief preview of Arcade Fire's Neon Bible which I wrote before it came out (obviously the information is dated, but it's about showcasing some writing I have done previously about the band and the album). I'm posting this review/preview combo in lieu of their upcoming visit to Thanksgiving Point on Sept. 26. It is looking to be one of the best shows on the year and you should expect a full rundown as soon as it's over on When In Doubt, Clap! So for now, enjoy a review/preview combo of each respective band's latest release.


Sound of Silver sounding more golden
New release by acclaimed disco-punk outfit aims for aesthetics

Sound of Silver, the latest release by LCD Soundsystem, is a major staple in dance albums produced this year.

LCD Soundsystem is the side project of James Murphy, co-founder of Death From Above (DFA) Records. Sound of Silver is the follow-up record to the 2005 self-titled release that made everybody want Daft Punk playing at their house.

LCD Soundsystem’s Sound of Silver was released through DFA/Capitol. It hit stores until March 20 in the United States. The record also leaked onto the internet months before the release date, and numerous fans had already put in a few good listens before the album ever touched the shelves. Those who wanted to get a preview, but not just a pirate copy, got a taste of what’s on the new album on the band’s Web site.

This new effort by Murphy is a standout, sporting tracks that could have been on the self-titled album as well as new standouts that are sure to perk up a lot of ears. Must-here tracks on the album include “North American Scum”, which is the first single from the record, “All My Friends”, and “Someone Great.” “Someone Great” was extracted directly from a 45-minute track Murphy put together for Nike and iTunes, aptly titled "45:33," in 2006.

Despite being a well-put-together release, Sound of Silver does have a couple of the nine tracks that quickly become mundane and overly repetitive. One track in particular, the opener “Get Innocuous”, lives up to its meaning. It fails to catch the listener’s interest throughout its seven-minute plus duration. Murphy and the sound system are in full force on this sophomore effort. He continues expanding his sound on the album, sampling from other influential artists like Bowie, Talking Heads and New Order.

Sound of Silver is possibly one of the most anticipated dance/disco/punk albums of the year. Clips of the new album on the LCD Soundsystem website, lcdsoundsystem.com


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Music Noteworthy of the New Year

A new year means a fresh chance for some excellent music. A number of artists are taking advantage of this by releasing their albums right away in the first few months of 2007.

Numerous releases doesn’t necessarily mean loads of excellent, listen-worthy music. To help alleviate some of the stress of picking through what’s promising and what wasn’t worth the cost of printing, there are some albums worthy of recommendation out there.

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Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

Canadian super group Arcade Fire, masters of utilizing large numbers of instruments as opposed to digitally combining their sounds using technology, bring forth their new effort, entitled Neon Bible, March 6. Neon Bible rings true to the band’s patent sound, and seems to pick up where their initial release, Funeral, left off. Singles like “Intervention” and “Black Wave/Bad Vibrations” make this effort seem a very listenable album that will be worth the anticipation.

In an effort to build some excitement about the release, earlier in January the band created a toll-free phone number which was answered by the first single of the album, “Intervention”. Though not the first to try this technique of getting a song into the public without the cliché internet “leak”, Arcade Fire is working hard to create a buzz about Neon Bible, which, hopefully, and likely, the album can match.