Last weekend I walked into my local Berkeley coffee shop and Bob Dylan’s Desolation Row was playing on the stereo. I turned to my friend and asked if he had any way of identifying what verse we were at – but neither of us could place how far into the song we were, or how likely it was the song would still be playing when we left. It was, in fact, still playing when we left. Later that night, I saw Wilco at The Greek Theatre open with One Sunday Morning (Song For Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend) – yet another song with numerous (albeit short) verses, and thus was born this week’s B List. Interestingly, both of those songs, and many listed below, share the characteristic of also not having a chorus.
Hurricane – Bob Dylan
There was a time in high school where I could recite all eleven verses from Dylan’s protest song for boxer and accused murdered Rubin “Hurricane” Carter. If I had time to dig through enough songs, we could probably make a B List of only Bob Dylan songs that have eight or more verses. In addition to the mention of Desolation Row in the intro, Tangled Up In Blue, Lily, Rosemary and The Jack of Hearts, the list goes on and on.
The big news in the blogosphere today is ArcadeFireTube finding confirmation that Arcade Fire and James Murphy are currently working on three new tracks that may appear on Arcade Fire’s new album. Scott Rodger, Arcade Fire’s manager, recently told Music Week, “They’re in with James Murphy on three or so songs, plus Markus Dravs who is a long-time collaborator. They write too many songs – that’s a good problem to have. There’s around 35 songs with Arcade Fire, two albums’-worth for sure.”
We can only image what a collaboration between the LCD Soundsystem mastermind and Arcade Fire would sound like. Hopefully we’ll find out soon. Count on ArcadeFireTube to have the latest.
The LCD Soundsystem documentary Shut Up and Play The Hits lived up to the hype surrounding the band’s final 2011 MSG finale. As we mentioned, the DVD / Bluray release of the film will be accompanied by footage from the entire concert and today we’ve got a release date – October 9.
Available for pre-order through James Murphy’s DFA Records, Shut Up and Play The Hits is spread over three discs with one disc containing the film and the other two containing every note LCD Soundsystem played at MSG on April 2, 2011. The DVDs run $32.99 while the Blurays will set you back $35.99.
Tomorrow’s the day we’ll finally get to see Shut Up And Play The Hits, a documentary about LCD Soundsystem’s “final show.” The movie, created by filmmakers Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, will play in theaters across the country for one night only. More than a straight concert film, Shut Up And Play The Hits will profile the band’s front man James Murphy, and his decision to end the band’s career with a big blow out at NYC’s Madison Square Garden in April of 2011.
James recently discussed the film with Huffington Post and within the article is a tidbit of information that got us extremely excited: Murphy “helped cut a 3 1/2 hr., music-only version of the film” which likely contains the whole epic concert. So while Shut Up And Play The Hits does feature the band playing songs in its entirety, it spends plenty of time profiling Murphy in the days before, day of and days after the big show. Thankfully we should eventually get the best of both worlds when SUAPTH and the MSG show in its entirety make it onto DVD/Blu-Ray. The process wasn’t easy as Murphy told HuffPo, “Making a movie takes forever. Making two movies takes double forever.” No word yet on when we can expect to see the music-only version, but we’ll be on the lookout and let you know when we hear anything definitive. Here’s the SUAPTH trailer…
More details about the theatrical release of Shut Up and Play The Hits, a new documentary focusing on the end of LCD Soundsystem’s career have been revealed. The movie, which will be distributed in America by Beastie Boy Adam Yauch’s Oscilloscope Laboratories production and distribution company, is set for a series of one-night-engagements at theaters coast-to-coast this summer. For a sample of what to expect, check out the trailer or this clip.
Here’s a look at six other stories of note as we start the week…
Finally, Hot Tuna has compiled selected songs from the Jorma’s 70th Birthday Celebration performances, which were held at NYC’s Beacon Theatre on December 3 and 4, 2010 for a new DVD release. This DVD will feature a slew of special guests including Bob Weir, Oteil Burbridge, Warren Haynes and Larry Campbell. You can order it now through HotTuna.com.
Around HT headquarters we can’t wait to see Shut Up and Play The Hits, a new documentary about LCD Soundsystem’s finale at Madison Square Garden last April. Described in nearly every review we’ve read as a sort of Last Waltz for the rocktronica set (how’s that for setting the bar ridiculously high), the Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace-directed film has been making the rounds at film festivals across the world and will be shown four times at SXSW next week.
While we wait for the film to be shown in our neck of the woods, distributor Pulse Films has shared a 90-second clip from Shut Up and Play The Hits featuring Chuck Klosterman speaking with LCD Soundsystem front man James Murphy…
We’ve been awaiting the release of Gorillaz’s new track featuring LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and Andre 3000 since @MurdocGorillazannounced its existence late last month. The track, entitled DoYaThing was set to be unveiled tomorrow on Converse’s website as part of a promotion for the shoe line, but the folks at Listen Before You Buy have posted a radio rip that aired this afternoon…
We’re digging the track more with each listen, especially Damon Albarn’s smooth and potent delivery. You’ll be able to download the track at Converse’s website tomorrow.
What do you think about this new Gorillaz’s track?
As reported yesterday, today Gorillaz announced OutKast’s Andre 3000 and LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy as guest collaborators as part of Converse’s 3 Artists – 1 Song series. The song, DoYaThing, will be released for free on the Converse website on February 23.
Oh is that?….YES! It is..It’s… Andre ‘Outkast’ 3000 and James Murphy. Mr. LCD Soundsystem. Alongside Gorillaz! Wow! What a line-up!
Last Spring, LCD Soundsystem decided to call it quits, going out in style by with a series of instantly sold out hometown farewell concerts at New York’s Terminal 5, with their swan song gig taking place at Madison Square Garden. Yesterday the indie-dance-rock act posted a status update on their Facebook page informing fans that they would be putting out a new documentary about the entire experience called Shut Up & Play The Hits. The doc, which was directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace, “intercuts concert footage with intimate access to Murphy as he deals with the fallout from his decision to walk away from such a successful enterprise.”
The movie will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22. Let’s check out the trailer…
List Time: 10 Classic Albums Released 10 Years Into A Band’s Career
Our pal Wade “Wyllys” Wilby is still without power at his New England home thanks to a brutal Nor’easter that tore through the area last weekend. It was his turn to provide a Friday Mix Tape, but as you can imagine that’s pretty tough without electricity. So we’re re-running a mix he made from April 8 in which he highlighted some of the acts who influenced LCD Soundsystem. Here’s hoping Wade gets power back soon!
Walking out into the New York streets after LCD Soundsystem destroyed their home turf for one last time, I couldn’t help but think about James Murphy’s next bold move. It’s not like I had the desire for it to happen anytime soon. The man deserves some time off from the band and brand he built so effortlessly over the past six years.
One could even argue that DFA, even dance music as a whole would be nothing without the aging anti-hero. He has left an undeniable mark on civilization’s final generation. So how does one man acquire the style, chops, and perserverance to conquer the hippies and the hipsters? How do you get the popular vote while simultaneously making the counter culture swoon?
The answer lies in the influences. One glance at James Murphy and Pat Mahoney’s FabricLive mix and you can see the skeleton for LCD Soundsystem, and perhaps, the future of dance music. Other producers and DJs have done the slower, groovier compilations before (Another Late Night and Back To Mine) but they had never been so contemporarily poignant.
Bonnaroo Week continues on HT with a look at a song from LCD Soundsystem’s much buzzed ‘roo ’10 late-night set. Thanks to the official Bonnaroo channel on YouTube, we get this pro-shot clip of I Can Change…
While LCD Soundsystem is currently broken up, those looking for a late-night dance party at Bonnaroo X are encouraged to check out HT faves Pretty Lights at 2:15AM on Friday night in That Tent.
Way back in January 2010 Neil Young was honored as the Person Of The Year by MusicCares, an organization that gives musicians in need financial and medical assistance. A veritable who’s who of artists paid tribute to Young that evening by performing his classic songs. On May 31 we’ll finally get to see what went down that night thanks to a new DVD/Blu-ray containing 17 covers from the event.
Tracks we’re particularly interested in seeing include Wilco’s take on Broken Arrow, Ben Harper performing Ohio, Down By The River by John Mellencamp and T. Bone Burnett and Heart of Gold by James Taylor.
We’ll help you get over the hump with links to six interesting articles…
Finally, those hoping LCD Soundsystem will put out their last show on DVD are in luck. According to a response on the band’s official Facebook page, a release is in process and the band’s footage is “much nicer” than the Pitchfork stream. Considering the quality of the stream was pretty damn good, we’re in for a treat. No word yet on when the planned DVD will come out. [via CoS]
LCD Soundsystem went out with a bang last night at Madison Square Garden in NYC. The band’s grand finale included rarities, balloons and a guest spot by Arcade Fire over the course of the marathon performance. All in all, James Murphy and his band played a total of 29 songs with lots of honest and at times hilarious banter interspersed. It was the rare heavily hyped show that lived up to the massive expectations thrust upon it.
[All photos by Sunil Soman]
Here’s a look at the final LCD Soundsystem setlist…
Our pal Sunil Soman shot video of a handful of tunes from yesterday’s show. Check out this playlist featuring Drunk Girls, Get Innocuous, Too Much Love, All My Friends, 45:33 (w/ Reggie Watts) and Sound of Silver as well as North American Scum (w/ Arcade Fire)…
READ ON for more of Sunil’s photos from LCD Soundsystem’s swan song and a webcast rip of the entire show that may or may not get taken down…
Following months of controversy and debates about the state of ticketing, the focus was on the music last night as LCD Soundsystem kicked off their final week of shows. For the first of four performances at Terminal 5 which lead into Saturday’s “last show,” James Murphy and LCD Soundsystem delivered three sets filled with guests and surprises.
The first set focused on the band’s most well-known material including All My Friends, Daft Punk Is Playing at My House and a Dance Yrself Clean opener that featured a male choir. LCD mixed five out of the six parts of 45:33 with the title track from 2007′s Sound of Silver and Freak Out/Starry Eyes from the CD reissue of 45:33 for the second set. Comedian Reggie Watts came out for Part Two of 45:33, the choir returned for Sound of Silver and Freak Out/Starry Eyes, The Juan MacLean helped out for Part Four of 45:33 while Shit Robot lent a hand on Part Five of 45:33.
For the final set, Murphy and company started with Us v Them and then rolled through selections from all three albums before capping the night with a New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down encore. LCD Soundsystem’s “The Last Shows” run continues tonight at T5. Head over to CoS for a review of last night’s show and to Brooklyn Vegan for a collection of photos from the opening show.
If you weren’t able to score a ticket for LCD Soundsystem’s “last show” at Madison Square Garden on April 2, we’ve got some good news for you. The entire show, which front man James Murphy detailed as LCD “playing with friends and family for nearly 3 hours-playing stuff we’ve never played before and going out with a bang,” will be streamed live at Pitchfork.com.
While the ticket situation for LCD at MSG was shrouded in controversy with everyone having a different opinion on what actually happened, the decision to webcast the show is one we can all get behind.
