Article By: Mark Dommu
Photos By: Jenna Gard

This Saturday night those of us looking to boogie made the irritatingly inconvenient trip to Terminal 5 (seriously, T5 is so out of the way) for HARD X MOUTH TAPED SHUT, a party in celebration of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. The night promised to be a good one, with LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy opening for Italian electronic duo The Bloody Beetroots. I’m a long time Beetroots fan and have seen them spin several times, always waking up sore and happy the next day, so I went in with high expectations.

The event was 18 and over and free, which meant that about 80% of the crowd had black x’s on their hands. I wondered several times if HARD had been handing out flyers to NYU freshman in Washington Square Park. I’m also not sure how exactly the event had anything to do with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, aside from the fact that Rooney Mara’s head was everywhere…I guess that’s enough?

Proxy and Eye started out the evening, getting the initially small crowd dancing. When Proxy finished up the audience started calling eagerly for James Murphy, only to be met with a ridiculously long wait for his set. After about half an hour someone finally announced that there were technical difficulties and we were placated with Trent Reznor and Karen O’s cover of “Immigrant Song”, which debuted this summer with the first trailer for The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

After an hour of oddly low-tempo filler music (one prolific teenager behind me commented that, “this music is not, like, nice”) Murphy finally appeared and rather halfheartedly apologized for the wait, citing problems with a turntable…or something. He promised the audience, “We’re gonna have as much fun as you can in a short period of time with your clothes on.”

He was…not exactly telling the truth. After such a long wait, Murphy’s set was rather anticlimactic. The set started off with a funky tribal beat that stayed smooth and easy and got everyone dancing. For the most part Murphy’s set sounded like Miami in the 70s, and also maybe the 90s. There were a few interesting moments throughout, one drawn out warping sounded like a spaceship taking off, but for the most part it was an altogether uninspired set and Murphy seemed to be disinterested in the whole affair.

Almost the second Murphy finished the crowd started chanting for the Bloody Beetroots, and the crowd went wild when they appeared. They started with a bang and tore relentlessly through a thrashing, thumping and glorious set. If you’ve never seen the Bloody Beetroots spin before than you are seriously missing out. It’s the kind of set that you have to flail and jump around too. I could feel the bass pounding in my chest, making my face throb with every pulse.

The Bloody Beetroots are certifiable bad asses and they also clearly care about their audience having a good time, They were invested in the crowd’s enjoyment, at one point coming out form behind the DJ booth to rev everyone up. The crowd was losing their shit, I was almost kicked in the head by three different crowd surfers and did not care.

The Bloody Beetroots definitely made the entire night worthwhile, and on the way home I kept thinking about alien’s in boat shoes dancing to James Murphy’s set…so there’s that. I did wake up the next morning sore and happy wit the thump-thump still pulsing in my head, so mission accomplished.

For Jenna Gard’s full photo gallery: click here

When I first began to make the transition from punk and indie to electronic music, there were a few essential bands whose sound and attitude blended the barriers between these two genres and thereby facilitated my journey. LCD Soundsystem was one such crucial group, and I spent the majority of 2005 listening to their self titled album on repeat in my car, my CD player (remember those?), and my headphones, maybe with a couple rotations of the Juan Maclean and Le Tigre thrown in. Tracks such as “Daft Punk is Playing at My House”, “Losing My Edge”, and “Beat Connection” became anthems for my struggle to escape the confines of my society and its expectations. This album stayed with me for many years, and still remains my favorite although much material has been released since. It bonded my first roommate and I together my freshman year of university, provided the backdrop for many a drive down the California coastline, and soundtracked almost too many drunken gatherings of 19 year old art students.

Later material always provided welcome respite from the pulsating house and techno that was taking over my eardrums, with tracks like “Get Innocuous”, “North American Scum”, and “I Can Change” have always managed to periodically make their way into my consciousness. And then of course there is “New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down”, which took on an entirely new level of importance and poignancy after I moved to New York City myself and subsequently became all too acquainted with the constant rollercoaster of that particular love/hate relationship.

So, it was with this weight of memory that I stepped into Madison Square Garden for the final show that LCD Soundsystem would ever play. There was feeling of mixed emotion throughout the venue: celebration at being privy to such a momentous occasion, the closing of a chapter in musical history; and a distinct sensation of melancholy, an understanding of the weight of such a decision and sadness at having to accept it. At the beginning of the show, James Murphey candidly announced to the crowd that they intended to play for a long time, and would therefore be taking breaks every so often for their own sake and for the sake of the crowd. This resulted in the band playing for nearly 3 1/2 hours, or what amounted to 4 complete sets and an encore. LCD wound their way through beloved old songs, exciting new ones, and everything in between; bringing out multiple special guests including Shit Robot and Arcade Fire, playing multiple extended versions of tracks, and keeping the crowd with them every step of the way.

In what could not have been a more heartfelt ending to the experience, LCD closed out their show with “New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down”, and tears flowed throughout the audience as huge balloons dropped from the ceiling above. While this bittersweet goodbye was the end for the band, my copy of that first album will forever live on in a dusty box of CDs somewhere, and in my heart. Goodbye friends, and good luck.

Check out the full photo gallery from the show HERE.

Full set list from LCD Soundsystem’s final show:

Set 1:
1. Dance Yrself Clean (with “I’m Not in Love” by 10CC intro)
2. Drunk Girls
3. I Can Change
4. Time to Get Away
5. Get Innocuous!
6. Daft Punk is Playing at My house
7. Too Much Love
8. All My Friends
9. Tired (with “Heart of the Sunrise” by Yes Snippet)

Set 2:
10. 45:33 Part One
11. 45:33 Part Two (with Reggie Watts)
12. Sound of Silver
13. 45:33 Part Four
14. 45:33 Part Five (with Shit Robot)
15. 45:33 Part Six
16. Freak Out / Starry Eyes

Set 3:
17. Us V Them
18. North American Scum (with Arcade Fire)
19. Bye Bye Bayou (Alan Vega Cover)
20. You Wanted a Hit
21. Tribulations
22. Movement
23. Yeah (Crass version)

Set 4:
24. Someone Great
25. Losing My Edge (with “Da Funk” by Daft Punk snippet)
26. Home

Encore:
27. All I Want
28. Jump Into the Fire (Harry Nilsson Cover)
29. New York I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down (with “Twin Peaks” by Angelo Badalamenti intro)

Thursday was sunny and gorgeous, perfect weather for an outdoor festival. We kicked off our day with some appropriately tropical tunes, with Norway natives Casiokids and the LA-based Fool’s Gold (not to be confused with Fool’s Gold Records). Miike Snow was a definite highlight – their live set highlighted the complex layers of their music. LCD Soundsytem was great as expected, and it was especially nice to see Brooklyn’s own Yeasayer, who we’ve never had the pleasure of seeing live.

The beautiful weather rekindled our spirit of musical exploration and gave us more freedom to wander from stage to stage. Over the course of the day, we caught glimpses of Broken Bells, Lindstrøm & Christabelle and Jonsi.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL ALBUM

Just in time to close out the outdoor concert season, Virgin Mobile FreeFest 2010 will take over Merriweather Post Pavilion on September 25. In addition to the two main stages, which will feature Thievery Corporation, LCD Soundsystem, M.I.A., Matt & Kim, and others, the festival will also include a “Dance Forest” soundtracked by Chromeo, Sleigh Bells, Neon Indian, Modeselektor and Die Antwoord. As if that weren’t enough, Trombone Shorty (featured on HBO’s Treme) will lead a second line march from stage to stage, a unique tradition from his hometown of New Orleans.

Not only is the line-up out-of-this-world awesome, the show is also free. Yes, free. So start buttering up your friends with cars because this mini-festival is worth the trip.

Tickets go “on free” Saturday, July 24 at 10 AM on Ticketfly, who is waiving all service fees for the occasion. If you miss out on the free tickets, Virgin Mobile is offering up a limited set of premium tickets, which gives access to pavilion seating. As an added bonus, Rusko has produced a mini mix featuring many of the artists on the line-up, which is available for $5. Proceeds from premium ticket sales and the mini mix will be donated to charities supporting homeless youth.

We were already amped about the massive line-up for Øya Festival in Norway, but after seeing the list of artists scheduled to perform at Nighttime Øya, our anticipation has gone through the roof. Øya has teamed up with some of the best clubs in Oslo to keep the music going after the park closes at 11 PM. Diplo, Caribou, Four Tet, Jamie XX are among those who will illuminate the nightlife scene in the nation’s capital each night after the festival.

As for the festival itself, Yeasayer, Die Antwood, and the Flaming Lips have been added to the roster, which was finalized last week. They will join the list of previously announced artists that includes M.I.A., LCD Soundsystem, Robyn, La Roux, The xx, Sleigh Bells, Miike Snow, Major Lazer and many, many more.

Tickets for Øya Nighttime events will be available at the venue and in advance at the festival. Discounts will be given to those who hold a festival pass, which costs around $330 for five-days. CLICK HERE for tickets and info.

As the sun rose on day two of Sonar Festival in Barcelona, the masses once again flocked to the downtown location of Sonar by Day, pouring through the gates in even larger masses than the previous day’s festivities. Spirits were once again at peak levels during the afternoon hours, with Europe’s electronic music revelers taking full advantage of the beautiful weather and vibe of the city, the company of fellow partygoers, and of course the stunning array of musical talent from all over the world.

Once again, stand out acts were difficult to determine, as each artist contributed something creative and unique to the boundary-breaking display of electronic music across the three stages. Of particular distinction was the UK’s Hyperdub group King Midas Sound, who presented a brilliantly dreamlike set pairing their bass heavy and reggae influenced rhythmic sound with a backdrop of dramatic and hypnotic lighting in the darkened SonarHall. Also taking advantage of the confined space of SonarHall was Nosaj Thing, who performed his visual show to a thoroughly enthusiastic crowd. Matching a visual display projected against the wall behind him, Nosaj Thing took the audience on an aural and visual journey through his hip-hop inspired beats, dropping favorite tracks like “Coat of Arms” and “Fog” at key moments.

After a long day of music in the sun, we headed to the first installment of Sonar by Night, which takes place Friday and Saturday night in a massive old airplane hanger just outside of Barcelona’s city limits. Three enormous stages hosted a slew of even more enormous talent, with thousands upon thousands of people going absolutely mental for the breathtaking lineup and environment. Noteworthy acts included favorites like veteran French super-duo Air, DFA Record’s LCD Soundsystem whose performance of their beloved old track “Daft Punk is Playing at My House” got the whole room singing, and German house group Booka Shade, who all lived up to their stellar reputations as forerunners in the realm of genre bending electronic music. Indie electronic staple Hot Chip also played a thrilling live set under the open air night sky to the tune of thousands of cheering fans at Sonar by Night’s second biggest stage, SonarPub.

Mary Anne Hobb’s showcase at the SonarLab stage was also a big hit, showcasing some of the finest talent currently on rotation in the overarching realm of dubstep and UK funky. First the BBC Radio DJ herself took the stage, dropping some seriously grimy dubstep tunes and making the massive bassline reverberate through the ground and up into the enthralled audience. Second was a rare appearance by the illustrious Joy Orbison, who’s set was an extraordinary treat for UK funky fans. Flying Lotus took the stage next, spinning a set that focused on samples of some heavy hip-hop beats, and of course his own production, which contrasted effectively with his more house tinged set of the night before, and lead perfectly into the showcases’ closing set from the king of UK funky, Roska.

On the techno and electro side, 2manydjs spun a rambunctiously fun mix of electro tracks both new and old, with a multitude of stellar remixes and visual graphics animating each tracks record sleeves. Techno master Plastikman (otherwise known as Richie Hawtin) and the legendary Claude Von Stroke also each tore the roof off the epic venue. The latter’s closing set at the main stage, SonarClub, provided the ultimate ending to an incredible night, dropping monumental tracks like “Who’s Afraid of Detroit?”, shifting into some wicked drum and bass just when the crowd least expected it, and slowly bringing up the lights on the dancefloor throughout his set to emulate the sunrise outside, effectively preparing the crowd to face the bright day that awaited after the last note ended.

CLICK HERE TO SEE PHOTOS

The summer just got a little more exciting. The initial line-up for Oslo’s annual Øya Festival is so huge, there’s no way we can pass this one up. Robyn, M.I.A., LCD Soundsystem, Miike Snow, Major Lazer, The xx and Raekwon are just some of the artists on the initial line-up, along with several local Norwegian acts. With both Diplo (Major Lazer) and Robyn on the bill, we’re hoping that their recent studio collaboration will manifest itself onstage.

The five-day festival will be held from August 10-14 in Middelalderparken, a picturesque medieval park surrounded by sandy beaches, the Oslo Fjords and the Oslo skyline. Those who are environmentally conscious will be happy to learn that Øya has been officially named the greenest festival in Europe.

A five-day pass will set you back roughly $330 and are available HERE. Single-day tickets are also available.

What better excuse to take a vacation than an all-star line-up in one of Europe’s most vibrant cities? Enter Sónar, Barcelona’s annual music festival, now in it’s 17th year. With a line-up that includes The Chemical Brothers, LCD Soundsystem, Flying Lotus, Hudson Mowhawke, Hot Chip, Kid Koala’s The Slew, and New Young Pony Club (among others), not to mention the beautiful backdrop of Barcelona, this is one summer festival that you won’t want to miss.

CLICK HERE for info and tickets, which are €155 (a little over $200) for a three-day pass.

Last Monday, LCD Soundsystem rocked Webster Hall with their second “surprise” NYC show in the span of a week. They kicked off the sold-out show with “Pow Pow”, which along with “Drunk Girls” and “I Can Change” was one of three new songs that they played over the course of the night. Led by an animated James Murphy, their hard-hitting performance was backed by a full band, including three percussion set-ups.The set list included songs from their eponymous debut album, including “Tribulations”, “Movement”, and their first single, “Losing my Edge”. The mosh pit got started during “Us v Them” from their sophomore effort, Sound of Silver, and continued throughout the show.

James Murphy promised the crowd that they would “play everything by the time we’re done… with New York”, referring to their upcoming three-night run at Terminal 5. They ended the set with the crass version of “Yeah” before taking a break. The encore included “Someone Great” and “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House”. Murphy jokingly announced that their final song would be a Jay-Z cover, before launching into “New York, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down”.

LCD Soundsystem’s upcoming Terminal 5 shows on May 20 and 21 are already sold out, prompting them to add a third show on May 22. Get your tickets HERE.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL ALBUM

LCD Soundystem has announced a surprise gig tomorrow night (Thursday) at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. This is a unique opportunity to see them in an intimate setting – the group will play two nights at Terminal 5 on May 20 and 21. Brooklyn’s own Light Asylum will open. Get your tickets HERE.