Do you want soaring crescendos with melodic undertones? Do you want heavy riffs and driving backbeats? Do you want the newest UK garage beats with a nod to progressive house? If you answer to any or all of these questions is, “I don’t know,” then don’t worry because I also have no idea. What I do know is that James Murphy is going to tell us what we really want. A couple of Thursday’s ago, I went to The Hanger to celebrate it’s opening with free Red Stripe. Since the bar was crammed, we hung out near the front of the establishment. On the shelf opposite of the bar, I found a stack of ’Sup Magazine’s Issue #13. I stuffed one in my back pocket and thought nothing of it.
Last Night I was approaching NyQuil induced delirium, and decided to take a look at the magazine. Builder told me to take a look at the James Murphy interview done by Arye Dworken because Murphy made mention to the Mercury Lounge. Not being one to read much of anything, I skimmed through Murphy’s portion of the Q & A in search of my favorite club’s name. After some time (I read at a 2nd grade level), I stumbled upon Murphy’s rant:
“By nature, I’m a fucking drummer, I wasn’t supposed to be a lead singer – but I believe in what I’m doing. The bands you check out at the Mercury Lounge, they don’t believe in what they’re doing. They’re a product. An ironic band from the ‘70s has so much more sincerity than Dashboard fucking Confessional.”
This statement automatically set me against the front man for LCD Soundsystem. Here he is belittling all the talent that takes the stage, and yet he mentions Dashboard Confessional. Why didn’t Murphy have the balls to call out some other NYC shit that flows through the club on a regular basis? Was he avoiding conflict? This prompted me to check out the portion of the interview titled, How to Keep Your Fucking Edge: a collection by James Murphy. He name checks The Fall and Public Image Ltd. (this selection prompted me to pull that record out of my annex bin in the hopes of giving it another chance), but he also throws in The Strokes and The Rapture. Aren’t these two bands that owe a lot of their success to the great bills they were added to at the Mercury Lounge early in their careers? This contradiction peaked my interest in the interview.
Then I read the first sentence of the lead, ”James Murphy is a man of contradiction.”. Hell’s yes! I couldn’t agree more. Murphy doesn’t know if he is coming or going. He can’t decide if he wants to mow down a dance floor or make them shake their asses like its 1981. Murphy wants the spotlight. He wants to hit the mainstream, but it will be on his terms. He wants to make big dollars, but he won’t be using burning star power to get there. After reading this interview, I couldn’t help but think that without trying, Murphy places himself in perfect NYC circa 2004 context. He embodies all the characteristics of every hipster you’ve ever met, (definitely including myself). All his bases are covered. Murphy creates this impenetrable critique bubble around him and the scene he is desperately trying to renovate.
On my walk into the office, I decided to give my LCD Soundsystem tracks a spin on the Ipod. They simply blow me away. I started with their last single, Yeah which is a dance track that swings you buy the nuts without breaking a sweat. Then I gave Losing My Edge a listen and it knocked my socks off. When we are older, we will look back these formidable years and realize James Murphy is the man. Could he leave a legacy like Bowie behind? This kid sure hopes so.
Murphy takes a piss on everything, but while it’s still soaked he consumes it. He walks a thin line, and at this point in time, he is the only person who knows were its location. Murphy is everything I try to be, and everything I can’t be.
Now I'm awaiting my lunch hour. My plan is to stop by Other Music with my sights set on the new DFA produced singles by J.O.Y. and Pixelton. If you have opinions on these, drop them in the comments box. Don't let me waste my money though it does feel like whatever you might have to say, won't really matter.
4 Comments:
james murphy is a tUrds.
bowie is a shit castle.
builder loves shit castles and hates turds.
build it.
builder scratches his balls more than something that scratches its balls alot.
fuck you. i'm sick and can't think straight.
that sucks you're sick. that makes you, me, and almost everyone i know. what the fuck? scat
yeah scat. i don't know what the story is... did everyone make out with everyone this past weekend? fucking eh. that plus a flu vaccination shortage makes me feel real good right about now.
dick sucks. he is a bitch.
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