American Dream (LCD Soundsystem album)

American Dream
Studio album by LCD Soundsystem
Released September 1, 2017
Recorded October 2015 – May 2017
Studio
Length 68:38
Label
Producer James Murphy
LCD Soundsystem chronology
The Long Goodbye: LCD Soundsystem Live at Madison Square Garden
(2014)		 American Dream
(2017)
Singles from American Dream
  1. "Call the Police" / "American Dream"
    Released: May 5, 2017

American Dream (stylized on digital releases as american dream)[1] is the upcoming fourth studio album by American rock band LCD Soundsystem. It is set for release on September 1, 2017 through DFA Records and Columbia Records. It was first announced on January 5, 2016, the day after it was revealed that the band was reuniting after a disbandment lasting nearly five years. American Dream acts as the band's first album in seven years, following This Is Happening (2010). Prior to the album's release, LCD Soundsystem performed at large music festivals as well as smaller shows to promote their reunion. Two album tracks, "Call the Police" and "American Dream", were released together as the album's lead single on May 5, 2017.

Background

LCD Soundsystem's third and previous studio album, This Is Happening, was released in 2010.[2] After the album's release, the band announced their breakup in early 2011 and also announced that they would end with a show at Madison Square Garden on April 2, 2011. Due to the raising of ticket prices by scalpers, the band made plans to perform warm-up shows at Terminal 5 in Manhattan, New York.[3] After their final show, they released a documentary film in 2012, which followed the band prior to the show and featured footage of the actual performance.[4] A live album with the audio from the show was released in 2014 as a Record Store Day release.[5]

In October 2015, online publication Consequence of Sound reported that "multiple sources" could confirm that LCD Soundsystem would be reuniting in 2016 and that they would be headlining "high-profile music festivals in the US and UK." This report was later confirmed by Billboard.[6] However, DFA Records label manager Kris Petersen stated that LCD Soundsystem would not be reuniting. DFA co-founder Jonathan Galkin also confirmed this in a Pitchfork article.[7] Two months afterward, the band released the Christmas-themed track "Christmas Will Break Your Heart",[8][9] acting as their first single in four years after "Live Alone" in 2011.[10] Consequence of Sound and Pitchfork both reported again, after the release of the Christmas single, that multiple sources can confirm a reunion in 2016.[11][12]

On January 4, 2016, it was officially announced that LCD Soundsystem would be headlining the 2016 Coachella Festival.[13][14] The following day, the band announced that they would be releasing a new album some time in 2016, although they were not yet entirely finished with the album.[15] It was later revealed that the band signed with Columbia Records.[16][17] Murphy explained his reasoning for the reunion in a post on the band's website. He stated that he didn't want to release a solo album with live performances including LCD Soundsystem members, nor did he want to release an LCD Soundsystem album with entirely different people playing live, that is, if the original members didn't want to create a new record. He had invited past members Nancy Whang and Pat Mahoney to his apartment to talk about releasing new material, where they both agreed on making a new LCD Soundsystem record together.[18]

In August 2016, the band canceled tour dates for shows in Asia and Australia in order to complete work on the album. Although plans were made to release the record in 2016, it was suggested that the release date would be moved into the following year, as the recording was predicted to take another few months.[19] It was noted in April 2017 that the band had been working on the album for 18 months.[20] In a Facebook post released in May, Murphy announced that the album was nearly finished and they only had "1 more vocal and 2 more mixes to go."[21] Murphy later announced on 30 May that the album was finished. He also revealed that the album was recorded at DFA Studios, adding that this album would be the last to be recorded at the original DFA Studios.[22]

Packaging

The cover art for American Dream was revealed on August 4, 2017. The artwork, which has been labeled as "straightforward"[23][24] and having a "simple aesthetic",[25] consists of the band's name as well as the album title placed on top of a picture of a blue sky with a few clouds and a white-hot sun in the middle. It has also been labeled as the band's most colorful artwork to date.[24] People thought of the artwork as a possible homage to the front cover of the 1996 David Foster Wallace novel Infinite Jest,[26] a book that James Murphy had previously read before he engaged in a serious career of music.[27] After the artwork was revealed, it attracted criticism from users on Twitter.[28] One user jokingly stated that they considered cancelling their vinyl pre-order of the album due to their dislike of the cover art. Other users compared it, quality-wise, to a preset for a slide on Microsoft PowerPoint as well as the cover art for Kasabian's 2017 album For Crying Out Loud.[29]

The vinyl release of the album features a gatefold containing two vinyl records, both weighing 140 grams each. A code that grants the buyer with a digital download of the album was also included with the purchase of the vinyl release. The gatefold jacket and inner sleeves are both done in full color.[30] The cassette release includes custom silk-screened cases and shells. The case contains a five-sided insert that is also done in full color and the cassette shell is clear-colored.[31]

Promotion and release

LCD Soundsystem released "Call the Police" and "American Dream" together as a digital double-A-side single on May 5, 2017, acting as the lead single from the album.[32][33] The two songs were made available for listening once midnight was reached in one's time zone.[34] The band promoted the songs by performing both during the May 6 episode of the 42nd season of Saturday Night Live.[35] On August 4, the band rolled out an ice cream truck outside of the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago promoting the album. The truck played songs from the album in the form of ice cream jingles through its speaker. A Twitter account for the truck was also launched to provide updates on where its current location was.[36]

The album's title and track listing were both revealed on June 19. American Dream is due to be released on September 1 through DFA Records and Columbia Records.[37] The band started accepting pre-orders of the album on August 4.[23] A limited edition cassette release of the album was made available on the band's official Bandcamp page.[31] Different options were given for the vinyl release besides a standard edition; there were also options given to buy a bundle of the vinyl plus either a tote bag, a poster, or postcard photos autographed by the band.[30]

Tour

Along with the initial announcement of a new album, LCD Soundsystem indicated an expanded tour that went on throughout 2016, including both smaller shows and appearances at festivals that they headlined.[18] The first show of their tour took place on March 27 at Webster Hall in East Village, Manhattan. This marked their first show in almost five years (following their farewell show). It had a ticket distribution system in the form of a lottery.[38] Festivals that they headlined in 2016 include the Coachella,[13][14] Lollapalooza,[39] Outside Lands,[40] Bonnaroo,[41] and Austin City Limits[42] festivals in the USA; they also headlined the Other Stage, the second stage at Glastonbury Festival in the UK, in June 2016.[43] In September, the band headlined the Sunday show of LouFest in St. Louis.[44] The band was scheduled to perform at the III Points Festival during October in Miami, Florida, but were forced to cancel their set due to weather complications caused by Hurricane Matthew.[45]

The band's first live appearance of 2017 took place at the then-recently opened Brooklyn Steel venue in New York City.[46] It was during their five-night residency at the venue where they performed album tracks "Tonite", "Call the Police", "American Dream", and "Emotional Haircut"[47] live for the first time. The band had also made a plea to those in attendance to not record these performances so the songs can be formally released by the band themselves.[46] They later performed a set at a Google I/O conference on 18 May.[48] It was here where the track "Tonite" was featured in a preview for a "virtual reality experience" created by the band, due to be debuted later in the summer.[49] On June 19, the band announced dates for a world tour, spanning from June to December 2017. The band will also be performing second and third stints at Brooklyn Steel during the tour, totalling to 22 sold out dates at the venue in 2017 and almost 40,000 tickets sold.[37]

Leg 1 (Comeback Tour)

Leg 2 (American Dream Tour)

Track listing

American Dream[1]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Oh Baby"James Murphy5:49
2."Other Voices"
6:43
3."I Used To"
5:32
4."Change Yr Mind"
  • Murphy
  • Doyle
  • Tyler Douglas
4:57
5."How Do You Sleep?"
9:12
6."Tonite"
  • Murphy
  • Doyle
5:47
7."Call the Police"
  • Murphy
  • Doyle
6:58
8."American Dream"Murphy6:06
9."Emotional Haircut"
  • Murphy
  • Doyle
  • Russom
5:29
10."Black Screen"
  • Murphy
  • Doyle
12:05
Total length:68:38

References

  1. 1 2 3 "american dream by LCD Soundsystem". Apple Music. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  2. ↑ Stanek, Becca (June 19, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem announces first new album in 7 years". The Week. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  3. ↑ O'Neal, Sean (February 11, 2011). "No one got tickets to LCD Soundsystem's farewell show and now everyone is pissed". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  4. ↑ MacInnes, Paul (April 13, 2012). "Shut Up And Play The Hits: the men behind the LCD Soundsystem movie". The Guardian. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Lcd Soundsystem – The Long Goodbye (LCD Soundsystem Live At Madison Square Garden)". Record Store Day (via Internet Archive). Archived from the original on April 16, 2015. Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  6. ↑ "LCD Soundsystem will reunite in 2016". Consequence of Sound. October 8, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  7. ↑ Grow, Kory (October 8, 2015). "LCD Soundsystem Label Rep Shoots Down Reunion Rumors". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  8. ↑ Strauss, Matthew (December 24, 2015). "LCD Soundsystem Share New Song 'Christmas Will Break Your Heart'". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  9. ↑ Daniel, Kreps. "LCD Soundsystem Release First New Song in Five Years". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  10. ↑ "LCD Soundsystem – Live Alone (File, MP3)". discogs. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  11. ↑ Young, Alex (December 24, 2015). "LCD Soundsystem share Christmas song ahead of 2016 reunion tour". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  12. ↑ Medved, Matt (December 24, 2015). "LCD Soundsystem Release First New Song in Five Years; Band is 'Getting Back Together,' Say Sources". Billboard. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  13. 1 2 Minsker, Evan (January 4, 2016). "Coachella 2016 Lineup Announced". Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  14. 1 2 "Coachella lineup announced: LCD Soundsystem, Guns N'Roses, Calvin Harris headline". Entertainment Weekly. January 4, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  15. ↑ Hendicott, James (January 5, 2016). "LCD Soundsystem release comeback statement: 'We’re not just touring. We’re releasing a record'". NME. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  16. ↑ Minsker, Evan (February 13, 2016). "LCD Soundsystem Sign to Columbia". Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  17. ↑ Gensler, Andy (February 13, 2016). "LCD Soundsystem Signs With Columbia Records: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  18. 1 2 Murphy, James (January 5, 2016). "let's just start this thing finally with some clarity.". LCD Soundsystem (official website). Retrieved April 26, 2016.
  19. ↑ Kaye, Ben (August 26, 2016). "Report: LCD Soundsystem cancel Asian tour to work on new album". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved August 29, 2016.
  20. ↑ Trendell, Andrew (April 7, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem debut new songs at first gig of 2017". NME. Retrieved April 7, 2017. It'd be a real gutpunch to all the people who have been working insanely hard for the last 18 months to release this music in the way we want to release it.
  21. ↑ Gerardi, Matt (May 4, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem to release 2 new songs tonight at midnight". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  22. ↑ Minsker, Evan; Monroe, Jazz (May 30, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem Say New Album Could Be Out in 6 Weeks". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  23. 1 2 Kaye, Ben (August 4, 2017). "Here’s the cover artwork for LCD Soundsystem’s new album, American Dream". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  24. 1 2 "Check Out the Cover Artwork for LCD Soundsystem's New Album "American Dream"". Artistdirect. August 4, 2017. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  25. ↑ Murphy, Sarah (August 4, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem Unveil 'American Dream' Album Artwork". Exclaim!. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  26. ↑ Pearis, Bill (August 4, 2017). "This is the new LCD Soundsystem album cover?". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  27. ↑ Bazzan, Alexandre (May 5, 2017). "James Murphy, eu te amo". O Estado de S. Paulo (in Portuguese). Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  28. ↑ Shaffer, Claire (August 4, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem's 'American Dream' Album Artwork Sparks Twitter Criticism". Newsweek. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  29. ↑ Daly, Rhian (August 4, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem have revealed the artwork for new album ‘American Dream’ and fans aren’t impressed". NME. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  30. 1 2 "LCD Soundsystem - American Dream". DFA Records. August 4, 2017. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  31. 1 2 "LCD Soundsystem". Bandcamp. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  32. ↑ Sherburne, Philip (May 5, 2017). ""Call the Police"/"American Dream" by LCD Soundsystem Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 16, 2017.
  33. ↑ "call the police / american dream - Single by LCD Soundsystem". Apple Music U.S. May 5, 2017. Retrieved May 14, 2017.
  34. ↑ Gerardi, Matt (May 4, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem to release 2 new songs tonight at midnight". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  35. ↑ Tarnoff, Brooke (May 7, 2017). "Watch LCD Soundsystem Perform 'American Dream' and 'Call the Police' on 'SNL'". Billboard. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  36. ↑ DeVille, Chris (August 4, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem Are Previewing American Dream On An Ice Cream Truck At Lollapalooza". Stereogum. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  37. 1 2 Young, Alex (June 19, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem announce new album American Dream, plus lengthy tour". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved June 19, 2017.
  38. ↑ Brown, Harley (March 24, 2016). "LCD Soundsystem Announce Reunion Shows This Weekend In New York City". Spin. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  39. ↑ Kot, Greg (March 23, 2016). "Lollapalooza 2016 lineup announced". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 24, 2016.
  40. ↑ Blistein, Jon (April 5, 2016). "Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, Lionel Richie Top Outside Lands Lineup". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  41. ↑ Vain, Madison (June 11, 2016). "Bonnaroo: LCD Soundsystem exhilarates at annual Tennessee Music Festival". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  42. ↑ "Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, Kendrick Lamar Top ACL Fest Lineup". Rolling Stone. May 5, 2016. Retrieved May 5, 2016.
  43. ↑ Perry, Kevin. "LCD Soundsystem Helped Glastonbury 'Dance Itself Clean' In Euphoric Closing Set On The Other Stage". NME. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  44. ↑ "LCD Soundsystem sends LouFest crowd home on an ecstatic high". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 12, 2016. Retrieved September 12, 2016.
  45. ↑ Pfeffer, Ryan (October 6, 2016). "LCD Soundsystem Cancel Set at III Points 2016". Miami New Times. Retrieved October 8, 2016.
  46. 1 2 Trendell, Andrew (April 7, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem debut new songs at first gig of 2017". NME. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
  47. ↑ Trendell, Andrew (April 10, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem debut a fourth new song, ‘Haircut’". NME. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  48. ↑ Yoo, Noah (May 16, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem to Live Stream Google I/O Conference Performance". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
  49. ↑ Welsh, April Clare (June 4, 2017). "LCD Soundsystem preview new Dance Tonite VR experience". Fact. Retrieved June 20, 2017.
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