LCD Soundsystem Are Callin’ It Quits

Earlier this week LCD Soundsystem announced via their website that they would be playing that final show on April 2nd at Madison Square Garden. They are apparently retiring from the game and want to go out with a bang.   The announcement asked fans to show up in white or black and come ready to have fun, saying “if it’s a funeral, let’s have the best funeral ever!”  Tickets went on sale yesterday morning and thanks to their loyal fanbase and some ticket scalpers it is already sold out.  But they announced today that they will be adding several more shows in the week leading up to the MSG finale at Terminal 5 in NYC.

I didn’t find their 2010 album, This is Happening, to be quite the revelation that the rest of the blogosphere did.  Everyone seemed to be drooling all over this album all year long. Heck most people are still drooling over. But that isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it or the rest of his stuff.  James Murphy knew how to get me to dance, that’s for sure.  And for that I am sad to see him go.  Hopefully this will be merely the end of LCD and he will continue to make music that makes me wanna get up off the couch and dance.

LCD Soundsystem – Dance Yrself Clean

Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy

Mark Mulcahy fronted two bands in the late 1980s: Miracle Legion and, later, Polaris, better known as the house band from The Adventures of Pete & Pete. The musician’s wife, Melissa, died suddenly in September 2008, leaving Mark to raise their 3-year-old twin daughters.

Turns out Mark has quite a following. He’s a musician’s musician, wooing critics and peers with sincere, confounding pop songs. A number of notable artists have showed up to support the Mulcahy family in the forthcoming tribute album, Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy, the proceeds of which will allow Mark to continue his music career (Mulcahy’s 2005 solo record, In Pursuit of Your Happiness, was met with much acclaim).

The first two songs from the tribute leaked this week: Thom Yorke’s cover of “All For the Best” and the National’s rendition of “Ashamed of the Story I Told.” The former is a meloncholy, LCD-Soundsystem-sounding trek down memory lane, the latter a strummy, piano-leaden regretfest. Both find the artists channeling Mulcahy’s sadness through their own respective brands of misery, and both succeed wonderfully.

Here’s a taste: Thom Yorke – All For The Best

Ciao My Shining Star: The Songs of Mark Mulcahy is out September 29^th, courtesy of Shout! Factory.

Waxploitation: Causes 2

Waxploitation records has just released the second installment of their ongoing benefit series for Darfur.  100% of all profits made on this stellar compilation will go to  Doctors Without  Borders, Human Rights Watch, and Oxfam America.  Each of these three organizations are doing incredible things to help those suffering from the crises taking place in Darfur.

Several of the best indie artists in the business have donated rare and exclusive songs for this great cause.  So I encourage you to go to iTunes or Amazon and download these tracks.  It is a great way to get some new music and love your neighbor at the same time.  You should also check out Causes 1, which is also loaded with great artists, such as Bright Eyes, The Shins, Spoon and Death Cab. And if you go to the Causes store, you can buy both albums for just $17.

Tracklist for Causes 2