Ellington

James Murphy, aka LCD Soundsystem, returns with new album "Sound of Silver" March 20 on DFA/Capitol Records. "Sound of Silver," the follow-up to the massively acclaimed and eponymous 2005 debut, was recorded over the summer of 2006 in a farm in upstate New York by Murphy and visitors from the big city including live band members Nancy Whang, Pat Mahoney and Tyler Pope. There, between silver foil-covered walls, nine tracks were crafted into one of the pinnacle albums of 2007.

"Sound of Silver" finds LCD Soundsystem further expanding its sonic palette, taking its experimental impulses to wild new places but also firmly establishing itself as a singularly great pop group. Here, pulsing beats, abstract funk, crystal melodies and towering walls of sound combine to create a sound genuinely like no other.

Lead single "North American Scum" is a crushing anthem every bit as potent as its title; "All My Friends" opens with percussive, minimalist piano before blooming into soaring harmonics; and "Us v. Them" melds dirty throbbing bass, pitched cowbells, chicken-scratch guitars and a full-on timbale jam of a closer.

For a guy known for his laser-sharp piss-takes, Murphy also treads candid new ground with the devastating loss lament of "Someone Great" and album-closing piano-bar ode to his hometown, "New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down." Taken as a whole, this is the definitive sound of LCD Soundsystem.

James Murphy is at least three people, maybe even four: head of the Grammy-nominated LCD Soundsystem, globetrotting DJ, in-demand producer/remixer and one half of the mighty DFA production team, label head, etc. etc. Aside from making "Sound of Silver," 2006 saw Murphy create "45:33," a special project for Nike that wowed listeners (and joggers) the world over, not to mention landing in several key best-of lists, remixing Justin Timberlake, DJing far and wide, getting a dog and plotting general mayhem, much of which has yet to be revealed.

Stay tuned for dates on LCD Soundsystem's spring US tour and other surprises.

LCD Soundsystem, "Sound of Silver"

1. Get Innocuous
2. Time to Get Away
3. North American Scum
4. Someone Great
5. All My Friends
6. Us v. Them
7. Watch the Tapes
8. Sound of Silver
9. New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down