LCD Soundsystem

By the time he formed LCD Soundsystem in 2002, James Murphy had already lived several lives in New York's music scene, variously working as a DJ, engineer, and producer in addition to co-founding DFA Records. But Murphy—born in Princeton Junction, NJ, in 1970—didn't find the right vehicle for his alternately hopeful and cantankerous sensibility until LCD Soundsystem. Initially a solo venture for Murphy before expanding to include regulars like vocalist/keyboardist Nancy Whang and bassist Tyler Pope, the band swiftly attracted acclaim for its thrilling combination of dance-punk grooves and art-rock experimentation, along with the snarky humor that filled songs like 2002's withering "Losing My Edge" and 2005's exhilarating "Daft Punk Is Playing at My House." After the release of 2010's triumphant This Is Happening, Murphy ended the band with a final concert at Madison Square Garden in 2011. Five years later, LCD Soundsystem's reunion launched a new chapter.