Lucy Dacus names her favourite live band
As a soloist and alongside her Boygenius collaborators Julien Baker and Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus has become an essential figure in modern indie scenes. Carving out delicate and devastating soundscapes marked by soft strums and biting instrumental swells, she sings of self-reflection with unflinching vulnerability.
A devoted crowd of listeners have flocked to Dacus and her bandmates as a result of this quality, finding their own experiences and anxieties reflected in their music. Together, the trio have delivered their captivating and cathartic live set to sold-out audiences worldwide, even accompanied by the likes of Dave Grohl, but Dacus’ own favourite live show is far more danceable than dismal.
In a conversation with Louder Sound, the modern indie darling picked out a list of life-changing albums. The full list features the “murky” sounds of Grouper, sad girl indie peers Big Thief, and post-punk legends The Cure, but Dacus kicks it off with LCD Soundsystem’s This Is Happening, released in 2010. Their third full-length studio release, the record spawned dance-worthy indie hits such as ‘Drunk Girls’ and ‘I Can Change’.
Dacus began explaining her love for the album by praising frontman James Murphy’s songwriting, stating, “I feel like this band is actually underrated for their songwriting because they are so well known for having a great live show and being really dance-y. The music that they make has such a coherent vibe, that you can kind of forget about the words. I think James Murphy is such an incredible songwriter, and his music literally moves me.”
LCD Soundsystem have certainly honed a coherent sound that blends punky, danceable indie. It’s effortlessly cool on record, only enhanced by their formidable live show as captured in the 2012 documentary Shut Up and Play The Hits. Between Murphy’s powerful vocals and their pulsing, playful instrumentation, there’s no crowd they can’t stir into a frenzy.
Though Dacus seems just as enthusiastic about their music on record as onstage, she went on to state that she has “never been happier than at an LCD Soundsystem show”. After attending several of their gigs, she was devastated when they announced their final show at Madison Square Garden and subsequent breakup.
“I remember when they said they were gonna go on hiatus I cried. I’ve now seen them three times since they got back together, and I’ll just stand towards the back of the crowd so I have more room to move around,” she concluded.
Fortunately for Dacus, and for those of us looking for our own fill of danceable indie, LCD Soundsystem have since rescinded their hiatus and returned to stages, infusing more indie kids with an urge to dance as they patiently await another record.
