James Murphy and Opinions on Black Eyed Peas

Jim and Greg conduct a career-spanning interview with musician and producer James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.

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Is a fake Louis Vuitton bag the same thing as a shared music file? According to the Department of Homeland Security, it is. Recently they shut down over eighty websites that engaged in pirating or counterfeiting. This mostly included sites related to counterfeit clothing and other goods, but there were also sites that they felt facilitated illegal sharing of music or movie files. These sites were not given prior warning, and Jim and Greg wonder if Homeland Security was asking the right questions before the crackdown.

A few years ago MySpace was the place to connect with people and discover new music. And, while it's still a valuable tool for bands to post their tunes, its business pales in comparison to Facebook. For that reason, Rupert Murdoch and News Corp are considering selling the site. They raised eyebrows when they first purchased MySpace for $580 million in 2005. It's amazing what changes five years can bring.

Kid Rock is pissed. The Detroit rocker is angry about the business practice of those in the secondary ticket market. Because of scalping, $50 tickets for his birthday show in his hometown sold out in nineteen minutes and then went on to resell for $900. While Jim and Greg applaud his passion, they wonder why he's so confused about the issue. Kid Rock should look no further than fellow rocker Trent Reznor for a new business model that better protects his fans.

James Murphy

As the frontman of LCD Soundsystem, James Murphy has made some of Jim and Greg's favorite records of the past decade. They thank him for that, as well as for getting everyone to dance again, despite not being your traditional lead singer. The regular ol' guy started as an indie rocker, but later fell in love with dance music, which he says has a point: to get you to move. He co-founded the DFA, or "Death From Above", record label with Tim Goldsworthy, and their roster would go on to include The Juan Maclean, The Rapture, and Hot Chip, among others. After LCD Soundsystem released some buzzworthy singles and 12 inches, the band put out three critically acclaimed albums: the self-titled debut in 2005, Sound of Silver in 2007 and This Is Happening, which became a Billboard Top 10 hit this year. Jim and Greg talk to Murphy about getting older in a business that values the young, and how he could have taken an entirely different path: as a writer for Seinfeld.

The Beginning The Black Eyed Peas

The Beginning & The Best of The E.N.D.

The Black Eyed Peas are one of the best selling artists of the past decade. And now they're starting over with The Beginning. But Jim and Greg can't see what's new or better. Jim is an admitted Peas fan, but what he loves about them – the humor, the pop pleasure – is lost on this album. So is singer Fergie, who Jim imagines must be saving her best stuff for another solo release. It breaks his heart, but Jim gives The Beginning a Trash It rating. Greg never understood the appeal of the Black Eyed Peas, but admits their songs are appropriate for rousing crowds. On this record, though, rapper/producer  will.i.am is more of a hack than ever. He gives sampling a bad name, and doesn't even bother with the hooks. Greg seconds Jim's Trash It.

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