lcd soundsystem

Don't break out the dancing shoes just yet.

With the Sept. 18 release of A Bunch of Stuff, LCD Soundsystem's six-track EP offers listeners a slightly different take on their recent material, mostly in the form of remixes.

Soulwax's rendition of "Get Innocuous" proves the point that most dance music doesn't need to be updated. Despite an added emphasis on an overly heavy beat, the retooling only results in a more digitized, repetitive and longer version without offering anything new. This is a recurring problem on A Bunch of Stuff, where even the most discerning LCD fans may be hard pressed to differentiate the new from the old.

Alongside this onslaught of unnecessary remixes, Franz Ferdinand covers LCD's single "All My Friends." The vocals sound eerily similar to James Murphy's. So similar, in fact, that the song's only change seems to be Franz Ferdinand stripping the original of its signature funkiness. Why would you listen to Franz Ferdinand cover LCD Soundsystem when you could just listen to the real thing?

Fortunately, the EP also includes a live version of "Us V Them," which gives the listener a glimpse of the magic that goes on at a LCD show. The track's enthusiasm and intensity stand to reaffirm the fact that dance music is best listened to live.

A Bunch of Stuff is just another example of an unnecessary album, full of music inferior to that which is already available. The digital EP is available only in the US. But don't get caught up in thinking that you're getting a worthwhile special offer; there's already better stuff out there than A Bunch of Stuff.