LogFAQs > #957250605

33. The Rapture House of Jealous Lovers (2002)
from the album Echoes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HP04nfUi4g

Key lyrics:
Shakedoooooooooooooooown

Though better known as the front man of LCD Soundsystem, James Murphy started as a DJ and record producer. House of Jealous Lovers was the first release from his company, a dance-punk track with more explosive energy than anything Murphy would make once his own band took off. Lead singer Luke Jenner gives one of the most absurd performances in rock history without any hint of shame. His harsh vocals are at first grating, but they also speak to a compellingly raw element in punk. The lyrics are as repetitive and simple as they come, existing more for Jenners violent shout than to convey meaning.

Once you get past the vocals (if you can), House of Jealous Lovers hits with unbelievable energy. This is a track that makes perfect use of every single instrument. The song kicks off with a killer bassline and then adds a bit of cowbell the track grooves out to this simple arrangement for forty-five seconds only for the bass to drop out and leave the percussion on its own. Then the guitar comes in. Though dance-punk might typically be defined more by grooves than a riff, this is the glorious exception. That guitar is the stuff of legends, an all-timer if it ever captures a wider audience.

Once dance-punk became defined as an intentional genre, it disappeared almost as quickly. Even if LCD Soundsystem grew to be the bigger name, House of Jealous Lovers feels like the real beating heart of the movement. This is a peak of both rock and dance that conforms to the expectations of neither. Its lightning in a bottle, a song that so perfectly defined the aspirations of its subgenre that few others have been able to expand upon its promise.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/