As an internet-savvy teen during the explosion of file-sharing sites and album leaks, I hardly ever bought a record without sampling it first. The only exception that really sticks out is one that went on to become an all-time favorite: LCD Soundsystem’s Sound Of Silver. I was only casually aware of the band at the time, and when this second record released, I went out and bought the CD on a whim without having heard a single cut or reading any reviews. I can vividly remember the first time I spun to it, too: I dragged my crappy boombox into the bathroom and played it while in the shower. And I just stood under the water, completely rapt by the opening build of “Get Innocuous!” and every track that followed. It clicked with me harder than most anything I’d ever listened to, and I think a lot of that is owed to the way I approached it: with no expectations, no prior knowledge, just a shot in the dark that became a pillar of my musical history. [Matt Gerardi]
