If You Like LCD Soundsystem, Try These Albums

If you've ever fallen down the LCD Soundsystem rabbit hole, you'll know exactly what I mean when I say they have a sound of their own. Their grooves are hypnotic, their songs take their time getting where they're going, and by the time everything finally locks together, you're completely along for the ride. Add James Murphy's witty, heart-on-the-sleeve songwriting, and you've got music that works just as well in a pair of headphones as it does at 2 a.m. on a packed dancefloor.

Plenty of bands have borrowed bits and pieces of the LCD Soundsystem formula, but very few have captured the whole thing. That said, there are plenty of records that scratch a similar itch. Some lean into LCD’s disco side, others into their post-punk, krautrock, or synth-pop influences, but they all share that same love of groove, repetition, and songs that slowly pull you in and take you somewhere else.

These are a few of the albums I reach for whenever I’m chasing that LCD feeling.

Genre: Post-Punk / Funk

ESG were a family band from the Bronx whose influence is impossible to overstate. Their 1983 debut album, Come Away With ESG, is a perfect showcase of their effortlessly cool, stripped back sound: just bass, drums, guitar and space, but every groove is an undeniable ear worm. If you love the more percussion-driven side of LCD Soundsystem, this is one of the records that helped lay the foundation.

Genre: Post-Punk / Synth Pop

If you’ve ever wondered where LCD Soundsystem’s love of driving basslines, motorik grooves, and shimmering synths comes from, Power, Corruption & Lies is one of the best places to start. New Order found the sweet spot between post-punk and the dancefloor here, making songs that feel grand and cinematic. Four decades on, it still sounds incredibly cool and fresh. These songs never fail to pump me up every time.

Genre: Disco / House / Electronic

This is one of those records that quietly sneaks up on you. The grooves are subtle, the synths are warm, and every track feels completely locked in without trying too hard. If your favorite LCD songs are the ones that let the rhythm take over, you'll probably dig this one too.

Genre: Indie Dance / Post-Punk / Electronic

Stranded borrow from LCD’s signature post-punk-meets-disco sound, but make it feel completely their own. Celine's Dilemma is full of tight rhythms, jangly guitars, and understated hooks that sound better and better with every listen.

Genre: Synth Pop / Indie Dance

Brooklyn trio Nation of Language’s music hits the same sweet spot between dancefloor and introspection that LCD Soundsystem have always done so well. They draw plenty of inspiration from acts like New Order and Depeche Mode, but their music never feels nostalgic for nostalgia’s sake. I’ve also seen them in concert a few times, and can confidently say that they’re one of the best live acts out today.

Genre: Synth Pop / Post-Punk

Like ESG, LA trio Automatic strip things right back to the essentials. Tight basslines, motorik rhythms, clipped guitars and deadpan vocals make their 2025 album Is It Now? an effortlessly groovy listen from start to finish. If your favorite LCD moments are the ones that build tension through repetition, this one should be right up your alley.

I’ve been deep in an LCD Soundsystem phase lately, and these are the records I keep finding myself reaching for alongside them. None of them sound exactly the same, but they all tap into that same vibe where post-punk, disco, electronic music and rock all blur together.

If this is your kind of thing, next week’s Outer Frequencies Spotlight playlist digs even deeper. Think of it as the soundtrack to this article, pulling together tracks from these records alongside a handful of other artists living in the same groove-obsessed corner of the musical universe.