Red Chuck

Heavy Rotation

I don't know what it is about this Arthur Russell compilation that has me so entranced. Maybe its because his instrumentation is so unusual (drum machine, distorted cello, and voice). He's been described as a mix between Nick Drake and New Order but this doesn't do him justice. Why? Because Nick Drake never sounded so damn catchy and New Order never sounded so incredibly haunting. Given those hints, I guess you'd call this sorrowful dance music. Need a genre? How about early IDM. Whatever. It's good.

Here's a couple articles from the Village Voice and the New Yorker. Obviously from these sources you can tell this guy was a lower Manhattanite. So chalk up another point for the Big Apple. A dead NYC songwriter is now mayor of my iPod.