Band of the Day (10.28.09): ARTHUR RUSSELL

Who?

The New York-based producer was a master of the cello that dabbled in everything from disco to quiet folk to traditional pop. While he toiled in obscurity before dying of AIDS in 1992, a series of new reissues have given Russell the posthumous fame he deserved while living.

And I Care Because?

- He's the absolute definition of eclectic. While the E word gets tossed around carelessly these days, Russell truly did it all. Equally at home collaborating with Nicky Siano of Studio 54, composer Rhys Chatham, poet Allen Ginsberg, and Talking Head David Byrne, Russell managed to dabble in nearly every genre of music while pushing its boundaries.

- His music still sounds new. One of the reasons Russell never achieved fame in his lifetime is due to how ahead of his time he was. While many of his songs sounded avant-garde at the time, they had a heavy influence on contemporary disco acts like Hercules and Love Affair and LCD Soundsystem.

- Even his demos sound polished. While Russell was incredibly prolific during his lifetime, he rarely felt that a song was finished, constantly tweaking songs over the years without ever releasing them. The new reissues project is the first time many of these songs have been available commercially, and it's astounding that these well-crafted gems stayed in Russell's closet.

Stream the Calling Out of Context compilation below, buy the reissues, and watch the trailer for Wild Combination, a documentary tracing Russell's life.