My Little Corner Of The World – Volume 36

by Vinh on October 20th, 2009

The KLF – The White Room (1991)
Bill Drummond and James Cauty of The KLF may have been responsible for the greatest rock ‘n’ roll swindle since The Sex Pistols. Drummond began his musical career as an A&R man and folk artist. In the late 80s, disillusioned by the manufactured nature of the music business, he decided he could make a #1 hit dance/hip hop record and succeeded. Like much of their work together, Drummond and Cauty were not in this for the long haul, it was always more of a social experiment. The White Room is a compilation that captures the highlights of The KLF’s brief career. It found a niche in the acid house/rave scene of the late 80s & early 90s and also introduced hip hop influence to the upper echelons of the UK charts. Drummond and Cauty intentionally destroyed their reputations with a live award show performance intended to shock and offend and then went on to make a documentary where they set fire to £1 million worth of cash which they had earned through The KLF. Whether a musical prank or not, ‘3 A.M. Eternal’, ‘Last Train To Trancentral’, and ‘What Time Is Love?’ are wonderful examples of early 90s dance that opened the door for techno to enter the mainstream later in the decade while ‘Make It Rain’ and ‘The White Room’ offer sounds that stand up alongside early Massive Attack. Perhaps not the original intention but it’s the music of The KLF that continues their legend; the publicity stunts being just a fascinating side note. – Matthew James

The Books – Thought For Food (2002)
Thought For Food is likely the best release by this duo of trippy sound collage artists, as they strum their haunting acoustic guitars underneath a plethora of peculiar conversations and unusual monologues. The inclusion of track titles such as ‘A Dead Fish Gains The Power Of Observation’ and ‘Getting The Done Job’ should give you a vague idea of the kind of strange meditations you’re delving into, but only after several listens can one find true meaning in this beautiful disorganization. If you can find the time to welcome this stranger with open arms, you may be pleasantly surprised at how well you relate. – Rick Southwick

Access To Arasaka – Oppidan (2009)
It’s hard to keep glitchy, ambient-ish IDM music sounding fresh. I mean, let’s face it, it’s probably already been done before (and probably by a fella named Richard James). However, the mind behind Arasaka and nerd extraordinaire, who goes simply by “AtA”, is trying. Oppidan, he says, is “the aural vision of the world [he] wishes [he] lived in … [his] desire for a dark future with neon cities and cyberware”. Sometimes coming off as cheesy video game music, Oppidan occasionally sounds amateurish. But more often than not, it’s an endearing listen full of glitchy beats that would make father James proud. And if he can tone down the geeked-out self-indulgence, both in his persona and in his music, the sky’s the limit. – John Spencer

The Replacements – Pleased To Meet Me (1987)
The Replacements were the self-proclaimed “laziest band in the land”, but on their fifth release, the second with major Sire, they maintain their punk and blues rock roots while stretching their legs. You can hear their carefree attitude and tendency to create havoc on ‘I.O.U.’ and ‘I Don’t Know’, but on songs like ‘Nightclub Jitters’ and ‘Can’t Hardly Wait’, the band experimented with lounge-style swing and horn embellishments to augment their sound. The result is a more well-rounded album than previous efforts, but the ‘Mats make sure to remind you that they aren’t taking shit from anyone. – Paul Bulow

Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days (2004)
Sam Beam’s first album The Creek Drank the Cradle was recorded entirely on a four-track in his home. Many were worried when they heard his follow-up Our Endless Numbered Days would be recorded and mixed in a professional studio. Fear not, Beam’s second full length album is nothing short of brilliant. The change in the recording process has done nothing to diminish the sincerity or quality of these tunes and actually works to increase the mood, as Beam is able to enlist help from other musicians. Subtle arrangements mold together with Beam’s gorgeous voice to create an album that is remarkably accessible, as well as personal. My favorite tracks are ‘Naked as We Came’, ‘Cinder and Smoke, and ‘Passing Afternoon’. If you have heard nothing from Sam Beam to this day, listen to ‘Passing Afternoon’ and soak in one of the greatest tracks of the decade from the greatest lyricist of the decade. – Joe Mateo

Curtis Mayfield – Roots (1971)
Why is it that fully independent individuals revisit the nest when life goes awry? Perhaps this is due to it constituting a safe haven where hardships can be shaken and confronted only once backup has been enlisted. Pride is shattered the very instant an admission of the sour state is formulated, so it stands to reason one would want devoted supporters present to help pick up the pieces. Moreover, there’s a spiritual component to reminiscence. Be it implicit or explicit, there is guidance to be found when retracing one’s steps, when wading in familiar pools. Deviations from the proper course are not only revealed, they’re fastidiously dissected down to the point of origin. We can now work toward a grasp on the error of our ways, the pit stops that have led us woefully astray. David Berman (no, I will not stop quoting him) asks a phenomenally apt question in: “Won’t soul music change now that our souls have turned strange?” Our souls have indeed turned strange. Soul music however, has not changed to reflect this shift. While we accumulate additional worries with every passing day, the genre for its part currently resides in a fluffy realm of hackneyed sex appeal and by-numbers composition. Soul has been rendered soulless. Curtis Mayfield’s second full-length should serve as the compass for contemporary artists to revitalize this sputtering rubric. Boasting the sheer magnitude of an orchestra as well as the intimacy of bedroom confessionalism, Roots is enlightening, empowering, and endlessly riveting. From the buoyant ‘We Got To Have Peace’ to the measured ‘Love To Keep You In My Mind’, Mayfield’s dazzling follow-up to Curtis is home sweet home and its door is always open. – Vinh Cao