David Byrne Drops Video Documentary Of 2008-2009 Tour

You may recall that we enjoyed David Byrne's 2008-2009 concert tour in support of Everything That Happens Will Happen Today that we saw both of its iterations in San Francisco. Given that it's been a couple of years since we've seen Byrne live, we were stoked to hear the news that Rise, Ride, Roar will be coming to DVD in the very near future.

The film is a combination of interviews, live footage, and behind the scenes takes that hopefully does a great job at documenting what was a truly amazing stage show. While we haven't seen the complete film yet, the preview below and this full clip at Pitchfork are giving us high hopes that it will do a fair bit to recreate the concert experience. Stoked!

David Byrne Played Music At Ted, Too

David Byrne at The Greek Theater, Berkeley, from the HAD Archive

You may recall that last year we gave mention to David Byrne's awesome TED talk about music in spaces. Well apparently that wasn't Byrne's only duty on the conference, as we just stumbled upon this awesome version of the Talking Heads classic "Nothing But Flowers".

Accompanied by Thomas Dolby and the string quartet Ethel, Byrne delivers a chilled out performance of the tune that's very much to our liking. Not only is his voice in top form, but the new arrangement gives the song new perspective and life. Now if only we could hear the rest of the concert...

mp3: Talking Heads - Nothing But Flowers

David Byrne Delivers Audio Book and Wall Street 2 Soundtrack

David Byrne's apparently been keeping busy over the summer, and this week finds the fruits of his labor delivered for all to see. You may remember we gave mention to Byrne's Bicycle Diaries a while back. Well now Byrne has outdone himself by delivering an audio book version of the volume, which he's narrated himself.

Not only does the audio book contain music to help with the transitions, but it also has Byrne finding his own unique voice in a confessional and inviting tone. Given the nature of the book: diary, confessional, and commentary, the presence of the author (particularly one as clever as this) is a welcome and inviting enhancement to the book's already awesome content.

In addition to this lovely bit of audio-literature, Byrne has also delivered the soundtrack to Oliver Stone's latest venture, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. We have yet to hear the tunes for ourselves, but they've become available in wide release today. Given Byrne's solid history of scoring film, and the fact that he was intimately involved with the use of the music in context ("Stone was super accommodating - inviting me numerous times to view rough assemblies to be sure I was OK with how the music was being used"), we're more than a little excited to hear what he came up with.

mp3: David Byrne - Bicycle Diaries Introduction

David Byrne Delivers TED Talk

And yes, it's as good as you'd think it would be. Byrne (in addition to being an awesome musician) is a fantastic thinker, and this talk only serves to support that position. In the sixteen minute oratory, he gives his own insights on music venues, and their affect on how music is composed.

This is particularly fascinating when one considers its context relating to Byrne's transformation of a building into an instrument two years back. As always, David, you continue to impress. Check out the vid above.

David Byrne Previews Here Lies Love

You may recall our mention of David Byrne's upcoming collaborative project with Fatboy Slim, entitled Here Lies Love. Well now Byrne has started to give a taste of what to expect. Via his email list, Byrne yesterday released the track "Please Don't" (below), featuring Santigold. What's more, there's a nice little slideshow sum up of the record (above) that gives you a slightly better idea of what to expect from the record.

The overall sound of the record appears to be somewhat like what you might expect, which is to say: eclectic beats, unique instrumentation, and an undeniable danceability. In fact, we have to say that the vibe is definitely reminiscent of Byrne's late 90's/early 2000's records Feelings and Look Into The Eyeball. As is often the case with Byrne, the record appears to take a difficult-to-penetrate topic (in this case, Imelda Marcos) and infuse it with a latent accessiblity you really hadn't expected.

Here Lies Love drops on February 23rd, and at the moment is available for preorder at Byrne's website. No tour dates have been announced as of yet, but you can bet we'll keep an eye out.

mp3: David Byrne (feat. Santigold) - Please Don't

David Byrne To Deliver New Collaboration With Fatboy Slim

If you've been following David Byrne and his journal with any sort of regularity over the past few years, you probably recall whisperings of his collaboration with Fatboy Slim. Here Lies Love has been oft-mentioned by Byrne as "in the works", a conceptual piece about the life of Imelda Marcos. Well, "in the works" has just become official, as Byrne has just announced the release of a two disc set, DVD, and book.

Here Lies Love will be delivered by Nonesuch, and in addition to Byrne and Cook, features a slew of guest vocalists, including Florence Welch, Sia, Santigold, Nellie McKay, Sharon Jones, St. Vincent and Róisín Murphy. While we haven't heard the record yet, given the vocal variability, we get the impression that it will be something like a musical in form and content.

Byrne has promised that more details will be revealed in the new year, but so far has simply said that the record will be delivered by Nonesuch in late February. Regardless, it's pretty clear that it will not be your typical David Byrne solo record - we can't wait!

mp3: David Byrne - The Other Side Of This Life

David Byrne: New Book, Coming To City Arts And Lectures In September

Amidst a well-heeled group of artists, authors, and thinkers, HAD fave David Byrne will be joining in on the goodness of City Arts and Lectures. The series, whose Fall 2009 lineup was just announced, is consistently one of the best sources of commentary and insight that San Francisco has to offer. Byrne will be joining the lecture series as the first participant, on September 29th.

Byrne will be joining in on the lectures as an advocate of bicycles, and in support of his new book The Bicycle Diaries, which drops in September was well. The book is a close to 300 page account of Byrne's travels on bicycles around the worls, and features a range of black and white photographs divided into chapters by city. As with all of Byrne's published works, we're guessing the presentation is pretty choice.

To anyone who has seen previous Byrne interviews or read his extensive online journal, it should be obvious that he's quite the man of diversified interests and great insight. While we're guessing there won't be any music, we're quite content with a good conversation. Don't miss it.

Tickets are already sold out. (!)

David Byrne At The Greek: Videos

Well here we are, two days after, and YouTube is crawling with droves of videos of David Byrne's performance on Friday night. There are so many over there, we recommend you go check it out yourself. In the meantime do yourself a favor and watch the video above: it's a fantastic take on "Burning Down The House" with the Extra Action Marching Band!

David Byrne Played The Greek Theater - Pictures, Review, Setlist

For the past year or so, David Byrne has been enjoying a bout of renewed popularity and critical acclaim as he's traveled the world promoting his latest record Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. Last night at the Greek Theater, Byrne proved without a doubt that he is more than deserving of the praise. Over a lengthy set with three encores, Byrne and his troupe of dancers and musicians won over the Bay Area crowd with an amazing night of music.

Gypsy-rockers Devotchka opened the night, and delivered a solid set in their own right. The band was instrumentally adept, and effortlessly jumped between guitar, violin, bass, accordion, and even a tuba! Lead singer Nick Urata really gave power to the band's set, and there's no doubt that his vocals certainly share a common thread with Byrne's.

We have to admit, we don't typically fall in love with the gypsy-rock crossover vibe, but Devotchka really made it work. By balancing their gypsy-influenced sound with a really solid dose of rock and roll, they managed to hold on to musical complexity, while at the same time opening up their sound to accessibility and widespread appeal. If you have an opportunity to catch them, do it. You won't regret it.

Byrne took the stage at around nine o'clock, and kicked things off with "Strange Overtones", from his latest record. It's worth noting that despite being heavily loaded with new material, Byrne's set was seamless in terms of audience perception. There was no feeling of "lull" during the new material, and the crowd was going wild almost unrelentingly throughout the show.

A lot of this has to do with the fact that Byrne has managed to amass a live band that is ridiculously tight, and manages to infuse its own persona into the material, while staying true to the originals. The result is a set that is even more riveting than the recorded versions of the material. Everything present in those versions is more pronounced, more available, and more immediate.

Much of that immediacy found it's way into the old Talking Heads material, and it sounded as good as we've ever heard it. "Once In A Lifetime" dug in with a raucous breakdown at its closing, while "Crosseyed and Painless" featured a searing guitar solo from Byrne, and with its "still waiting" refrain, kept the crowd dancing for what seemed like endless moments of awesomeness.

In addition to the band being in top form, Byrne's dance troupe has furthered their already excellent routine since we last saw them. They provided a playful and artistic presence on the stage, and served to give the songs further depth and character. Of note was a surreal moment where Byrne joined the dancers in office chairs, and a fantastic dance number during "Air" featuring a trove of white Stratocasters.

As has become something of a San Francisco tradition, Byrne was joined in the second encore by the Extra Action Marching Band. The band joined Byrne for a killer version of "Road To Nowhere", followed by "Burning Down The House". As if having a marching band join him on stage weren't enough, the second encore also brought along with it a deluge of balloons, further amplifying the party-like atmosphere. If you're thinking "crazy", you're maybe half way there.

The night closed out with Byrne calming the mood a bit with "Everything That Happens". The fittingly mellow closer was followed by a stream of applause from the crowd that simply would not let up. It was painfully clear that not only was the audience loving the show, but the band was loving them right back. Smiles abounded, good times were clearly being had, and everyone wished they could have a bit more. It was a magnificent night, and a fitting way to close out the band's US tour.

Setlist
--
Strange Overtones
I Zimbra
One Fine Day
Help Me Somebody
Houses In Motion
My Big Nurse
My Big Hands
Heaven
Air
Life Is Long
Crosseyed & Painless
Born Under Punches
Once In A Lifetime
Life During Wartime
Feel My Stuff
--
Take Me To The River
The Great Curve
--
Road To Nowhere
Burning Down The House
--
Everything That Happens

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive

David Byrne Releases Live EP For Amnesty International

Picture from the HAD Archive

It's still a little over a month until David Byrne graces the Bay Area with some shows, and we can't wait. Thankfully, Byrne has released a little something to tide us over in the meantime.

In conjunction with Amnesty International, Byrne has put together a 4 track live EP, culled from this tour for Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. Entitled Everything That Happens Will Happen On This Tour, the EP consists of live versions of "Strange Overtones", "Help Me Somebody", "One Fine Day", and "I Feel My Stuff".

While it's not exactly the same as catching a live show, we have to say the EP does a pretty damn good job at capturing the fantastic feel of these live tunes. Pile on the fact that it's a benefit for charity, and that you can "try before you buy", and it's pretty much a no brainer. You can stream and order the EP here.

Stream: David Byrne - Everything That Happens Will Happen On This Tour

David Byrne Continues "Songs Of David Byrne And Brian Eno" Tour, Greek Theater In June, Presale Today

Picture from the HAD Archive

Given the success of his symphony hall shows, and the tour in general, we can't say we're surprised that David Byrne has decided to tack on a summer leg to the itinerary of his "Songs of David Byrne And Brian Eno" tour. After returning from a Spring leg in Europe, Byrne will be bringing his show back to the US for nine dates in June. The tour will cross the entire northern US before winding up at our own Greek Theater in Berkeley on June 26th.

We're pretty sure you already know our opinion on Byrne's live show, but just in case there's any uncertainty: it is completely and totally killer. The man simply commands an audience live, and in a venue like the Greek, well, we can't even really imagine. We'll just tell you this: make sure you get there. There's a presale starting at ten - and a full on-sale after that. The password is apparently either "today" or "overtones", so take your pick and see what works for you. Good luck!

David Byrne Summer 2009 US Dates:
June 1 Shelburne, VT The Green at Shelburne Museum
June 3 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre
June 5 Philadelphia, PA Mann Center
June 12 Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Music Festival
June 14 Dallas, TX The Majestic Theatre
June 18 Telluride, CO Telluride Bluegrass Festival
June 20 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
June 24 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
June 26 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre-U.C. Berkeley

NASA Readies For Takeoff, New Album, Show At Mezzanine

We have to admit that albums in the "producers round up their favorite artists and release a record that features one artist on each track" category tend to be ones that we avoid. That being said, what we're hearing out of the N.A.S.A. camp is really too good to ignore. The duo consists of DJ's Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon, and is apparently their attempt at unifying important artists from North and South America (hence the acronym, N.A.S.A.).

Their new record, The Spirit Of Apollo, drops next week and features an artist lineup that boggles the mind. It includes David Byrne, Karen O, Seu Jorge, MIA, Santogold, Ol' Dirty Bastard, RZA, Del The Funky Homosapien among many, many others. It's a veritable indie/hiphop dance record dream list and the first track we've heard ("Whachadoin?", below) is totally fantastic. What's more, the band will be touring in support of the record and dropping in at Mezzanine on Februrary 28th. Tickets are on-sale now.

N.A.S.A. Spring 2009 Tour
Feb 11 2009 Social Club Paris, Ile-de-France
Feb 12 2009 Old Room @ Melkweg Amsterdam, Noord-Holland
Feb 13 2009 Les Generiques Festival @ La Vapeur Dijon, Bourgogne
Feb 14 2009 Petrol Antwerp, Antwerp
Feb 26 2009 Casbah San Diego, California
Feb 28 2009 Mezzanine San Francisco, California
Mar 2 2009 Holocene Portland, Oregon
Mar 3 2009 Nectar Lounge Seattle, Washington
Mar 6 2009 Triple Rock Social Club Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mar 7 2009 The Abbey Pub Chicago, Illinois
Mar 9 2009 El Mocambo Toronto, Ontario
Mar 10 2009 La Sala Rossa Montreal, Quebec
Mar 11 2009 Harper’s Ferry Boston, Massachusetts
Mar 12 2009 Le Poisson Rouge New York, New York
Mar 13 2009 Barbary Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Mar 14 2009 Rock & Roll Hotel NE, Washington DC
Apr 17 2009 Coachella Indio, California

mp3: NASA - Whachadoin? (feat. Spank Rock, M.I.A., Santo Gold, & Nick Zinner)

HAD's Top Eleven Of 2008

Yes, eleven. At the end of the day, we just couldn't bring ourselves to pare it down to ten, and what's the point of normalcy, anyway? Instead we decided to just give you the unfettered list of our favorite records of the year, count be damned.

This list is really our best effort to point out the records that caught our attention, and held on to it for a good long time. There are lots of other great records out there, but these are the discs that stayed with us through the year. On headphones and speakers, at home and on the road, these are albums that not only held our attention, but also changed our perspective on music and opened our eyes to a new perspective.

1. Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight:
To anyone who's a regular reader of HAD, this record's place at number one should come as no surprise. We're simply addicted to it, in every sense of the word. The desperate vocals, the layered guitars, the outstanding songwriting, and the clever lyricism - all of them contribute to make Frightened Rabbit's latest our number one record of the year. Some pigeonhole it as emo or depressing, but we're of the opinion of their missing the humor behind the record. Its songs are a shot at the unbelievable nature of love and life in the modern world, and struggling to find some semblance of reason amongst the chaos.

 2. Plants And Animals - Parc Avenue:
This Canadian trio hit us out of the blue with a record that captures so many elements that it's painfully hard to characterize, aside from the fact that it's very, very, good. The album's tracks contain a vast range of styles, rhythms, and melodies. More than anything, they serve to lay a foundation for a band that is clearly adept at doing whatever they please. From the anthemic opener "Bye Bye", to the record's frenetic closer "Guru", this album simply begs to be listened to on repeat - what's hiding in the nooks and crannies gives more and more with each listen.

 3. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular:
Sure, it's debateable as to when this record came out. If you're a "when did the public get it" purist, then sure, it was released in digital form last year. For us, though, the record hit the streets in January, and a release is a release. But enough about technicality: this record is rock and roll brilliance. An amazingly clever tongue and cheek look at disillusionment in the face of commercialism and social norms. It's a record about finding your own way, discovering yourself, and wondering what on earth people are doing following the crowd. It doesn't hurt that the melodies are ridiculously catchy and memorable, and that Dave Friddman did a fantastic job with the production duties. The whole record comes together to be a pop masterpiece that also manages to take a stab at everything and anything conventional.

4. Evangelicals - The Evening Descends:
It's difficult to pull of experimental psychedelica in a way that's accessible to your average listener. It's even more difficult to dose that experimental psychedelica with just enough pop sensibility that your record transcends genre and defines you completely. On this record, that's exactly what Evangelicals have done: the album is a cacophonic dose of measured chaos that seems almost incomprehensible, but at the same time demands that the listener sing (or at least attempt to sing) along. Every time we pop in this disc, we have to smile at its amazing ability to unite melody with off the wall production - this is the sound of people having fun with music.

5. David Byrne And Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today:
To say that David Byrne and Brian Eno pose each other with inspiration is an understatement: the two have collaborated on some of the most influential and amazing records of the modern era. Given that, it makes sense that the music community at large was more than a little excited to see what this collaboration would yield: the experimentalism of My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts? The disjunct art rock of the Talking Heads? In the end, it was something different althogether: Byrne brought the influence of his recent work to the table, and Eno laid down some of his most song based work in years. The result is a record that has all the melodic and lyrical rewards of Byrne's solo career, with an underpinning of Eno's instrumentals that push Byrne ever so slightly back to the world of rock music - and it's a very good thing.

6. The Sea And Cake - Car Alarm:
Given its similarity in production and writing to last year's Everybody (our #1 of the year), it should come as no surprise to find this record in our top 10. Even the press release for Car Alarm name checked it as the clear successor to Everybody. The band was happy with what they were doing, happy to be on the road, and wanted to capture the sound for round two. In the end, they did exactly that: the album presents the same measured, well crafted pop, with some ever-so-slight tweaks that separate it from its sibling. The guitars are tougher, the percussion more varied, and the vocals more pointed. We're glad The Sea And Cake managed to get another disc out the door this quickly, and given the result we hope they don't slow down any time soon.

  7. The Heavenly States - Delayer:
It's a pretty unique experience to see a band three nights in a row, having never heard anything they've done previously.  In the case of The Heavenly States, that's exactly what happened: we caught them opening for Spoon on a killer 3 night run at the Fillmore, and were on board thereafter.  The band manages to take a degree of earnest lyricism and melody that doesn't always suit our fancy  (think Springsteen), and then temper it with just enough balls to the wall musicianship that all of a sudden we're perfectly happy to be earnestly rocking.  This record is loaded with infectious melodies, gorgeous guitar hooks, and most importantly, the soul of rock and roll.  We're waiting on the next one, States.

8. TV On The Radio - Dear Science, :
We've been fans of TVOTR since way back in their pre-album-release days, so this one was on our radar from the get go.  The thing is, while previous releases have always been great, this one takes it to a new level.  The band has managed to unify their sound in a way that perfects it, and the same time minimizes it.  Songs are more artfully layered, and the band seems less intent to be constantly firing on all cylinders.  Rather, this is a record with a solid ebb and flow, that comes together in the way a great record really should: it feels distinctly as though it should be enjoyed in one satisfying listen.  That isn't to say the record is without catchiness: the songs on the album hold their own, and frankly, it gets us thinking that TVOTR's next record could be the one that puts them solidly into the arena as both an artistic stalwart, and a favorite of the mainstream.  Next Radiohead, anyone?

9. Port O'Brien - All We Could Do Is Sing:
Port O'Brien, on their face, is something of a folk band:  many of their lyrics are sentimental, biographical, or downright excerpts from a story telling session.  Yet even in the face of all that folk sensibility, the thing that really wins us over is the fact that the band isn't afraid to rock.  Even this most sensitive moments are laced with something of an iron grip, and the band's live experience takes the album's rock sensibility and takes it to another level.  It's tough to think about them and not mention Neil Young in the same breath, except that Neil's voice (quite frankly) doesn't measure up to what Port O'Brien has to offer.   Judging by the band's live set, the next record will be a step further in the direction of searing rock and roll, but in the meantime, we're content to enjoy this gem any time we're looking for a taste.

10. Stephen Malkmus + Jicks - Real Emotional Trash:

This record's a tad difficult for us to even think of as an '08 release, as most of its songs had been heavily, heavily road tested by the time it came out.  That being said, this is a record that really needs to be recognized:  it's really the first time the Jicks have come together and released a solid record as a band.  2005's Face The Truth was clearly (and admittedly) a Stephen Malkmus basement project, that wore all the hallmarks of the singer and guitarist's idiosyncrasies.  By sharp contrast, Real Emotional Trash unifies the band (including newcomer Janet Weiss) under the guidance of Malkmus, and then allows them to truly shine.  We have to admit, we're a fan of anything Malkmus rolls out the door, so we're curious to see what the next record will bring.  Regardless of what it does bring, this record is a clear testament to the Jicks abilities, and the fact that they have graduated far beyond the simple moniker of "Stephen Malkmus' backing band".

11. The Walkmen - You And Me:
This record is the one that kept us from sticking to a simple "top ten", and with good reason: The Walkmen have released a record that manages to draw from (and learn the lessons of) every record in their catalog.  While many have hailed this release as a "return to form", we here at HAD are inclined to disagree.  While You And Me does contain many of the hallmarks of the band's first two records, it also contains a certain sensibility that is unquestionably reminiscent of the bands oft-criticized (and frankly, well-loved around here) release A Hundred Miles Off.  The band's ethereal, haunting rock has been solidly laced with a newfound pop sensibility, and what's more, many of the songs have managed to chip out a genre that is even more distinctively "Walkmen" than any of their previous releases.  In short, this is a record that realizes the promise of the band's greatness, but also manages to illustrate the journey it took to get there.

So, there you have it folks: Our top records of 2008!  Enjoy your New Year's, and we'll be sure to see you back here next Monday.  In the meantime, stay safe, and if you missed any of these records, get out there and grab them.  You wouldn't want to get behind with 2009 just around the corner!

David Byrne Played Davies Symphony Hall

You have to wonder if it ever gets tiresome to put on such a fabulous show every single night. By all accounts (including our own), David Byrne does just that. His sets never cease to deliver an incredible musical buffet ranging from his material with the Talking Heads all the way through his latest record that hasn't even been physically released yet. And with those sets, he notoriously gets the audience on their feet and dancing. Even for material they're not familiar with, even in symphony hall, even with a crowd that, let's be honest, was dominated by the over-forty set, he still gets everyone on their feet and dancing. Tonight was certainly no exception.

The set was a diverse selection of work that (as the title of the tour would suggest) drew almost exclusively on Byrne's collaborations with Brian Eno. This was especially interesting to see, given that Byrne's recent tours have focused more on his solo material, and the non-Eno Talking Heads albums. Seeing him get back into the mid-period Talking Heads material was especially rewarding, and Byrne touched solidly on almost all of the singles ("Life During Wartime", "Once In A Lifetime", Heaven", "Take Me To The River") from the era.

In addition to the older material, Byrne also brought out the new material, playing six tracks from his latest record with Eno, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today. This struck us as a particularly gutsy move, not because the record's new, but because it's only seen internet release thus far. Still, the audience was certainly attentive to the new material, and gave it just as warm a reception as many of the older tracks. The highlight for us was a searing version of "I Feel My Stuff" that closed out the main set. It started with the same disjointed piano sample from the record, and wound up with a directed guitar attack.

We have to admit that we had been skeptics of the "dance interpretation" section of the program. It seemed maybe like it was trying a little to hard to be "different", and maybe more of an effort to artificially up the artistic credibility of the tour. We couldn't have been more wrong. The dancers were a completely on target, and really added to each and every song that they were present on. They danced with the backup singers, with each other, and at one point even leapt right over (yes, you read that correctly) David Byrne. Their dance served to energize the crowd, provide a direct interpretation of the music on stage, and most of all to create an interactive dynamic that Byrne used to his favor throughout the set. If this is interpretive dance, then get us to the studio. Seriously, it was that good.

The set wrapped up with something that has almost become a Byrne tradition in San Francisco: an appearance by the Extra Action Marching Band. The band descended through the crowd-filled aisles for about 10 minutes of marching band jam-time, followed by a full-band version of "Burning Down The House" with all the house lights on. This time was especially spectacular, as Byrne's dancers joined the Extra Action cheerleaders on stage for one fantastic, final, chaotic tune. The crowd (and us, for that matter) couldn't get enough, and the cheering went on until Byrne basically had to bow out in order to be able to make it home for the night.

On that note, we will tell you this: there are still tickets available for Tuesday night. So, you're going, right? Seriously - this one's not to miss, folks.

Click here to check out the setlist. All songs but the last one were played - apparently it wasn't applicable. ;)

Many more pictures at the HAD Archive

David Byrne's Two Night Run At Symphony Hall Begins Tonight

Well, if you've been waiting for this one like we have, then you're just about over the top on the fact that David Byrne's two night run at Davies Symphony Hall begins tonight! The show is part of the "Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno", and as such will feature material from the pair's latest album as well as a bunch of their collaborative Talking Heads era material. From what we're hearing on the internets, it's a bit of a stage show, with some choreographed dancers to accompany Byrne's band. As we've mentioned before, Byrne's live show is consistently bulletproof. Every time we've seen him, he's offered up a show that is simply not to be missed, full of energy and vigor. In other words: be there.

Tonight is sold out, but tickets for tomorrow are still on sale.

Some Interviews You Might Like To Read

Both David Byrne and My Bloody Valentine will be in San Francisco in the coming weeks, so we thought we'd take a minute to pass a couple of interesting interviews your way. Pitchfork has an interview with David Byrne on his latest, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, and the New York Times has a nice sit down with Kevin Shields about the MBV reunion. Enjoy!

David Byrne is at Davies Symphony Hall October 6th and 7th
My Bloody Valentine are at the Concourse Design Center September 30th

David Byrne: Big Love: Hymnal

With all the hype surrounding Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, you may have missed another David Byrne release that made its way on to the market in late August. Big Love: Hymnal is Byrne's soundtrack to the second season of the TV show Big Love. You can read Byrne's own account of the creation of this music on his fantastic online journal, here.

The disc is very definitely modern-era Byrne, with many of the tracks having a similar feel to Byrne's most recent solo disc, Grown Backwards. The instrumentation is highly organic, and features a fair number of strings, horns, and acoustic guitars. Byrne's vocal contributions are largely made up of "oohs" and "ahhs", with the exception of the last track. Similar to Byrne's 80's disc The Catherine Wheel, which featured a single full-on vocal track ("Big Blue Plymouth"), the last track of Big Love: Hymnal ("Blue Hawaii") contains a full vocal track.

Despite being composed of what is (presumably) incidental music, the disc holds up extremely well as a repeat-listen. We actually found it more accessible than most of Byrne's other instrumental work: it's more melodic, and far less abstract. What's more, as a companion piece to Grown Backwards, the listener is already familiar with some of the musical themes at hand, which makes them easier to grow into. While, we're loving the Byrne/Eno disc, it's nice to snag some solo-Byrne work at the same time. Check it out!

David Byrne will be at Davies Symphony Hall October 6th and 7th.

mp3: David Byrne - Blue Hawaii

Gothamist Has A Gallery Of The David Byrne Bike Racks

Over at Gothamist, they have a complete gallery of the much-hyped "David Byrne bike racks". The above pic is one of many. Okay, we'll bite: they're cool, and utilitarian. Mr. Byrne: Maybe bring some to SF when you come to visit?

davidbyrne.com also has a gmap of the rack's locations, if you're in a photo op kind of mood.

Second David Byrne Show On-Sale

Due to the success of the first show (and possibly the influx of yuppie ticket buyers who are willing to take the plunge for a show at Symphony Hall), a second date has been added to David Byrne's San Francisco Davies Hall appearances. The show (as previously mentioned) is in support of the new Byrne/Eno album, and features the "songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno". It takes place on Tuesday, October 7th, and tickets are on-sale now. While we cringe at the $90 ticket price, we are due to remind you that David Byrne's shows are among the most awesome. Ever.

mp3: David Byrne and Brian Eno - Strange Overtones

New Byrne/Eno Available Now

The new Brian Eno & David Byrne collaboration Everything That Happens Will Happen Today is now available for download. The pair is offering up the record in 3 separate formats, including digital-only, digital plus CD, and special packaging (which includes 4 bonus tracks). We were doubly excited to see that the album art is designed by Stefan Sagmeister, whose design book Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far we've been enjoying immensely over the past couple of months. On that note, we're heading over to download the record. You should do the same - happy Monday!

UPDATE: Listening (and loving it) now, but more importantly: browsing the album art. This is how e-releases should be done, people. Non-DRMed, with awesome art and high quality sound files. Not that we should be surprised, but kudos to Byrne and Eno for getting it right...