Fatboy Slim - "Song For Shelter"

Fatboy Slim's 2000 release Halfway Between The Gutter and The Stars saw the British DJ bring new music to a market that was already amazingly saturated with his work, both on the radio, and in advertising and cinema. The album garnered a positive critical reception, and featured a brilliant video featuring Christopher Walken. Yet for many, it caused them to drift away from the electronic-rock mashup sound that Slim had popularized.

However, the record is loaded with brilliance, and to miss out on it would be a real tragedy. In particular, the final track, "Song For Shelter" features an amazing overlay of vocals from Roland Clark on top of deliciously synthy textures. The song is meditative and danceable all at once, and offers up a depth and dynamism that far surpasses any of Slim's other work. Moreover, the vocal from Clark is an utter delight, and his beat style poetry alone makes the track worthwhile. Think what you will about Fatboy Slim, but make no mistake: this track is a winner.

mp3: Fatboy Slim - Song For Shelter

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