David Byrne

371 search results for: david+byrne

Projects 100

Arboretum

2003

Maximum Balloon

2010

El Rey De La Rumba

2001

Stop Making Sense

1984

Rei Momo

1989

Possessed

1992

Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Music from the film Young Adam

2003

Here Lies Love

2016

Mantra Mix

2000

The Last Emperor

1987

Plum

2007

Better Living Through Chemistry

1995

Reasons To Be Cheerful

2018

Bonfires of São João

2006

The Catherine Wheel

1981

David Byrne Live at Union Chapel

2004

The Institute Presents: Neurosociety

2016

Turn My Teeth Up

2007

Superego

1998

Vinicius

2001

Envisioning Emotional Epistemological Information

2001

Stairway To Heaven

1995

Grown Backwards

2004

Balanescu Quartet Plays Byrne, Moran, Lurie, Torke

1992

I Love This Crowd!

2002

Corporate Signs

2003

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (Music from the Motion Picture)

2010

Silencio=Muerte: Red Hot + Latin

1997

Love This Giant

2012

How Music Works

2017

Talking Heads Brick

2005

RIO

2003

Fake Books

2003

I’m Losing Myself

2009

Odyssey

2005

Summa Scientae Mundi

1994

In Spite of Wishing and Wanting

1999

Like a Girl, I Want You to Keep Coming

1989

Sacred Objects

1993

David Byrne: Live from Austin TX

2001

Universo Ao Meu Redor

2006

Talking Heads: Same As It Ever Was

2009

Strange Ritual

1995

Look Into The Eyeball

2001

Until the End of the World

1991

Bicycle Diaries

2009

Onda Sonora: Red Hot + Lisbon

1999

Red Hot + Blue

1990

SCORE! Vol. 9: 20 Years of Merge Records

2009

Individual Pictures

1991

Everything that Happens Will Happen Today

2008

My Life in the Bush of Ghosts

1981

Caged/Uncaged

1993

The Visible Man

1998

Action Love Gods

1995

The Best of Music and Rhythm

1983

The Spirit of Apollo

2009

The New Sins

2001

Wired: Rip. Sample. Mash. Share.

2004

Moral Dilemmas

2010

Political Flesh

2000

Estudando a bossa

2008

Ride, Rise, Roar

2010

Walking on Locusts

1996

Voice of Julio / Voz de Julio

2008

Century of Song

2006

Red Hot + Rio

1996

What Is It?

2002

Dark Was The Night

2009

Live at Carnegie Hall

2004

Avalancha de Éxitos

1996

Tight Spot

2011

Songs for Liquid Days

1986

Feelings

1997

Playing The Building

2005

Guitar Pedals

2010

The Cosmic Game

2005

Sleepless Nights

1994

American Utopia

2018

davidbyrne

1994

Your Action World

1999

Worried Noodles

2007

Music for The Knee Plays

1984

Blue In The Face

1995

Shhh… Sounds in Spaces

2004

Joan of Arc: Into the Fire

2016

The Forest

1991

Everything is Connected

2002

Chairs

2006

Muzikizum

2002

Talking Heads Chronology

2011

Bike Racks

2008

The Only Blip Hop Record You Will Ever Need, Vol. I

2002

The Voting Booth Project

2004

Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip

1996

Inside Out

2010

Future Soundtrack For America

2004

Ilé Aiyé (The House of Life)

1989

Big Love: Hymnal

2008

Dressed Objects, Wedding Party

1998

Journal 92

Jul 21 2014

CASTING THE WORLD

by David Byrne

A group of us were just in Manila to look for actors and singers for the London production of Here Lies Love. (We found some good ones!) Luisa Hinchliff from the...

Jan 17 2014

UPDATE—THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF SECURITY

by David Byrne

A little while ago, I wrote that when news broke that Target's database of credit card numbers had been hacked, 40 million cards were compromised. It was also claimed that no PIN numbers were stolen. Neither of those claims turned out to be true.

Oct 5 2017

The Secret Place Where Music Shows Get Made

by David Byrne

Why here? In the middle of Pennsylvania Dutch country?

Jun 3 2016

WE’RE BETTER THAN THIS! VOTE!

by David Byrne

I am saddened by the low level to which U.S. politics has sunk. The hate, vindictiveness, personal insults, racism, and pandering—it seems that the worst aspects of the internet have come to life and turned into flesh and blood. The causes are many, but now...

Oct 4 2011

TIGHT SPOT

by David Byrne

I realized that the type of maps we associate with our days at primary school and childhood was what I was imagining—not a realistic rendering of our planet or a map showing the physical world.

Jan 3 2016

ARCAS: US AND THEM

by David Byrne

We traveled to the ARCAS Wildlife Rescue Center near Flores, Guatemala by boat—two boats actually: we took one across the lake to a deserted patch of shoreline where a hidden dock revealed itself and then, after a brief hike through the jungle...

Jan 19 2018

Alias: Steve Powers

by David Byrne

Artist Steve Powers did the artwork that is being used for my upcoming tour. I’ve known Steve for a while. Here’s the story.

Jun 7 2016

HOW CHANGE HAPPENS

by David Byrne

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead. My new musical about Joan of Arc has me considering lots of so-called dissidents, heroes and revolutionaries. What drives them? When are...

Feb 19 2014

CONTENT DICTATES FORM

by David Byrne

I’ve been reading Stephen Sondheim’s Finishing the Hat about how and why he wrote lyrics for so many musicals. I’m not familiar with most of these shows, but it’s enlightening anyway. As he says, you can love to read cookbooks even if you don’t cook.

Nov 14 2016

A FRIEND REACTS

by David Byrne

I have a Brazilian friend who lives in Brooklyn. She moved here a number of years ago after her father and brother were murdered in a drug related incident in Rio. Like a lot of immigrants she moved here in hopes of a better life.

Dec 31 2013

NOLA PART 3

by David Byrne

What is nice here is that a food place can be considered great and be either a funky joint or a fancy place that demands that men wear suits. Fancy places have no prerogative on quality and reputation.

Aug 2 2016

WEIRD AMERICA

by David Byrne

I’m doing a talk with artist Steve Powers moderated by Tom Healy at the Brooklyn Museum this Thursday, August 4th… it’s called Weird America. Steve and I both love found poetry—often from the street—and sometimes we both have the ambitious aim to add something to that dialogue.

Dec 28 2013

NOLA PART 2

by David Byrne

New Orleans is wonderful; the folks are generally generous, talkative and enjoy life. But it’s also the victim of a lot of bad policies, corruption and sad decisions. It’s almost as if the city is being punished for being as generous, sensuous and fun-loving as it is.

Dec 22 2014

GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM—AN AMSTERDAM DISCUSSION ABOUT MUSIC STREAMING (OCT. 19, 2014)

by David Byrne

I’m concerned that as streaming and subscription models become the dominant way we consume music (not just music, but soon all movies, books, television, video games, journalism—almost any creative content you can name), the amount of income from those services that trickles down to the content creators might not be enough for them to live on.

Sep 2 2015

BARBARA HEPWORTH - NOT FREE, BUT ADAPTABLE

by David Byrne

I visited the Tate Britain last week, and took in the Barbara Hepworth show on the advice of others-I’m not usually a fan of that era of abstraction. But, to be honest, the work was lovely and, more to my taste, the wall descriptions described a process by which she and her husband and collaborator (Ben Nicholson) came to make the kinds of work they did.

May 14 2014

DES MOINES

by David Byrne

On my way back to NY from LA, I stopped in Des Moines, Iowa to attend the opening of a joint called the Des Moines Social Club. A guy I met, Zachary Mannheimer—a Brooklyn transplant—has created this place that combines a restaurant, bar, theater, outdoor performance space, classrooms...

May 19 2016

WELL FOLKS, I’VE WRITTEN ANOTHER MUSICAL

by David Byrne

So, what is it about this time? This show is about Joan of Arc—a story everyone sort of knows, or knows something about anyway. Everyone certainly knows how it ends, which I like—it means that everything that happens will feel like an irrevocable tragic advance toward a preordained ending.

Aug 30 2017

Everyone Is A Creator: Afropunk Festival 2017

by David Byrne

This visually implied way of being says as much and maybe more than any words—words are words, but this is about how one can BE.

Feb 22 2016

VERNACULAR CULTURE AND NATIONALISM

by David Byrne

I have a bias towards the vernacular in many areas—in architecture, music, dress, song lyrics, food, and more. I think my bias stems from a possibly mistaken belief that the vernacular—things that we may take for granted and that we may think of as having no author or single creator...

May 15 2014

GOOGLE IS EVIL

by David Byrne

I have a few Android devices, and I noticed the other day that my phone was not storing my recordings on the SD card. I use it to record memos for songwriting—it’s a great way to jot down ideas. Then I got a notice that the SD card was no longer available as a storage medium. WTF?

Jul 15 2014

STOP MAKING DIGITAL SENSE

by David Byrne

Today the Jonathan Demme documentary of the Talking Heads concert (or four concerts, actually) that eventually became titled Stop Making Sense (after a lyric in the song “Girlfriend is Better”) is released digitally. That means...

Nov 7 2016

NOTHIN’ COULD BE FINE-AH THAN TO BE IN CAROLINA

by David Byrne

I went to Charlotte, North Carolina to do some get-out-the-vote work for a couple of days. Granted a couple of days might not seem like much, but elections turn on small results sometimes.

Dec 24 2013

YOU ARE THE TARGET

by David Byrne

A few days ago Target revealed that they’d been hacked—beginning before Thanksgiving and ending December 15th. 40 million credit and debit cards were compromised: names, numbers and expiration dates. The name of the store now seems prescient.

Jul 28 2014

LICENSED!

by David Byrne

Last week, Billboard magazine asked for my opinion on some music licensing-related issues for an article they have just published. Due to space consideration, my long answers were trimmed for…

Mar 28 2018

Porto Alegre, an unfinished city

by David Byrne

Our tour has taken us to South America. Periodic thoughts, reports and news from the road. A few days ago we played in Porto Alegre, Brazil to a wonderful audience in a funky warehouse space near the airport.

Apr 28 2015

MELTING DOWN

by David Byrne

Hello all. I'm curating the Meltdown festival in London the last two weeks of August this year! It takes place at the Southbank Centre—a sprawling complex that includes three theaters, multiple lounges, bars, terraces and even a library where every music-related book I own will be available!

Mar 5 2014

BIG DATA, THE CYCLICAL UNIVERSE AND THE END OF SCIENCE

by David Byrne

I was reading a piece in Artforum by Mario Carpo on big data and how it is being used by a new wave of architects. He made some surprising comments that sort of blew my mind. He pointed out that for many hundreds of years, science has been about discovering the essences behind phenomena.

Apr 3 2017

What good are the Arts?

by David Byrne

Investment in the arts doesn't cost us money—it MAKES us money!

Feb 17 2014

BIG CHANGES TO DB.COM!

by David Byrne

We have redesigned and completely changed the focus of the website. Like many websites, this used to be more or less an online archive—if you were persistent and dug enough you could find pretty much anything. Now we are changing the focus in two significant ways.

May 9 2016

IMAGINE THERE’S NO COUNTRIES

by David Byrne

I have a feeling the above line owes as much to Yoko as it does to Lennon, as she had been doing thought experiment art pieces long before Lennon’s song was written. I thought I’d try a similar thought experiment. Are we moving towards a world without borders? Is that a good thing?

Apr 26 2017

JONATHAN DEMME REST IN PEACE

by David Byrne

My friend, the director Jonathan Demme, passed last night.

May 22 2015

WHAT DO WE SEE WHEN WE GO TO AN ART MUSEUM?

by David Byrne

Roberta Smith wrote about a Van Gogh show that just opened at the Met. It is a typical formal art analysis, rhapsodizing about brushstrokes and paint handling—which is such a tiny part of what art is about in my opinion...

Oct 11 2013

BARELY SURVIVING, A GUARDIAN OP-ED

by David Byrne

So, what's the deal? What are these services, what do they do and why are these musicians complaining?

Oct 14 2014

RUSSIAN SURREALISM

by David Byrne

I joined Brian Eno and some others for an early morning (for us) look at the Malevich show at the Tate Modern. Mala Gaonkar, a Tate trustee who helped set this tour up, told me a story about contemporary Russia. She said that a web group is currently in charge of creating and spreading chaotic...

Mar 11 2015

NOMINATED!

by David Byrne

Fatboy Slim and I were nominated for an Olivier Award for Here Lies Love the other day. It’s sort of major—the equivalent of a Tony here in NY.

Jul 4 2013

DES MOINES, IOWA, PT II

by David Byrne

Iowa, especially central Iowa, has an incredibly beautiful, well maintained and extensive network of bike trails that stretch all over this part of the state.

Mar 1 2014

March Radio: Accumulated Goodness

by David Byrne

It’s been quite a few months since I did a streaming playlist of the various contemporary songs I’ve been listening to.

Jan 18 2017

RIP WILLIAM ONYEABOR

by David Byrne

Played live, Onyeabor's music came to life—it was fresh and transcendent. Everyone felt it. We played it, but he created it. Wherever he's gone, it's sure to be a place with a lot of heart and some killer grooves. Rest In Peace.

Jul 6 2015

GROWTH, AUSTERITY, DEBT

by David Byrne

Like many, I've been following the mess that is the situation between Greece and the EU and the Troika — the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. What a mess.

Jul 3 2013

DES MOINES, IOWA, PT I

by David Byrne

Today we’re in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I blogged about the town and The Great Log Jam years ago. All this made me think that however much we might hate traffic jams and bottlenecks, they have an upside. In those days they forced a pause that allowed whole towns to expand and flourish.

Jun 22 2016

GUNS ARE ABOUT FREEDOM: OUR FREEDOM TO LIVE

by David Byrne

It’s not hopeless. No matter what some of my friends seem to imply, I firmly believe we can have gun control and reduce gun violence in this country. Allow me to be optimistic. At this point, any cause for hope is worth considering.

Feb 15 2018

Guns Are About Freedom: Our Freedom To Live

by David Byrne

This piece was originally posted on June 22, 2016. My friend's mother is a doctor in Florida—she has spent the last two days stitching up kids or pronouncing them dead. She is furious, mad as hell, as every citizen should be. If Congress cannot act according to the will of the people (see below), then they will need to be replaced by representatives who listen to us.

Jul 31 2014

EMMA BYRNE

by David Byrne

Emily Anderson Brown was born on the 18th of July, 1921 in Glasgow, Scotland to Sarah and William—nicknamed “Willie”—Brown, who painted railroad signals for a living.

Jun 29 2016

IT CAN’T HAPPEN HERE

by David Byrne

I was recently invited to contribute to Zoetrope: All-Story, a story and art quarterly published by Francis Ford Coppola, each edition of which is designed in its entirety by a leading artist and available exclusively in print.

Dec 16 2013

HERE LIES LOVE BENEFIT SHOW

by David Byrne

On November 25, 2013, the cast and crew of Here Lies Love came together to perform a concert version of the show, in order to raise funds for the relief effort Doctors Without Borders is carrying out on the ground in the Philippines.

Jun 11 2014

THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT

by David Byrne

There have been almost daily reports in the news about the battle between Amazon, U.S. publisher Hachette, and German media group Bonnier. Amazon's tactics are among the most ruthless in the world. Their typical mantra is, “We’re all powerful. You have no choice but to accept our heinous terms—or else.”

Dec 17 2013

WELL COMPOSED

by David Byrne

It was unlike anything I'd heard: odd and gorgeous.

Nov 20 2013

SMITHSONIAN AWARD—ENGINE YOU-ITY

by David Byrne

A while back I got asked to present Annie Clark with a Smithsonian Ingenuity Award. I immediately said yes.

Oct 7 2014

I DON’T CARE ABOUT CONTEMPORARY ART ANYMORE?

by David Byrne

But now I’m wondering if economics might kill painting off this time, along with a number of other kinds of work that we sometimes think of as part of our culture.

Apr 21 2015

COLORGUARD AND THE FAILURE OF IRONY

by David Byrne

A group of us went to Dayton, Ohio to watch the World Colorguard Championships at the packed University of Dayton Arena. We’re on a trajectory pointing towards our Contemporary Color projects in Toronto & Brooklyn in June.

May 7 2014

ATOMIC BOMB: THE MUSIC OF WILLIAM ONYEABOR

by David Byrne

Last year, Luaka Bop released a compilation of the songs of William Onyeabor—Nigerian electro-funk musician, who created music in the '70s and '80s. It's been a dream to put together a band that could bring Onyeabor's music to life—and Luaka Bop, with Sinkane's Ahmed Gallab, has done it!

Mar 25 2016

SECURITY, ENCRYPTION AND SECRECY: TAKE A SURVEY AND FIND OUT WHERE YOU STAND

by David Byrne

I’ve been thinking about this whole digital security and encryption mess that’s been in the headlines recently. As an interested citizen (and absolute amateur and non-expert), I’m trying to parse the various sides of this issue.

May 23 2017

I’M MAKING A MUSICAL VARIETY SHOW AND YOU CAN TOO!

by David Byrne

On June 1st, a small creative team and I are putting on a variety show here in NYC… and I’m wondering if you can do it too, wherever you are.

May 9 2014

DOWNTOWN! DOWNTOWN!

by David Byrne

A bunch of us are staying at the new Ace hotel here in downtown LA, as it’s relatively close to the Greek—where we’re doing the Onyeabor show tonight. I love downtown LA. This part of town is perennially being touted as an area ready to explode and revive, but it’s still a pleasant mess.

Mar 20 2019

Democracy — What Would That Be Like?

by David Byrne

Our system is not a true representative government. The will of the majority of people in the US is not represented—except in those cases when the desires of the majority match the policies favored by the wealthy and powerful. Their interests are more often enacted into law. We, therefore, do NOT live in a democracy.

But, if we could live in a democracy, what would it be like?

Jul 4 2016

THE WAY THINGS GO

by David Byrne

Lots of artists incorporate images and sounds from popular culture as a way of commenting on it. Warhol and Rauschenberg used to appropriate photos from newspapers and magazines for their work—Campbell’s soup was flattered and amused, others not so much, especially when the work started going for serious money.

Nov 26 2013

DIVERSITY!

by David Byrne

I went out to Corona Plaza in Queens this morning to be supportive of the neighborhood DOT’s neighborhood plaza partnership initiative that is expanding to the outer boroughs. There are a number of these pop-up plazas in Manhattan...

Nov 1 2018

For Freedoms!

by David Byrne

William Scott’s work imagines a more loving and equal world; a place for all of us.

Apr 3 2015

CONTEMPORARY COLOR: THE PROCESS

by David Byrne

Our Contemporary Color spectacular is a project that doesn’t just come together at the last minute. It’s a long process, and part of that process took place two weekends ago. A group of us travelled to watch the Eastern Regional Championships—where all 10 of our teams competed!

Mar 16 2015

GOT TO BLUR IT UP

by David Byrne

I’m jumping into the fray on the Pharrell/Marvin Gaye copyright ruling. According to Lawrence Y. Iser, a well-known copyright lawyer, "This is a tricky case because while the two recordings do sound similar, the similarity is in the style, feel, tempo and groove, which are not covered by the copyright...

May 6 2014

HERE LIES LOVE CAST ALBUM OUT TODAY + LORTEL AWARD WINS!

by David Byrne

The cast album of Here Lies Love—with seven new songs—is out today on Nonesuch Records! As I've mentioned before, the physical package is gorgeous, and includes 2 CDs containing 26 songs, sung by the wonderful, original cast...

Apr 6 2018

Cultural Spaces: Inhotim

by David Byrne

It was started by the mine owner and art collector Bernardo Paz as a space where he could show his collection. Then Brazilian artist Tunga suggested to him that he expand the idea by adding contemporary art, which he did, but more in the form of permanent installations than what one would encounter in a conventional museum. Therefore it feels a little more generous than the usual display of baubles amassed by a wealthy collector.

Aug 10 2015

ATOMIC ANNOUNCEMENT

by David Byrne

Happy to say the lineup for the Meltdown version of the Atomic Bomb! band (who play the music of eccentric African musical pioneer William Onyeabor) is now confirmed. It’s one of the more exciting lineups we’ve ever had as this concept has had a number of iterations, so tickets are going fast.

Sep 19 2014

UK NEWS

by David Byrne

London and the South is dominated by old school politics and Tory conservatives, many of whom all went to school together—the English old boy network never really went away.

Oct 7 2013

WILL WORK FOR INSPIRATION: THE FUTURE OF NEW YORK

by David Byrne

I’m writing this in Venice, Italy. This city is a pleasantly confusing maze, once an island of fortresses, and now a city of tourists, culture (biennales galore) and crumbling relics. Venice used to be the most powerful city in Europe—a military, mercantile and cultural leader. Sort of like New York.

Mar 31 2014

HOW WILL THE WOLF SURVIVE: CAN MUSICIANS MAKE A LIVING IN THE STREAMING ERA?

by David Byrne

I have written elsewhere that it looks doubtful that musicians will be able to make much of a living from their recordings given the kind of pittance that trickles down from streaming services after record labels and others have taken their pieces of the pie.

May 15 2017

ELIMINATING THE HUMAN

by David Byrne

I have a theory that much recent tech development and innovation over the last decade or so has had an unspoken overarching agenda—it has been about facilitating the need for LESS human interaction. It’s not a bug—it’s a feature.

Feb 1 2016

THE ECHO CHAMBER

by David Byrne

Not too long ago some friends were asking each other, “How are Trump supporters so seemingly unaware of his lies and bullshit, and the ridiculousness of many of his positions and ideas?” Lately it seems that anything that contradicts a passionate belief has become invisible.

Apr 27 2015

CONTEMPORARY COLOR COLLABORATION PHASE

by David Byrne

I visited New Brunswick, NJ yesterday to be photographed with the Color Guard team Black Watch for a magazine feature on our Contemporary Color project. Dev Hynes is doing the music for this team’s performance, which is exciting.

Oct 27 2014

AN UNEXPECTED HISTORY LESSON AT THE RIJKSMUSEUM

by David Byrne

The Rijksmuseum museum in Amsterdam has recently reopened after about 10 years of renovation. It’s a giant palace-like structure at one end of a park, also bordered by the Stedelijk Museum of contemporary art, the Van Gogh Museum and the Concertgebouw symphony hall.

Aug 11 2020

Waldemar Bastos - Rest In Peace

by David Byrne

The great Angolan composer and singer passed away this week in Lisbon where he had lived for decades.

May 29 2014

STRANGE WEATHER

by David Byrne

“Epic,” I think, is the word that is often used.

Feb 9 2017

A Society in Miniature

by David Byrne

What was Black Mountain College's secret sauce? One can’t help but wonder if there was a formula and if the kind of radical innovation that happened there and that was carried out into the world can be repeated, because, boy do we need more of these kinds of models of innovation today!

Jun 15 2017

This Business of Show

by David Byrne

I’m thinking about the idea that much military action is not done to achieve its stated purpose, but is rather, in effect, a show, staged for an audience.

May 13 2014

ONYEABOR TOUR: FANTASTIC GIRL

by David Byrne

We did the Onyeabor show at the Greek Theatre in L.A. last Thursday night. It went incredibly well.

Aug 2 2015

OPEN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY’S BLACK BOX

by David Byrne

THIS should be the greatest time for music in history — more of it is being found, made, distributed and listened to than ever before. That people are willing to pay for digital streaming is good news. In Sweden, where it was founded, Spotify saved a record industry that piracy had gutted.

Aug 29 2017

The Mystery of the Egg Farm Tower

by David Byrne

On Indian Village Road in Penn Township, PA near Manheim, stands this tower.

Apr 12 2016

WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT SECURITY, ENCRYPTION, AND SECRECY!

by David Byrne

Thanks to those of you who took part in our little amateur survey. We got almost 500 responses, which is more than some political surveys! But we can’t claim that these results are in any way representative or scientific—that said, it was still a fun exercise and yielded somewhat informative results.

Dec 25 2013

NOLA PART 1

by David Byrne

My daughter and some of her friends rented a whole house in the Bywater neighborhood here through AirBnB—it’s a shotgun house with peeling paint and three bedrooms with a FEMA inspection sign spray-painted on the front.

Dec 13 2014

TALES FROM HERE LIES LOVE

by David Byrne

Due to the way Here Lies Love is presented, with more than half the audience mingling on the floor as they would in a music or dance club, there are often interactions—some humorous, some disturbing—amongst audience members and sometimes between audience members and the cast. Here are a few of those...

Apr 5 2016

KEEP ON FUNKIN’

by David Byrne

Some of you may not know who Bernie Worrell is. He was a lynchpin of Parliament Funkadelic and after that he collaborated with a lot of other musicians—like Talking Heads (that’s Bernie in Stop Making Sense), as well as some of my own projects like Catherine Wheel, the score for a Twyla Tharp dance theater project. The list is long.

Dec 3 2013

NO MORE RECORDS

by David Byrne

These days, it’s common to hear talk of the demise of recorded music as a source of income for musicians and the concurrent re-emergence of live performance as the primary way that we will hear and experience music...

Jan 12 2018

Dreamers

by David Byrne

I’ve been a fan of the work of what are called “outsider” artists for a long time. The hope, the longing and the need to imagine what could be is widespread, and manifests in so much of their work. They are dreamers—as are we all.

Jun 13 2017

Remember these faces. Remember their names.

by David Byrne

These Are Your Representatives Who Voted FOR Trump’s Combo Health Care/Tax Cut Bill.

Mar 30 2016

11 THINGS I LEARNED FROM THE HIERONYMUS BOSCH SHOW (I DECIDED TO TRY THIS POST DONE AS A LISTICLE!)

by David Byrne

I recently traveled to the small Dutch town of Den Bosch to The Noordbrabants Museum to see the largest assembly of work by Hieronymus Bosch ever assembled. This town was where Bosch spent his entire life—he lived on one side of the square and worked in his studio on the other.

Nov 5 2013

A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE

by David Byrne

What’s coming next from the NSA? As has been pointed out, it’s not easy to tell what they are or what their aims are just by name. Tracfin, for example, traces our credit card purchases.

May 16 2014

BANDWIDTH AND NET NEUTRALITY

by David Byrne

It seems to me that the resurgent issue of net neutrality—whether all net traffic has an equal opportunity to go at the same speed—is very much related to bandwidth, with Netflix using 32.25% of the total web bandwidth of North American home users nightly, followed by BitTorrent, YouTube streaming, pirate sites and porn.

May 17 2019

The Human Connection

by David Byrne

After a sold-out, year-long critically acclaimed international tour, American Utopia will play a strictly limited engagement on Broadway at the intimate Hudson Theatre from October 4, 2019 through January 19, 2020, with the official opening set for October 20, 2019. Tickets on sale now.

Dec 12 2014

ONYEABOR EN MEXICO!

by David Byrne

I was thinking to myself that if we did something or said something to at least acknowledge our awareness and sympathy…this party crowd might not care. I was proved wrong.

Jan 29 2015

RECENT ADS

by David Byrne

Sometimes an ad—usually on the street—stops me in my tracks. This is what they’re supposed to do. Sometimes the message is clear, if a little bold and surprising. Here is one that was up near the Holland tunnel entrance...

May 12 2014

ENGINEERING AT THE ROYAL BALL

by David Byrne

I’ll skip the red carpet stuff—the web is probably full of that. I was introduced to people I didn’t know—and some I did. I shook a lot of hands and tried to introduce myself and pronounce my name clearly.

Mar 24 2014

BREAKING UP WITH THE INTERNET

by David Byrne

About a month ago, I was asked to join some serious writers (Colin Toibin, Zadie Smith, etc.) at a reading. The theme we were given was "The Night We Called It A Day," and I applied that to something I'd been thinking about—what will the world be like AFTER the Internet?

News 100

May 16 2010

DAVID BYRNE ANNOUNCES “IMMERSIVE THEATRICAL” ART EXHIBITION ON NEUROSCIENCE

As described in the press release, “each interaction will reveal how the brain builds a subjective measure of the world and is fundamentally guided by pragmatic concerns anchored in personal experiences.”

Jun 16 2016

Flashback: Talking Heads Reunite At 1989 Tom Tom Club Show

Head back to the 80's to jam with Talking Heads one last time.

Jan 29 2015

RECENT ADS

Dec 12 2014

ONYEABOR EN MEXICO!

Mar 24 2009

Talking Heads Byrne wants Jacko’s glove

Apr 18 2009

Vordenker mit Kultfaktor

May 8 2001

David Byrne: Look into the Eyeball

Jun 28 2004

Art: Spice It Up With Sound

Sep 7 2011

David Byrne to Build Giant Inflatable Globe Under the High Line

Sep 9 2004

Tosca burning down the house with David Byrne

May 14 2014

Shop

May 20 2008

Estudando a bossa

Mar 2 2015

Unlocking the Mystery of Benjamin Clementine

"David Byrne sits down with Benjamin Clementine in the public library in Edmonton—which is located in a shopping mall!"

Nov 25 2009

PopMatters - Bicycle Diaries

Feb 4 2010

The Streets Are Safe (From Whimsical Bike Racks)

Jan 25 1982

Picks and Pans Review: The Catherine Wheel

Jun 29 2016

IT CAN’T HAPPEN HERE

Mar 18 2004

‘Grown Backwards’ By David Byrne

Apr 16 2010

The Yes List—David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s Imelda Marcos Musical

May 17 2005

Byrning Bright on Queen

Dec 16 2009

Fatboy Slim y David Byrne hicieron un disco juntos

Jul 16 2017

Re-View: Finding value in ‘True Stories’

Mar 31 2017

Remixing the Set of ‘Here Lies Love’

Nov 20 2018

The artists subverting the core of a live show

Dec 5 2018

David Byrne, Gabriel Kahane, John Adams Make NPR’s List of the Best Songs of 2018

Dec 10 2018

Best of 2018: A Year In Review

Oct 29 2018

Marissa Mayer, Mahershala Ali and More on Leadership

Oct 12 2018

REVIEW: DAVID BYRNE’S SILVER LODGE AT BASS CONCERT HALL

Sep 7 2018

The visionary David Byrne on chickens, sustainability and other reasons to be cheerful

Sep 24 2018

Major music acts made day one of Bourbon & Beyond worth the struggle

Dec 26 2018

This Three-Year-Old Imitating David Byrne in ‘Stop Making Sense’ on Christmas Will Make You Smile

Feb 13 2019

David Byrne’s Nonesuch Debut Album, “Grown Backwards,” to Get First Vinyl Release with Six Bonus Tra

Nov 19 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: Mali

Oct 4 2011

TIGHT SPOT

May 1 2022

David Byrne Presents: Brazil in the 21st century

Jan 1 2020

David Byrne Presents: Orchestral Jazz

Apr 9 2019

From BB King to Kate Bush: our critics pick their favourite ever gigs

Fiona Sturges, Mark Beaumont, Lucy Jones, Chris Harvey, David Lister, Patrick Smith, Elisa Bray, Alex Pollard, Roisin O’Connor and Martin Chilton pick the greatest gigs they've ever been to.

May 17 2019

David Byrne bringing American Utopia show to Broadway

The iconic musician has announced he’s bringing his American Utopia show to Broadway later this year for a strictly limited engagement

Aug 20 2018

David Byrne Said Their Names at the Fox

Aug 3 2018

David Byrne Explains Why His Latest Tour is His Most Ambitious in Years

Feb 15 2018

Guns Are About Freedom: Our Freedom To Live

Mar 1 2018

David Byrne Shares First New Solo Album In 14 Years

Mar 19 2018

American Utopia debut marks career chart highs throughout North America, UK, Europe and more!

Jan 23 2018

Manden bag Talking Heads samlede 700 tilhørere til optimist-foredrag

Men i stedet for mentalt at gå i sort har han som en slags terapi over længere tid samlet på positive historier og opløftende nyheder, som har kunnet minde ham om, at der rent faktisk foregår en masse godt rundt om i verden.

Jan 8 2018

David Byrne’s New Album, “American Utopia,” Due March 9 on Todomundo/Nonesuch Records

May 9 2017

Put on Your Imelda Marcos Dance Shoes: David Byrne’s Immersive ‘Here Lies Love’ Is Still Spinning in

Mar 27 2017

BRIC Announces Free Public Arts Fest in Brooklyn with David Byrne, Historic Video Art, and More

BRIC, a Brooklyn-based non-profit media and arts organization dedicated to free public programming in New York, announced the lineup today for its first-ever BRIC OPEN Festival, a weekend-long series of public talks and performances to be held at its downtown Brooklyn headquarters April 27 through 30.

Mar 30 2018

Com show ‘cabeça’ e sem concessões, David Byrne faz apresentação impecável em BH

Apr 20 2018

David Byrne’s ‘American Utopia’ tour an ambitious artistic triumph, same as it ever was

Jun 28 2018

Alles bewegt sich: David Byrnes brillante Berlin-Show

Jul 13 2018

David Byrne: ‘How real do you need to be?’

Jun 18 2018

Music: David Byrne at Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow

Jun 12 2018

David Byrne Australia-bound for a once in a lifetime tour

May 6 2018

David Byrne brings a brain to the Beale Street Music Festival

May 18 2018

David Byrne sings about Philando Castile during his encore at the Orpheum

Nov 2 2000

Political Flesh

Mar 15 2010

Ride, Rise, Roar

Sep 28 2003

Lead Us Not into Temptation: Music from the Film Young Adam

Nov 23 2009

Roots, David Byrne Join Dirty Projectors In NYC

Jan 18 1990

Various Artists Like a Girl, I Want You To Keep…

Aug 18 2008

Byrne & Eno’s Everything That Happens Will Happen Today:

Mar 27 2009

‘The business is an exciting mess’

Feb 11 2009

Byrne dishes up a diverse, satisfying menu

Sep 17 2008

David Byrne Revives His Dancing Days at Opening Show of Eno Tour

Jun 7 2016

David Byrne Issues Vote Register Plea To American Fans

Go forth and vote.

Aug 21 2013

David Byrne & St. Vincent spellbinding at Segerstrom

Oct 19 2016

David Byrne’s Psychological Fun House

Mar 22 2017

Flaming Out: A New Musical About Joan of Arc Oversells Its Timeliness

Aug 1 2016

August Radio: Music Recorded on a Cell Phone!

Apr 18 2016

How David Byrne Recruited St Vincent And Dev Hynes For An Epic Color Guard Stadium Showdown

"The former Talking Heads frontman premiered 'Contemporary Color,' an unmissable documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival that followed the making of his wildly imaginative color guard spectacular at the Barclays Center last summer."

May 12 2015

Watch A Mini-Doc About How To Dress Well’s Color Guard Piece For David Byrne’s Contemporary Color

May 16 2014

BANDWIDTH AND NET NEUTRALITY

Mar 2 2009

David Byrne breaks out Brian Eno-era Talking Heads classics, tutus for Radio City gigs

Jun 22 2009

Byrne delights crowd with quirk

Jul 7 1997

Feelings

Oct 26 2005

Talking Heads Brick

Jun 3 2008

David Byrne: Sonic Architect

Oct 26 2004

Byrne Stays Cool, But His Music’s Still Hot

Dec 5 2008

Album Reviews: Big Love: Hymnal

Jun 26 2008

Voice of Julio / Voz de Julio

Sep 24 1996

Walking on Locusts

Nov 30 2010

The Talking Head Rides to the Rescue

Sep 20 2009

Big Wheel Keeps on Turning

Mar 14 2010

SXSW: David Byrne Balances Performance, Art in Ride, Rise, Roar

Aug 4 2009

David Byrne leaves crowd spilling into the aisles

Oct 15 1999

String Theory

Apr 6 2010

Ode to Imelda is a Shoe-in for Success

Jan 4 2004

David Byrne’s PowerPoint Art: Musician Uses Business Program for Ironic Avant-Garde Art

Feb 4 2007

In New York, David Byrne sings of Imelda Marcos

Radio 96

Jun 1 2022

David Byrne Presents: Psychedelia Lives!

Here’s a psychedelic playlist

Feb 1 2025

David Byrne Radio Presents: Senegal

Senegal, in west Africa, is home to a wide variety of music.

Sep 1 2019

David Byrne Presents: Masters of Soundtracks - Nino Rota

I’m thinking of doing a series of playlists focusing on the great soundtrack composers- both current and classic. Thought I’d start with one of my favorites - Nino Rota.

Mar 1 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: Nigeria!

Nigeria!

Jul 1 2021

David Byrne Presents: (Some Of) My Favorite Instrumentals

(Some Of) My Favorite Instrumentals

Here is a collection of instrumentals that cover a wide range of genres- pop, classical, jazz and country.

Jan 1 2018

David Byrne Presents: Gospel

You don’t need to believe to love gospel music. This playlist covers many decades of recordings, but here’s the most recent picks from my personal playlist. Here are the roots of rock and roll, RnB and hip hop. This music is about transcendence and community. It’s about surrendering to something bigger than yourself, and in doing so, there is ecstasy and joy. Happy New Year!

Sep 1 2020

David Byrne Presents: Crazy Glitchy Cool

Here’s a genre that has emerged in the last 20 years or so- and continues to gather steam.

Apr 1 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: Khruangbin Walk In mix

I was invited to do some walk-in music for a small Khruangbin show on March 27th at the Bowery Ballroom in advance of their upcoming tour -

Aug 1 2021

David Byrne Presents: Rama Lama, Rama Lama Ding Dong

Why do we love nonsense syllables in pop music?

Dec 1 2018

David Byrne Presents: Eclectic for the Holidays

So...who recommends this stuff to me?

May 1 2023

David Byrne Presents: Ethiopian Jazz

Ethiopian Jazz!

Nov 1 2018

David Byrne Presents: The Power of Song to Give Voice is Eternal

Not too many years ago there was a spate of newspaper and magazine articles asking where all the “protest” songs were. Well, here they are... about 60 years worth, non-stop. They never went away—in fact, they now come from all directions in every possible genre—country songs, giant pop hits, hip hop, classic rock, indie and folk.

Apr 1 2023

David Byrne Presents: April Fools!

No comments. Enjoy

Jun 1 2021

David Byrne Presents: The Music Didn’t Stop

An eclectic selection- mostly songs that came out within the last year...

Oct 1 2018

David Byrne Presents: Salsa, son y mas

I began to realize that though much of it is about joy and dancing, there are plenty of songs that express a deep melancholy, while still musically insisting that we dance. To me this was profound—the "illness" and it's cure came in the same package! What other medium can be two apparently opposite things at once?

Mar 1 2023

David Byrne Presents: Turkey Is Amazing

The energy and creativity in these recordings is, to say the least, very inspiring.

Jul 1 2020

David Byrne Presents: What We Need Now - Contemporary Gospel

You might not be a believer, you might not be a Christian, but you don't have to be to love this music and feel its power.

Feb 1 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: Who Needs Words?

A playlist of beautiful instrumental music.

Aug 1 2019

David Byrne Presents: Under the Covers

Here's a playlist of songs covered by unexpected artists who step outside their usual genre for material and and then personalize it. Often, their interpretation gives the song a new meaning...and sometimes the cover is the version we associate with the song, even though the song may have been recorded and released previously by the artist who wrote it.

Aug 1 2020

David Byrne Presents: The World’s Inspiration- Africa

Africa is big and diverse - to group songs from the whole continent together is insane - it would be like a playlist that includes Bluegrass, Hip hop, EDM, metal, ambient and gospel.

Dec 1 2017

David Byrne Presents: Arabia

Here’s a playlist that includes a few Yasmine Hamdan songs and exciting, energetic and beautiful songs from the Middle East and the Maghreb—both new and old. Some of these are songs Brian Eno and I were listening to around the time we did the Bush of Ghosts album many years ago, others are from the last year or so.

Dec 31 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: Audio Collage

Audio collages through the ages come in all shapes and sizes and could be a genre and a playlist.

May 1 2022

David Byrne Presents: Brazil in the 21st century

Here are 3 hours of some of the Brazilian music I’ve been listening to -

Oct 1 2019

David Byrne Presents: Masters of Soundtracks - Bernard Herrmann

Herrmann is best known for the many Hitchcock soundtracks he did.

Jul 1 2022

David Byrne Presents: Dub-Society Tearing Itself Apart

Is Jamaican dub one of the prime roots of hip hop?

Jun 1 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: Everyone Does Everything (Afro Psychedelic 2.0)

I’ve mixed some well known songs and some from lesser known artists.

Oct 1 2021

David Byrne Presents: This Is African Music?!

About a month or so ago, I went down a rabbit hole of contemporary African music.

Jan 1 2019

David Byrne Presents: The Soup of Love—Bollywood and Tamil Favorites

One of the signatures of Indian cinema are the complex, epic, and heavily choreographed songs and dances...

Jun 1 2023

David Byrne Presents: Here Lies Love Musical Inspirations

The immersive disco musical I wrote with Fatboy Slim is coming to Broadway (previews begin June 17th)!

Jul 1 2015

Meltdown!

David Byrne is back with tunes from all of the artists playing at the Meltdown festival in London next month!

Jan 1 2020

David Byrne Presents: Orchestral Jazz

Jazz, like any musical genre, was shaped by external forces- race, wars, technology, economics, laws- it both reflected and was molded by all of that.

Aug 1 2023

David Byrne Presents: August

August: venerable, majestic, noble

Dec 1 2020

David Byrne Presents: A Change Is Gonna Come

Here’s to Hoping...

Apr 1 2018

David Byrne Presents: American Utopia World Tour Opening Acts

Last month, I announced the opening acts on my tour and this month I’d like to introduce you to more of their music.

Sep 1 2022

David Byrne Presents: tango

This playlist highlights tango from the last 50 years including the radical reinventions of Astor Piazzola to the present day of electronic tango and a lot more.

Nov 1 2020

David Byrne Presents: Samba

Whatever happens here in the US this November, we have to go on feeling our hips and dancing with one another. Here is a playlist that I hope will help with that.

Mar 1 2018

David Byrne Presents: 1 + 1 = 3 — When Collaboration Works

I have a new album out this month called American Utopia. I wrote and recorded it over a two year period and its evolution involved a lot of collaborators. Some were old friends and some were completely new to me. This playlist is a sample of their own work.

Jul 1 2023

David Byrne Presents: Latin Pop Conquers The World

The colonies strike back!

Oct 1 2020

David Byrne Presents: Uncovered

There’s a difference between recording or performing a song not written by oneself and doing a cover version.

Feb 1 2018

David Byrne Presents: The Beautiful Shitholes

Here’s a playlist that gives just the smallest sample of the depth and range of creativity that continues to pour out of the countries in Africa and the Caribbean. It is undeniable. Can music help us empathize with its makers?

Mar 1 2025

David Byrne Radio Presents: Colombia

Here’s a playlist of Colombian music- Latin pop, alternative, folkloric, Afro Atlantic and more.

Dec 1 2019

David Byrne Presents: abstract- pop

Here's a playlist and a proposition- is music coming apart at the seams, shattering into shards, fragmenting like a distorting mirror or some kind of cubist abstract painting?

Sep 1 2021

David Byrne Presents: Songs That Make Me Cry

Why do we like this? Why do we luxuriate in sadness and heartbreak?

Aug 1 2022

David Byrne Presents: Tomorrow’s Hits Today

There are lots of incredible new songs and new music appearing all the time... This playlist is the evidence.

Nov 1 2019

David Byrne Presents: Indie Pop

A short playlist of recent releases that might fall under the category - Indie Pop.

Jun 1 2015

shetransfer

By way of Luaka Bop, Camilla Wasserman takes DB Radio on a musical journey inspired by her supportive group of female friends.

May 1 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: How?

How?

Nov 1 2017

David Byrne Presents: One Year Later

The presidential election in the U.S. was a year ago. These are some of the pop songs I’ve been listening to in recent months as this strange anniversary approaches.

Nov 19 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: Mali

Music touches and rouses the emotions like nothing else.

Feb 1 2021

David Byrne Presents: Food For Love

February 13th (Valentines Day Eve), some musician friends of mine, and many I’ve never met, are doing a virtual concert to raise money for meals for New Mexico’s hardest hit.

Jun 1 2018

David Byrne Presents: American Utopia Family Favorites

This month's DB Radio features favorite songs from some of the American Utopia band, crew and creative team.

Nov 1 2022

David Byrne Presents: The Heart of Arabia

This is far from exhaustive, or even completely representative - but here’s a playlist of passionate, innovative and rhythmic Arabic music from all over.

Mar 1 2020

David Byrne Presents: “Catching Up”

short playlist of stuff I've recently added, or uplisted. some old some new.

Oct 1 2023

David Byrne Presents: Looking Inward

Some listeners might find that these songs are sad, and there’s truth to that. But there is also comfort and balm in feeling and recognizing the feelings and questions we all have in common.

Apr 1 2019

David Byrne Presents: Fuji!

Fuji is a genre of Nigerian music that really exploded there in the 80s. The first song I ever heard in this genre was "Fuji Garbage," which is great and has some amazing lap steel playing. Very cool and incredibly fast!

Apr 1 2020

David Byrne Presents: “Andean Ocean 2” by Javelin

Javelin (not to be confused with the metal band of the same name) is a band who have released records through Luaka Bop. They also create mixtape-collages and have generously offered that we can stream the latest one, Andean Ocean II here. It is one hour long, no breaks. Below is an explanation in their own words how these have evolved.

-David Byrne

Apr 1 2017

David Byrne Presents: What You Talkin’ Bout?

A playlist about surprising recent innovation in musical subject matter.

Sep 1 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: Italy Sings

Do you remember when the pandemic kept us all indoors and people in Italy opened their windows and sang together?

Jan 1 2022

David Byrne Presents: Mambo’s for Master T

Professor Robert Farris Thompson passed away in November, and this playlist is dedicated to him.

Aug 1 2016

August Radio: Music Recorded on a Cell Phone!

August radio is an archived recording of David and Eric's live Pitchfork Radio show that consists wholly of songs recorded on a cell phone!

Jul 29 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: Classic Funk for Summer

Classic funk tracks are a sure fire way to get the body moving.

Jan 31 2020

David Byrne Presents: Masters of Soundtracks - Ennio Morricone

Morricone wrote at least 400 film soundtracks and 100 pieces of classical music. Mind boggling.

Apr 1 2015

Music for Change

One often hears the question raised, “Can music effect social and political change?” I have my doubts that it can—directly at least. I do think it provides cohesion and moral support, but if there was ever a genre to refute my doubts, here it is.

Jul 1 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: Todo El Mundo

See what you think!

Nov 1 2021

David Byrne Presents: Heavy Rotation

The artists on this playlist are innovative and talented, and I can only hope that there is a way for them to continue their work and make a living doing it.

Oct 1 2022

David Byrne Presents: Latin Pop Explosion

The latin pop in this playlist has pretty much crossed over into mainstream -

May 1 2018

David Byrne Presents: Pop Music

Are pop songs any good?

Dec 1 2021

David Byrne Presents: Cumbia For The Holidays!

Who doesn’t like cumbia?!

Mar 1 2019

David Byrne Presents: Orphans

This month's playlist is made of songs that somehow dropped off my posted playlists in the last year or so...so, it’s an eclectic bunch.

Sep 1 2023

David Byrne Presents: Covered Up

Some familiar versions and some surprises here I hope!

Jan 1 2021

David Byrne Presents: Latin Alternative Now

In 2019 I went to Mexico City to join Cafe Tacuba for one song in their second MTV Unplugged show- I’m a big fan of what they do and the unplugged show did not disappoint- almost every song was in a different style! Gustavo Santaolallia was musical director- he’s also exec producer of the Break It All TV series, so, it’s all connected. I also got to meet Natalia LaFourcade who is also featured on this playlist and on a recent song exploder episode.

Dec 1 2022

David Byrne Presents: Gospel for the Holidays

Gospel music is about ecstasy, transcendence, joy and perseverance.

Jul 2 2018

David Byrne Presents: On The Road

This month's playlist contains a lot of stuff I've added to my Spotify lists while on the road...recommendations from Bobby Wooten and elsewhere.

Jun 1 2020

David Byrne Presents: Themes

Movie themes, TV themes. Do they all have anything in common?

Jul 1 2017

July in Brazil

David Byrne's Brazilian music picks for July.

Nov 1 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: Scintillating!

Congolese Pop Music!

Mar 1 2022

David Byrne Presents: ¡La Chiva Maravillosa! Colombia!

Colombia has an incredible variety of music.

Feb 1 2023

David Byrne Presents: Music for Valentines

Who was Saint Valentine?

Sep 5 2018

David Byrne Presents: Conscious Dance

Writing songs that deal directly with social justice and contemporary issues is hard—at least it is for me. Hearing these incredibly catchy songs made me realize pop music could be danceable and conscious at the same time. These songs are hugely inspirational even if I might have to continue on my search of how to do this in my own way.

Apr 1 2022

David Byrne Presents: Getting Ready For Jazz Fest

Jazz fest in NOLA isn’t until the very end of April, but since I missed doing a playlist for Mardi Gras I thought at least I could do one for Jazz Fest.

Jul 1 2019

David Byrne Presents: I Am My Own Algorithm

Here’s recent stuff that’s in my current playlist. Not everything is current, but there are some artists I suspect you have not heard of.

Jan 1 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: South Africa, Musical Powerhouse

South African music has had another resurgence recently, one of many over the years.

May 1 2021

David Byrne Radio Presents: My Old School Dance Party

In the 80s I used to make mixtapes for myself to dance to. Partly for exercise, and partly to see if I happened to fall into some interesting and evocative movement - moves that I might use in a performance eventually. Often I would alternate Celia Cruz songs and Kanda Bongo Man mixtapes, but in this playlist you’ll find a lot of the old school disco funk that set me in motion.

Jun 1 2019

David Byrne Presents: The Funky Broadway

When I moved to New York, I worked for a while as an usher in a movie theater on East 34th Street. Once in a while, I had the job of taking the tickets, receipts, or sometimes the reels of film in big cans to the chain headquarters further uptown. Broadway! This street was famous, I thought to myself, it’s in songs and movies, and now I’m walking on it!

Dec 1 2023

David Byrne Radio Presents: Now and Then

As evidenced from this playlist, the range of styles and combinations is astounding.

Feb 1 2022

David Byrne Presents: Fantastic French for February

I could have gone in many directions with this playlist.

May 1 2019

David Byrne Presents: Anatolia!

I picked up a Barış Manço CD when I was on tour in Istanbul decades ago and that opened a world for me. I realized that the psychedelic funk explosion I grew up with was truly a worldwide phenomena and I presumed there must be more that I had yet to encounter.

Nov 1 2023

David Byrne Presents: Flamenco Every Which Way

Here’s a playlist of what might be called flamenco pop -

Feb 28 2021

David Byrne Presents: The New New

Some amazing songs, innovation, and heart here...hope you are moved by some of it.

Oct 1 2024

David Byrne Radio Presents: Women’s Month

What about the other 11 months?

May 1 2017

David Byrne Presents: The How Music Works Playlist

To celebrate the 2017 edition of How Music Works published by Three Rivers Press, this month's radio is a mix of songs referenced throughout the book. The edition includes a new chapter on curation that explores four ways we discover music in the digital age: recommendation by experts, by the music itself, by social and cultural forces, and by narrative and context.

Apr 1 2021

David Byrne Presents: The Sound Of New York

So, although much of this creative explosion happened in 70s New York, it resonated and had a huge influence in the decades that followed. Some of those artists who surely would not have been who they are without salsa and Fania are in this playlist as well.

Aug 1 2018

David Byrne Presents: Alt Latin

There's no plan or order to this playlist other than it's songs I like by artists I like—some are old and some are very new.

Jan 1 2023

David Byrne Presents: Stompin’ Brass for a New Year

I’ve posted some of these before but also added some updated tracks as well!

May 1 2020

David Byrne Presents: Neverending Flow

I am forever and always astounded at the never ending inventive flow from my fellow musicians and songwriters.

Feb 1 2019

David Byrne Presents: A Taste of the Chennai Music Festival

After about a year of being on my own music tour I decided to stay in motion. Sometimes stopping cold turkey can be a bit of shock. So, in mid-December I flew to India and attended a few days of the Chennai Music Festival—also known as the December Season. In my all too brief visit, I only touched the surface.

March Radio David Byrne Radio Presents: Colombia

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