Everything That Happens Will Happen Today - David Byrne and Brian Eno

David Byrne's latest collaboration with Brian Eno contains all of the themes typical of the former Talking Heads frontman: home, loneliness, possibilities, the strangeness of modern life, and attention to ordinary things normally overlooked. Even the album's cover shows a distorted vision of a standard suburban house, and the opening track has him repeating, "I'm looking for a home." The album offers 11 rich, textured tracks full of absurd declarations ("I can barely see 'cause my head's in the way") and statements on human nature ("From the milk of human kindness/From the breast we all partake/Hungry for a social contract..."). As David Byrne dominates the vocals, I can only assume that Eno's main contribution is sound layering - the myriad odd bleeps and noises that ornament each song. The tones and styles are diverse, ranging from country strumming in "My Big Nurse" to menacing, futuristic bass in "Robots." However, at times the songs are too structured around memorable choruses, and a couple of songs, such as "Life is Long," are so upbeat and simple that they verge on sing-a-long anthems.

Highly Entertaining
4 out of 5
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The Budos Band II - The Budos Band

The Budos Band's second album on Brooklyn label Daptone is typical afrobeat funk - coarse keys; morphing latin-infused beats; slick and sharp guitar; full, piercing horns. Their instrumental songs, recorded live and analog, move in tight cycles, building up and breaking down just in time, never dragging on too long like some Fela Kuti or James Brown numbers. For better or worse, The Budos Band lacks the political edge of fellow Brooklyn-based Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, but there is still something rebellious, almost menacing, in the sound, threatening to incite revolt as much as dance. The music never strays too far from the confines of the groove-centered genre, but within those confines it is allowed to shift and take on many forms.

WORTH THE LISTEN
3 out of 5
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Dark Was the Night - Various Artists

This album brings together a wide array of 'indie' artists both young (Zach Condon of Beirut) and old (David Byrne of he's David Byrne). The result is 31 tracks of hit and miss fun. The low point is certainly Sufjan Stevens' cry for attention coming at the end of the first half. Luckily there are many many high points. Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab) doesn't ruin a wonderful track by Feist which actually kicks off the most solid section of the entire album. Bon Iver and Grizzly Bear offer solid, un-experimental tracks that bring us to the Yeasayer track where frontman Chris Keating actually sings. The start of the flip side begins with an apology track from the always good Spoon. Which is followed nicely by our friends Arcade Fire and an uninspired offering from Beirut. Probably the last noteworthy track on the second half is Cat Power doing a very nice rendition of 'Amazing Grace.' All told this is definitely an album to check out if you have any interest in the aforementioned artists (except Sufjan Stevens).

WORTH THE LISTEN

3.5 out of 5
Buy this album: Dark Was the Night