DAVID BYRNE PRESENTS: ONE YEAR LATER

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DAVID BYRNE PRESENTS: ONE YEAR LATER

at http://davidbyrne.com/radio/david-byrne-presents-one-year-later

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. These are artists who for the most part are working in the world and format of contemporary popular music but are often pushing at the boundaries of what that means. Some of them are pushing quite hard, trying to rewrite the rules. Others more or less accept the rules and accept the challenge of working within those restrictions. 

I listen to this music while I’m cooking, which I do occasionally—slicing and chopping goes well with music. I also listen when I’m commuting to work down the west side Hudson River Park on my bike (I’ve been working all October on a theater workshop on Governors Island—it might be a year or so before more news). There’s no traffic on the bike path, so I feel pretty safe listening and even singing along on the ride back uptown. 

Back to the election—something tells me some of this music relates to how these artists are feeling in the world these days. The tone can be hopeful, yearning and is often a source of solace. 

David Byrne NYC