David Byrne and Brian Eno's self-release is out; Byrne designs bike racks for NYC

David Byrne and Brian Eno have paired up for their first record together as co-writers since the highly influential and critically acclaimed 1981 release My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. Self-released August 18, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today is the culmination of a year’s worth of writing, recording, and travel between New York and London. The album is now available as a stream and digital download for purchase exclusively through www.everythingthathappens.com. Other formats will follow including enhanced CD with download and deluxe package CD with download featuring artwork by Stefan Sagmeister.

Everything That Happens… was conceptualized during a visit to Brian Eno’s studio after the two reconnected upon Nonesuch Records’ re-release of Bush of Ghosts.

Byrne explains, “I recall Brian mentioning that he had a lot of largely instrumental tracks he’d accumulated, and since, in his words, he ‘hates writing words,’ I suggested I have a go at writing some words, and tunes over a few of them, and we see what happens.”

Thus the two began exchanging vocal and instrumental tracks, and the transatlantic collaboration began.

Everything That Happens… is less a collage than the duo’s previous effort of some 27 years ago and more a collection of songs. Whereas Bush of Ghosts incorporated the contributions of 11 additional musicians along with a variety of “found” voices—ranging from radio talk-show hosts to Lebanese mountain singers—this latest recording almost exclusively features Byrne’s lyrics and voice alongside Eno’s various electronic tracks.

“When we started this work, we started to think we were making something like electronic gospel: a music where singing was the central event, but whose sonic landscapes were not the type normally associated with that way of singing,” says Eno. “This thought tapped into my long love affair with gospel music, which, curiously, was inadvertently initiated by David and the Talking Heads.”

With a Byrne tour “David Byrne, Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno”scheduled in support of the release of Everything That Happens from the fall of `08 through early `09 in the U.S. Australasia in early 09 and Europe in March 09, the focus will be on these new songs as well as Byrne’s previous collaborations with Eno including some Talking Heads albums (many of which were produced by Eno).

“The live shows will maybe try to draw a line linking this new material with what we did 30 years ago,” explains Byrne, “a little bit anyway.”

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David Byrne collaborates with Department of Transportation and PaceWildenstein
Unveils Series of Unique Bike Racks in New York City

David Byrne and the New York City Department of Transportation, in conjunction with New York art gallery PaceWildenstein, unveiled nine unique bicycle racks designed by the artist and installed in various locations in New York City on August 8. An avid bicyclist for almost 30 years, Byrne was invited to join the panel of jurors to judge a design competition sponsored by DOT and the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum for outdoor and indoor bicycle parking.

Inspired by the City’s initiative, he submitted some original design ideas of his own named after specific locations and neighborhoods, which the DOT enthusiastically agreed to install for a period of 364 days. Starting in the fall, the artist’s bike racks will be for sale as limited editions through PaceWildenstein.

Byrne’s designs—an automobile, man, dog, abstract sculpture, reclining woman, guitar, money sign, coffee cup, and high heel—have been installed at the following locations:

The Old Times Square: Southwest corner of 44th Street and 7th Avenue
The Jersey: Northwest corner of 9th Avenue and 39th Street, installed below a sign for the Lincoln Tunnel
The Chelsea: Installed in front of PaceWildenstein at 534 West 25th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues
The Villager: LaGuardia Place between West 3rd Street and Bleecker Street.
The MoMA: 54th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues
The Hipster: North 6th Street at the southwest corner with Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn
The Wall Street: North side of Wall Street between Pearl and Water Streets
The Coffee Cup: Amsterdam Ave. between 110th and 111th Streets
The Ladies’ Mile: Installed in front of Bergdorf Goodman’s at 5th Avenue between 58th and 57th Streets