Here Lies Love: New David Byrne project

David Byrne today unveils a new music project: a song cycle about the life and loves of Imelda Marcos. Here Lies Love. The project is a collaboration with Fatboy Slim, and features artists including Santigold, Florence Welch (Florence + The Machine), Sia, St. Vincent, Natalie Merchant, Tori Amos, Cyndi Lauper, and others.

• [earbox]

  Not really a new project–this was first announced (and performed) several years ago as a sort of a musical.

• [holtt]

  True story. She had an elite squad of shoe buyers who were known as the “Zapatos Insulares” to keep her closets full. After her downfall, many of them went to Hong Kong and eventually became integrated into the booming high tech industry there. Faced with an excellent skill at finding shoes but no Marcos market, they eventually started the website zapatos.com. It was felt that zapatosinsulares.com would be too difficult to spell or remember.

• [jeligula]

  I must admit to some surprise here. There are only two songs by Byrne on the entire album. Should be interesting, though. I would like to hear how Tori Amos and Cyndi Lauper singer together.

• [scifijazznik]

  Definitely some interesting collaborations going on here. David Byrne + Fatboy Slim doing the music with a pretty astounding array of interesting female vocalists– Sharon Jones, Kate Pierson from the B-52s, Roisin Murphy from Moloko. I’d like to hear David Byrne’s take on a Massive Attack-style clubby record. The Imelda Marcos theme is the only thing that I’m not sold on. Maybe a little too precious. Personally, I’d rather hear more songs about buildings and food…but then again I have to give him props for getting farther out there conceptually.