Various Artists - Naive Melodies - LP

Naive Melodies is a bold and visionary tribute to the music of Talking Heads, reinterpreted through the lens of Black musical innovation. Curated by Drew McFadden — the creative mind behind BBE’s acclaimed Modern Love (David Bowie tribute album) — this new collection dives deep into the Afro-diasporic rhythms and experimental soul roots that helped shape Talking Heads’ unmistakable New Wave sound. Inspired by artists like Fela Kuti, Parliament, and Al Green — whose influences loomed large in the band’s rhythmic DNA — Naive Melodies shines a light on the Black music traditions that underpinned their artistry. Far from a conventional tribute, Naive Melodies reframes the band’s catalog through the voices and visions of a new generation of genre-defying artists. These interpretations illuminate the foundational grooves and sonic textures that fueled Talking Heads’ rhythmforward aesthetic, bringing them full circle with authenticity. “With Naive Melodies, I wanted to spotlight the deep and often overlooked influence of Black music on the sound of Talking Heads, drawing from the rhythmic foundations of Afrodiasporic traditions, soul, gospel, Latin, and spiritual jazz. This project is a chance to reimagine Talking Heads’ legacy through the lens of the very innovations that helped shape it, bringing those influences to the forefront through the voices of today’s most forwardthinking artists.” — Drew McFadden The album features a globally minded lineup, including Liv.e, Bilal, Rogê, Miguel AtwoodFerguson, Aja Monet, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Theo Croker, Kenny Dope, Rosie Lowe, Pachyman, W.I.T.C.H., and more — spanning Afrobeat, jazz, soul, funk, gospel, dub, electronica, orchestral, and Latin styles. It reflects not only the boundary-pushing ethos of Talking Heads, but also the influence of Black music as a cultural force that helped shape it. This is not just a tribute album — it’s a recontextualization. A cultural conversation. A rhythmic reawakening.

Side A : Heaven - Miguel Atwood-Ferguson / Sugar On My Tounge (Dub) - Pachyman / Once In A Lifetime - W.I.T.C.H. / Girlfriend Is Better - Georgia Anne Muldrow / Mind - Wu-Lu
Side B : Psycho Killer - Astrønne / Born Under Punches (The Heat Goes On) - Kenny Dope feat. Róisín Murphy / I Zimbra - Liv.e / The Book I Read - Aja Monet / Burning Down The House - Rosie Lowe
Side C : Uh-Oh Love Comes To Town - EBBA / Road To Nowhere - Rogê / And She Was - Vicky Farewell / Crosseyed and Painless - Florence Adooni
Side D : Seen And Not Seen - Bilal / Born Under (More) Punches (The Heat Goes On) - Theo Croker feat. Theophilus London / Take Me To The River - Dominique Johnson / This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody) - Leon Jean-Marie