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Devendra Banhart

14:25 / 18.08.05

Devendra Banhart is weirdly funky, has anyone heard his work? I just got an album (new one out September 19th) and it's a bit Zappa/Beefheart, a bit Nick Drake/Tim Buckley and pretty damn good. He's been compared to Joanna Newsom, but his voice isn't like a five year old girl on helium so that's a relief.

Surrealist NYC Folk seems to be on the rise, has anyone else noticed?

15:40 / 18.08.05

I'm sure Devendra has been mentioned before in music- but he's not has his own thread- so good call.

Has anyone heard the new album- someone told me he's moving in a beck-esque direction- which seemed kind of odd? I'm not sure if i want him to sound too modern. I always thought of him as Nick Drake meets early T-rex with hints of 70's hippy/ glam thing going on.

I liked the link, the painting was done by a friend/ work colleague of mine- a madcap painter/ video director / toy inventor /fucking nut case and the original is sitting in the office next to mine!

My favourite album is Nina Rojo but then it was the first one i had- i only got rejoicing in the hands the other week so i'm not as familiar- my favourite songs are 'at The Hop' which is like a missing Nick Drake number or 'We all know' which is like the bestest never heard before Mark Bolan acoustic jam.

Did anyone see him the other night at Koko? was it good? I'm curious as to how he works live- band or on his own? Does it ever get electric rock or does it stay true to the record? (i'm clearly worried about the beck thing!)

18:48 / 18.08.05

I saw him at the Summer Sundae festival and he was most entertaining (despite people insisting on holding their babies up for him to "coo" and "ahh" at...). He did indeed 'go electric', but I can't say it ever made me think of Beck. Him and his band of "Hairy Faeries" took turns singing and playing each others songs and it was all very nice.

I'd only heard 'Rejoicing...' prior to the gig but just got 'Nino Rojo', on the strength of some of the songs he played. Wouldn't say I was a massive fan, but given time I could probably get quite into him. Still prefer Joanna Newsom though (if comparisons must be made...)

14:51 / 19.08.05

Devendra Banhart is great. I'm glad he has a thread. Didn't realise he had a new record out next month though, cool. How many records has he released so far? I have two of them, which I really like, are there any more?

14:53 / 19.08.05

Perhaps there should actually be a thread for the whole emerging folk/psychedelic folk thing that seems to be going on at the moment, and which Banhart is probably one of the most visible proponents of? Some interesting stuff about.

16:31 / 19.08.05

Difficult to think of more than a few examples though, and he makes me think of things like the Magnetic Fields and other hard-to-genre-ise stuff. (and Sultans of Ping FC for some reason, I think it's because of '3 Skinny Indie Kids' having a similar tune to Little Yellow Spider)
I've also only got Nino Rojo, I'm still taken with 'Little Yellow Spider' and 'Wake up little Sparrow'. Although 'Horseheadedfleshwizard' is probably the best song title in the world ever.

I can't believe you (Copey's Bottle) know the painter of that picture! I was going to rant on about how good it was, and how it showed off his magnificent beard- can't believe he's only 24.

Gypsy- check the link (Young Gods records) for a discography. The new album is apparently more 'rock' but I can't imagine it's any less groovy.

Does anyone else think he's the secret child of Robin Williamson and Mike Heron?

16:43 / 19.08.05

...and I love the packaging he draws.

He's dogged by coincidence for me as well, like the painting being next door to you Copey. Turns out he was named Devendra by my 'guru' as a baby, whom he quotes on the Nino Rojo sleeve-

'The wind blew the leaf, and the leaf thought "I can Fly!"'
(Prem Rawat)

That quote makes me think of some magicians I've known and their attitude toward power... :]

17:06 / 19.09.05

So I just downloaded some of the new album- its sounding absolutely amazing, i'm definitely buying this tommorow- Fuck it sounds amazing!!!!

I kind of get the Beck comparison - don't worry he'd not gone big beat or hip hop- its more like a scuzzy dirty Rolling Stones kinda thing, i've only hear two tracks and the single I feel like a child- a good example of where its going.

The Beck thing is more like how they've built on his sound- as beck did with Mellow Gold/ Odelay after his acousticy four track albums they've built and expanded devendra's sound- in a really good way.

Can't wait for the rest of it.

any one else listening?

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

11:45 / 20.09.05

Looking forward to this... only listened to the guy in the first place because he was on Young God records (haven't found a bad band on there yet)... I'm reading reviews that say he's toned down his "sinister" edge, though... which is my favourite part.

Gypsy- you may be interested to learn that the two (yes, two! TWO! I only thought there was one!) Comus albums have been re-released, if you're after psychedelic folk.

14:28 / 19.04.06

Devendra is on the Isle of Wight in September for the Bestival, and I assume that means he'll be touring in the UK? My web-fu is too poor to find any sign of any gigs in London or Brighton, if anyone spots a gig can you let us know? I want to see him live, we could have a mini Barbe-outing, who's up for it?

14:38 / 19.04.06

Oh, and I want to recommend Regina Spektor to those that haven't heard her, she's like a less annoying Joanna Newsom crossed with Ani diFranco from 'Little Plastic Castles', if you like Banhart you might like her.

13:07 / 03.10.07

So there's a new Devendra album out Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon- can we talk about it?

On first impressions it seems he's moved back towards the quieter accoustic sounding stuff- similar to Nina Rojo with a fair few spanish numbers as heard on Cripple crow. He has built on his sound- almost moving towards a Scott Walker type of thing. Pitchfork hated the daft do-woppy Shabop Shalom- but i loved it. The second track 'So Long Old Bean' has a similar twee sound- think Magnetic fields or Jens Lekman with lush strings and pompous OTT arrangements and lyrics.

Lover takes us back to the electric Devendra we first heard on Long Haired child- with a loose stonesy/ motown vibe. Saved has a retro plastic ono gospel feel- which gives a natural progression of his sound from previous records .

This album hasn't hit me as instantly as Cripple crow did- but certainly seems to be growing on me- and definitely mellowed me out on my tube journey this morning with jetlag and a shitty cold. I'm still finding favourites and only heard it 3-4 times anybody else listening?