PRESS
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Devendra Banhart, Niño Rojo
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L.A. Times | by Steve Hochmanshow reviewOften you can tell more about an artist when things go wrong than when things are all perfect. With Devendra Banhart and his band, it was a totally go-with-the-flow Saturday when half the power failed on the stage at the Echo's new downstairs hall. The musicians simply started a jaunty hand-clapped rhythm and improvised a stoner campfire chant. What else would you expect from a bunch of hippies? As they sang in one later song, "We had a choice, we chose rejoice." With that sense and with the elastic folk-blues at the root of many songs, Saturday's show was a treat for anyone who has fond memories of the Incredible String Band, the Holy Modal Rounders or Donovan (though most of the fans on hand were way to young to remember any of them). Banhart, raised in Venezuela and California, arrived a couple of years ago as if beamed down from another planet, his debut album collected from songs recorded on answering machines and other low-tech gear. Now he's the center of a rapidly expanding universe of hippie-folk, and this show made it clear that he is rising to the challenge of that status.......
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Devendra Banhart, Niño Rojo
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L.A. Times | by Steve Hochmanshow reviewOften you can tell more about an artist when things go wrong than when things are all perfect. With Devendra Banhart and his band, it was a totally go-with-the-flow Saturday when half the power failed on the stage at the Echo's new downstairs hall. The musicians simply started a jaunty hand-clapped rhythm and improvised a stoner campfire chant. What else would you expect from a bunch of hippies? As they sang in one later song, "We had a choice, we chose rejoice." With that sense and with the elastic folk-blues at the root of many songs, Saturday's show was a treat for anyone who has fond memories of the Incredible String Band, the Holy Modal Rounders or Donovan (though most of the fans on hand were way to young to remember any of them). Banhart, raised in Venezuela and California, arrived a couple of years ago as if beamed down from another planet, his debut album collected from songs recorded on answering machines and other low-tech gear. Now he's the center of a rapidly expanding universe of hippie-folk, and this show made it clear that he is rising to the challenge of that status.......
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Devendra Banhart
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Time Off | by MATT CONNORSBaby on BoardWhen it comes to American singer/songwriter Devendra Banhart, it clearly pays to expect the unexpected. Or should that be expect the expecting? In what must be the oddest place to conduct an interview, the neo psych/folk hippie is speeding along in a car on his way to the hospital with his pregnant sister who’s about to have a baby – right now! While most sane people would attend to the matter at hand, Banhart seems just as eager to meet his interview obligations (clearly he’s out of his sister’s reach). Polite offers to call back later are dismissed as Banhart starts yammering about becoming an uncle for the first time, visiting Australia and, erm… goats and toupees. Between contractions, screeching tyres and tangential mental conniptions, Banhart also reveals he’s every bit the nutter he’s supposed to be. Born in Texas and raised for many years in Venezuela, Banhart started writing songs at age 12. His family returned to LA when his mother remarried and years later he attended the San Francisco Art Institute on a scholarship. Banhart was clearly not made for academic life and, after dropping out, started to roughly record his......
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Devendra Banhart
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Time Off | by MATT CONNORSBaby on BoardWhen it comes to American singer/songwriter Devendra Banhart, it clearly pays to expect the unexpected. Or should that be expect the expecting? In what must be the oddest place to conduct an interview, the neo psych/folk hippie is speeding along in a car on his way to the hospital with his pregnant sister who’s about to have a baby – right now! While most sane people would attend to the matter at hand, Banhart seems just as eager to meet his interview obligations (clearly he’s out of his sister’s reach). Polite offers to call back later are dismissed as Banhart starts yammering about becoming an uncle for the first time, visiting Australia and, erm… goats and toupees. Between contractions, screeching tyres and tangential mental conniptions, Banhart also reveals he’s every bit the nutter he’s supposed to be. Born in Texas and raised for many years in Venezuela, Banhart started writing songs at age 12. His family returned to LA when his mother remarried and years later he attended the San Francisco Art Institute on a scholarship. Banhart was clearly not made for academic life and, after dropping out, started to roughly record his......
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Devendra Banhart
()
Time Off | by MATT CONNORSBaby on BoardWhen it comes to American singer/songwriter Devendra Banhart, it clearly pays to expect the unexpected. Or should that be expect the expecting? In what must be the oddest place to conduct an interview, the neo psych/folk hippie is speeding along in a car on his way to the hospital with his pregnant sister who’s about to have a baby – right now! While most sane people would attend to the matter at hand, Banhart seems just as eager to meet his interview obligations (clearly he’s out of his sister’s reach). Polite offers to call back later are dismissed as Banhart starts yammering about becoming an uncle for the first time, visiting Australia and, erm… goats and toupees. Between contractions, screeching tyres and tangential mental conniptions, Banhart also reveals he’s every bit the nutter he’s supposed to be. Born in Texas and raised for many years in Venezuela, Banhart started writing songs at age 12. His family returned to LA when his mother remarried and years later he attended the San Francisco Art Institute on a scholarship. Banhart was clearly not made for academic life and, after dropping out, started to roughly record his......