PRESS
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Devendra Banhart
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Voir (CAN) | by Marie Hélène PoitrasDevendra interview/show preview MontrealDevendra Banhart, étoile scintillante d'un renouveau folk passionnant, écrit de merveilleuses bluettes qui laissent croire qu'il a tous les âges en même temps. Rencontre avec un intouchable qui porte la barbe, un turban, des bottes de cow-boy et une veste de velours. Difficile de localiser Devendra Banhart dans l'espace. Prodigieux chef de file du renouveau folk, celui qui porte un nom de gourou indien, des tatouages tribaux sur les mains, une barbe de patriarche à 23 ans et charrie la sensibilité d'une vieille âme qui aurait tout vu et tout vécu sans jamais être blasé par les détails du monde est né au Texas, a passé son enfance au Venezuela, étudié les arts à San Francisco, pour ensuite fuir vers Paris. Il vit aujourd'hui aux Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer entouré d'amis et de chevaux sauvages dans un vieux village gypsie tout en rêvant de nouveaux territoires. "Je suis très excité à l'idée de venir faire un spectacle à Montréal. En fait, j'envisage d'acheter une maison en Nouvelle-Écosse, au Cap Breton, et d'y déménager l'été prochain. Mon père et moi avons repéré une vieille ferme là -bas, le terrain est traversé par une rivière." Devendra......
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DEVENDRA BANHART: Nino Rojo
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Eye Weekly | by Jason AndersonHis ability to express unfettered joyFrom the new-folk underground's prettiest star comes a second batch of songs recorded during the sessions that produced last spring's Rejoicing in the Hands. What makes Devendra Banhart's arrival on the scene so welcome is his ability to express unfettered joy. The kid continues to burst with the stuff on Nino Rojo. What's more, his music grows richer as he sheds the lo-fi trappings of his first recordings. Banhart and co-producer Michael Gira know just the right detail to enhance Banhart's quavering vocals and graceful finger-picking, be it the woozy blast of brass at the end of "We All Know" or the drunken choir of multi-tracked Devendras on "Electric Heart." A collaboration with Andy Cabic of Vetiver (one of many excellent new alt-folk acts that Banhart included on his Golden Apples of the Sun compilation for Arthur magazine), "At the Hop" is the pinnacle of invention here. Banhart warbles through a happy-dappy Tin Pan Alley tune before transforming it into an Indian raga. Ah, Devendra -- no wonder the yoga moms love you....
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Singer carries neo-folk into a new era
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The Grand Rapids Press | by Tricia WoolfendenShow preview + InterviewSinger, songwriter, guitarist, artist and creative force Devendra Banhart has earned a multitude of labels from the underground and mainstream music press. Struggling to find a suitable genre for the quirky young talent, many critics have dubbed him "neo-folk" or "psychedelic folk." His rich, warm warble and narrative style recall a bygone era when songwriters sang quiet tunes about nature, birth and animals. Accompanied by little more than soft piano, organ, light percussion and guitar, Banhart uses his controlled vibrato as its own instrument. With the release of two albums -- "Rejoicing in the Hands" and "Nino Rojo" -- this year on Michael Gira's Young God Records, Banhart has amassed critical acclaim and left some in the music industry scratching their heads. His live performances and unique persona reflect an approach to music devoid of commercialism. Banhart, 23, may be considered eccentric, but his music is among the most respected, underground modern folk material available. During a recent interview from a tour stop -- with band Vetiver, with whom Banhart often plays -- he discussed his music, the neo-folk scene and his affinity for R. Kelly. Banhart on current art......
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Devendra Banhart
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Voir (CAN) | by Marie Hélène PoitrasDevendra interview/show preview MontrealDevendra Banhart, étoile scintillante d'un renouveau folk passionnant, écrit de merveilleuses bluettes qui laissent croire qu'il a tous les âges en même temps. Rencontre avec un intouchable qui porte la barbe, un turban, des bottes de cow-boy et une veste de velours. Difficile de localiser Devendra Banhart dans l'espace. Prodigieux chef de file du renouveau folk, celui qui porte un nom de gourou indien, des tatouages tribaux sur les mains, une barbe de patriarche à 23 ans et charrie la sensibilité d'une vieille âme qui aurait tout vu et tout vécu sans jamais être blasé par les détails du monde est né au Texas, a passé son enfance au Venezuela, étudié les arts à San Francisco, pour ensuite fuir vers Paris. Il vit aujourd'hui aux Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer entouré d'amis et de chevaux sauvages dans un vieux village gypsie tout en rêvant de nouveaux territoires. "Je suis très excité à l'idée de venir faire un spectacle à Montréal. En fait, j'envisage d'acheter une maison en Nouvelle-Écosse, au Cap Breton, et d'y déménager l'été prochain. Mon père et moi avons repéré une vieille ferme là -bas, le terrain est traversé par une rivière." Devendra......
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DEVENDRA BANHART: Nino Rojo
()
Eye Weekly | by Jason AndersonHis ability to express unfettered joyFrom the new-folk underground's prettiest star comes a second batch of songs recorded during the sessions that produced last spring's Rejoicing in the Hands. What makes Devendra Banhart's arrival on the scene so welcome is his ability to express unfettered joy. The kid continues to burst with the stuff on Nino Rojo. What's more, his music grows richer as he sheds the lo-fi trappings of his first recordings. Banhart and co-producer Michael Gira know just the right detail to enhance Banhart's quavering vocals and graceful finger-picking, be it the woozy blast of brass at the end of "We All Know" or the drunken choir of multi-tracked Devendras on "Electric Heart." A collaboration with Andy Cabic of Vetiver (one of many excellent new alt-folk acts that Banhart included on his Golden Apples of the Sun compilation for Arthur magazine), "At the Hop" is the pinnacle of invention here. Banhart warbles through a happy-dappy Tin Pan Alley tune before transforming it into an Indian raga. Ah, Devendra -- no wonder the yoga moms love you....