PRESS
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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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Rejoicing in Devendra's Hands
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The Cauldron | by David ImburgiaWonderful and askew visions of love and celebrationIn the past six months or so, Devendra Banhart has released two full-length records, made appearances on the records of his contemporaries, toured all over the U.S., and organized the release of a psych-folk collection called Golden Apples of the Sun that he compiled himself. What have YOU done in the past six months? Devendra Banhart's consistant works have continued the folksinger's plundering of the shores of oddity, a voyage that started with his cockeyed, hissy debut Oh Me Oh My in 2002. Banhart's nonstop passion has been the seed for a huge bulge of psychedelic and introspective folk music in the past year for Banhart and contemporaries such as Joanna Newsom, Vetiver, Six Organs of Admittance, et al. A feeling that carried through a spring of promise and a summer of celebration continues with Nino Rojo, released last month. The prolific nature of Banhart is an attribute counts towards a huge relevance with his appeal, but also doesn't compromise the soul you can hear in the music. Another set of sixteen songs leads off with a cover of the Ella Jenkins gem "Wake Up, Little Sparrow." The......
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Rejoicing in Devendra's Hands
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The Cauldron | by David ImburgiaWonderful and askew visions of love and celebrationIn the past six months or so, Devendra Banhart has released two full-length records, made appearances on the records of his contemporaries, toured all over the U.S., and organized the release of a psych-folk collection called Golden Apples of the Sun that he compiled himself. What have YOU done in the past six months? Devendra Banhart's consistant works have continued the folksinger's plundering of the shores of oddity, a voyage that started with his cockeyed, hissy debut Oh Me Oh My in 2002. Banhart's nonstop passion has been the seed for a huge bulge of psychedelic and introspective folk music in the past year for Banhart and contemporaries such as Joanna Newsom, Vetiver, Six Organs of Admittance, et al. A feeling that carried through a spring of promise and a summer of celebration continues with Nino Rojo, released last month. The prolific nature of Banhart is an attribute counts towards a huge relevance with his appeal, but also doesn't compromise the soul you can hear in the music. Another set of sixteen songs leads off with a cover of the Ella Jenkins gem "Wake Up, Little Sparrow." The......
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Rejoicing in Devendra's Hands
()
The Cauldron | by David ImburgiaWonderful and askew visions of love and celebrationIn the past six months or so, Devendra Banhart has released two full-length records, made appearances on the records of his contemporaries, toured all over the U.S., and organized the release of a psych-folk collection called Golden Apples of the Sun that he compiled himself. What have YOU done in the past six months? Devendra Banhart's consistant works have continued the folksinger's plundering of the shores of oddity, a voyage that started with his cockeyed, hissy debut Oh Me Oh My in 2002. Banhart's nonstop passion has been the seed for a huge bulge of psychedelic and introspective folk music in the past year for Banhart and contemporaries such as Joanna Newsom, Vetiver, Six Organs of Admittance, et al. A feeling that carried through a spring of promise and a summer of celebration continues with Nino Rojo, released last month. The prolific nature of Banhart is an attribute counts towards a huge relevance with his appeal, but also doesn't compromise the soul you can hear in the music. Another set of sixteen songs leads off with a cover of the Ella Jenkins gem "Wake Up, Little Sparrow." The......