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Angels of Light
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Kalporz.com | by Raffaele MealeEverything Is Good Here Please Come HomeMichael Gira è l’angelo di luce che una volta, ancora di carne, appariva sotto le sembianze di un cigno. In ogni caso parliamo di una figura alata, capace di attraversare venti anni di musica senza mai farsi abbindolare da quel mostro ghignante chiamato comunemente commercio. “Everything is Good Here/Please Come Homeâ€, sua ultima fatica, ne è la dimostrazione palese: uscito come da tradizione per la Young God Records, ufficiale testamentario degli Swans ma anche produttore di “Scavengers†dei Calla, “Ego:Echo†degli Ulan Bator e soprattutto degli album di Devendra Banhart, straordinaria promessa (certezza?) cantautoriale degli ultimi anni. E proprio la voce di Banhart fa capolino in questo album singolo ma dal titolo doppio: un album che appare quasi criminoso aver visto passare sotto silenzio nella nostra bradipica curiosità musicale. Il quieto e disilluso attacco di “Palisades†mostra un volto ambiguo, diviso tra il lieve intreccio di xilofono e chitarra acustica e l’esplosione di note cadenzato da un battito secco, sezionante e metronomico. Il dark sembra essere una memoria lontana, ne resta l’etica ma ora siamo di fronte a una ballata riscritta, capace di un refrain epico e sottilmente disturbata da......
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Angels of Light
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Kalporz.com | by Raffaele MealeEverything Is Good Here Please Come HomeMichael Gira è l’angelo di luce che una volta, ancora di carne, appariva sotto le sembianze di un cigno. In ogni caso parliamo di una figura alata, capace di attraversare venti anni di musica senza mai farsi abbindolare da quel mostro ghignante chiamato comunemente commercio. “Everything is Good Here/Please Come Homeâ€, sua ultima fatica, ne è la dimostrazione palese: uscito come da tradizione per la Young God Records, ufficiale testamentario degli Swans ma anche produttore di “Scavengers†dei Calla, “Ego:Echo†degli Ulan Bator e soprattutto degli album di Devendra Banhart, straordinaria promessa (certezza?) cantautoriale degli ultimi anni. E proprio la voce di Banhart fa capolino in questo album singolo ma dal titolo doppio: un album che appare quasi criminoso aver visto passare sotto silenzio nella nostra bradipica curiosità musicale. Il quieto e disilluso attacco di “Palisades†mostra un volto ambiguo, diviso tra il lieve intreccio di xilofono e chitarra acustica e l’esplosione di note cadenzato da un battito secco, sezionante e metronomico. Il dark sembra essere una memoria lontana, ne resta l’etica ma ora siamo di fronte a una ballata riscritta, capace di un refrain epico e sottilmente disturbata da......
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Devendra Banhart w/Vetiver & Joanna Newsom
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cool cities usa | by Sam RomeroJuly 2, 2004 @ Gypsy Tea Room - Live review + InterviewA few songs into Vetiver’s set, one of my friends who was there at the show looked at me and said "You know, there are people out there right now saying something like â€it's Deep Friday, so there should be a good band playing, and they have NO IDEA". And honestly, even though I was lucky enough to have heard Vetiver’s music before the show, even the CD didn’t really prepare me for seeing them live. Not that the show was that much of a departure from the recordings, rather, it was the way the songs were presented that really made them all so much more lush in the Tea Room. As far as I'm concerned Vetiver is more of a presence than a band. Sure, Andy Cabic was amazing, his voice was dead-on and every single element of his guitar playing added to the songs. Likewise for Alissa Anderson and Jim Gaylord on the strings, (I don't think Alissa opened her eyes once for the entire set, she just looked like she was in love) and Kevin who sat in on guitar.......
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Devendra Banhart, Rejoicing in the Hands
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SCTASInterviewIn today's musical landscape, there are some adjectives and artist comparisons that get referenced far too often. "Genius" comes to mind when I think of descriptives put on many of today's performers that just aren't deserving of this title - I think the term "special" could relate to many. As far as comparisons, Nick Drake has been compared to more artists than days he lived. Another would be Jeff Magnum, a genius who decided to stop recording music at exactly the right time, years before his songs became main attractions for reproduction. What is to be learned from this "watering down" of artist inbreeding is that rarely does an artist come along who actually delivers an album deserving of mighty superlatives. A performer who can still awe you with their voice and guitar alone. Devendra Banhart is pretty fucking close. The 23 year-old singer / songcrafter has been compared to (a couple that make valid relation) Syd Barrett, Marc Bolan and Daniel Johnston. One I'll add to the list is John Fahey, a legend whose guitar style Devendra is a graduate of. GO! Room 4 studios in Carborro, North Carolina is small, two-level venue that immediately showcases it's performers talents.......
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Devendra Banhart w/Vetiver & Joanna Newsom
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cool cities usa | by Sam RomeroJuly 2, 2004 @ Gypsy Tea Room - Live review + InterviewA few songs into Vetiver’s set, one of my friends who was there at the show looked at me and said "You know, there are people out there right now saying something like â€it's Deep Friday, so there should be a good band playing, and they have NO IDEA". And honestly, even though I was lucky enough to have heard Vetiver’s music before the show, even the CD didn’t really prepare me for seeing them live. Not that the show was that much of a departure from the recordings, rather, it was the way the songs were presented that really made them all so much more lush in the Tea Room. As far as I'm concerned Vetiver is more of a presence than a band. Sure, Andy Cabic was amazing, his voice was dead-on and every single element of his guitar playing added to the songs. Likewise for Alissa Anderson and Jim Gaylord on the strings, (I don't think Alissa opened her eyes once for the entire set, she just looked like she was in love) and Kevin who sat in on guitar.......