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Devendra Banhart, The Black Babies
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Merrygoroundmagazine.net | by Jerome Olivierprobablement la meilleure nouvelle folk d’Amérique depuis Will OldhamQuand on écoute The Black Babies pour la première fois, c’est comme si on venait de découvrir un vieil enregistrement de blues enfoui depuis des années sous les terres cramées d’Amérique, le genre de trésor qu’on découvre parfois dans la cabane en ruine du grand père: un mélange de poussière amassée depuis des siècles et une matière incroyablement vivante qui saute à la gueule dès qu’on souffle un peu sur ces chansons à poil dès la naissance. On y entend tout : la guitare sèche qui fait trembler les micros, le quatre pistes qui enregistre les souffles et la musique, et surtout un homme seul avec ses chansons, bouleversantes. On dit un homme, bien que Devendra Banhart chante comme une vieille femme fatiguée, courbée par les maux de la vie. Il faudra pourtant se faire une raison: cette vieille femme n’est autre qu’un jeune homme de 23 ans qui n’a sans doute pas toutes ses dents mais déjà un talent d’écriture immense et l’aide précieuse de Michael Gira, l’homme des Swans qui dirige Young God Records. Devendra Banhart est né quelque part au Texas avant de partir pour......
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Oh me Oh My
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The Guardian | by John RobinsonJohn Robinson looks forward to some artful acts in 2004 It was with their customary insight that Oasis once cautioned "Don't put your life in the hands of a rock'n'roll band", but at this time of year, that's exactly what we ask. This, after all, is the season for looking ahead, and deciding which artists might be the ones in the coming year that might lighten our darkness. You might not want to trust them with your life, but here's some form to study for the months ahead. Take a look at Devendra Banhart , for a start. A high voice. Some nice acoustic guitar. A close resemblance to John The Baptist. Essentially, half-Venezuelan Banhart is the only bearded eccentric you're likely to need in the upcoming 12 months. Formerly attached to Michael Gira's Young God label, he has just made the move to XL (home of the White Stripes), where he plans a Hebrew hip-hop project, and will hopefully find a wider audience. In short, a beautiful oddball, and you should hear his album Oh Me Oh My...
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Angels of Light | Everything Is Good Here/Please Come Home
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pitchfork.com | by Brandon StosuyPitchfork 'best of 2003' issueOn the Angels of Light's epic third album, frenzied dirges, pagan laments, and celebratory incantations build tension like Poe's tightest tales and then, without fail, release a piss-storm of Old Testament wrath as redemption. In the CD booklet is a picture in which a copy of Godspeed You! Black Emperor's Yanqui U.X.O. rests atop a pile of mail, papers, and musical detritus-- the homage is intentional, yet while The Angels of Light share Godspeed's sense of protracted anguish and triumph, Angels frontman Michael Gira did it first with Swans, and still does it better. Practicing compassionate masochism through visceral intrusions rather than suggesting global politics through facelessness, static diagrams and expected loud/soft dynamics, Gira embodies disaster and its attendant unpredictability, concocting a breakneck prophetic power struggle that comes off like holy writ. Or at least the orchestral punk-rock edition of Paradise Lost....
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Tim Buckley + Daniel Johnston + ??? = Devendra Banhart
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www.musicspork.com | by Jakesome of the best music they've heard in quite some timeI've been simmering on this review for some time, trying to wrap my head around what it is exactly I want to say about Devendra Banhart, and his new album, Oh Me Oh My.... This much I know -- it's one of the most original things I've heard in a long time. I don't know if it's just that I'm not listening to the right stuff, but I can't think of anyone who really sounds like this guy. See that equation up there? In many ways, that's nothing but a guess. I can hear hints of Buckley and Johnston in there, as well as few others here and there, but for the most part this sounds like nothing else I have ever heard. You know the only thing that comes to mind when I hear this record -- Edward Gorey. One of my favorite illustrators/artists ever, whose work excites me and creeps me out at the same time. On top of that, I could really see Banhart's work as the musical accompaniment to a viewing of Gorey's cartoons -- I think the two would go fine together.......
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Michael Gira | Interview
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Altercation | Justin HabersaatOn The Wings of Angels: Swans' M. Gira Sees The LightA creative powerhouse that helped mold the art-rock climate of the eighties, Swans' back catalog is as diverse and eclectic as it is creatively stunning. The group's ability to experiment with sound and structure helped usher in a new wave of musical exploration, and behind it all was songwriting pioneer Michael Gira. While Swans were eventually laid to rest, Gira remained prolific. His label Young God Records has become a symbol of artistic freedom and possibility, while his new musical project Angels of Light grows more amazing with every release. The group's most recent album, Everything Is Good Here/Please Come Home , is a perfectly crafted masterpiece that defies both expectation and genre classification. Altercation caught up with Gira recently for a telling look into the mind and creative process of a modern legend. Interview by Justin Habersaat. Altercation: In your press letter about the new Angels of Light album you mention your desire to leave your past behind. Do you feel as though the lasting impression of Swans has pigeonholed you in any way? Are you proud of your musical background, or do specific moments make......