Mr. Eliot's Sunday Morning Service by T.S. Eliot
Look, look, master, here comes two religions
  caterpillars.

Polyphiloprogenitive
The sapient sutlers of the Lord
Drift across the window-panes.
In the beginning was the Word.

In the beginning was the Word.
Superfetation of τὸ ἔν,
And at the mensual turn of time
Produced enervate Origen.

A painter of the Umbrian school
Designed upon a gesso ground
The nimbus of the Baptized God.
The wilderness is cracked and browned

But through the water pale and thin
Still shine the unoffending feet
And there above the painter set
The Father and the Paraclete.
.     .     .     .     .
The sable presbyters approach
The avenue of penitence;
The young are red and pustular
Clutching piaculative pence.

Under the penitential gates
Sustained by staring Seraphim
Where the souls of the devout
Burn invisible and dim.

Along the garden-wall the bees
With hairy bellies pass between
The staminate and pistilate,
Blest office of the epicene.

Sweeney shifts from ham to ham
Stirring the water in his bath.
The masters of the subtle schools
Are controversial, polymath.
------------------------------
-AR

Beck y sus amiguetes Devendra Banhart, MGMT y Andrew Stockdale de Wolfmother, participan de la segunda entrega de Record Club, proyectó que inició el músico norteamericano en 2008. La idea: versionar temas de grandes bandas, con colaboraciones de otros músicos (de ahí la presencia de estos invitados de lujo), todo sólo en un día. De estas sesiones relámpago se filmaron videos, y audio.

La primera entrega tuvo a su cargo las versiones de Velvet Underground and Nico. Salió normal. Ahora, con Songs of Leonard Cohen, segundo experimento del Record Club, realmente dieron en el clavo.

El disco ya está disponible para su descarga y se pueden ver los videos de los covers en la página de Beck, y, por supuesto, en YouTube, madre de todo lo audiovisual. Y es más: la primera entrega del tercer encuentro de Record Club (Beck más nombres como Wilco y Feist reversionando el disco de Spike Spencer, Oar) salió el 12 de este mes.

Les dejo entonces un temazo, tanto hecho por Leonard Cohen como por su heredero Beck. A ver cuál les gusta más.

So, finally my  2009-list is done, a bit later than last year. Listening to all the stuff from this year, I had a mixed feeling… there were not as much outstanding records as last year, and a lot of bands I really looked forward to disappointed me.

That being said, I’ve got a really amazing number one, which I will reveal in the course of the following weeks, hoping to have finished before or just after Christmas. I also will try to finish my best of the decade list by then, so I’ve got a lot of work to do.

Anyway… the albums that you won’t see in my end of year list (that you would’ve suspected in the first place)

- Islands – Vapours: Vocoders are there to be destroyed. This band is finally over for me. I won’t be trying any next stuff.

- Devendra Banhart - What will we be: Banhart’s first major label release, and you can hear that. All the fun is sucked out of his songs. The promising future turned into a bland present.

- Monsters of Folk: Though they gave a great show (and I got wronged by Oberst and James about how they suck these days), the sum isn’t nearly as good as the separate parts. At least on the record.

- Micah P. Hinson - All Dressed up and smelling of strangers: I like cover albums, but i have no idea what Hinson was thinking with some of these versions.

- Findlay brown: I don’t even wanna remember this. From superfolkie (and a high spot in my 2007 list) to Phil Collins’ evil stepbrother. Yuk. (I’m not even giving the name of the album, because I wanna spare you guys that).

- Misophone - I sit at open windows: I once asked them if they would release their old material, and i think this is one of the albums preceding “Where has it gone, all the beautiful music of our grandparents? ..” The bad thing is you can hear that they’ve not grown to their full potential on those albums yet. Guys, ignore my request and just start recording new stuff.

- Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest: i must say it was on the shortlist for quite a while, but in the long run it just wasn’t good enough to obtain a place in the top 50. The Same for Castanets, Casiotone For the Painfully Alone, Bonnie Prince Billy, Hallelujah The Hills, Why (my number one of last year!) and Noah & The Whale.

- Wilco – Wilco (the album): the last three albums of this band are probably all in my top 50 of the last ten years, and although this one has enjoyable songs, It’s just a bit below Wilco-standards. There isn’t one song no it that would end up on my Wilco best-of mixtape. This hurt probably the most this year. Ouch Wilco.

So, now you have a small overview on what’s not there. Keep checking the blog for the Yes-list.

Yes!

Li em algum lugar por aí que 90% das mulheres preferem homens sem barba. Ok, a internet não é o lugar mais seguro pra se informar sobre estatísticas, então não vou levar essa informação muito a sério. Mas, se isso fosse verdade, eu precisaria dizer que pertenço ao grupo dos 10% restantes.

Oi, Gabriel Aubry!

Oi, Jake Gyllenhaal!

Oi, Devendra Banhart! Corta a unha, por favor? Óbregada.

Sim, homens de barba tendem a ser mais interessantes. Não, isso não é uma regra absoluta. Depende do cara, do estilo, do rosto, de muita coisa. Mas normalmente os barbados fazem mais sucesso na buáti chamam mais a minha atenção (e da grande maioria das minhas amigas, né não Julie?). [ - Siiiimmm ^.^]

Hola, que tal?

A barba tá ótima, mas pelo jeito você precisa descansar um pouco, amigo.

“Barba” é um conceito um tanto vago. Existem dezenas de tipos de barba por aí, e a linha que separa o bacana do ridículo é bastante tênue. Assim, o nossos bons e velhos amigos “bom senso” e “higiene” são sempre bem-vindos.

Pra não acabar assim né?

Cagô no maiô, hein Joaquin?

.

Bia

vem, férias, pode vir… com calor, mar, areia, preguiça e peras (apesar de eu preferir maçãs).

pra cantar em espanhol e dançar no lalalarilalala!

Santa Maria da Feira

hvid stöj ser dårlige film, fordi de handler om god musik. Maria Barrett følte sig ikke inviteret til The Family Jams og fraråder andre at tro, at de er.

Indledningsvis lod jeg mig forføre af denne beskrivelse fra CPH:DOX-programmet: ”Ligesom Banhart og co.’s intime family jams – hvor alle i stor forening spiller, synger og tramper med – stråler filmen af nærvær, glæde og kærlighed til musikken.”

Denne antibefaling er naturligvis et bittert piv fra den grå non-celeb masse, og mit budskab vil muligvis kun vinde gehør blandt andre, der heller ikke havde VIP-kort til Joanna Newsom, Vetiver og Devendra Banharts åndssvage kendis-tour i USA.

Ukendte Kevin Barker (instruktør, kameramand, runner, postproduktion samt diverse), der selv var så heldig at være inviteret med, kvitterer ved at lave en film om sine fab venner.

”Kill your Darlings”
Da jeg gik ud af Empire Bio på Nørrebro hørte jeg i forbifarten ovenstående afsnitstitel ytret, hvilket faktisk rammer hovedet på sømmet i forhold til denne film. Grunden til, at det ikke er sket, kan være, at der vil være meget lidt tilbage af filmen bagefter.

Man skulle nok have været der selv…
Under The Family Jams havde jeg det lidt, som om jeg så en bekendts efterskolevideo: en masse indforstået humor, en masse øl jeg ikke var med til at drikke, og en masse fester jeg ikke var inviteret til – alt sammen indfanget af en inkompetent, 16-årig, selvudnævnt kameramand med et billigt, håndholdt kamera, og løseligt klippet sammen med Windows Movie Maker.

Kvinder med harper
Kvinder med harper har længe kunnet fordreje hovedet på mænd. Joanna Newsom får klart mest skærmtid, hvor kameramanden – åbenlyst forelsket i hendes skrøbelige akavethed og hænderne, der flyver over harpestrengene – forsøger at stille skarpt på enten hende eller strengene i et klassisk harpespiller-skud. Det lykkes ikke rigtigt.

Mest om de kendte og kongelige
Misforstå mig ikke. Jeg kan faktisk godt lide dokumentarer optaget med lo fi-optageudstyr. Der er set mange vellykkede eksempler før, og det kan være et kærkomment pust til de dyrt producerede faktions-agtige dokumentarfilm.

I dette tilfælde er der tale om en almindelig (kamera)mand, der optager sin livs tur med et billigt lommekamera. Det er ærgerligt at se koncerter – hvor intime og family jam-agtige de end er – optaget håndholdt med kameramikrofonen af en kameramand, der er beruset af foræret spiritus og næsegrus beundring. Filmen er knapt redigeret, men selvfølgelig har Barker husket at sætte en stor, tydelig etiket på mennesker, der er ”kendte nok” – eksempelvis Antony fra Antony and the Johnsons, hvilket forekommer redundant i  spytslikkende grad.

Det sympatiske ved filmen er, at den er lavet i 2004 inden nogle af de turnerende kunstnere for alvor slog igennem. Her – på en filmfestival i 2009 – virker fremstillingen af deres små strabadser, deres fede fester og deres skrabede tourbus mest som irriterende selvpromovering.

Hvis du orker en dårligt optaget koncertoplevelse så vælg denne i stedet.

Links: Trailer Officiel side (jep, der er virkelig kun een side)

Devendra Banhart

Efter endnu en tur til min allerbedste yndlingsbutik i verden, Petsounds i Stockholm, har jeg fået endnu en anbefaling fra det utroligt kompetente personale (Kalle).

Jeg spurgte om, han kunne give mig sin ‘rekommendering’ til noget lækkert musik, og meget hurtigt stak han mig dette nye album af Devendra Banhart i hånden. 

Musikken er over i folk-singer-songwriter genren, og han har en spøjs men også dejlig lun lyd på sit album. Han er en meget produktiv ung mand, og således er dette hans 5. album.

Er totalt forelsket i “Can’t Help But Smiling”, som er et dejligt, dejligt nummer til en meget glad dag.

http://www.myspace.com/devendrabanhart

Devendra Banhart and the Grogs made a stop at the TLA last night and he brought along the virtually unknown Luke Rathborne. It was a one time thing for Rathborne and you could tell he truly appreciated the opportunity and he took it in stride. He said the last time he opened for someone it was Lynyrd Skynyrd and that opening for Devendra Banhart was much more exciting. Rathborne just finished recording his debut album which will be out in the near future. So keep an eye out for that.

Devendra Barnhart played a nearly two hour set with his backing band, The Grogs. His set was very hit or miss. The first third started his set off right with a bunch of upbeat songs. The second part of his set lagged quite a bit with his acoustic songs that brought the atmosphere of venue down. The people at the bar were quite rude and loud through this part of the show. The closing third of the show was fantastic though. He had the entire crowd dancing and moving the the music. Thankfully he ended the set the he way did, otherwise the entire show would have been a bore. Photos below.

Luke Rathborne

Devendra Banhart and the Grogs

i’m high
and i’m happy
and i’m free

What Will We Be
Devendra Banhart
Any: 2009
Nota: 6

El hippie més de moda del panorama actual torna amb ‘What Will We Be’, el seu primer treball per a una multinacional (Warner Bros). En aquest nou disc el tal Banhart continua apostant per la barreja de folk, la psicodèlia i els ritmes llatins i brasilers que tant bon resultat li havien donat fins ara. El resultat de la maniobra és un disc que exhibeix un to relaxat i complaent, ideal per a una tarda de lectura a casa però amb poques pistes que cridin realment l’atenció.

Les cançons discorren sense grans esrtirabots i sortides de to. El problema del disc és que la proposta de Banhart ja no sona fresca com en treballs anteriors. Aquí, els clixés es converteixen en mera fórmula i poca capacitat per canviar de discurs malgrat la riquesa inicial de la proposta. Tot i la menor inspiració, ‘What Will We Be’ conté alguna composició destacable com la dolça ‘Angelika’, l’optimista ‘Goin’ Back’ o la psicodèlica ‘Rats’ però en l’altre costat de la balança hi trobem cançons anodines i avorrides com ‘Chin Chin & Muck Muck’, ‘Brindo’, ‘Marina Lionza’ per posar alguns exemples. En mig de tot plegat trobem provatures fallides com  la discotequera ‘16th & Valencia Roxy Music’ o ‘First Song For B’, una cançó que els Coldplay més empalagosos podrien haver signat.

Though not a new one, definitely what I’m grooving to this morning. xo

from Teaparty Boston, Nov. 22, 2009

Devendra Banhart Plays Pulpiteer at Berklee Performance Center

photo by Jessie Rogers

Devendra Banhart was in a giving mood on Friday night at the Berklee Performance Center. Not only did he and his band, the Grogs, play a set that clocked in at nearly two hours, but they did it all with an eager openness that’s precious and rare on the indie circuit these days.

Maybe he’s always in a giving mood. From his long messy locks to his undulating hands that seem to be blessing us over and over again, Banhart oozes that wandering holy man vibe. I almost expected him to start handing out fish to all of us, or whatever it is that Jesus guy did that one time. Heck, he could probably start a cult if he wanted to.

Fortunately, he’s decided to make music instead. And what music it is—airy, pan-genre stuff that reflects Banhart’s NoCal-by-way-of-Venezuela upbringing. With lots of guitars and a little of every other instrument in the trunk behind him, Banhart’s poetic lyrics flow along on the current of his clear, sensual vocals.

Banhart and his four-piece band took the stage looking uncommonly buttoned up, the oft-shirtless Banhart sporting a sweater, tie, and crisp white pants. But they let loose right off the bat with the trippy “Long-Haired Child,” and kept it floating from there.

Songs from Banhart’s latest release, What Will We Be, dominated the night, from the sunny “Baby” to the pulsing “16th & Valencia, Roxy Music.” Mid-set, our lanky hero shooed the Grogs away for some solo work on sweet oddities like “Little Yellow Spider” and “I Remember.” The band returned to remind us how tight their harmonies are, even featuring a few songs composed by the other members. They topped it off with crowd faves “Lover” and “Chinese Children.”

This music already gives you the sense of being serenaded around a particularly groovy campfire, but the lighting at the BPC amped up that imagery, bathing the stage in yellow and orange and casting long band-shaped shadows on the wood-paneled walls.

And if that didn’t feel enough like partaking in an obscure spiritual rite, Banhart’s offhand, between-song blessing to the audience certainly sealed the deal: “Hallelujah, praise the lord, whoop there it is, again and again and again.”

Devendra possède le don d’écrire des mélodies oniriques et se caractérise par un calme imperturbable. Un flegme qui constitue le fil conducteur de “What Will We Be”, mais qui fait aussi sa magie. Les sursauts d’humeur venant perturber cette quiétude font tout l’intérêt des albums de Devendra Banhart, véritables kaléidoscopes aux mille couleurs et ambiances. A l’exemple de la ballade mélancolique et tranquille Meet Me At The Lookout Point, le morceau aux pointes rock Rats et le reggae de Foolin’.

Un album de Devendra Banhart ne serait pas un album de Devandra Banhart s’il n’y avait pas de morceau latino, c’est évidemment chose faite sur ce disque avec Brindo, petite merveille hispanisante du meilleur goût.

SOURCES : www.zikeo.com

Haz click sobre la foto y podrás escuchar "Saved"

cuando me vuelva a enamorar (por favorcito que sea en un lejano tiempo) espero sea de un hombre tan perfecto como Devendra, con su sensibilidad artística y su talento. El cabello largo y la barba también lo hacen más atractivo e interesante para que mentir pero todos sabemos que el físico no tiene nada que ver con los sentimientos así que si no puede ser así, no será.

Ví ésta foto en el profile picture de Anna y me enamoré, dije tengo que colgarla en el blog, tengo que !

Bueno anoche cené Pizza, el alimento más perfecto sobre la tierra amén, tomé una taza de té caliente, miré mis fotos de Italia y lamenté que las fotos donde salgo mal acompañada estén en perfectas condiciones mientras que en las que salgo sola se hayan dañado por alguna inexplicable razón.

en fin..

Pensé que para el próximo año además de ir a Perú también me gustaría ir a Italia nuevamente pero sería con la persona que en ese momento debe estar en Perú así que entonces cómo hago ? dime persona Cómo hago ???

cosas del próximo año..

HOY tengo una importantísima fiesta de cumpleaños de una adorable pequeña de cuatro años y con su hermosa familia y desde ya se que me lo voy a pasar muy bien.

Espero que ustedes también se lo pasen muy bien, amigos, conocidos, desconocidos, seres anónimos, terrenales, celestiales y personas non gratas que estén visitando mi blog.

mientras escuchen a mi amor platónico, Devendra Banhart: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uis6QBWfBGY

Things going on that we find interesting for the next week.  Next Thursday and Friday are up for grabs, since most people will be digesting and shopping.

Friday, November 20th

NYU takes over KGB for something called “Coming of Age on the Page”.   Jonathan Liebson, Karol Nielsen, and Erik Rhey read.

Saturday, November 21st

Mike Edison, some wine in the afternoon, some blues.  The guy has fun everywhere he goes.  Sort of a no-brainer.  3pm at Le Du’s Wines, 600 Washington Street by Morton St. in the W. Village.

Sunday, November 22nd.

Tim Burton’s art retrospective at MoMa opens Nov. 22. Access to the exhibit is through a black and white cave.

Camera Obscura and Papercuts play Music Hall of Williamsburg. Devandra Banhart plays Town Hall, and Dirty Projectors are at Bowery Ballroom.   This is one of those nights where everybody can say “this is why we pay so much to live in New York City.”

Monday, November 23rd

Dick Cavett talks to Stuart Hample about his comic strip, Dread & Superficiality: Woody Allen as Comic Strip at The Strand, 7pm, free.

Tuesday, November 24th

Sonic Youth play the Music Hall of Williamsburg. I think this means nothing else should be going on within five miles.

Well, except Chris Leo doing his lyrics vs. poetry thing at Lolita Bar.

Wednesday, November 25th

If you aren’t leaving New York for Thanksgiving, you can go on a scavenger hunt all through Gowanus, Park Slope, and Carroll Gardens.  You might find a baby. It all starts off at The Bell House.

Thursday, November 26th

Be thankful.

Got something you want us to list? info@vol1brooklyn.com send it by Thursday morning for it to on the list.

This album came out awhile ago (July 14), but we’ve only gotten it into the preview rack recently. If you’re into the hippie vibe that Devendra Banhart gives off, then definitely give Edward Sharpe a spin. Except, while Devendra’s sort of a hipster-hippie, Edward Sharpe is a collective of serious neo-hippies who just love everyone and everything for reals. There’s really nothing to hate about their debut, Up from Below, which is full of happy, sunny music to get you through the apocalyptic winters of Pullman. They whistle. Come on.

But feel free to make your own judgments. Below is the video for their song “Home.”

Additionally–if you haven’t heard by now, there’s this organization called Stereopathic, which brings indie music to Pullman and Moscow. If you feel like seeing Edward Sharpe, the place to be is the Bell Tower in Pullman on December 4th. Tickets can be found at stereopathicmusic.com.

Stereopathic (as well as Edward Sharpe) deserves our support, and what’s not to like about an all-ages venue in Pullman? So give them all a big fat hippie hug at the Bell Tower on December 4th.

xo
Rachel

Devendra Banhart „Baby” / What Will We Be

Snow Patrol “Just Say Yes” / Up to Now

Fyfe Dangerfield “When You Walk in the Room” / Fly Yellow Moon

Devendra Banhart “Angelika” / What Will We Be

Monsters of Folk “M.O.R/.” / Monsters of Folk

Yeasayer “Ambling Alp” / Odd Blood

Mumford and Sons “Winter Winds” / Sigh No More

Mumford and Sons “Little Lion Man” / Sigh No More

The Antlers “Bears” / Hospice

Bon Iver “Lump Sum” / For Emma, Forever Ago

The Antlers “Sylvia” / Hospice

—-

O wybranych płytach już za chwilę na blogu.

I swear i must of looked like a Jehovah’s Witness today while i was walking back from the library. I picked up a book by Friedrich Nietzsche called “Beyond Good & Evil”, and it looks pretty similar to a bible (or an occultists handbook? Didn’t wanna leave you guys out).

It was printed sometime in 1907. 1907!! Pretty amazing considering it was published only 21 years before that. One benefit (i suppose) is that it’s leatherbound, sorta makes me wanna keep hold of it y’know? Maybe build up my own little collection on a sweet smelling mahogany bookshelf and marinade myself in 1941 port constantly. Shouting “M’YAH! M’YAH?! M’YAH!!!” every few words while smoking a pipe. Wearing dicky bows and corduroys, using only ulbus oil as aftershave. Good enough mental picture? I like it.

Moving swiftly on….

I picked up a compilation CD by Devendra Banhart recently, some of the stuff is really interesting. See what you think….

p.s i’ve only just realized that in my little story, wouldn’t i be a Jehovah’s worse nightmare? A 19 year old holding a philosophy book? Thats irony right?

The Golden Apples Of The Sun

“Curated” by Devendra Banhart

Josephine Foster – Little Life

Little Wings – Look At What the Light Did Now

Vashti Bunyan And Devendra Banhart – Rejoicing in the Hands

]]> http://slodkogorzkie.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/slodko-gorzkie-radio-kampus-17-wrzesnia-zapowiedz-the-antlers-mumford-and-sons/ Tue, 17 Nov 2009 07:40:50 +0000 słodko-gorzkie http://slodkogorzkie.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/slodko-gorzkie-radio-kampus-17-wrzesnia-zapowiedz-the-antlers-mumford-and-sons/

Dziś smutni Panowie: The Antlers, Mumford and Sons, Monsters of Folk i Devendra Banhart. I parę świeżutkich singli.

Do usłyszenia dziś o 21.00 na 97.1 FM (Warszawa) lub www.radiokampus.waw.pl (reszta świata).

I am a big fan of Beck and pretty much all the music he makes.  I’ve been listening to him since I was in high school, and when I went to Bonnaroo in 2006 I had the pleasure of getting to see him perform live (one of the best overall performances at the whole music festival.  Probably second only to Radiohead).  Along with listening to his latest album, “Modern Guilt” I’ve also been replaying old classics like “Odelay.”  Beyond that though I am very pleased to discover Beck’s Record Club.

Basically Beck has been partnering with a bunch of other artists to record full covers of various albums by other musicians.  The list of artists contributing to this effort is fantastic and includes the likes of Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Leslie Fiest, Devendra Banhart, amongst many others.  The albums covered so far have included works by The Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, and Skip Spence.  Really it is fantastic stuff.

Personally I think that Beck is one of the most creative musicians out there right now.  He has been around for a long time and still continues to make some really original and awesome music.  Even his covers have a sense of newness in all their familiarity.  Check out his Record Club, it is very cool stuff.

Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico ‘Waiting for My Man’ from Beck Hansen on Vimeo.

Written for Onethirtybpm.com

Folk? Psych-Folk? Folk-Rock? Freak-Folk? Avant-Folk? Ever since Devendra Banhart started receiving decent amounts of press attention, about the time of Rejoicing In The Hands (2004), bedroom bloggers and high circulation print journos alike have struggled in vain to package Mr Banhart into a convenient pigeonhole. Logic suggests there’s a perfectly good reason for that; he can’t and won’t fit, no matter how hard we try. Role in album number seven…

‘What Will We Be’ sees the hairy, movie star romancer return with his latest LP; a long player, in the true sense of the term. Tying up at just under an hour, back to front, this record provides a bulging example of Banhart’s extensive repertoire and demonstrates his forcible desire for a lack of boundaries.

Catchy folk song and opening number ‘Can’t Help But Smiling’, flows smoothly into second track, ‘Angelika’ which provides a neat segue into an upbeat Latin ditty, reminding of Mojitos in the summer time. This album is a real blending pot of… well, everything.

‘Baby’ plays welcome to a gentle disco beat, that one could imagine being played in funky dance halls of decades gone by. ‘Rats’, one of the albums longer tracks is an all out, 70’s rock and roll number with changing tempos, key changes and warm sounding bass licks, all sprinkled with Devendra’s own Robert Plant-esque vocal performance.

What Will We Be is a peculiar record in that it is Banhart’s first upon a major label, yet there is no clear stand out singles. The fact is, any one of these tracks could be released individually, to moderate success. A condition of release of the record through Warner’s subsidiary Reprise, one may wonder? There definitely doesn’t seem to be any of the more challenging listens that have been features of the man’s previous efforts. In personal opinion, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

This is an album of individual songs, yet somehow they all work together for this record. It is in it’s variety that it maintains interest, generating Devendra Banhart’s most capturing and listenable album to date. In it’s diversity, nothing feels out of place, the track listing is superb, throwing our ears right through the motions and our hearts as well.

If any questions remain of a ‘sell out’ over a move from indie kings XL, there’s really no bother. We’ve had Devendra’s experimental stuff (which was ace) but now heres a big juicy album of tasty, satisfying tunes, which he demonstrates to high standard and seemingly with ease.

This really is a lovely record. Sit down with it for an hour and the time will pass unnoticed. What Will We Be is exactly what I expect and want of Devendra Banhart. Challenging but not alienating, beautiful, but not quaint and certainly listenable, but not disposable.

73%

Band: Devendra Banhart
Label: Reprise Records
Release: 2009

1. “Can’t Help But Smiling” – 8.8
2. “Angelika” – 7.3
3. “Baby” – 8.4
4. “Goin’ Back” – 8.7
5. “First Song For  B” – 7.5
6. “Last Song For B” – 7.0
7. “Chin Chin & Muck Muck” – 7.8
8. “16th & Valencia Roxy Music” – 5.9
9. “Rats” – 7.5
10. “Maria Lionza” – 6.8
11. “Brindo” – 7.2
12. “Meet Me At Lookout Point” – 7.8
13. “Walilamdzi” – 7.9
14. “Foolin’” – 7.3

Comments: Banhart is a sell-out; he ditched independent powerhouse XL Recordings for mega-corporation Warner Group. Banhart’s signing brings out a fairly new market for Warner, as he’s equipped with a history of playing softie freak-folk (as opposed to the louder, noisier brand that has made Animal Collective a dime or two in the past decade) that appeals to a weird, but not all too unfamiliar demographic: WERS Daytime cronies, stoned Sam Roberts junkies (same thing as WERS Daytime cronies?), and wanna-be urban college students who desire some kind of “hipster” cred. Essentially Banhart hasn’t really changed his deal too much on What Will We Be. This time around, he will surely get more “mainstream-underground” air time (Album of the Month), but he’ll stay on the margins for just as long because he’s too folky for popular music. Listen to the first few tracks…he’s loosened up on the “freak” part of freak-folk, for whatever reason. The beat and style of a song like “16th & Valencia Roxy Music” is almost a joke that mirrors top 40 electro-pop.  I’m not here to criticize Devendra for not being “indie” enough, but it’s moments like that in an album that make me sit back and go “where the fuck did this come from?” He tries his best Grizzly Bear impersonation on “Meet Me At Lookout Point” and he succeeds (though, in my opinion, it’s of a really non-exciting Grizzly Bear Veckatimest track). In fact, a good part of the album seems like a really wishy-washy Grizzly Bear set. I wouldn’t go so low to call this thing an utter disaster, but a lot of the songs seem to be formula based, whereas the minimalism on his classics (“The Body Breaks,” “Insect Eyes,” etc) is what makes them work.

Grade: 7.6