Devendra Banhart

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Devendra Banhart
Devendra Banhart in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Devendra Banhart
Born	May 30, 1981 (1981-05-30) (age 27) Houston, Texas, USA
Origin	Caracas, Venezuela
Genre(s)	Naturalismo New Weird America Indie folk Psych Folk Freak folk Venezuelan folk music Nu-folk
Instrument(s)	Vocals Guitar
Years active	2002 - present
Label(s)	hinah Young God XL Recordings
Associated acts	Vetiver

Devendra Banhart was born May 30, 1981, in Houston, Texas, U.S. but was raised in Caracas, Venezuela from 2 to 13 years old. ^[1] He is a folk rock singer-songwriter and musician. Banhart's music has been classified as indie folk, psych folk, Naturalismo, and New Weird America; his lyrics are often surreal and naturalistic.

Years later he gained popularity while living in San Francisco after attending the San Francisco Art Institute and further gained popularity when he subsequently moved to New York City to record under Young God Records, based in New York City. Banhart currently lives in Los Angeles.

Contents 1 Career 2 Discography 3 Collaborations 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Career

Banhart was 'discovered' by Michael Gira of Swans, who released his Oh Me Oh My... and a few subsequent albums on his own Young God Records label beginning in 2002. In 2005, Banhart (along with Andy Cabic and Revolver USA) created Gnomonsong record label. In 2006 he helped to curate an edition of the British All Tomorrow's Parties festival.

Banhart's most recent tour of the United States saw him perform with his full band, which is currently known as Power Mineral. Power Mineral included Andy Cabic (Vetiver), Greg Rogove (Priestbird), Noah Georgeson, Luckey Remington, Pete Newsom, Otto Hauser (Vetiver, Currituck Co., Espers, Nick Castro), Kevin Barker (Currituck Co.), and others. The band claims to rechristen itself when a name comes to them, and has previously been known as Fried Hummingbird, Hairy Fairy Band, Las Putas Locas, Stoner Boner, Spiritual Boner, Bummer Hummer, Brain Taint, and Bathhouse Of The Winds, among other names.

Banhart was the first artist to contribute a design for the Yellow Bird Project.

Banhart's song "There's Always Something Happening" appears on a FINCA benefit compilation put together by Natalie Portman on iTunes.

A collection of original artwork by Banhart is being exhibited alongside the works of the late Swiss painter Paul Klee through February 24, 2008 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. The show is titled "Abstract Rhythms".

[edit] Discography

• The Charles C. Leary (hinah, 2002)
• Oh Me Oh My... The Way the Day Goes By the Sun Is Setting Dogs Are Dreaming Lovesongs of the Christmas Spirit (Young God, 2002)
• The Black Babies (UK EP) (Young God, 2003)
• Rejoicing in the Hands (Young God, 2004) FRA#157
• Niño Rojo (Young God, 2004) FRA#166
• Cripple Crow (XL Recordings, 2005) FRA#42
• Devendra Banhart/Jana Hunter (Troubleman Unlimited, 2005)
• Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (XL Recordings, September 25, 2007) US#115

[edit] Collaborations

• "Rejoicing In The Hands" with Vashti Bunyan on The Golden Apples of the Sun; Banhart was also the "oral curator" for the album (2004).
• UNICEF benefit song with various artists on "Do They Know It's Hallowe'en?" (2005).
• "Spiralling" with Antony and the Johnsons on I Am a Bird Now (2005).
• The Black Swan with Bert Jansch (2006)
• The second "Water Piece" project with Yoko Ono.
• The song "The Century Trilogy III: The Fall" with Tarantula AD off of their album, Book of Sand.
• The song ""Rosa" on his new album Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, with Rodrigo Amarante from Los Hermanos.
• Gael García Bernal sings with him on Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, on the first track, "Cristobal."
• "Brazilian Sun" with CocoRosie on their second album "Noah's Ark".
• "Houses" with CocoRosie on their third album "The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn".
• "London, London" with Cibelle.

[edit] See also

• New Weird America

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Record labels

• XL Recordings
• Young God Records
• hinah
• Manimal Vinyl Records

Articles and reviews

• Interview from Joshua Klein Pitchfork (10/22/2007)
• Interviewfrom Dennis Cook Signal To Noise (Winter 2008)
• Interview from A.D. Amorosi Harp Magazine (November 2007)
• Interview from Jennifer Kelly Popmatters (10/1/2007)
• Interview from Alex Wagner The Fader (September 2007)
• Interview from Alex Mar MTV News (September 2007)
• Interview London Guardian (2007)
• Interview from David Dye World Cafe ( November 2007)
• Interview from Richard Cromelin Los Angeles Times (9/9/2007)
• Interview from Brian M. Palmer (October 2005)
• "As the Crow Flies..." from Filter Magazine (June 2005)
• "The Soft Revolution" from Los Angeles Times Magazine (August 2005)
• "Devendra Banhart paired with Paul Klee at SF MoMA" from ImposeMagazine.com
• "Review Toulouse, November 2007" from rawinvestigations.com
• "Devendra Banhart, interviewed by Lindsay Lohan" in Interview magazine. April Fools Day, 2006. Original here.
• Interview by Kevin Serra of kevchino.com (October 22, 2004)

Other

• Official website
• Devendra Banhart at MySpace
• Eternal children freak folk documentary
• Devendra Banhart Photographs by Lauren Dukoff

v • d • e Devendra Banhart Studio albums The Charles C. Leary · Oh Me Oh My · The Black Babies · Rejoicing in the Hands  · Niño Rojo · Cripple Crow · Devendra Banhart/Jana Hunter · Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon Other discography The Golden Apples of the Sun Associated acts CocoRosie · Vetiver