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Devendra Banhart

Devendra Banhart’s raw, psychedelic-folk sound will make anyone believe he was born in the wrong era. Even his appearance (long, unkempt hair and torn jeans) could fool you into thinking that this poet-singer-songwriter had accidentally fallen from a stage in the 1960s.  Rather, Banhart was born in the early 80s in Houston, Texas and currently resides in Los Angeles. 

At the forefront of the Folk Revival Movement, Banhart’s sound is a fragile relationship between surreal, naturalistic lyrics and minimalistic instrumentation. While he describes himself as not being a very good guitarist, his wailing, multi-octave voice is enough accompaniment to turn his poetry into songs. With a sneak peak at his newest album, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, which will be released on September 25, 2007, Banhart seems to be moving away from a purely psychedelic vantage point and a little closer to mainstream appeal. The single “Tonada Yanomaminista” is more rock-and-roll than folk, and Banhart’s voice is unusually forceful and deep — almost Beck-like. However, in the single “Rosa,” Banhart returns to a quieter, more timid sound in French, highly reminiscent of Serge Gainsbourg’s 1969 hit, “Je t’aime … moi non plus.”

Banhart released his first album in 2002, and has since produced over half a dozen, his last being White Reggae Troll, released under XL Recordings in 2006. When this prolific songwriter is not in the studio recording, he his touring the world. Starting August 2007, Banhart will be taking his sweet folk-rock across the pond, hitting up all the major European hot spots. Come September, he will return to North America and play shows almost every night in both Canada and the United States.

Get together with some pals before the show and decorate each other with henna to release the free spirit in you. For a complete list of tour dates, visit Banhart’s MySpace at www.myspace.com/devendrabanhart.

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