I must say I’m a huge fan of Banhart’s work, this video, although tough to watch in parts, had me laughing. I think thats the point of Devendra’s touch, he appears to want the shock effect, while also seeming to laugh at his own jaw dropping escapades. Regardless of your bend on this particular tactic, the fact he’s bold enough to show his ass crack to the masses, is enough for me to believe this video is a classic – but very hard to watch.

“Three San Francisco-based musical acts – Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom, and Vetiver – tour the country performing their genre-defining music in the summer of 2004. They help each other overcome family tragedies and car accidents, and meet colorful characters, forgotten musical heroes, and folk luminaries as they travel across the country.

The film is an intimate portrait of life on the road for these young musicians early in their careers, playing tiny, obscure clubs and art galleries, but on the verge of larger success where small vans are replaced by large, impersonal tour buses. Here music is a creative, organic, inclusive endeavor. They not only sing about – they create – the world in which they want to live.”

TheFamilyJams.com

Still waiting for a release date to the masses.

Gust of Wind # 12

Devendra Banhart, What Will We Be

Warner

This Gust of Wind comes to us through a haze, beaming the sunshine down on a cold atmosphere.

Devendra Banhart is one of the most inspiring Artists of the last ten years. Over time he has continued to evolve, but not entirely away from the mysterious beauty of his early low fidelity recordings. This record has moments that signal to the past, as if to say he hasn’t  forgotten his original self. He clearly hasn’t, even when enticed by the dollar bills of a major, Banhart is still Banhart. If pressed to place a bet on him, I wouldn’t pick any number but the same one since Rejoicing in the Hands. It all seems part of a bigger picture, and he’s just waiting on us to commit to ourselves, so we can commit to each other.

I dig the newer sound, and this time it seems Banhart and company are on point when compared to their previous album, Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. That collection of tunes was out there looking for the thing he found on What Will We Be. I imagine like most things in life, we have to go through certain doors to see what’s on the other side.

Although he always seems to reach for the stars, on What Will We Be the music plays as if he’s made his connection. It’s only the first stop toward much more, but he has made it to the next level as a musical powerhouse, shining its own light on the rest of us, from its own corner, somewhere off in a hazy galaxy. From this point on, it only looks brighter from here. Devendra Banhart is the invaluable piece to a younger generations place in cultural history.

A few special words evoked by the song “Walilamdzi,” off this very delightful addition to a discography growing to be one of my favorites. I dug up an old piece of photography I took on my Brothers farm in Michigan. I think it fits well. Thank you for reading.

A room is filled with gracious hands as we dine together in a community.

The Sounds from cracks of ceiling beams, makes fog in a room with no smoke. The Red wine intertwines our words. One last chime from the door, another late addition. Pull up a seat friend, we’ll be reminiscing.

- Ryan Boos

On Oct 27th Devendra Banhart releases his Sixth album, first with Warner, called What Will We Be.  In support of his new release he will hit the road for a small tour, which begins in the Windy City.

11-16 Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre

11-17 Ann Arbor, MI – The Ark

11-19 Burlington, VT – Higher Ground

11-20 Boston, MA – Berklee

11-22 New York, NY – Town Hall

11-24 Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory

11-25 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club

11-27 Toronto, Ontario – Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Gust of Wind # 4

Papercuts, You Can Have What You Want

Gnomosong

This gust of wind comes in the night, and gently warms the soul, leaving behind the remnants of a necessary evolution- one that can find all of us deconstructing the past, so we can grow in the future .

“We are here then we’re gone, it’s our work that marches on” Jason Quever sings on the first single “Future Primitive” of his most recent record ” You can have what you want.” The title of this new ten tracks,  reveals the nature of the human spirits journey for unconditional life. Much of this stemming from  our immortal realities. This record, the third from the band Papercuts, is no less a personal triumph then the previous two records, under the Papercuts mantra of moody lines, and drifting rhythmic melodies, that encourage us all to explorer tell the jubilant end.

Papercuts  is Jason Quever’s band, but the impressive talent surrounding him on this latest project should not go unnoticed.  Helping this band’s direction is co-founder of Gnomonsong records Andy Cabic, and leader of Vetiver, the highly acclaimed San Francisco neo-folk band. Gnomosong was founded by Cabic and Devendra Banhart, who in the last four years has risen to the helm of this neo-folk revival.  Also, helping with arrangements and playing on the album, is Alex Scally, who is the brainchild, if you will, behind the band Beach House, they in many respects have risen to new heights with last years acclaimed devotion record, which was on many top fifty lists – you should check it out!

My initial response to this latest effort by Papercuts was not what I had hoped it would be. I first began listening to them in 2007 and fell head over heals for Can’t Go Back, it was full of textures old, and new – it made days bright and thoughtful.  I was hoping for the second coming of that sound, but instead, we are greeted with a darker feel on You Can Have What You Want. After listening to this record six times, I find it to be similar to a puzzle piece, fitting perfectly with the complete set.

This music is similar to a long journey. Its not a break from the past work, but a continuation of the mindful search-party of life.  This particular time, this particular artists, is finding a somber moment in his own movement. I actually like this album, and its funny how the day in which I have listened closely, the weather outside matches the mood of the record. Its raining, but the flowers are very close by, and people have begun maintaining there plots  – we have as well. I hear this record as just that, a plot that has been tended, but is being rained on. The sound of the record is muddy in parts, there is a sense of deliberate intention to sound grainy. The certainly accomplished that, and then some. During one of the tracks I thought my speakers were blown. The basic setup for the band is the standard guitars, bass, drums, some organ, various keyboards, all filtered with endless effects of reverb, and slight distortion. The vocal of Ouever is as beautiful as ever, so much, that unless you knew the band, you would think he was a women – I am powerless against female singers. If you had to label the singing style, you could say serious, and whiny at times, but not too much, enough to make us think about life, and how much life we actually have deep down.

The influences are no doubt from the sixties and seventies rock. The mixture of folk and rock n roll make you think its an old record. I would say there is some nineties grunge influence on top of that. Papercuts are out of the Bay area, and recently that has fostered many bands with this similar sound – the psychedelic organ never hurts.

Jason Quever is an intellectual, who thinks maybe too much – we should all do this more often.

- Ryan Boos,  August 24th, 2009