Devendra Obi Banhart is a
singer-songwriterSinger-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
and visual artist. Banhart was born in
HoustonHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
,
TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and was raised by his mother in
VenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, until he moved to
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as a teenager. He began to study at the
San Francisco Art InstituteSan Francisco Art Institute is a school of higher education in contemporary art with the main campus in the Russian Hill district of San Francisco, California. Its graduate center is in the Dogpatch neighborhood. The private, non-profit institution is accredited by WASC and is a member of the...
in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San Francisco and
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. Banhart released his debut album in 2002, continuing to record his material on the
Young GodYoung God Records is an independent record label formed by Michael Gira in 1990 that specializes in experimental, avant-garde and often non genre-specific releases...
and
XLXL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
labels, as well as other work on compilations and collaborations.
Early life and career
Banhart was born May 30, 1981 in Houston,
TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to a Venezuelan mother and an American father. His given name is a synonym for
Indra' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
, the
HinduHinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
god of rain and thunder, which was suggested by
Prem RawatPrem Pal Singh Rawat , also known as Maharaji and formerly known as Guru Maharaj Ji and Balyogeshwar, teaches a meditation practice he calls Knowledge....
, an
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n religious leader whom Banhart's parents followed. Banhart's middle name Obi was modeled after the
Star Wars characterObi-Wan Kenobi is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is one of several primary characters in the Star Wars series. Along with Darth Vader, R2-D2, and C-3PO, he is one of the few major characters to appear in all six Star Wars films...
. Banhart's parents divorced two years after his birth and he moved with his mother to
CaracasCaracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
,
VenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. His mother later remarried and Banhart's stepfather moved the family to
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
,
CaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, when Banhart was 14 years old.
In 1998, Banhart began studying at the
San Francisco Art InstituteSan Francisco Art Institute is a school of higher education in contemporary art with the main campus in the Russian Hill district of San Francisco, California. Its graduate center is in the Dogpatch neighborhood. The private, non-profit institution is accredited by WASC and is a member of the...
on a scholarship while living in
The CastroThe Castro District, commonly referenced as The Castro, is a neighborhood in Eureka Valley in San Francisco, California. The Castro is one of America's first and best-known gay neighborhoods, and it is currently its largest...
, San Francisco's gay neighborhood. He began to
buskStreet performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
instead of attending classes and played his first show in a church at a gay wedding, performing
Elvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
's "Love Me Tender" and the classic hymn "How Great Thou Art." Banhart dropped out of art school in 2000 and left San Francisco after the
dot-com bustThe dot-com bubble was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2000 during which stock markets in industrialized nations saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth in the more...
worsened the city's economy. He moved to
ParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
,
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, over the summer and opened shows for
indie rockIndie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
bands such as
Sonic YouthSonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
. Banhart returned to the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the fall of 2000 and played music in San Francisco and
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, until he was discovered by
Michael GiraMichael Rolfe Gira is an American musician, author, and artist. He is the main force behind the recently reformed New York City musical group Swans and fronts the Angels of Light...
, owner of
Young God RecordsYoung God Records is an independent record label formed by Michael Gira in 1990 that specializes in experimental, avant-garde and often non genre-specific releases...
, after Siobhan Duffy, Gira's wife, bought a copy of Banhart's demo CD
The Charles C. LearyThe Charles C. Leary is the first studio album by Devendra Banhart. It was released on August 8, 2002 through the label hinah.-Track listing:# "Bish-Bash Falls"# "Soothe My Soul, Mend My Mind"# "Sarah Sings"# "Mmplushumblehorse"# "Michigan State"...
and gave it to Gira.
Banhart and Gira compiled an album from Banhart's recordings, and in 2002,
Oh Me Oh MyOh Me Oh My is the second album by Devendra Banhart...
, which was made up of short fragments, was published by
Young God RecordsYoung God Records is an independent record label formed by Michael Gira in 1990 that specializes in experimental, avant-garde and often non genre-specific releases...
and received favorable reviews. He recorded two other albums and an
EPAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
for the label:
Rejoicing in the HandsRejoicing in the Hands is the third studio album from psych folk musician Devendra Banhart and the second full release for the label Young God...
,
Niño RojoNiño Rojo is the fourth studio release by freak folk artist Devendra Banhart and his third release on the label Young God Records. It was released on September 13, 2004....
, and
The Black BabiesThe Black Babies is the first EP recorded by the folk rock artist Devendra Banhart. It was released only in the United Kingdom through Young God's UK distributor, Cargo UK, in 2003.- Track listing :# "Bluebird" – 1:25# "Surgery I Stole" – 3:35...
; the releases had a simple acoustic sound. Banhart changed to
XL RecordingsXL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
in 2005 and released
Cripple CrowCripple Crow was released on XL Recordings on September 13, 2005. It is the fifth album by psych folk acoustic rocker Devendra Banhart and his first for the label XL Recordings. The cover is reminiscent of the Sgt...
, which was recorded in
Bearsville StudiosBearsville Studios was a recording studio at Bearsville, New York just west of Woodstock, New York.The studio was opened in 1969 by Albert Grossman, manager of Bob Dylan, The Band, Janis Joplin and Todd Rundgren....
,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and had a more elaborate sound. He recorded his second album for XL Records,
Smokey Rolls Down Thunder CanyonSmokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon is a Devendra Banhart album released September 25, 2007. This album features more instrumentation than the previous records, as well as more genre experimentation...
, at his home studio in
Topanga, CaliforniaTopanga is a census-designated place in western Los Angeles County, California, USA. It is located in the Santa Monica Mountains. Occupying Topanga Canyon, it is often referred to by that name. Topanga is bounded on three sides by State Park or conservancy lands, and on the south by the Pacific...
. The album charted on the
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
at number 115. The album's song "Lover" was featured in the soundtrack of the movie
Nick and Norah's Infinite PlaylistNick & Norah's Infinite Playlist is a 2008 romantic comedy film directed by Peter Sollett and starring Michael Cera and Kat Dennings. Written by Lorene Scafaria and based on the novel of the same name by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, the story tells of teenagers Nick and Norah , who meet when...
, which included a cameo appearance by Banhart.
Banhart performs with the band
VetiverVetiver are an American folk band headed by songwriter Andy Cabic.- History :Cabic was a member of the Greensboro, North Carolina indie rock band The Raymond Brake who released some records on the now defunct Simple Machines label. He formed Vetiver after moving to San Francisco. The band...
and has performed in Carnegie Hall and
Hollywood BowlThe Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
opening for
Gilberto GilGilberto Passos Gil Moreira , better known as Gilberto Gil or , is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter, known for both his musical innovation and political commitment...
, as well as at
BonnarooThe Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four day music festival created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, held at Great Stage Park on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. It hosted its tenth annual event June 9–12, 2011...
and
CoachellaThe Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a three-day annual music and arts festival, organized by Goldenvoice and held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Inland Empire's Coachella Valley...
music festivals. He founded a record label,
GnomonsongGnomonsong is a record label formed by Devendra Banhart and Andy Cabic in partnership with Revolver USA. Banhart and Cabic do not deal with the business aspect of the label as much as work with the artists....
, with
Andy CabicAndy Cabic is a folk rock singer-songwriter, and lead member of the band Vetiver.He was born in Virginia and attended school at the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where he played in a band called The Raymond Brake...
of Vetiver, in 2005. In 2007, he signed with Neil Young's manager
Elliot RobertsElliot Roberts is an American music manager, record executive, and philanthropist, best known for helping start the careers of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell....
, who also contributed vocals to
Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. In 2008, Banhart released the album
Surfing in a collaborative project with multi-instrumentalist
Greg RogoveGregory Rogove is an American indie music drummer and songwriter. He is notable for partnering with indie artist Devendra Banhart to form the group Megapuss. He signed a record contract with Knitting Factory Records in 2011.-Background:...
named
MegapussMegapuss is a band with the following members: Devendra Banhart, Gregory Rogove , Fabrizio Moretti , and Noah Georgeson...
. In 2009, he signed to
WarnerWarner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
/
RepriseReprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
and plans to release a new album,
What Will We BeWhat Will We Be is Devendra Banhart's seventh studio album released on October 27, 2009, on Warner Brother Records. The album was co-produced by Banhart and Paul Butler from A Band of Bees...
. He has, at the band's request, produced a remix of
OasisOasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
' "(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady". Along with "Neighbors", Devendra remixed the
PhoenixPhoenix is a Grammy Award winning French indie rock band from Versailles, founded by Thomas Mars, Deck d'Arcy, Christian Mazzalai and Laurent Brancowitz.-Formation and early years:...
song "Rome" from their 2009 album
Wolfgang Amadeus PhoenixWolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is the fourth studio album album by the French alternative rock band Phoenix. The album was released internationally by V2 Records on 25 May 2009....
.
On September 4, 2009,
BeckBeck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
announced his second Record Club covers album,
Songs of Leonard CohenSongs of Leonard Cohen is the debut album of Canadian musician Leonard Cohen. It foreshadowed the future path of his career, with less success in the United States and far better in Europe, reaching #83 on the Billboard chart but achieving gold status only in 1989, while it reached #13 in UK and...
. Banhart will contribute, alongside
MGMTMGMT is an American alternative rock band founded by Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden. After the release of their first album, the members of their live band, Matthew Asti, James Richardson and Will Berman, joined the core band in the studio...
, Andrew Stockdale of
WolfmotherWolfmother is an Australian rock band from Erskineville, Sydney. Formed in 2000, the group was originally a trio composed of vocalist and guitarist Andrew Stockdale, bassist and keyboardist Chris Ross and drummer Myles Heskett. Wolfmother released their self-titled debut album in October 2005,...
and Binki Shapiro of
Little JoyLittle Joy is a Brazilian/American rock band formed in 2007 by Los Hermanos singer/guitarist Rodrigo Amarante, The Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti and Binki Shapiro. Amarante and Moretti met in 2006, at a festival in Lisbon where both their bands were performing, and the idea came up to start a...
.
He is a collector of music artifacts. Banhart wrote the foreword for and appears in his friend
Lauren DukoffLauren Dukoff is an American photographer noted for her portraiture and documentary work of celebrities and musicians.Lauren Dukoff was born in California. Her father is a commercial director and still photographer. Lauren Dukoff briefly studied photography at the Brooks Institute of Photography...
's book
Family: Photographs by Lauren Dukoff. He has also written the introduction to a selection of poems by
Kenneth PatchenKenneth Patchen was an American poet and novelist. Though he denied any direct connection, Patchen's work and ideas regarding the role of artists paralleled those of the Dadaists, the Beats, and Surrealists...
.
On October 27, 2009, Banhart released
What Will We BeWhat Will We Be is Devendra Banhart's seventh studio album released on October 27, 2009, on Warner Brother Records. The album was co-produced by Banhart and Paul Butler from A Band of Bees...
, his first record on
WarnerWarner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
/
RepriseReprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
. Banhart and Jon Beasley, who were credited as art directors for the album's artwork and packaging, were nominated for a
GrammyA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
in 2011 for Best Recording Package.
The film
Life During Wartime, directed by
Todd SolondzTodd Solondz is an American independent film screenwriter and director known for his style of dark, thought-provoking, socially conscious satire. Solondz has been critically acclaimed for his examination of the "dark underbelly of middle class American suburbia", a reflection of his own background...
, features a musical collaboration between Banhart and
BeckBeck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
. The song plays over the film's end credits. Banhart sings lead vocals while Beck adds backing vocals and also recorded the track. The lyrics were written by Solondz and the music by composer
Marc ShaimanMarc Shaiman is an American composer, lyricist, arranger, and performer for films, television, and theatre. He is perhaps best known for writing the music and co-writing the lyrics for the Broadway musical version of the cult John Waters film Hairspray, for which Shaiman won Tony and Grammy...
.
Banhart is an avid skateboarder, and in March 2010 broke a bone in his right leg while skating, only hours before a concert in Phoenix, resulting in the cancelation of future shows in Utah and Colorado.
In 2011, he collaborated with
Marisa MonteMarisa de Azevedo Monte is a Brazilian popular singer. As of 2011, she has sold 10 million albums worldwide.- Biography :...
and
Rodrigo AmaranteRodrigo Amarante de Castro Neves , in is a guitarist, occasional bassist, singer and songwriter for the bands Los Hermanos, Orquestra Imperial and Little Joy....
on a version of the song "Nú Com a Minha Música" for the
Red Hot Organization'sRed Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
most recent charitable album "Red Hot+Rio 2." The album is a follow-up to the 1996 "
Red Hot + RioRed Hot + Rio is a compilation album produced by Paul Heck as part of the Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series intended to promote AIDS awareness. This installment is a contemporary tribute to the Bossa nova sound, especially the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim...
." Proceeds from the sales will be donated to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/HIV and related health and social issues.
Visual Art
Drawings by Banhart were featured in the
San Francisco Museum of Modern ArtThe San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a modern art museum located in San Francisco, California. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art...
and in the
Centre for Fine Arts, BrusselsThe Paleis voor Schone Kunsten or Palais des Beaux-Arts is cultural venue in Brussels, Belgium. Often referred to as "Bozar" or "PSK", construction was completed in 1928 and includes exhibition and conference rooms, movie theater and concert hall which serves as home to the National Orchestra of...
.
Banhart's drawings have also been featured in the Art Basel Contemporary Art Fair in Miami, FL, the Mazzoli Gallery in Modena, Italy, Spain's ARCOmadrid. and the Andrew Roth Gallery gallery in New York.
Banhart's drawings were previously featured in MOCA's exhibit: "The Artist's Museum" which showcases the works of influential Los Angeles based artists from the last 30 years. As part of the exhibit Banhart collaborated with artist Doug Aitken and musicians Beck and Caetano Veloso for a musical and visual performance piece.
Style
Banhart's music is often associated with the
New Weird AmericaNew Weird America describes a subgenre of psychedelic and indie music, often psych folk, of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.-Origin of the term:...
genre, along with Vetiver and
Joanna NewsomJoanna Newsom is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.- Early life :Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California...
.
The New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
has called his songs "free associative work" and
SPIN magazine has written that "Banhart's albums offer ashram-appropriate guitar strums, trippy-hippie tone poetry." Various publications have described his style as
psych folkPsychedelic folk or psych folk is a loosely defined form of psychedelic music that originated in the 1960s through the fusion of folk music and psychedelic rock...
, avant-folk,
freak folkFreak folk is a genre of folk music associated with contemporary artists such as Faun Fables, Animal Collective, Davenport, Devendra Banhart,CocoRosie, Panda Bear, Kelli Ali, Joanna Newsom, Bowerbirds, Woods, Greg Weeks, Hecuba, Akron/Family, Rio en Medio, Birdengine, Sufjan Stevens, Sean Hayes,...
,
Lo-FiLo-fi is lower quality of sound recordings than the usual standard for music. The qualities of lo-fi are usually achieved by either degrading the quality of the recorded audio, or using certain equipment. Recent uses of the phrase have led to it becoming a genre, although it still remains as an...
, hipster folk revival, and alternative
folkFolk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
.
Many notable reviewers, including AllMusic,
The TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, and
MojoMOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
, have pointed out similarities between Banhart's songs and production with that of the early 1970s band Tyrannosaurus Rex (an early version of Mark Bolan's T. Rex). In a May 2004 interview with
Arthur magazine, Banhart claimed that he was unaware of the music of Tyrannosaurus Rex until after he began writing and recording songs. Devendra Banhart has downplayed Bolan's influence on his music, and instead prefers to credit
Vashti BunyanVashti Bunyan is an English singer-songwriter. In 1970, Bunyan released her first album, Just Another Diamond Day. The album sold very few copies, and Bunyan, discouraged, abandoned her musical career...
,
Karen DaltonKaren J. Dalton was an American folk blues singer and banjo player associated with the early 1960s Greenwich Village folk music scene, particularly with Fred Neil and the Holy Modal Rounders as well as Bob Dylan.-Biography:Dalton, whose heritage was Cherokee, was born Karen J. Cariker in Enid,...
,
Caetano VelosoCaetano Emanuel Viana Teles Veloso , better known as Caetano Veloso, is a Brazilian composer, singer, guitarist, writer, and political activist. Veloso first became known for his participation in the Brazilian musical movement Tropicalismo which encompassed theatre, poetry and music in the 1960s,...
,
Simon DiazSimón Narciso Díaz Márquez is a singer and Grammy Award winning composer of Venezuelan music.- Career :Díaz has endeavored to recover the folklore and musical traditions of the llanos, the Venezuelan plains...
,
Fred NeilFred Neil was an American folk singer-songwriter in the 1960s and early 1970s. He did not achieve commercial success as a performer, and is mainly known through other people's recordings of his material – particularly "Everybody's Talkin'", which became a hit for Harry Nilsson after being...
,
NicoNico was a German singer, lyricist, composer, musician, fashion model, and actress, who initially rose to fame as a Warhol Superstar in the 1960s...
,
DonovanDonovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
,
Six Organs of AdmittanceSix Organs of Admittance is the primary musical project of guitarist Ben Chasny. Chasny's music is largely guitar-based and is often considered new folk, however it includes obvious influences, marked by the use of drones, chimes, and eclectic percussive elements...
and certain albums such as
David Crosby'sDavid Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
If I Could Only Remember My Name-External links:*...
among his main influences.
Albums
| Year | Album | UK Album
Chart
| US Billboard
200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
| US Billboard
Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
|
| 2002 |
The Charles C. Leary The Charles C. Leary is the first studio album by Devendra Banhart. It was released on August 8, 2002 through the label hinah.-Track listing:# "Bish-Bash Falls"# "Soothe My Soul, Mend My Mind"# "Sarah Sings"# "Mmplushumblehorse"# "Michigan State"...
|
- |
- |
- |
| 2002 |
Oh Me Oh My Oh Me Oh My is the second album by Devendra Banhart...
|
- |
- |
- |
| 2004 |
Rejoicing in the Hands Rejoicing in the Hands is the third studio album from psych folk musician Devendra Banhart and the second full release for the label Young God...
|
- |
- |
- |
| 2004 |
Niño Rojo Niño Rojo is the fourth studio release by freak folk artist Devendra Banhart and his third release on the label Young God Records. It was released on September 13, 2004....
|
- |
- |
- |
| 2005 |
Cripple Crow Cripple Crow was released on XL Recordings on September 13, 2005. It is the fifth album by psych folk acoustic rocker Devendra Banhart and his first for the label XL Recordings. The cover is reminiscent of the Sgt...
|
69 |
- |
13 |
| 2007 |
Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon is a Devendra Banhart album released September 25, 2007. This album features more instrumentation than the previous records, as well as more genre experimentation...
|
- |
115 |
3 |
| 2009 |
What Will We Be What Will We Be is Devendra Banhart's seventh studio album released on October 27, 2009, on Warner Brother Records. The album was co-produced by Banhart and Paul Butler from A Band of Bees...
|
- |
139 |
4 |
Singles and EPs
- The Black Babies
The Black Babies is the first EP recorded by the folk rock artist Devendra Banhart. It was released only in the United Kingdom through Young God's UK distributor, Cargo UK, in 2003.- Track listing :# "Bluebird" – 1:25# "Surgery I Stole" – 3:35...
(2003)
- Sight To Behold/Be Kind (2004)
- Little Yellow Spider (2004)
- At The Hop (2004)
- I Feel Just Like A Child (2005)
- Heard Somebody Say (2005)
- Xiu Xiu/Devendra Banhart split 7-inch
Xiu Xiu/Devendra Banhart split 7" has Xiu Xiu and Devendra Banhart covering one of the other's songs.-Track listing:# Xiu Xiu - "The Body Breaks" 2:14# Devendra Banhart - "Support Our Troops OH!" 2:30...
(2005)
- Carmensita (2007)
- Lover (2007)
- Baby (2009)
- Foolin (2010)
Collaborations and compilations
- The Golden Apples of the Sun
The Golden Apples of the Sun is a limited edition compilation of contemporary folk music curated by musician Devendra Banhart for the art magazine Arthur Magazine. The title comes from a Ray Bradbury short story...
(2004)
- Jana Hunter / Devendra Banhart (with Jana Hunter
Jana Hunter is a Baltimore-based songwriter and musician. She was born in Texas and is currently a member of Lower Dens.She is signed to Gnomonsong, a new record label run by Devendra Banhart and Vetiver's Andy Cabic...
, 2005)
- Love Above All (2007)
- Xiu Xiu's Remixed & Covered
Remixed & Covered is a 2007 double album by Xiu Xiu. One disc contains cover versions of the band's songs, whilst the other contains remixes of their originals.-Disc one :#Larsen - "Mousey Toy"#Oxbow - "Saturn"...
(2007)
- Surfing (as Megapuss
Megapuss is a band with the following members: Devendra Banhart, Gregory Rogove , Fabrizio Moretti , and Noah Georgeson...
with Gregory RogoveGregory Rogove is an American indie music drummer and songwriter. He is notable for partnering with indie artist Devendra Banhart to form the group Megapuss. He signed a record contract with Knitting Factory Records in 2011.-Background:...
, 2008)
- Lover
- Songs of Leonard Cohen
Songs of Leonard Cohen is the debut album of Canadian musician Leonard Cohen. It foreshadowed the future path of his career, with less success in the United States and far better in Europe, reaching #83 on the Billboard chart but achieving gold status only in 1989, while it reached #13 in UK and...
– BeckBeck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
's Record Club (2009)
Equipment
- Aria classical (used on The Charles C. Leary
The Charles C. Leary is the first studio album by Devendra Banhart. It was released on August 8, 2002 through the label hinah.-Track listing:# "Bish-Bash Falls"# "Soothe My Soul, Mend My Mind"# "Sarah Sings"# "Mmplushumblehorse"# "Michigan State"...
and Oh Me Oh MyOh Me Oh My is the second album by Devendra Banhart...
)
- Gibson LG-3 (natural, with Martin Marquis light-gauged strings)
- Gibson Country & Western
- Gibson ES-355 (actually Michael Gira's, used during joint tour with the Angels of Light)
- Gibson ES-125 (sunburst)
- Gibson Les Paul Custom (cherryburst)
- Fender Stratocaster (sunburst, used with Megapuss)
External links