Song: 16th & Valencia Roxy MusicArtist: Devendra Banhart
Album: What Will Be
Seven albums in, which is pretty impressive as he just started in 2002, Devendra Banhart, probably the most recognizable name in the New Weird America/Freak Folk scene, is still going strong. Prolifically writing strange, yet endearing, tunes. "What Will Be" is another solid, if more of the same, collection of his strange hippie vibe. I actually liked his last record quite a bit, "Smokey Rolls Down the Mountain" and while this latest hasn't grabbed me the same way, it's very nice and worth listening to for a least a couple very solid tracks.
First single "Baby" is a waltzy-lullaby, if a little creepy. (Which he can't really help after all.) My initial favorite has been "16th & Valencia Roxy Music," a driving mysterious song that I can't really tell is about Roxy Music (the band) or not. But a song like this proves that Banhart has serious chops, and given his rate of release and quality, assures a long if confusing career.
Enjoy.
16th & Valencia Roxy Music (live on Jools Holland)
Baby (live at the Independent in San Francisco)
1 comment:
Cool song, especially the percussive bridge! 16th & Valencia is an intersection in SF where one can find the Roxie Theater, and probably lots of hipsters!
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