A true landmark event for naturalismo. I’m proud to present a very special video: Vetiver, Live at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA, May 7. Andy Cabic sat down with me to answer a few questions and allowed me to shoot some exclusive live footage. The song included in the video, “Another Reason to Go,” is not available anywhere, and will be included in Vetiver’s forthcoming album of originals to be released down the road.

In the meantime, check out Vetiver’s newest collection of cover songs, Thing of the Past, and definitely check them out on tour this spring.

Also, I shot the entirety of Vetiver’s set at the Troubadour that night and will be posting a select few additional songs from that performance here at naturalismo in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Lastly, check out the When You Awake blog’s fantastic Andy Cabic-created “Top Ten Songs To Listen To While Coming Up With Lists of Ten Songs To Listen To” mixtape. Some real gems in there.

PS - thank you andy, kevin, otto, sanders, and brent

We’re just in a Vetiver state of mind here at the ‘Lismo today. Check out this great video of Vetiver performing “Been So Long” with Vashti Bunyan and Juana Molina. This was a rehearsal for the Vetiver/Vashti “0 Degrees of Separation” tour, recorded sometime this past December or January.

Tobias Kahn of Tiny Mix Tapes conducted a fantastic interview with Vashti Bunyan. She talks about everything from the the inevitable comparisons to Nick Drake, as well as a new album which she’s working on with Andy Cabic of Vetiver.

[Link to Interview]

=tyler=

From Andy Cabic of Vetiver: “A clump of Pine Spikes in my backyard…haven’t picked them yet. supposedly they aren’t very tasty unless dried.”

In a new update on Vetiverse and Arthur Blog, Andy Cabic talks about the new album and a crop of Pine Spikes that cropped up in his backyard.

Andy also goes on to talk about the details of the (Finally!) now out new 12″ remix EP and upcoming covers album to be released in May. From Vetiverse:

Greetings and happy new year everybody!

Just dropping a note to let you know that along with the patch of Pine Spikes we have growing in our backyard, we also have a new 12″ in stores, available from GnomonsongFatCat, featuring remixes by Neighbors of two songs from our last album, and To Find Me Gone. Don’t let the fact that it took so damn long for the thing to come out dissuade you from hunting it down and allowing it to boggle your mind a little bit.

I have just approved the master and am finishing up the cover art for the next Vetiver
full-length album, which should see the light of day on Gnomonsong sometime in May.
It is an album of covers, some songs we’ve been performing live, and others that we just
admire and wanted to try our hand at. I think it came out pretty well.

At some point soon we’ll be giving this website a bit of shine and polish and debuting
a couple of songs from the album. I find the whole enterprise of maintaining this site
a bit more than i can handle, so i’ll need to enlist the aid of a few friends to get us there,
but at least we’re on our way.

Lastly, we’ll be posting some tour dates soon. It wasn’t looking like we had plans for
playing live right away, but that may be changing. More to come…

Buy the new Vetiver remix 12″ from Gnomonsong or FatCat.

Visit Vetiverse here.

Andy Cabic is finishing up a new album of covers that includes guests by Vashti Bunyan, Michael Hurley and the Chapin Sisters. The as-yet-untitled new album will be released Spring ‘08. Details are still slowly coming in but expect to hear The Chapin Sisters singing back up vocals on a Townes Van Zandt song and on Elyse Weinberg’s “Houses.” Jonathan  also makes an appearance on it. The album will be Vetivers first full-release on the co-run with Devendra Banhart Gnomonsong label .

Check Gnomonsong in the upcoming months for more info.

Photo (c) by the always lovely Alissa Anderson

More here: Alissa on Flickr

UPDATE(5-24-2007): See ‘Smokey’ becomes Vasu deva kutumbam (click here)

“recordin’ by Bean Raymon”

While there’s no aural or written updates about Devendra Banhart’s new ‘Smokey’ album, due for release in the third week of August, there is a new visual update from the recording of the album. I found these new photos on Devendra’s website this morning and I’ll leave the sounds that come to mind from viewing these photos up to you. One thing to note is that they have added a new member to the band ‘Pete Newsom.’ Pete is Joanna Newsom’s brother. I was also sent the tentative tour dates for the new album, with the explicit condition that I not post the actual dates. This makes things difficult. So for now I will give a clue as to the first months dates: Port-de-Paix over to Onundagaono.

More photos from the recording of Devendra Banhart’s new album Smokey

Devendra recording Smokey

Greg At Studio by Bean Raymond

“Our Brasilian Brother Rodrigo Amarante (check out Los Hermanos!)”

“our new member Pete Newsom by Bean Raymond.”

This weeks feature is an interview with Naturalismo music photographer Lauren Dukoff. I first discovered her photography when it was featured in an interview with Noah Georgeson, ever since then I have been following her work and immensely enjoying it. Lauren Dukoff’s close relationship with the Naturalismo artists enable her to provide a glimpse into their private lives. The visual counterpart to the artists she photographs, Lauren Dukoff manages to capture the true essence of artists. Through her photography one is given the rare opportunity to visually see the artists in their natural environment. Lauren Dukoff is a breath of fresh air in this flat post-modern cellphone and digital SLR - era of visually capturing music. I was terrified that the best music movement in years was going to go by documented by a set of grainy sub par digital photographs. All that one needs to be convinced of the importance of the gasping breaths of life from film is to see a single photo from Dukoff. I’m fortunate to bring to you today an interview with Lauren Dukoff.

Could you please tell us about yourself? Your background and how you came into shooting music photography.

I grew up in California in a creative household. My father, a director and photographer always encouraged me to be involved in the arts. There was always a camera available to me. Taking pictures was just something that I did as a kid. I began constantly photographing my friends and some of those friends grew up to be professional musicians. I have portraits of Devendra that I took when I was 14 practicing guitar and piano in our high schools music room. As Devendra’s musical career grew I just kept on taking photos the way I always had been. Not much had changed except that suddenly other people were interested in seeing the photos other than myself. Once I saw that there was a value to these photos, and I don’t mean monetarily, just that they were appealing to his fans I really pursued truly documenting him. Whether I was joining him on tour or catching a moment in his living room of him writing a new song, I was there with my camera. I soon became friends with the family of musicians around him and began taking their photographs too. It was a great feeling to have Devendra share my photos with such great musicians as Noah Georgeson and Matteah Baim and then have them approach me to also take there photos. It’s a wonderful environment of friendship, art and music. I feel honored to be a part of it even if in a small way.

One thing I especially enjoy about your photography is your ability to capture the essence of the musician in a more natural setting that fans normally wouldn’t get to see. Do you think that photographing artists in their natural environment is as or possibly more important than in a live setting?

I just think documentary photography in general is appealing in a way to everyone. I think it is just human nature to be curious what happens behind closed doors. As an artist’s popularity grows so does the feeling that they are untouchable. I think in a way some of the photos I’ve taken just give the fans a little respectful peak into their private lives.

I only ask because I often feel that we only have an artists songs to hear and are left wondering where their sources of inspiration come from. Do you feel that being able to visually see these photographs of the musicians lives add another element to their music?

I think it would be way to bold to say that in any way I add another element to their music.

When a shoot is arranged do you first discuss with the artist what type of setting and mood they are interested in for it or is it more you having an idea and approaching them with it?

I wish I had all the great ideas! No, really so far everything I have done is a true collaborative effort. I definitely come to the shoot with a vision in mind but always run things past the artists I am shooting. From there the concepts always seems to grow and evolve into something even better then what I imagined.

Your black and white live music photos first struck me as being something to the effect of Mick Rock coaching David Bailey on how to shoot live. Who would you consider are your influences and do you shoot primarily with film, digital or both?

I have been really inspired and influenced by my mentor Autumn de Wilde. She is an amazing photographer. Sometimes I look at her work and say to myself why do I bother. Everything about her is admirable. I only shoot with film. There is something about film that digital could just never capture. Shooting film is a blessing and a curse. When I was photographing Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit all the other digital photographers were practically laughing at me in the photo pit because I had to reload my camera with film and would then miss shots. But in the end I feel I have one great shot of Neil during the finale that just wouldn’t have been the same if it were digital. There is such character and depth to film its hard for me to see myself converting to digital photography.

Much of your photography has gravitated towards new-folk artists such as Devendra Banhart, Noah Georgeson, Matteah Baim, Hecuba, etc. What has the experience been like working with them?

Simply amazing. They are all wonderful and beautiful people. We are all friends and I feel honored to be included in this family of musicians in such an intimate way.

What are you currently working on?

I am continually building my body of work, just shooting as much as I can. I enjoy photographing musicans of all genres its such a treat to be invited into a musician’s world even if just for a moment. Devendra is working on his new record right now and if he chooses to use a photograph for the cover we are going to have to come up with a great concept. Really looking forward to that.

Lastly, are there any exhibition plans for your photography at the moment? Where can we see more of your photography and what can we expect in the future?

I do not have any exhibitions planned at the moment, but it something I have always wanted to do. You can see more of my work at www.laurendukoff.com. I wish I knew what to expect for myself in the future.

Thank you for your time.

All Photographs Copyright Lauren Dukoff

——-

-Devin Edvard Woolf

To see more of Lauren Dukoff’s photography and order prints visit: www.laurendukoff.com

I love the new poster art for Vetiver’s upcoming concert with Two Gallants, Michael Hurley and the Morning Benders. From Vetiver’s Website:

“Vetiver have a handful of shows coming up. We’ll be playing with
Bright Eyes in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and then up in
Point Arena with Two Gallants and Michael Hurley. Tickets for these shows are
limited, if not sold out already, so i’d sort it out soon if you want to go.”

Tour dates after the jump…

(Also, stay tuned for later in the day, I am working on a big post)

Visit Vetiverse to see their recent tour photos.

 

 

Read the rest of this entry »

I have a real affinity for fractured piano songs and ballads. The type of spontaneous and short songs that never last quite long enough to form a complete picture, yet serve only to provide a mysterious and small glimpse into the artists mind, leaving the listener only a small clue to speculate about what it all meant. I’ve come across several of these songs recently and would like to share them with you.

The first is from Ginger Lee, whose album “Songs fired in the forge drift” is out in March on Drift records,

Ginger Lee - Hold me close

The second one unexpectedly comes from Priestbird, formerly known as Tarantula AD and more known for their loud psychedelic rock than soft piano songs. This track comes from their upcoming album “In your time.”

Priestbird - Guest Room

The third and (by far) best is an older song from Devendra and Andy Cabic that you may or may not have heard. I remember giddily trying to explain to Andy when I first met him that it was possibly the happiest song ever written and then him shyly attempting to suggest he had forgotten it. It took several years before they got around to recording a full version of it for Vetiver’s recent “To Find Me Gone.” However, I still think that the short original captured the feeling of the song best.

Devendra Banhart (w/Andy) - Me and Andy sing El Rio

If anyone else has some suggestions for more snippets of songs like these…let me know and I will post them up!

Today I have a guest Blogger who I think has some valid incite into the new incarnations of the Naturalismo movement. His name is Brandev and he e-mailed me out of concern for what he sees as an emerging threat to the sincerity of the folk music movement. He has titled his article “Fake Folk”

Read the rest of this entry »

From one of the less spoken about members of Devendra Banharts backing band Power Mineral comes a new single. Performing under the name We Are Married, Eliza Douglas, has only recorded one song to my knowledge and recently posted it on her myspace page. Information about her and her solo recordings are scarce but I am fairly certain that Devendra Banhart and Andy Cabic are backing her on the new demo. Eliza Douglas has also recorded with Telepethe, and Bunnybrains. What stands out most to me about this new track is the harmonizing between her and Devendras vocals. Their drawling voices sound as one throughout the song and combine with the slanky bass backing riff to form the muddy memory of a love that has left. I can’t wait to hear more from her.
We Are Married (Eliza Douglas) - Gone Away.mp3

Visit her myspace page for a live song of hers performed with Devendra here.

Rio en Medio is Danielle Stech-Homsy. Danielle Stech-Homsy is crafting some of the most metaphysically beautiful folk songs that I’ve heard that have come out of naturalismo. Her debut album, The Bride of Dynamite, which was produced by Andy Cabic, comes out on February 14th and features appearances by Sierra Casady (Coco Rosie), Tim Fite, David Coulter and Devendra Banhart. The first single off her album is named “Everyone is Someone’s.” This song is the ear to the eye that was Pans Labyrnth. Hauntingly angelic, the allure of the song sweeps over you as her soft vocals are interposed with a childs laughter and other sound artifacts that help to fulfill her narrative.

Download her new single here:

Rio en Medio - Everyone is Someone’s

Pre-Order her new album here.

Recently signed to Devendra Banhart and Andy Cabic’s new record label Gnomonsong, Papercuts is releasing a new album next month and the first single “John Brown” was recently put up on their website. I’m really struggling with the description that the label put up about the album and song. It mentioned that it was richly textured, which I think is a synonym for the sound of air being let out of a hose. Luckly, it doesn’t sound like that and this track shows a lot of promise. “John Brown” starts off with a riff that I can only describe as the james bond theme if it were to be reinterpreted by Brian Jones. From there it bridges into a mellow folk song that is just upbeat enough that its melodic chorus hooks you in.

Papercuts - John Brown

I also recommend going to his myspace page to listen to some tracks from his debut album:

Papercuts Myspace

Gnomonsong is the new record label formed by Devendra Banhart and Andy Cabic in parnership with Revolver USA. Banhart and Cabic do not push the paperwork in the label as much as work with the artists.

The label’s first release was Texan singer/songwriter Jana Hunter’s album, entitled Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom, released in October 2005. The second release was a CD version of the self-titled debut of Feathers (April 2006). Releases are expected from ABRA, a NYC family band, as well as Michael Hurley and Danielle Stech Homsy. [wiki], Devendra & Andy Photo (C) Alissa Anderson