When a band as big as Radiohead signed to XL in late 2007, you just knew that someone had to get kicked out of the club house to make room. “You know who I’ve never really liked on your label?” Johnny Greenwood was heard to casually remark from the back of the XL board room as he toothpicked the caviar out of his perfect teeth with one capable hand and calligraphically penned an untouchable new avant-garde musical score for “stringless-viola trio, ambient South Pole field recordings, manipulated whale song, and coke machine” with the other. “Devandra Banhart.” Sure enough, the very next day, Banhart arrived to work in his avocado-green Pinto only to find that his parking space in the XL lot had been painted over...
Okay, so maybe that’s not exactly how it went down. But like, EVEN STILLZ, the fact remains that Banhart’s follow-up record to 2007’s hot-and-cold running Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (TMT Review) is due this October on a brand spanking new major label: Warner Bros. But if you’re thinking that Banhart’s days of just jamming in his house with his friends and recording whatever goofy nonsense came out are over now that he’s moved on to a bigger label, think again: the vaguely shroom-y, vaguely phallic cover art appears above, and the vaguely Hippie Dippie Weatherman-esque oddly spaced title of the new record is:
What We
Will Be
And there’s no shortage of old cronies this time around either. The album was recorded with A Band of Bees' Paul Butler, and his backing band once again consists of a boat load of buddies, such as Megapuss partner-in-crime Greg Rogove, Little Joy's Rodrigo Amarante, and pals Luckey Remington, Noah Georgeson, and Andy Cabic. Hot dog! Stay tuned for supporting dates, as well as the potential for hilarious major label drama! In the mean time, lets all brace ourselves for having this record thrust in our ears and faces this fall at just about every coffee shop and/or book store that we happen to venture into.
What We
Will Be tracklisting:
1. Can't Help but Smiling
2. Angelika
3. Baby
4. Goin' Back
5. First Song for B
6. Last Song for B
7. Chin Chin & Muck Muck
8. 16th & Valencia Roxy Music
9. Rats
10. Maria Leonza
11. Brindo
12. Meet Me at the Lookout
13. Walilamzi
14. Foolin'
