ALBUM REVIEW: Devendra Banhart, What Will We Be

Devendra Banhart's major-label debut, ‘What Will We Be’, was recorded with the same collaborators who graced his 2007 ‘Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon’. On this latest recording the idiosyncratic singer-songwriter is intimate, experimental and ultimately accessible.

28 year old Banhart finally sounds content with himself and his own sound. His latest offering is a big improvement on his 2007 album; it's also the most consistently satisfying in its mood, flow and passion, full-length he's made.

For his seventh album, Banhart gave himself over to super-producer Paul Butler from A Band of Bees, and with a little direction Banhart flourishes: In the catchy campfire sing-along’s ‘Angelika’ and ‘Goin' Back’, his appealing eccentricity gains potency when it's packed into more compact forms.

Butler has smoothed out the peculiar edges and given Banhart his most radio-friendly sound yet. His method of vocal arrangement lifts tracks such as ‘Maria Leonza’ from simple Latin sashay to an ache-filled lament. While breezy yet bass heavy ‘Baby’ and ‘16th & Valencia, Roxy Music’ shimmer with professionalism.

‘What Will We Be’ is dominated by powerfully melodic, mid-tempo tracks that have a sunny, breezy feel which makes it arguably Banhart’s most focused release to date.

Track listing:

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 and Muck Muck
8. 16th and Valencia Roxy Music
9. Rats
10. Maria Lionza
11. Brindo
12. Meet Me at Lookout Point
13. Walilamdzi
14. Foolin'

Starlet

How To Make It In Music 2 – Help for Aspiring Musicians

A new book has been released to help out aspiring musicians.

Aspiring musicians who are keen to get their big break “without selling their soul to X Factor” may be in luck, as a new guide for unsigned musicians is released.

‘How To Make It In Music 2’ clearly sets out the lengths any aspiring musician needs to go to and the pitfalls they must avoid on their path to success.

The book deals with different aspects of the music business including information for independent musicians on approaching promoters, guides to selling and distributing their own music and in-depth reviews of recording equipment.

The book is published annually and was written this year by Stuart James Smith, a London-based musician.

It also includes in-depth interviews with industry figures including Rob Da Bank, Fatboy Slim’s music engineer Streaky Gee and Barfly promoter Mark Richards.

The 300-page book is priced at £7.99.

Bat For Lashes - HMV Picture House, Edinburgh 20th Oct 2009

Support act, Yeasayer, was an obvious choice since Natasha Khan collaborated with the Brooklyn band during the production stage of her last album, Two Suns.

Their special brand of apocalyptic psych rock initially seemed to meet with a degree of bewilderment. However, the cheers from the Edinburgh audience seemed to grow as the set progressed, with debut-album gems ‘Wait for the Summer’ and ‘Sunrise’ standing out.

As it’s the last night of the current tour I was wondering what kind of performance we were about to get. However, Natasha Khan gracefully floats barefoot onto the stage and immediately launches into a number that’s full of dramatics, with lightning bolt flashes and thunderous drums and kind of answers that question for me.

Straight away it’s pretty obvious that this girl can really sing, and sing beautifully at that, no coarse or strained vocals, given it’s the last night. Natasha Khan and her band are completely professional, effortlessly recreating the musical complexities of her two critically acclaimed albums, 2006's Fur And Gold, and 2009's Two Suns.

Her songs are fantastical tales with driving rhythms and atmosphere in abundance but dynamic drummer Sarah Jones almost stole the limelight in up-tempo tracks like Glass, Pearl’s Dream and the slow-building Siren Song, but Khan deservedly pulls focus with her stunning renditions of the more measured Horse and I and Prescilla.

Although the band was as tight as you'd expect at the end of a tour, the whole performance was a bit lacklustre there was something missing. It felt as though they were just going through the motions as it was rarely uplifting and never engaging with Khan’s stage presence less than commanding.

Reviewer: Starlet

Canadian Folk Singer Dies Following Coyote Attack

Up-and-coming Canadian folk musician Taylor Mitchell has died as a result of injuries sustained after two coyotes attacked her in a Canadian National Park.

The 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Toronto was hiking alone in Cape Breton Highlands National Park on Tuesday when the incident occurred, leaving her in a critical condition. She was taken to hospital in Halifax, but died yesterday morning (October 28).

"Words can't begin to express the sadness and tragedy of losing such a sweet, compassionate, vibrant, and phenomenally talented young woman," said Lisa Weitz, Taylor's manager.

The artist had been touring Canada's east coast in support of her debut album, For Your Consideration, which had earned her a nomination for a 2009 Canadian Folk Music Award in the Young Performer of the Year category.

File-Sharing Disconnection Plan Unveiled

The UK will follow France's controversial lead to create a three strikes rule to battle illegal file sharing.

Speaking at a conference run by the Creativity and Business International Network (C&binet), business secretary Peter Mandelson said: "I was shocked to learn that only one in 20 music tracks in the UK is downloaded legally. We cannot sit back and do nothing."

He said that if the amount of illegal file-sharing taking place in the UK hadn't dropped by 70 per cent a year on from April 2010 measures to cut off file-sharers' connections would come into place from July 2011.

Mandelson said that connections would be cut off as a "last resort" and that there would be a "three strikes" policy, with offenders receiving letters of increasing severity.

Those illegally sharing files will first be sent an indefinite stream of warning letters, telling them to knock it off. If they don't, the owner of the content will be allowed to take legal action, with appeals going through Ofcom.

The minister added: "It must become clear that the days of consequence-free widespread online infringement are over."

Keep Track of Your Tracks with Internet Tool - Track Patrol

A new website has been launched that will help companies and individuals try to resolve the problem of unlicensed tracks appearing on compilation albums.

Track Patrol (www.trackpatrol.com) is a unique product that allows users to search every physical compilation album for sale online in the UK and US, to see which songs appear where, and therefore crack down on unauthorised use.

Paul Hatcher, the company’s co-founder (also director of The Licensing Partnership UK) has said that in his experience as a licensing agent, tracks frequently appear on compilations without the permission of correct rights owners because of admin errors.

He said “The majors’ rights databases are poorer than some systems,” adding “People often don’t update rights databases when they lose rights. I constantly find tracks on compilations that are unauthorised.”

Consumers can use Track Patrol for free although their search results don’t include full details. Users can pay £50 per search or subscribe for a monthly or annual fee.

Paid searches include information such as Compilations, Labels, Format, Release Date, Catalogue Numbers, Territory & Download sites. Users can pay £50 per search or subscribe for a monthly or annual fee.

Hatcher says the service has had a positive response from many major and independent labels. He will present it to the AIM Dance Committee in January.

Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival Release 500 Early Bird Tickets

A limited number of tickets for next year's Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival will go on sale from 10am tomorrow (Friday 23rd October) morning at the same price as they were for the previous two years.

The 500 weekend tickets will be priced at £80 with children 12 and under able to attend for free. Campervan, caravan, and boutique tipi camping area tickets will go on sale at a later date.

The festival was sold out in 2009 and once the early birds have gone, new prices for the 2010 event will come into effect.

Belladrum takes place in the picturesque surroundings of Belladrum Estate, near Beauly in Inverness-shire, Scotland. Now in it's seventh year the festival will take place on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th August 2010.

The independent festival has built a reputation for its eclectic line-ups, its off-beat non-musical entertainments and its all-ages approach.

These early bird tickets are available exclusively from The Ironworks on www.ironworksvenue.com, or by calling 0871 7894173 or in person from The Ironworks, 122 Academy St, Inverness (open from 10am to 6pm Monday to Friday).