Devendra Banhart: Hippie Voice of Tomorrow

A few months ago, I was riding around Richmond with one of my friends, when his iPod blessed my ears with something refreshing. That day was almost magical for the fact that I had discovered the soul-stirring Little Yellow Spiders by Devendra Banhart. Always accepting of most of the music I hear, I was an instant fan. The way that animals were personified by Devendra's uniquely folkful voice made me fall in love with every creature that he sang about.

Although the use of personification in music is nothing new, I feel as though Devendra kicked it up a notch with his ode to nature. It would almost be a perfect for some Disney movie about animated creatures if it was not for a few choice words. For anyone who has not flooded their eardrums with Devendra's offerings of the New Weird America genre, you are definitely missing out. I saw him perform at The National in Richmond this summer... he most certainly lives up to the hype.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9qdKGchFXI

No Shave November

This year marks the fourth year that I have graced the bearded community with my participation in No Shave November. Pretty much the intro the the cold season, November has been designated as the month in which men (or those that consider themselves men) shun razors and sport the time-honored beard. Although the status quo thumbs their nose at the idea of uncontrolled facial growth, I fully support the idea. This neglect of the clean shaven look pays homage to the grandest sign of virility: the beard.

Since this blog is primarily a means of honoring the music and fashion that have left an indelible mark on my life, I will give a shout out to a few greats in music that have deemed every month as one that should be devoid of shaving. Among these giants are: Jerry Garcia, the Beatles circa the late 60s, Jim Morrison, Devendra Banhart, the Megafaun trio and of course ZZ Top.