Pop Quiz: Devendra Banhart

Pop Quiz: Devendra Banhart

Aidin Vaziri | Later this month, Devendra Banhart returns with a new album called "Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon," featuring more than a dozen new songs and guest spots from the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson, the Strokes' Nick Valensi and actor Gael Garcia Bernal. But more important, it has a dog in it. The disc, produced by Noah Georgeson, also finds the onetime San Francisco folksinger expanding on his bare-bones sound with lush touches of reggae, soul and samba. But, once again, we would like to point out that it has a dog in it.


Devendra Banhart
Q: Where are you living these days?
A: In L.A. Outside of L.A., actually, in Topanga Canyon. We have bunk beds and a Jacuzzi and a studio and lots of wild animals hanging out.
Q: What kind of wild animals?
A: We have king snakes and raccoons and gerbils, salamanders, a lot of squirrels, which I feel are underrated in the animal kingdom, you know, by the way humans perceive them.
Q: Squirrels are probably my favorite animal.
A: No way.
Q: OK. My favorite varmint.
A: What's your favorite animal?
Q: Tiger.
A: Have you heard about tigercorns?
Q: Not yet, but the rhythm intro to your song "So Long Old Bean" actually sounds like some kind of unicorn.
A: Oh, beautiful. We bought those unicorn hooves in Norway from a dealer.
Q: I know there are a lot of guys in your band who look like animals, but would you ever consider having a real animal on your album?
A: What kind of animals are you implying my band members look like?
Q: Sasquatch.
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