Let it be known, that Micah Taylor is the winner of the Music is for Mondays giveaway.
Congrats Micah.
I will hand you the card this weekend.

Devendra Banhart, referred to by some as the father of the Freaky Folk movement,  is one of those most interesting artists I have encountered in recent years.  Not only does he materialize some very different, eccentric and sometimes strange music, he is also known for his skills as… well, just a creative type.  That would include, photo, video, illustration, painting and mixed media design.  He was also the first on board with the Yellow Bird Project.

I will say this quite plainly — Devendra Banhart is not for everyone.  While he does make some incredible music that grabs you by the jawbone and throws you against some shag carpet, he can also produce some things that some folks may not dig.

This particular post is focusing on a bit of ear candy called “Baby” from the album What Will We Be.  “Baby” is one of my all time favourites for about a billion reasons.  I am only able to name just a few — I will limit it to 4 (a good number) instead of 10, otherwise I risk losing your attention.
1) It is so smooooooth.  The Rhythm and the beat of the song is quite catchy and easy-going.
2) I think this song can actually make you dance.  While it is not proven, I would dare you to not tap your foot or nod your head whilst listening.  It would only take a little nudge from someone — and you would be a dancing machine.  It would be best played while cooking in the kitchen.
3) The song has the ability to put you in a better mood.  Almost as if you have spent the day at the beach with your dad and he held your trunks while the waves crashed against you.
4) For some strange reason, this song reminds me of touring Israel.  The song is sunny and moving.

Another reason I like Devendra is that he loves Israel.  They were headed there for a tour recently, but had to change plans as you can read the quote from their Music News:

I am a lover of good music, good art and good t-shirts.  I also am a fan of good people doing good things to help or assist others.
With that being said, I came across an organization that blends all of those things together.  It is called the Yellow Bird Project — cool name, even cooler group of artists and philanthropists.

They describe themselves as:
“… a tree of creativity, with branches joining together indie musicians, charitable organizations, and t-shirts with a fashionable punch.  We’re a non-profit Montreal based organization dedicated to bringing our customers the finest of quality, originality, and philanthropy. We seek out only the coolest of cool artists, collaborate with them to design awesomely awesome tee-shirts, and give all the prettiest of pretty profits to charities of the artists’ choice.”

I think by their own description you can tell that they are pretty cool organization.  Check them out — my Devendra Banhart shirt (which will help fund the Teenage Cancer Trust) is on its way right now.

I have also added their banner to my blog (on the right sidebar) for quick and easy linkage.
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