Pitchfork

Apparently sporting a Ryan Adams costume this Halloween, increasingly prolific scruffy freak-folk hero (do they come in any flavors other than scruffy?) Devendra Banhart has returned to the studio yet again. The lo-fi prince (regrettably, only a lowercase "p") recently spent some time in Nashville's celebrated Castle Studios, where he recorded a cover of the Malvina Reynolds protest number "Little Boxes" (aka the "Weeds" theme song) for an upcoming America-themed educational compilation titled Song of America.

Not to be mistaken for a tribute album dedicated to the "Horse With No Name" band, Song of America will present a musical recounting of key points in American history by a number of popular, semi-popular, and downright unpopular artists. The disc is a sequel to last year's Grammy-winning Beautiful Dreamer: The Songs of Stephen Foster compilation, and like that album, intends to "entertain as it educates," according to a press release.

The plan is for the album to be distributed in schools, sort of like a Schoolhouse Rocks for the next generation of Pitchfork readers. But it will also be for sale, with profits going to National History Day, an organization dedicated to "making history come alive through educator professional development and active student learning."

Surprisingly, the album was actually semi-spearheaded by none other than former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno. David Macias, who is co-producing Song of America alongside Ed Pettersen, was approached by Reno about "her vision of an album that told the story of American history in song, so that young people, who relate so readily to music, could begin to get a deeper appreciation of this country's history and heritage."

Judging from the preliminary tracklist Macias provided Pitchfork, it's debatable how much young people will be able to relate to this album. I mean, the Black Crowes? BR549?? Janis Ian??!! Do they want these kids to spend the rest of their teenage years stuffed into lockers?!

Janet Reno's dance party:

Earl Bullhead - Pre-European Native American song
Julie Lee - Once More Our God Vouchsafe to Shine
Blind Boys of Alabama - Let Us Break Bread Together
John Wesley Harding - God Save the King
Judith Edelman - Hail Columbia
BR549 - Sweet Betsy From Pike
Minton Sparks / Pat Flynn - Declaration of Sentiments
Mavericks withs Thad Cockrell - Dixie's Land
Joanna Smith - John Brown's Body
Marah - Battle Hymn of the Republic
Janis Ian - Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye
David Kincaid - Thousands Are Sailing to Amerikay
Otis Gibbs - The Farmer Is the Man
Joni Harms - Home On the Range
Jake Shimabukuro - Stars & Stripes Forever
Andy Bey - Brother Can Spare A Dime?
Michelle Shocked - Rosie the Riveter
Folk Family Robinson (Black Crowes with Stan Robinson) - Reuben James
Elizabeth Cook / Grascals - The Great Atomic Power
Devendra Banhart - Little Boxes
Scott Kempner - Blowin' In the Wind
MC5 - Get Together
Anthony David - What's Going On

We know exactly what you're thinking right now: "What the hell are the MC5 doing on there?", "Is Clinton Sparks masquerading as a country singer?" and "Fuck Rick Rubin, somebody call up Reno for that Neil Diamond disc!"

Wait, didn't this start out as a news story about Devendra Banhart, all those paragraphs ago? Indeed it did. XL Recordings will release "Heard Somebody Say", the second single from Banhart's latest album Cripple Crow on November 21 in the UK. According to NME.com, the seven inch will feature the B-side "La Pastorcita Perdida", while the CD will include "Lickety Split" and "Chicken". Mmm mmm good.

Devendra's current American tour with his backing band Hairy Fairy hits Chicago tonight, with only a handful of dates left before they head across the pond in November to tour France with kindred spirits Antony and the Johnsons.

You are my sister:

10-24 Chicago, IL - Logan Square Auditorium *
10-25 Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Café *
10-26 Columbia, MO - Blue Note *
10-28 Boulder, CO - Fox Theater *
10-30 San Francisco, CA - Bimbo's 365 Club *
11-04 Lille, France - Aeronef #
11-06 Nantes, France - Olympic #
11-07 Paris, France - Olympia #
11-08 Bordeaux, France - Theatre Barbey #
11-10 Barcelona, Spain - La Paloma
11-12 Lisbon, Portugal - Aula Magna
11-16 London, England - Astoria

* with Bunnybrains
# with Antony and the Johnsons

* Young God Records: www.younggodrecords.com

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