Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon

Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon is a Devendra Banhart album released September 25, 2007. This album features more instrumentation than the previous records, as well as more genre experimentation. Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon was recorded in Topanga Canyon in Southern California and is dedicated to Alice Coltrane, Malachi Ritscher and Elliott Smith.

Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Studio album by Devendra Banhart
Released	September 25th, 2007
Genre	Indie folk, psychedelic folk, naturalismo, folk rock
Length	72:19
Label	XL Recordings
Devendra Banhart chronology
Cripple Crow (2005) Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (2007) What Will We Be (2009)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
NME	link
Pitchfork Media	(6.5/10) link
Rockfeedback	link
Rolling Stone	link
Time Off	link
Tiny Mix Tapes	link
Twisted Ear	link
Uncut	preview link
Robert Christgau	link

The majority of the merchandise sold on the US tour for the album was made in collaboration with Banhart by Adam Tullie and Angeline Rivas, who design the clothing line Cavern Collection.^[2]

Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon reached #19 on Rolling Stone's list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007.^[3] The song "Seahorse" is #69 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.^[4]

Background

The album details Banhart's break up with Bianca Casady of the band CocoRosie. Banhart's relationship with Casady ended in 2006.^[5]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Cristobal" (with Gael García Bernal)	4:30
2.	"So Long Old Bean"	2:56
3.	"Samba Vexillographica" (with Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes)	4:49
4.	"Seahorse"	8:04
5.	"Bad Girl"	4:48
6.	"Seaside"	4:36
7.	"Shabop Shalom" (with Nick Valensi of The Strokes)	4:38
8.	"Tonada Yanomaminista"	2:56
9.	"Rosa" (with Rodrigo Amarante of Los Hermanos)	5:08
10.	"Saved"	5:33
11.	"Lover"	3:43
12.	"Carmensita" (with Natalie Portman in the video)	4:49
13.	"The Other Woman"	3:49
14.	"Freely" (with Linda Perhacs)	4:59
15.	"I Remember"	4:25
16.	"My Dearest Friend" (w/ Vashti Bunyan)	2:36

Personnel

The current name of Banhart's band is Spiritual Bonerz^[6] (the 'z' is silent), and the line-up consists of:

• Devendra Banhart
• Noah Georgeson
• Luckey Remington
• Pete Newsom
• Greg Rogove
• Rodrigo Amarante
• Andy Cabic

Additional Musicians

• Mike Davis - Trumpet
• Noah Gladstone - Trombone
• Amy Tatum - Flutes, Tenor Saxophone

Chart performance

Chart (2007)	Peak position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[7]	39
French Albums (SNEP)[8]	42
UK Albums (OCC)[9]	93
US Billboard 200[10]	115
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[11]	3
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[12]	11

References

1. Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon at AllMusic
2. "Cavern || los angeles". Caverncollection.com. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
3. ROBERT CHRISTGAU, DAVID FRICKE, CHRISTIAN HOARD, ROB SHEFFIELD (December 17, 2007). "The Top 50 Albums of 2007" Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-12-20
4. No byline (December 11, 2007). "The 100 Best Songs of 2007" Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2007-12-21
5. "Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon". Uncut Magazine. 9 August 2007. Retrieved 2023-08-15.
6. "Devendra Banhart Coast to Coast - The Roxy, Boston, MA and the Orpheum Theater, Los Angeles, CA". Junk Media. Archived from the original on 2009-04-13. Retrieved 2007-11-09.
7. "Ultratop.be – Devendra Banhart – Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
8. "Lescharts.com – Devendra Banhart – Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon". Hung Medien.
9. "Devendra Banhart | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
10. "Devendra Banhart Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
11. "Devendra Banhart Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.
12. "Devendra Banhart Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard.