Oh Me Oh My… The Way the Day Goes by the Sun Is Setting Dogs Are Dreaming Lovesongs of the Christmas Spirit

Released in 2002, 'Oh Me Oh My...' is the debut full-length album by Devendra Banhart and serves as the foundational text for the 'freak folk' subgenre. The album was compiled from home recordings Banhart made on a four-track recorder and even a friend's answering machine while traveling between San Francisco, Paris, and Los Angeles. Discovered by Michael Gira of Swans, who released the album on his Young God Records label, the record was immediately noted for its stark departure from the polished indie folk of the era. Its 22 tracks are mostly brief, acoustic sketches that blend the influence of 1960s psych-folk icons like Karen Dalton and Marc Bolan with a modern, surrealist sensibility. Critics at the time, including those at AllMusic and Stylus, praised its idiosyncratic charm and Banhart's unique vocal delivery, though some found its lo-fi density challenging. It remains a cult classic that shifted the trajectory of independent folk music in the early 2000s.