WELL IT'S TIME TO TELL YOU THAT MY BIRTHDAY DID ROCK

I want to thank you for all the nice birthday wishes. I had a really great day. Thanks to having slowed my roll to a near-standstill, I managed to have a lovely dinner on Friday with some of my closest and coolest friends from work and woke up the next morning hangover-free, so I’d have to say that I’d really recommend 27 so far.

Runa decorated me up and I had my favorite dinner (smoked pork at the Naga Kitchen, in case you're curious).

It rained! It has rained on two out of my last two birthdays. I'm originally from the south and the rain hasn't lost its novelty. Although it took us awhile to get to the restaurant and back but because it rained, I got to have more cups of that enjoyable hot black tea.

Behold the new Oxelo Scooter. Thanks to this guy.

Saturday. My best friend came down to our fair city. It’s been three long years since I last saw him. It was hilarious and moderately frustrating to smile at the fun we were having together and the fact that we had missed so much of each other’s lives which erased said smile. Fun was had by all, especially by me who got to terrorize everyone without having to worry about the consequences.

Sunday. Throngs of people dressed in beach wear populated Palace Grounds. Yeah. We went to the Flea Market called ‘The Sunday Soul Sante Bazaar’. It was a perfect day for it - sunny, warm, slight drizzle and insanely gorgeous. Pity a lot of B’lore decided to visit the Bazaar at the same time. I mean, seriously people, there are other places to see bazaars, like your television. Aside from the invasion of an asshat who felt the models at the fashion show rehearsal were strutting all wrong, the market was fun. After that we went to Ice & Spice and had these –

Then we went home. And I collapsed.

I know lots of people who have a tradition on their birthdays. You know - people who take the day off, people who go clubbing, people who go out for a fancy dinner. I don't really have a tradition. Do you?

On this Tuesday evening I bring to you the AWESOME Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, a trombone and trumpet player from New Orleans, with ‘Hurricane Season’.

I love this track as it just never seems to quit. The music is spit fire and it drives along in a jangly bouncy mess of fun from start to finish. I seem to gravitate towards music that sounds as if they’re having a ton of fun making it, and this is just such a track.
It serves as a great kickoff to the winter. This is what Jazz-Funk has always been for me, and in this track you’ll find more of the same. The bottom line is that it’s a great tune from this musical kid genius.

Me Me Me Me Meeeeeeee

Today is my 19th 22nd 27th birthday, and I will be actually completing my 27th year anytime now (comes from being born awesomely early). What I really want for my birthday is to have my wonderful friends next to me, get up really late and have my breakfast in bed, or hold onto the arms of a really handsome hunk when I wake up first thing (not gonna happen); to sit on the couch and watch a movie of my choice with my entire - 6 member family (not gonna happen); and thirteen uninterrupted hours of sleep (not gonna happen). But, I am typing this after talking to so many friends who constantly make me feel loved.

If you would like to give me a gift, and you know you would, you can leave me a comment. This is a lovely present because I am obsessed with getting comments from y’all and it will score me a little easy entertainment today.

I have a friend who always gets himself a present on his birthday. I mean a really nice present. One year it was a camera, the next year it was a new Engine system for his car. (Or something like that, I generally stop listening whenever anyone uses the words "carburetion" and "four-stroke internal combustion.") I decided to take up that tradition myself this year and got myself a little something. Tickets to Bagdogra… from where I shall go up to Darjeeling, Kalimpong and finally to Sikkim.

Now, hurry and give me an internet-Hug.

Also a fabulous 4 pack of Chap Stick and a new purse. I’m not too old to pretend that I’m 22, right?

Here’s a song that I love and I hope you love it to. It always brings back the best of all memories, however I’m currently remembering it, and I hope it hits a warm spot in your life too. This is a song from one of my favourite artists that ever lived – Jeff Buckley. If you’ve never heard of him you better either live across the pond, be under the age of 13 {in which case it’s obvious your parents don’t care about you, I mean you are reading this blog, so go ahead hit play, it can’t hurt}, or be on your way to the closest retailer to fix this mistake in your life. I recommend the albums - Grace and Sketches for my Sweetheart. They’re both classic.

"AND I'LL RISE JUST LIKE AN EMBER IN YOUR NAME"

Man that would make any girl feel like a goddess...

Another One Down

As with most weekends, this one was just way too short. I could have used an extra day and, perhaps, a little more sleep. I did, however, get some stuff done this weekend, including a little day in the life photo set on Saturday.

Aside from the collected photographic substantiation, the weekend played out the way most do. Even though this one had some extra-added bonus live music. On Saturday night, I attended this concert:

It featured a friend on vocals as well as the soon-to-be newlyweds - my best friend, Runa on the paino and her fiancé Tony on the guitars. There was a great deal of screaming going on at around the same time.

So that's it. Another weekend down. These weeks, and months, seem to be passing a little too quickly for my comfort. Anyone know how to slow the world down a bit?

I'm not sure if it's a sign of basic delight or lunacy, but I characteristically wake up with a song running through my head. It moves around my brain until it finds a way through my lips in a hum or whistle and it generally fastens itself to me most of the day. As you can imagine, this can be a good thing or a nuisance. Here's the track list for the past week or so.

Favourite Things (Pomplamoose)
La Vien Rose (Pomplamoose)
Mister Sandman (Pomplamoose)
Nature Boy (Pomplamoose)
September (Pomplamoose)
Single Ladies (Pomplamoose)
Always In the Season (Pomplamoose)
Be Still (Pomplamoose)
Centrifuge (Pomplamoose)
Mrs. Robinson (Pomplamoose)
Twice As Nice (Pomplamoose)
If You Think Need Some Lovin’ (Pomplamoose)
You’re So Gay (Katy Perry)

A few questions. First, do you sense a theme? Second, when my brain finally decided to break the cycle of Pomplamoose, why the fuck did it go with lame pop girl Katy Perry? That ain't right.

As much as I'd love to hate Pomplamoose- Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn - I really can't. Seriously, I'd love an excuse. But they're pretty awesome. The tunes are quite clever, the songs are infectious and I love them with a fiery passion that burns with the strength of a thousand suns. But I am positive - absolutely convinced beyond any doubt whatsoever - that the geniuses behind this band have somehow injected it with the mental, audio equivalent of crack. How else could you explain the unconscious force that wakes me up with their songs in my head? Were I to be kept away from the music of Pomplamoose, I know I would first experience the shakes, enter a violently convulsive state and end up chopping up my music devices, snorting it and praising the gods of rock. And I'm fine with that. But god forbid I wake up singing Katy Perry again.

What kind of crap is stuck in your head?

Oh, and I turn 27 in 3 days, and I don’t know what to expect.

Pomplamoose – If You Think Need Some Lovin’

WHY I LOVE THIS GIG

A blogger's job is never done. This month I had the task of reviewing a mobile phone sent to me by Nokia. Specifically, the Nokia X6 music touchscreen smartphone. Nose to the grindstone, I poked, prodded, charged, loaded, and listened and I can now give my verdict.

This regular-sized sucker's pretty cool. Almost the same size of my earlier cell phones and quite a bit lighter, I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much. But I was wrong.

Turning on the mobile brought me to an appealing comprehensive 3.2 inch splash screen where I was able to navigate through the several categories of music player, media and supports. Audio files, messaging, dialer and contacts are all available from this screen. Navigation to each is simple by running your thumb or any other favourite finger across the screen. I was most curious about the audio (since I am, chiefly, a huge music lover) so I checked that out first. Having loaded a few of my favourite MP3s. Sound was all right, not too great. And even when it was bumped up by enhancements made through the equalizer it didn’t really sound too awesome. That was pretty much the only drawback noted here. The navigation between artists, albums and songs is trouble-free.
Next, I tried the video. It was crystal clear and the details are sharp.

The storage – 16 GB - is impressive. The rechargeable battery stays alive for quite a while (the box advertises 35 hours of music playback time and I've found nothing to prove that wrong). Stereo headset is provided, as well as a car charger cable and a phone holder. A USB cable is made available as is additional software. Of course, I can tell you much about that. I installed the music I love listening to when I’m at the gym or on my way to the office. Add your media files through the Nokia Ovi Suite and you're good to go.

Perhaps the greatest selling point? The OVI services. One of them being free downloads from the Nokia Music Store and the 5-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics - I know, I know who really cares about cameras in phones... but I’ll tell ya what, it's nice to have the option.

I love the way this phone operates. And if you're in the market for a nice phone that everyone else doesn’t have or won't break the bank, this is a good deal. My final admission. I've had this thing for a couple of months now. Who knows how it'll work over time. From my point of view, you're getting a lot of features for a pretty awesome price.

It's also probably worth mentioning that I love reading or checking my blog and other blogs from this phone.

And if you're wondering what to get all those people on your Christmas lists, give this a try. You can check the phone out at http://www.nokiax6.org
Some additional info can be found at YouTube.

At first I thought I'd just show you my mobile phone. Then I had an idea...

HI!!!!

My disappointment at realizing I’m a full 48 hours further from the weekend than I’d been led to believe was quickly tempered by the fact that I discovered a new band called ‘Pomplamoose’ (The name of the band derives from the French word ‘pamplemousse’ – incidentally which is from Tamil pampa limāsu meaning generally grapefruit) with a little help from Facebook. In fact, as soon as I got home, I got a copy of the songs, and am happily listening to it right now. And it’s good. (And, yes, I’m a dork. I’m a big dorky girl who thinks this is one of the best things since sliced bread. I think this cover originally sung by the band - Earth, Wind and Fire, ‘September’ is slightly different but good and has everything I like about this band and I’m going to listen to it over and over and you can’t stop me!

Ahem. Before we delve any further into the closet of my Musical Preferences, let’s move on to more important things. The music!

Here's a new feature on EC. Every month, this space turns it’s scheduled tasks over to friends to find out what’s playing on their music devices or in their heads. This week, we hear from Silvester Phanbuh, my peer from work. He's from the North-East, is a swell cook (he hasn’t invited me over yet) and person all around. We have a ball when we get together, which is always too rarely. Read his blog, Down-Shop Memoirs, here.

Where are you from?
Shillong, Meghalaya

What song did you think about when you got dressed this morning? Any new artists you’d like to recommend?
Not specific to this morning but if I were to have a soundtrack for my mornings it would have to be some landscape piece like an epic movie theme or Ennio Morricone, or the likes - A nice grand string arrangement. That’s because I live in a city so the only open spaces that I can open my windows to are in my mind.

How has your music progressed from when you started listening to music to right now?
As a kid I listened to anything that was popular or accessible – more than the word “listen”, the better terms would be “heard” or “familiar” as I never really paid attention. Although there were a couple of songs which I’d actually make an effort to listen to. As I grew up it got interesting - I discovered the Doors and Scorpions and finally I started listening to metal. Megadeth was, is and most probably always will be my all-time favorite band.
Initially I was very close minded, and my music represented my rebelliousness and there was always an “anti-something-or-the-other” angle to it. However, there was a natural expansion of my tastes and music started being influenced by my moods rather than an image I was supposed to cultivate. Hence, I don’t like it when people assume that I’m a plain old metal-head, because that term confines me.

What were the first songs that you liked that made it onto a music CD?
The first mixed tape I made had songs from KISS, Scorpions and Deep Purple if I correctly remember.

How do you feel the reaction is to music in B’lore?
I believe the music lovers in Bangalore are quite intelligent and there is always something for all genres. From my first hand experience I regard the metal crowd as the best in the country. Also the local scene is supported well which is refreshingly nice.

Where did you get the music you listen to?
I borrowed a lot of tapes from friends and vice versa – later on with the dawn of the “inter-web” acquiring music became easier. Of course, I always follow up on my favorite musicians to know about releases etc.

How big do you think blogs and internet buzz has been in a band’s success?
The internet is a great place to find music – I cannot explain the huge difference it’s made. Everything is faster, easier, has more options and mostly free. So automatically this led to exposure to lots of bands who would have otherwise been dependent on whimsical trend conscious record labels.

Check back and there’ll be more music lovers to read about.

The breaks between posts have been long and I do apologize, but I’ve been busy. I’m attempting to cobble together my life and that has taken over most of my music listening time. Fortunately I stole some time back over this past week to listen to a handful of random songs strewn about here and there on the web. Even more fortunately for all of us I tripped on this cover that the Noisettes have done that are worth a listen.

For those of you who are completely in the dark about Pop/Indie rock band, Noisettes, they covered the popular ‘When You Were Young’ by The Killers in March 2009 . This cover is especially nice. As would only be appropriate for it to gain space on EC.
I’ll do my best to post as often as possible. Rest assured that the music is still here and EC will continue on. Enjoy the music.

For a large chunk of my young-womanhood, I lived in B’lore, a heavily residential Anglo-Indian neighborhood. Despite having Khasi (Shillong) relatives myself, I wasn’t actually aware about the area; my family paid little attention to lineage and I never heard the language spoken. Until I met my best friend and later, my bro-inlaw. They were the main source of my North-Eastern influence in the neighborhood, particularly in the area of food. My first life-changing Naga-influenced food experience was delivered courtesy of my bro-in-law’s mum, Aunt Anung, in Nagaland. But not just any meat preparation. Her meals were tastier than any spread I had eaten before. The pork was perfectly smoked and fried, served with steamed vegetables and axone (fermented soy-bean) on the side of raja-mirchi (The Naga jolokia) chutney. When paired with a bamboo mug of red tea, made a far better nightcap than a Hot chocolate with a shot of Bailey's Irish creme mixed in ever could (well, maybe not far better).

So my first lesson in great food pairings came to me on a chilly evening, in a small town of light and bright colors and late night city occupants, while I sat at the dinner table combining tastes and on the edge of every flavor of meat, vegetables, side dishes and drink. And it’s still one of my favorite moments. The crunch of the roasted pork, the snap of the fried fat, the bite of the rajamirchi-axone mixed chutney; nothing on the planet sets up the taste and texture of a meal better.

Picture Courtesy : The Naga Kitchen

But the reason for this post isn’t about the recollection of a gourmet moment. There’s one other major culinary event for which I have the Naga neighborhood to thank: it’s the opening of The Naga Kitchen. The first Naga restaurant in B’lore city that I visited on Friday and Saturday. This local joint, serves a wicked version of authentic Naga cuisine, and from the moment I bit into my first roasted pork piece, I was hooked. I don’t care who you are, or how much you struggle with ethical issues around eating meat: you’re just going to have to admit that there’s pretty much nothing as delicious as properly cooked pork.

What's better than this? Almost nothing.

So allow me to say it: it’s time to come home to Naga food at:
The Naga Kitchen
#26 A.V.S Arcade, Above F Square Garment store
Terrace Floor, Opp. Adidas Showroom
Next to Empire and Nandhini hotel
Kamanahalli Main Road
Bangalore - 84

If you’re around this side of town, do get to The Naga Kitchen and taste some of their smoked pork and your ethical dilemma will be a thing of the past. At least until hunger strikes again.

In exactly three weeks, at 9:01 a.m. on Friday, September 24, I will turn 27. If 27 is dead in woman years, does this mean I am approaching resurrection? Or has my flesh finished rotting off my bones and is my skeleton just lying here, deluding itself that there is any life left in it at all?

Sara Bareilles : King of Anything

If you haven’t figured it out yet, I was trying to branch out a bit on this track. Most of the time I get into the groove of singer/songwriter Indie kid with a jones for folk tunes music and run it until it’s dead. But on this single I was looking for a bit more. A bit of pop oomph. Welcome to Sara Bareilles, almost-gonna-make it pop rock act. But I bring you good music with a focus on the music being good. Hence, she has made the cut.

WEEKEND RECAP

Another weekend is, once again, behind us. Admittedly, this is a condition which sucks donkey balls. But the weekend was a busy one; I've got a lot to tell so I can't dwell on that.

On Friday, I was tuckered out by the time I rolled out of work so I preferred to collapse on the couch for the evening and watch Criminal Minds. And surprisingly I had a great time.

On Saturday, I headed to a friend’s place, who also happens to be guitarist and vocalist for popular local band Lounge Piranha.

He’s working on a new t-shirt line and I wish I had taken my camera with me to capture everything I had seen - the creator at his home. I just loved his work, a place that looked like a home/ studio and work on the walls for ideas and inspiration.
His work place is like something out of a dream sequence, and the designs on t-shirts are full of humor and playfulness as well as great craftsmanship and unique style. Visit his homepage here to view his work!

Saturday afternoon - There was more than a little playing, multiple rounds of beer in a well-known pub called ‘Noon Wines’. I think I fell in love with the Lamb Steak Burger at Ice & Spice instantly, and a shockingly impressive consumption of mayonnaise. We had a wonderful time. Afterwards, I think we were all worn out. We headed home and passed out for the evening.

Sunday involved sleeping in for me, the expected weekend with older sis and her family for lunch and desert. While that was neat and all, it was my niece that stole the show as usual. By the time they left, though, I had her trained, getting her to sit down, stay still and everything. I'm sure "accidentally" feeding her cookies and chocolate didn't hurt her conformity either.

Most of you probably wouldn't mechanically leap to this guess but, if left to my own devices, there's a fair chance I'd become a loner. I like time to myself and with my music. But through all this eventful weekend, I was reminded that it's often through the eyes of other people – family and friends - that you're told again and again how privileged you are. And I'm one fortunate lady.

It seems like I talk every month about how surprised I am by the amount of new artists that show up on my playlist, but they’ve really outdone themselves this year. As far as this blog goes, I’ve added a new band to review this month, titled ‘Revelation’ by Sons of Sylvia. In fact I’m listening to it right now and it’s still solid from start to end. The album ‘Revelation’ is so good, so instantly timeless, that my unconscious has filed it away with albums I’ve loved over the last 15 years of my life.
As always, make sure to leave a comment if you like what you see or have your own favorite albums or songs to add. To the readers, thank you for continuing to support this blog and reading what I have to say. Have a wonderful September!

It’s Only Love’ by Sons of Sylvia