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.
