Introducing the Soul Sistas!

An unlikely Amazonian trio. Backbenchers in some classroom. Similar musical inclinations. One creature, extemely knowledgable and ingenious. The other a jester on the move and a person who’ll imitate the worst of you especially when you need to make an impression. The third cant be spoken about too much. Something volatile and a hyperactive amalgamation would be the closest that you can get to an explanation.
Visionaries of a skeptical age. They do their own thing on their own terms, and of course it doesn't sit well most of the time, even with it being the 21st century and all. Wild broken stars destined to waver in their importance in the cosmos, they know no boundaries. Apart from these things that keep them together, they long for the unhinged freedom that comes with music that challenges everything they know and have learnt.
They have voices that would swell into harmonious melodies but would rather enjoy a good show when given the chance. Not all people are made to be stars or meant to be on stage.
Constantly breaking through layers of remarkable idiocy, worldly weirdness, exasperation and logic fumbling. They have come a long way since popular music and have found innate happiness in sneaky shadows of the music industry.

They don’t need a stage for one to explore their explosive personalities they just need to be known.

An Upcomming Local Band

I know, I know! Two blogs in just a day… what can I say? I’m on a roll! A creative trajectory as unpredictable as the Indian Cricket team. Lately, my memory’s been good. So I’m going to inscribe all I can remember about music I enjoy. The band I’m going to write about hasn’t been officially launched yet but they’re getting famous with time.
Bangalore boys- Tony Das, Alwyn, Tillu, Mark Lazaro and Prakash- quite known in music circles around the place, were hand picked by Music Mogul and Producer Sandeep Chowta to make music that B’lore wouldn’t have quite heard before.
I knew Tony Das and the vocalist Mark Lazaro and that’s the only reason I’ve been in touch with the band. The first time I saw them perform, it was in Dec., I think. The weather couldn’t make up its mind if it wanted to rain or not. A couple of bands had already performed including Lounge Piranha and I was one of the few women who were there that late cheering the band on.
Then came up the guys known as Karma6- Bangalore’s very own. Mark Lazaro, the lead vocalist- dressed in black and his hair curlier as ever, living out the ultimate singer’s dream. He grabbed the microphone and belted out ‘Fix you’ and ‘Speed of Sound’ by Coldplay, ‘Sometimes I feel like screaming’ by Deep Purple, ‘Shine’ by Mr. Big, ‘Afterglow’ by INXS and ‘Pretender’ by Foo Fighters. I had a chance to talk to him once and to hear him talk about music is the best feeling in the world. Hearing him sing made you want to release your inner rock star! This young, energetic group of musicians demonstrate a refined style that is largely unhindered by the type of hero-worship that often marks a young band. They filled that night in Dec. with some high energy and proved themselves to be an unbeaten live act and ferocious musicians that cannot be stopped.
Several months later… fast forwarding to April ’08, the band released their first video shot by National Geographic. The song's release marked the impressive rise of the band and the message they sent out can be felt throughout.
Karma6 is working to record a full-length album very soon, and in the meantime, they will be playing on as many stages for all to enjoy.

An Encounter with the Little Sparrow

'LA VIE EN ROSE'

I picked up this DVD because the cover looked interesting and most importantly, it had to do with ‘music’. The film is about legendary French singer- Edit Piaf. I’ve never heard of the name or her music before this movie but I’m delighted to own a copy because the entire film right from the script, cinematography and music down to the cast, the colors and exploration of each scene was immaculate!
La Vie en Rose is an amazing 2 ½ hr journey. I wasn’t a Piaf fan but this movie does move her to the top of my star list.
What makes the movie truly magical is Marion Cotillard's riveting performance. She engages you the entire movie with her transfixing voice and that’s what does it for me. Edit Piaf's singing style is absolutely uncanny, fascinating and… spellbinding… and– she defines ‘Living the Song’.
My favourite song in the movie- ‘Non, je ne regrette rien’.

Buying Time!

Today wasn’t the best end to the week and I’m still trying to buy some time and hang onto Sunday, very reluctant to let it go. I read an entry about me on an old friend’s blog… Seriously buddy?? Right now, I imagine myself as an executioner laying out some bone-crushingly brutal style torture.
I don’t get men! If I don’t like them it means something’s wrong with me? Face it! We were just friends and if I didn’t go out with you it’s not because I thought you were nuts (although that would work as a good reason) but it was because you were like a… FRIEND!!
Bollocks! I didn’t want to get personal on my blog…
A month ago on Facebook, I was looking through some of the events featured for the month and noticed that ‘Dream Theatre’ was playing the next day in Canada.
Head- bouncingly cool!! I can just imagine their over-the-top show that turned the crowd into an ocean of hopping, moshing, sweaty bodies! Just for kicks I ticked ‘attending event’.

As I write this, I hear him singing to me…‘She’s got shadows in her shoebox…..’ and now, he takes off …saying something that doesn’t quite make sense but it flows seamlessly with the melody. The pace of the song quickens and you can hear his breaths, his voice getting raspier and he takes you into a spiraling world and as this was wonderfully built, it wonderfully dissipates. You’re left wondering whether the experience was real and when the silence is heard you’re ready to replay the song, hoping you’d feel the same way again… surprisingly You Still Do!!!!

An amazing stranger stopped by and read my blog- thank you! I never thought this page would be read by anyone really. Here’s to fast friends and musical allies.

A Local Band and A Fan

The radio and the internet get a mention because up until middle school or so I thought music consisted of acts like – Michael Jackson, New Kids on The Block, Prince and Journey (which was mostly for sentimental reasons). Now I’ve turned on my mind’s musical side and I realize there are hundreds of them! From Matchbox Twenty, Lifehouse, Third Eye Blind, Goo Goo Dolls, Vertical Horizon to Taking Back Sunday, Counting Crows, Coldplay, Tori Amos... and this is just Alternative.
I haven’t discovered a new artist to write about this week. Training for a new process at work is over. I barely made it through the first week and i cant believe the weekend’s almost over. Last night I remembered this local show that took place about 3 yrs ago and I decided to write about it before my memory fails me. It was during my first year in M.A. My friend’s boyfriend asked me to come and hear him play at a coffee shop. I had seen local bands play in B’lore and I had never gotten the whole Spazobilly punk rock mayhem thing and that day it rained quite monstrously. I wanted to give up going to the concert altogether but I decided to go for it anyways because anything was better than staying at home.
Tony Das, was the friend who invited me. At the time he was playing for Thermal and a Quarter and he was also part of the three member band- Golden Boy, who performed that night. The other two were his older brother, Chris and his little sister, Judy. As a family they’ve been together cultivating their sound for so many years and what took place that night was real music - unplugged, acoustic, at its best!
Judy sang Bonnie Rait’s ‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’. Her voice was intimate and sultry and that reflected her artistic and personal life. Chris sang the very famous, Maroon 5 ‘This Love’ and Vertical Horizon’s ‘Everything You Want’- these were my favorites at the time and if anyone had sung them and screwed them up I would’ve probably had some seething comment ready. But Chris exerted a powerful creative presence that night with his acoustic rendition of the two songs. Tony Das, (now the guitarist of Karma6) a multi-talented guitar player - If you haven't watched this boy play, hold on to your space suits kids!
The trio’s music is not en vogue in a sense. They sing the kind of songs that you would listen to on those wintery days. Always catchy and always thoughtful. These folks exude a strange sort of confidence that makes you feel like throwing your hands up and loving.

The Miracle of ’08- after a long break, the Das’ performed again at the Opus. By this time I had gotten to know them pretty well and this was the local act that I had wanted to see perform. Some of the songs sang by the group were from the 80’s.. It made the night seem sunny and hopeful and took you out of a world of dead end jobs, phonies, sycophants, making up and breaking up.
Judy sang Sara Bareilles and Jewel. Chris sang tracks by Del Amitri and Winger, with a special dedication to their biggest fans- their mum, Tony’s girl- Runa and then the unique devotee- ME!
Don’t know if these guys will ever play again together, but if they do… I’m there. You should join me too. Long live Alternative Rock!