You'll be pleased to know that a day has passed without illness...and there’s some considerable amount of excitement happening too! Sadly, the night wasn't quite as torture-free - I experienced something of a relapse yesterday. But I’m back to feeling better now. All of it focused around the concert of my favourite band tonight.
If I hadn't mentioned it, I've been taking the week light. So, posting will be slightly scanty. Okay, okay...I'll probably be motivated by my insane need to entertain and I'll post every other day but just don't expect sharp wit or dazzling social observations. I'm giving my mind some time to cool.
Soulmate — Legendary Blues and Soul band from Shillong and recently awarded Rolling Stones’ Female Vocalist of the Year winner TIPRITI 'TIPS' KHARBANGAR and Guitarist of the Year RUDY WALLANG will perform tonight at 8 pm, Friday, July 16 at the B-Flat Lounge, 100 ft Rd, B’lore. Tickets are priced at 300.
I actually stumbled upon this single track by The Octopus Project the other day.
While I’m being a giant nerd, combing the internet for interesting news, or working I sometimes have a bit of liberty to listen to music. And then, at other times, all of those activities collide and I find a track like this that simply must be passed on. Enjoy.
Allow me once again to be a proud, bragging friend and fan. On Saturday night Soulmate played at the beautiful airport hotel, Clarks Exotica. Sure, I’ve written about this band plenty of times but to me they – especially Tips, completely kicked ass again. Luckily for you I had my camera with me so you can see just how awesome she was.
Yeah, perhaps I got a little distractingly close….
and that, my friends, is the most awesome vocalist and my friend.
Went for the photo essay thingy (I'm so bloody articulate, it hurts sometimes) instead of the usual post. More about the weekend soon.
Friday was a blast. I went to work despite the temptation to stay in and sleep - I did my job, checked out at five thirty, and returned home to ready myself for the Soulmate concert that evening. It was an interesting show if you happened to be there. The place was packed, a sea of screaming fans and I was struck by a feeling of tremendous good fortune, lucky that I was there at this crowded space not because I was surrounded by close friends and colleagues but because I was a music lover and I belonged in a place like this. I had, simply, a reason to be there. As usual, Tips and Rudy were pretty damn good. Nearly every song was accentuated with a groove-heavy jam. It was the kind of live music you wanted to watch on a cold November evening but funky, fun to watch and listen to. We were a little disappointed that we were treated to only two or three of their ‘Moving On’ album barn burners. But the duo sounded great. Lead singer Tipriti ‘Tips’ Kharbangar was awesome - and guitar god – Rudy Wallang nearly made us pass out from a bundle of wonderfulness. Now, that’s what I call a monster guitarist! Overall, good show, just more than what I or, apparently, the crowd expected.
After the band had performed their first set and then pulled off for a brief break – I got to catch up with my favourite singer and I realized that my efforts to look good that night were completely and utterly rewarded when Tips bear-hugged me and told me I looked absolutely sexy! Then after a few giggles she proceeded to fill me in on the details of her tour so far and an exciting piece of news - that she gets to open for Brazilian Musician Sheyla Costa’s show in Paris next week.
If you can't tell by now, I loved the show. I wanted to find some roofs to yell "Soulmate's here, baby" from the tops of. Listening to them is a blast. There are times in which you can close your eyes and know for absolute certain that this is the same group who can record a perfectly sounding good track and also act crazy with you when they’re not on stage. And those are the moments in which musicians like these proves to be one of the greats as well.
I apologize for the lack of regular updating. As I said in the last post - which was how many days ago? - things here have been on the super-hectic side and blogging has been the last thing I've had the time or energy to do. Posts are going to be very light but I'm going to do my best to keep you updated as we go along. I have a couple of entries in the works that will be easy to whip up. One is about school and here’s a treat – a before and after picture! Explanations are forthcoming, but I'll give you this: the ninja invasion is 100% true. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
If you like blues - really gritty, dirty blues with raw guitars, howling vocals and stripped down rhythms. Then you need to come down to The Le Rock Pub in B’lore city this Friday at 7 pm because you are about to witness two gorgeous musicians – Rudy Wallang and Tipriti ‘Tips’ Kharbangar(Soulmate) who heard the blues and never looked back. If you just like a good, old-fashioned bluesy vibe, you'll dig it and you can join me for a drink if you find yourself at the venue on said date. Hope to see you at the show.
(P:S - 300/- cover charge for couples and 400/- for stags.)
Due to an awesome link left some time ago on my facebook page I have had the pleasure of being introduced to a great Indie Rock band called ‘Arcade Fire’ by my friend, colleague and fellow blogger, Pete. Arcade Fire maybe a band whose music I know very little of but from what I’ve listened to, their music is quite universal. To be honest I think the track ‘Neon Bible’ is better than a lot of Indie Rock music I’ve heard to date. If I was forced to offer up a glib little review this is all I’d have to say.
You must watch their video here. This version of ‘Neon Bible’ is even more beautiful than the real thing. It’s shot in an elevator and I love the whole tearing pages out of magazines. It’s just like taking your favorite parts of a track; putting them with acoustics, and playing that fantasy out for two whole minutes. Trust me when I say that if you like this track you’ll simply love the band. It really is that good; Canadians seem know what they’re doing. And special thanks to the awesome soul who introduced me to them. You should thank them too.
I am currently on vacation, until Tuesday which really means hours, even days, of relaxing free time. And I’ve decided that I would use this time to do what I love - I’m perusing through my favourite blogs, streaming tracks from Youtube to last.fm, attending shows, and watching my favourite doctor – Gregory House. But for some reason all of these didn’t matter as soon as I learnt that blues band Soulmate was doing a private gig at this place called Bacchus last night.
Obviously that brings me to this post about the band again. I love this band, I love their music, and I love the album ‘Moving on’. In fact I love the album so much it has been the only album I’ve listened to on my laptop over the past three months. I finally took it out after I realized just how fanatical I’ve become with the album; how trapped I’ve become in this practice of listening to it over and over again (I mean c’mon, I actually have memorized, word for word, 9 of the 12 tracks on the album).
Fortunately for me my friend is an avid listener of the blues and she had stumbled upon the video I had uploaded from their last concert. So she was all up for coming with me to this swanky little watering hole during the early evening. On this night the cover was 500 bucks, of course all our drinks were covered with the entry coupon, and the music was more than worth the long trek back and forth on the frozen evening. Soulmate lived up to their billing as they played through a set of their acoustic numbers, and quite possibly the best live version of ‘Johnny be good’ I have ever heard. And the fact that they managed to cram all of this fun onto a tiny little stage of Bacchus just added to the night.
It was a real treat to actually hear Tips’ otherworldly vocals fashioned live and only a few feet away. The two hour-something set went by fast and at 11:30 the band wrapped it up and started packing on stage. As I passed them I shouted out "great job!" and in a persona much different from the one we had just seen, Tips screamed back my name and gave me a big bear hug. Best of all, though? When Tips heard that Shillong was one of my stops on vacation to the north-east she gave me her number and asked me to call her as soon as I reached. And due to my incredible position in the crowd, I actually got to play photog for once. Check out my pictures above.
They played roughly 8 -10 songs. During their second set it was like they tapped into a different energy and I could tell many in the audience were fighting to stay seated at times. "Cup of tea" was also exceptional and I think it was this song where my friends were nearly standing on top of their tables. It was pretty cool and done with enough passion and elegance without being overdone.
The song that I’m playing here today was quite brilliant in a live setting, easily surpassing the studio recordings which appear on their album. Might I add that both Tips as well as Rudy are absolutely amazing singers and people. Their charisma presents itself very well in a live setting and I strongly encourage anyone with a chance to catch them live to get out and see a set. It’ll be an evening you’ll forever want to hold on to.
And all this rambling brings me to this track. ‘Cup of tea’ is written about a day in the life of lead vocalist Tipriti ‘Tips’. This song is quietly tranquil and content. It’s filled with honest emotions and genuine bliss. And I know every word as if I wrote it myself. It’s a beautiful song and I feel that if I don’t share it with everyone it will be stuck in my head for ages and I won’t ever listen to another album.
September 16, 2009
Day three of a three day work week. It didn’t suck as much as I thought it would. And I’m thankful.
A few years ago I was given a couple of gifts and included were two pairs of pink and red All Stars. You know those old-school Converse shoes. My friends are so hip it hurts (ouch). Oddly enough, just a few weeks shy of my 24th birthday and I came to the abrupt realization that I had never owned a pair of All Stars. At that time I was also exchanging emails with a friend who'd just put up a picture of her own shoes and she was baffled (okay, maybe not "baffled" but she sure was surprised). So I had fixed the problem. To be cool like my friends and the friend I was chatting with. And the internet. Obviously, this in one way or another troubled me since I'm 26 years old and still thinking about it. But it was one way in which I was never cool. One more example would be the fact that I think I've seen about two episodes of South Park in their entirety. It's funny, yes, I just never watch it. It started with a report yesterday morning on Yahoo front page, now rocketing across cyberspace; Patrick Swayze, the gracefully macho Texan actor who lit up everything from ‘The Outsiders’ to ‘Powder Blue’ has died. An actor, dancer and singer-songwriter and much more, Swayze died on Monday after a long illness. He leaves behind a world much less wonderful, especially for those of us who grew up on his antics with old-school show biz legends. I made a really good find this week. Jack Savoretti. This half-English, half-Italian solo acoustic singer from London- delivers in an incredibly strong and mature style and his voice is folksy and strong. The track ‘No one’s Aware’ is full of emotion and refuses to fall into the slick acoustic traps so many contemporary singer-songwriters have fallen into of late. This single, is about as catchy a song you can ask for. And the rest of the album takes its lead. It'll never win song of the century but it sure is good.
Tomorrow, Sep 13, F&B, at 8:00 p.m. Soulmate will be performing in B’lore again. I will be one of the guests at the venue, listening and getting some shots of the band and Tipriti ‘Tips’ Kharbangar (who, might I add, is extremely effortless on the eyes). It's going to be a wonderful evening and I'd be thrilled if you joined us.
It’s hard not to be a little over-sentimental when you’re spinning in the tunnel of depression. I hate that feeling, aware that it’s hanging nearby. There are times when something in life sets it off and recently I’ve been spending a lot of my time consumed with anger and hatred, which directs to pitying myself, which goes right back to the anger, because why do I have to let it get to me? The stoic in me hates this bullshit, but here it comes.
I have had a problem with letting people I hardly know get into my head and mess me up. Sometimes it’s been bad. Other times it’s been really bad. When I’m in this phase I hate myself to the point that it weakens me. It makes me take it out on the good people in my life at first, and then when it gets bad; it makes me want to lock myself in my room all day. I start to daydream about that ideal world where people are happy with their jobs and at the end of a challenging day, discuss their great life over drinks. I remember thinking once, during a bad spell that I would be okay if I could just curl in bed and not move, for maybe a week.
I’m not exactly sure why I’m writing about this here, maybe because it’s not a big deal; it’s sort of just part of my life. Plus, I feel like its part of why I haven’t been writing lately and it’s easier just to write about that then to try and come up with a post. I guess I owe you some cheap humour folks, because this blabbering is probably freaking some of you out a little.
Anyway, I’m not anywhere near depression or anything yet. Maybe it’ll skip my house this year. If it does show up, I’ll bite down on my tree bark and wait it out. I am okay. If y’all guys get a chance, then get your hands on this show called ‘The L Word’. It’s a show that I’ve been watching lately, about the lives of seven lesbians and their lovers in West Hollywood. I’ve become a huge fan of the show ever since I watched the entire first season over the weekend. And, I'm a straight woman. It’s radical, not only in relation to the gay community, but for the general populace too. In a time when some are still struggling for equality, this show has created a fictional place to run to, a space where anybody and everybody is accepted.
I have also still been listening to Soulmate’s music alot lately and my previous post about them got noticed. I kept on bragging about their music to all my friends, and gifting their albums from cd baby for friends on their birthdays. Tipriti, the vocalist, meanwhile returned to Shillong, and resumed playing her shows (which I’ve heard from some friends, whom have had the pleasure of seeing them live, is quite brilliant). Emails have been exchanged, facebook friendship was born, and through it all I’ve felt like in some way I’ve been let into her world. And to be honest I feel lucky to have been included along the way. To everyone who hasn’t heard of Soulmate before, I urge you to explore their music. And to Tripriti, I must say that I am glad you’re making amazing music and I feel honored to be able to spread your talent around. This is easily one of the grittiest tracks I’ve heard in a long time. And I think we might all need that once in a while. The track is entitled ‘Stay Away’ and it is, simply out of this world. Literally. To be honest I expect nothing less from this phenomenal vocalist.
It has come to my attention that there are folks who have not seen The Hangover.
If you are one of these people, please, please do your part to rectify the situation.
You won't regret it.
Falling ill and feeling awful and thinking there's no flu in your office and then finding out that there actually is: it's not quite heaven.
But almost.
There’s been a flu attack at the office. I wish our company would let us know of things like this because it just affects the whole office and ruins productivity and not to mention, a good foosball game.
I’m not actually very sick yet. I mean, I do feel like hell, but it's just a three-day-virus that's going around at work. This means that it’s time for me to turn into a giant, whining baby. I have also decided, in the apparently common manner of a daughter of medical specialists, that what I have is in fact not a three-day-virus but the dreaded swine flu.
Until I find out for sure I’d appreciate any sympathy you can direct my way.
Mention the name ‘Soulmate’, and most North-easterns will know what you’re talking about. Understandably, one of the best songs, for me, off the album ‘Moving on’ is ‘Set me free’. The vocalist’s soulful voice leaves the listener quite exhausted but exhilarated after 5 minutes.
It is a deceptively gritty bluesy track, with great interplay of vocals and the electric guitar. Tipriti ‘Tips’ Kharbangar takes the lead vocal on this song, and does so with such confidence. It’s just so brilliant and absolutely lush. The track below will show the pure awesomeness of this band to anyone who has ears. The band is a wonderful wake and it would be a strong case to claim them as my most recent source of inspiration. A number one, and deservedly so. A worthy closer for one of the best albums of the century so far. Awesome weekend y’all!
In this day and age when the good ones have all but disappeared, some continue to put out new albums that are, well, below par, and yet others are on a possible permanent break, it can be hard at times to be excited for new music. In fact it can be hard to be excited for music in general.
Fortunately for us all, in this modern desert economy, there exists one bright and shining star that tries to put out a brilliant slice of music every week for your enjoyment. Check this page out for some great music exclusives.
