Tranquility, Adoration and Contentment

It is vital to keep in mind that with better clearness of vision comes better understanding.

So to the techies who insist on getting into the elevator, despite it being really overcrowded, I clearly understand that if you insist on getting into an already crowded one tomorrow your ass will only cause you to be injured by my foot as I stick it out to kick you. And then I will feel great.

Om.

The bond between my brain and my fingers has been a little slow lately (mmm, work) so I've been sloppy on the blogging. Hoping to make it back to the office tomorrow for the last day of work this week (on a dose of pain killers). Regular blogging to resume soon.

Who better than Frou Frou's (Imogen Heap and Guy Sigsworth) 'Let go' to ease you into your week. This song falls under the “it’s been stuck in my head for more than a day so I thought I should post it and pass the obsession along” variety. Oh and I assure you that you’ll be silently dancing to it well into the next month. Enjoy.

I’ve been waiting for a special day when I needed a shop kick to complete my photography project - and I’m feeling so happy right now about having done it. So this week the time came when I put 6 x 8 prints of my favourite shots into my bag and went to M.G Road after work. I should’ve taken some photos in there I guess, so you could all see it, since I personally would looove photos if any of you visit Gangarams or any Art stores… *hint hint*

This is what I got:

A glue stick, some adorable looking bookmarks (always good to have more of them), small coloured sized cards, a tiny stapler, and CD’s and covers. A nice album for prints (60 leaves) and some smiley magnets…

Yes and a cute ‘Art of Dating’ book (hehe).

It is unlike me to go crazy over stationery… But sometimes unexpected things happen and you see things differently than before.


The project that I’m currently working on will contain some of my best pictures taken from last year with my Kodak cam. I will tell you more about it later, I promise. I’m mainly doing it for my self, because I would like to save what I did last year in one document, but you will be able to get a look at it. I just didn’t know how much work it would be when I started this! But it is fun, and it gives me lots of ideas for future projects that I want to do.
And as for the sleepless nights. It is not only small photography projects, but bigger ones as well that are swirling in my mind right now.

...taking a momentary diversion from discussing photography to focus on something really important. Beer.

A couple years back - after being a strict vodka drinker for no apparent reason - I decided I'd to start drinking beer again. Not like binge drinking. No, I'm not in college again with my girls throwing a PJ party and make-up night. It’s just having about a beer or two whenever I can. I think I have a better appreciation for it now more than ever. And because it’s more likely to be cheaper.

Beer is good. It tastes yummy, particularly on a nice warm day. And while beer is perhaps, without help, to blame for some crazy nights, the special accidents and impulsive moments around the world, it is one of the oldest foods. I was going to say bread, but then I remembered that there are assumptions that bread was a byproduct of beer production, so beer wins.
Below is a track titled ‘Raggamuffin’ by a lesser-known artist who goes by the name Selah Sue. What really struck me is the impressive way she sings them and after listening to this track you’ll know it too. It always amazes me what talent and originality lies covered amongst the rubble strewn about Myspace and Youtube alike. Selah Sue is a talented young musician who deserves a listen and one thing is certain, there is great potential here.

Oh my peter!* I'm feeling pretty banged up this morning. I'll blame the late nights and interrupted sleep. I do apologize for the lack of posts during this past week. I really must apologize. But I’m back. As always I thank everyone who stops by on a regular basis and those who de-lurked to leave a comment last week.

This past weekend, on a delightful Saturday night, Pete and I went to E-Zone, a club in Marathalli, to catch a bit of music. Fortunately for me my friend is an avid listener of everything great and he had stumbled upon this band named ‘Something Relevant’ from Mumbai.
On this night the cover was 150 rupees, the beers were 200, and the music was more than worth the long ride back and forth on the frozen evening. Fortunately their performance was quite honestly brilliant. It’s the type of brilliant that lets you know that these boys, will, in fact be on the top ten lists of Indian bands at the end of the year. It’s the type of brilliant that blacks out all other bands for a solid amount of time while you attempt to sate your addiction on whatever songs you can get your hands on. ‘Something Relevant’, lived up to their billing as they played through a set of funk infused jazz with a cover of Smooth Criminal, and quite possibly the best live version of anything I have ever heard since Soulmate. And the fact that they managed to cram all of this fun onto a tiny little stage in one corner of this ground just added to the night.
This band was quite dazzling in a live setting, easily surpassing studio recordings. Might I add that the saxophonist, the trombone player and the vocalist are quite possibly the best I’ve ever heard. If I’m a sucker for anything it’s a good saxophonist, especially one that looks similar to Eric Marienthal. You got me good ‘Something Relevant’ (wonderful band name by the way), you got me good. Get the album ‘Feels Good to Be Live’, thank me later.

The playful nature of the vocalist, Aazin Printer, also 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 a fun evening.

* an expression Elvis frequently used to express surprise.

FRIDAY! About Time You Showed Up

Oh dear friends, I missed you today. I got trapped - trapped I tell you - in a terrible day at the office. But it's Friday. Two extremely large cups of tea into the day and I'm starting to feel slightly more alive. Apologies if I seem a bit murky...you see, it was a shitty day overwhelmed with absolutely frustrating labour without a break. I won't bore you with work stuff but have you ever had one of those days after which you feel wholly and entirely overpowered? That was my day today. In any case, that's ended and, since I've pulled so many epic days recently, I'm glad tomorrow is an off. Needless to say, there's been no Friday happy-dancing going on this evening. But that’s only because I'm way tired.

What's today? Well, okay, yes, it’s Friday. But really, the answer I'm going for is De-lurking Day!
Today is the day for my readers to come out of hiding for a couple minutes to comment and say hello. And for all of you who quite regularly comment here? I want to hear from you today too.

And since it’s the whole Friday music thing I figured I'd better give you something good. I was thinking about the whole acoustic thing a little while ago and remembered an old song that I love. Just hit play if you don’t want to read a little bit about the artist...
Joshua Radin released two albums: We Were Here (2006), and Simple Times (2008). They’re both essential. Just buy them. I’d like to think that, in 20 or 30 years or so, when the musical wheel turns and the world reassesses all that has been overlooked, these albums will be recognized as the stunning successes they are. Joshua Radin is a comparatively new artist has been making music for four years now. If you like Acoustic and Folk music, you might like him. His albums have been critically acclaimed and have received an ardent listener comeback. It’s an incredibly amazing body of work. Do yourself a favor and check him out now, before the musical wheel turns. Joshua Radin with ‘Only You’

I have decided to watch American Idol this season because it’s said to be the last season of Simon Cowell as judge and Simon Fuller as writer of the show. But here’s a funny fact of AI. If it proves to be a representation of society, then it shows a ridiculously soaring population of people who are just clearly kookoo. There are a lot of people who, as it appears, have no self-control systems, are nuts and/or absolutely psychos, and enclose themselves with friends and family who have the same opinion that they're brilliant when they, in reality, sound like dying animals.

Folks, you need to start taping your voices before you try out for the biggest competition in your country. Apart from torturing people with voices you never thought you had, I simply can’t believe some people are so dense to not know if they can sing or not. If I ever decide to sing in public, shoot me before I hurt anyone.

Oooh, the degree of separation between me and cute guy is about to shrink by a factor of about a thousand. I now sit just a few rows away from him. Just a note, I meant that in a totally non-freaky-stalkerish way. ... And I’m hoping this guy will help me out with a few tips.

I have nothing against R&B and Hip-Hop. In fact, their songs have formed the backbone of my music listening. And so I keep finding myself returning to this genre when I find a particular artist or song is a great pleasure to listen to. R&B found a new canon, and if the old standards will never entirely go away, there was plenty evidence that the genre was growing, incorporating the great music of the near past, just as it always has.

Alicia Keys was my great musical discovery of the past week. I missed catching up with the album as soon as it came out, dismissing it as miserable new school pop droning. My loss. Keys’ career started off good, lost her way in the middle and then got ridiculously great. And she saved the best for last. Keys’ released her most recent album 'The Element of Freedom' in December 15, 2009 that will, someday be recognized as one of R&B’s masterpieces.