Zero...they're one of Mumbai's...nay...India's best contemporary rock bands...and I'm very happy to tell you that they were the first Indian Rock Band to feature on my "Bands Of India" segment on East West Masala(10-11pm Tuesday Nights)
Motherjane...they're Cochin's Pride and in my opinion one of the finest bands I've ever heard. Period.
Tripwire...One of India's first Punk Rock bands...Tripwire is out to make a difference to the Indian rock scene by ushering in the sounds of punk rock.
Orange Street...The band with the most unique sound on the Indian Rock scene.
Parikrama...Arguably the most popular Indian Rock Band ever!
Skinny Alley...Serious musicians...experience and talent...Great Band!!!
Demonic ResurrectionFirst seriously heavy band on the show!!!
Them Clones...Now I seriously think this is one of my favourite bands so far!
Gary Lawyer...A guy who really needs no introduction!
Thermal And A Quarter...One of the best of the country. Probably the best original music makers in India.
Buddha Blown...Undoubtedly the best guitar work in the country. They blew me away for sure!
Pentagram...they're one of the most popular Indian bands around and they hvae been best known for innovating and experimenting a lot more than their anyone else out there!
VAYU...Classic Rock Forever!
OM...The Fusion Band!
PDV...Heavy Stuff!!!
Psychomotor...Kick Ass Rockers!!!!
The Other People...An excellent classic rock band!!!!
Pralay...A very unique band for sure!
Brahma...Good Clean Hard Rockers
Bombay Black...you want different...well check these guys out!
HFC...The new kids on the block...not!!!
Zephyr...they've got tremendous prospects...a band to check out for sure!
Cassini's Division...Four guys from Calcutta who're mightily impressive.
Soulmate...The best Indian band at the moment in my opinion!
Sceptre...one 'Kick Ass' band!
Bands/Artists interviewed so far are...
Rajeev : Vocals
Bobby: Bass
Warren: Guitars
Sidd: Drums
I interviewed the guys on 30th November and spoke to them about their new album. They should have a new album out sometime next year. I've heard a few parts of it with Sidd...and boys and girls...it ROCKS!
They told me that they'll be going on an international tour sometime really soon.That's fantastic...and I hope that more Indian bands get an opportunity to show their talent here...and abroad. They're also performing this year at Mood I at IIT. Do come to watch them...should be awesome:)
I played two songs that night from their EP "Hook"('Not My Kind Of Girl' and 'PSP 12"') and spoke to Rajeev, Sidd and Bobby. Warren, unfortunately, was out of town so we couldn't have him on air.
In my opinion the whole band is amazing...but I have to be fair and say that Warren's guitaring...especially on some of their new songs is simply mindblowing!
You guys can request for their songs and I'll play them for you on the Rock & Retro hour on Fridays(5-6pm). Incidentally I did play another one of their tracks on friday..."Lost". It was just like any of their other songs...simply fantastic:)
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com and Gigpad.com.
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Suraj Mani : Vocals
Baiju M: Guitars
Rex: Guitars
Clyde Rozario: Bass
John Thomas: Drums
I interviewed the manager of the band - Rahul on 7th December and spoke to him about their the band. We'll talk to Suraj on air very soon. They're working on a new album and hope to come to Mumbai soon to perform...so look out for that!
They are the first Indian rock band to have their album aired across a mammoth 14 American, 3 Mexican and 6 European radio stations. A feat unprecedented in the Indian rock industry and a feat that is here to stay for some years to come. They are professionals of over a hundred shows and have virtually rocked all the great venues and festivals in the country including GIR Bombay and Delhi, JRO Chennai, IIT Delhi, IIT Chennai, IIT Roorkee, IIT Kanpur, BITS Pilani, IIM Kozhikode and Pune Woodstock among others. There's a whole lot more about the band...but I'll let you look for yourself.
I played two songs that night from their album "Insane Biography"('Mindstreet' and 'Ssh...Listen') and shall keep playing more.
In my opinion this is probably one of India's most talented band. The musicians in the band(drums,guitars and bass) are fantastic and the vocals of Suraj are just as amazing.
On friday te 10th of December I interviewed Suraj and spoke with him about the band's first album "Insane Biography". He also told me that they have a new album coming out soon...so look out for that folks. I'm sure it will be amazing as well.
You guys can request for their songs and I'll play them for you on the Rock & Retro hour on Fridays(5-6pm).
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com and Gigpad.com
and their official website!!! motherjaneindia.com.
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Amey: Vocals, Guitar
Sagar: Bass
Jack: Drums
I interviewed Tripwire on the 14th of December. I spoke with Amey and Jack. Unfortunately due to lack of time I couldn't talk with Sagar but we'll have a comment from him soon:)
Tripwire has taken Indian punk rock to the next level by being the first punk band ever to be chosen to play at the prestigious Independence Rock. Tripwire has played headlining slots at Smells Like Punk Spirit-A Punk Tribute To Kurt Cobain, Alternative Nation, and the recent series of Punk-O-Ramas. They recently played at Not Just Jazz By The Bay, an all-acoustic set at The Boat Club, and at RAM Fest in Pune.
I spoke to the guys and they tell me that they're going to come out with a new album real soon. You guys can get in touch with the band directly through my site. They also talked about the punk rock scene in Mumbai right now and how they're glad that it's beginning to catch on. They want to tell you..."Support Punk Rock and Indian Rock bands."
For now one of their songs is on a cd made by 'ennui.BOMB' called "We Are The Scene - Vol 1" along with songs by a few other Indian Bands.
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com and Gigpad.com
and the official website of Tripwire!!!
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Anirban: Vocals
Dara: Bass
Donny: Guitars
Ashwin: Drums
Imran: Hindustani Vocals
Praveen: Dhol/Dholak
I interviewed Orange Street on the 21st of December. I spoke with Anirban, the vocalist of the band about their latest album, "Dharma", which is as a matter of fact their third album. They've released two more albums which were called "Drive Carefully" and "Candywalk".
We spoke about the songs and why they chose to take the new direction they've taken with their music. What this fantastic band has, is a sound that melds rock guitars and drums with contemporary electronic music and the whole mix is topped with Indian classical vocals and instruments. Like I said before...a truly unique sound. That was completely affirmed by the first song that I played from "Dharma"...'Morey Piya'. The song was absolutely amazing. And Anirban told me...that this song was their first step...in the new direction that they chose to follow.
What I love most about the band is how close they truly feel to their roots. There's no pretense...they can rock hard...party wild...kick a** when needed but at the same time they can show that they're as Indian as vada pav and pani puri!...well a whole lot cooler than those two examples...which were the first things that came to my mind writing this at 2am. As I write this the song 'Morey Piya' is playing in the background...I am so incredibly impressed by Imran's vocals. Not that Anirban's work is mediocre in any way...he's brilliant as well. But Imran bhai...he's simply something else!!! Anirban I'm sure you agree with me as well.
Taking this new sound, they performed all over Europe and now I wish they have tremendous success right here at home with their new album.
Let me end this with a few of Anirban's words. It's something I think this band can truly identify with...and it was something that I really loved a lot...
"Be Indian, Think Indian, Live Indian"
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com and Gigpad.com
and the official website of Orange Street!!!
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Nitin Malik: Vocals
Subir Malik: Keyboards
Dilip Ramachandran: Drums
Chintan Kalra: Bass
Sonam Sherpa:Guitars
Saurav: Guitars
Gyan: Tabla
Imran: Violin
I interviewed Parikrama on the last tuesday of 2004, the 28th of December. What a perfect way to cap the year. I spoke with Subir Malik from the band. He's not only their keyboard player, but also the manager of the band. It was nice talking to him and getting to know a bit more on one of the few bands that even I've managed to see in concert twice before.
We spoke about their songs...and why they're not out with an album yet. Though that might be the case they're without a doubt one of the most heard/downloaded bands in Indian Rock history. Speaking of a ton of downloads...their song 'But It Rained' is probably the most downloaded Indian rock song(you could add to that figure by downloading the song off thier site, the link to which I've given at the end of this little write up)
What I love about their music is that though they like a lot of heavy stuff and they have some incredibly powerful songs too they can belt out a ballad just as beautifully as they can do a heavy song. And then their rock n roll aspect...that's something I rarely see these days in Indian Bands or elsewhere. It's like a return to the roots...a return to great music...timeless and ageless. The guys rock...and have ablast doing what they do. The way any great band should.
Well they're also veterans in terms of touring. They've had a whole load of concerts already and are adding to them every month!
Speaking of concerts they should be in Mumbai in January for a Mood I(which was cancelled this month) so I'm looking forward to seeing them there!
As the old saying goes "Be there or be square!!!"
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com
and the official website of parikrama.com!!!
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Jayashree Singh: Vocals
Amit Datta:Guitars
Gyan Singh: Bass & Vocals
Jeffrey Menezes: Keyboards & Vocals
Jeffrey Rikh: Drums & Vocals
The first band of 2005!!! And whatta band!:)
As they put it 'The band was formed with a twofold view - firstly, to write and perform original music, drawing from its members' considerable experience and wide range of influences and, secondly, to recreate well-known and not-so-well-known tunes ranging from the rock and pop of the sixties right down to the mainstream rock and alternative rock of the present day.'
I spoke with Jayashree...about the band's first album "Escape The Roar" and we heard two of their songs..."Universal Plan" and "Hey Hey". Simply put their songs are about life...simple things that could happen to you and me...'photographs and memories' in songs is what I felt about their work.
Now these guys obviously know what they're doing...they've been doing it a while now...the band(musicians) are top class...and Jayashree's singing is fantastic as well.
Each member of this really talented band has performed in several bands all over the country and outside, playing music that spans many decades and even more styles, ranging from rock and roll to reggae, from funk to fusion, and from jazz-inflected pop to the blues. The members of the band have played to diverse crowds, from college campuses to plush clubs and from coffee-houses to football stadiums! Well hopefully we'll see them in Mumbai sometime soon:)
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com
and the official website of Skinny Alley!!!
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The Demonstealer: Vocals & Guitars
Mephisto : Keyboards
Husain : Bass
Jp : Drums
The first heavy band on the show.
I was told that Demonic Resurrection was born from the solo efforts of The Demonstealer(Saahil). Once the right musicians were found his vision of Demonic Resurrection was brought to life. After 2 long years, 1 album and almost over 12 line-up changes DR future looked grim. The band lost all original members except the Demonstealer. Finally in January 2003 the band was resurrected with a new line up and a whole new sound and set-list. With the new and improved lineup DR has found its own sound and the future never looked brighter. The bands music cannot be classified into any particular genre. The style encompasses all varies genres of metal mainly focusing on the melody of power metal with the aggression of death metal with few traces of 'black metal' and 'thrash metal'. This style they call "Demonic Metal".
Well like they said...they have their own unique style and they've done quite well with it. With loads of interviews and gigs under their belt, the newly resurrected band is now looking to come out with their first abum.
We played a song which is going to feature on their new album. It was called "Frozen Portrait". So all you DR fans...look out for that album... it should be out real soon.
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com and Gigpad.com and the official website of Demonic Resurrection!!!
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Prithwish Dev : Vocals & Keyboards
Gucci Singh : Guitars
Joseph L : Guitars
Romit Gupta : Bass
Surojit Dev : Drums
"Zephyretta"...I think this is without a doubt one of the best songs I've played on my show...Indian Band or otherwise. If I ever made an album of the best Indian rock songs ever, in my humble opinion this song is in the top 10!
Well over two days I spoke with three of them Clones: Dev, Romit and Gucci(pronounced Gukki:). It was really nice talking to the guys about their music, their songs and then topping it all with watching them perform live at the Channel V Launchpad concert. They were one of 5 Indian bands selected by channel V from out of over 60 bands who auditioned for the concert!
These guys are working on some new stuff which they will release very soon...and you got to hear two of the new songs. One on tuesday night "Zephyretta" and one on friday: "The Bomb Song". I have to say that in a time where rock bands are searching for a sound they can call their 'own', Them Clones have found theirs for sure. Look out for their new songs...and you can be rest assured that you'll hear more of these guys on my show.
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com and the official website of Them Clones!!!
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We spoke about the album, about the songs on the album, about his touring and his feelings about the current western music scene in India.
His album, trust me, is brilliant. He has something for every type of music lover on this album. Whether you like rock or pop or country, whether you like fast songs or you're the ballad type of person. "Unbelong" has something for everyone! So make sure you go out and buy that album!
On a more personal note...I met Gary a day before the show at his home and let me tell you all that for a guy who's been rocking for so long now...he's one of the most humble and sweet guys I've ever met. We bonded immediately on bikes when he saw my helmet and then on the sort of music we both love. We spent maybe an hour or more talking about music and I didn't even notice the time pass by. Truly, to meet up a guy who's done so incredibly well for himself, and to see him completely at ease at his home was indeed a great pleasure for me.
I played two songs from his album on the show "She's All Mine" which he tells me is going to be made into a video very soon. And a song called "Mother Nature And Me" which I particulatly loved because it starts off with the revving of a kickass bike:) and then goes on to talk about the relationship of a biker and nature which I can completely relate to. To me this song is going to become a biking anthem of sorts:) Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Check out the guitar solos by Mahesh Tinaikar on the album. One word for it - Brilliant!
Well Gary will be performing live at "Not Just Jazz By The Bay" on the 29th of Jan. I'll be there to watch him...join me there...and we'll party with this fantastic rocker!
Read up more about Gary Lawyer on his official website - Garylawyermusic.com!!!
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Bruce Lee Mani : Guitars & Vocals
Rajeev Rajagopal : Drums
Rajesh Mehar : Guitars Vocals & Percussion
Rzhude : Bass & Vocals
Sunil Chandy : Keyboards
The very first band to be IN the studio for the interview. Rajesh Mehar from the band was in the studio on the 25th of January to talk to Mumbai city about what I think is one of the most talented bands in the country. Did you know that these guys opened for Deep Purple when the band visited Indian in 2001!
We spoke about their origins and their first 2 albums to begin with. They formed in 1996 and in 2000 came out with a self titled album and then another brilliant album called "Jupiter Cafe" in 2002.
We played a song from "Jupiter Cafe" called "Look At Me" and then we moved on to their third album. It's simply called "Plan B". And the coolest thing about this album is that it's available for free download off their site. They have a very intersting concept called 'The TAAQ Open Music License'. Read more about it when you download their songs from their website which I'll give you at the bottom of this article.
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com and the official website of Thermal And A Quarter.com!!!
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Sanjeev Philip Thomas : Guitars, Vocals, Bass & occasionally Drums
Ashok Cherian : Drums,Guitars & Vocals
These guys have been rocking down south for a really long time now. Sanjeev comes from the band Buddha's Babies and Ashok from Cosmic Debris. In September 2002 they came together to form Buddha Blown. And what a great band they've formed!!!
I spoke to Sanjeev and Ashok on the 1st of Feb and one thing that seemed the most important to both of them was the pursuit of good original music. With Blown they have done that and more! They have both been a driving force in this quest for original music and have helped numerous other bands with their endeavors. Sanjeev has also recently opened a new studio in Chennai called "Rainbow Bridge" . The studio promises to be one-of-a-kind, and probably among the only few 'Rock' studios in the entire country, loaded with state-of-the-art equipment from the US, the middle east and Singapore.
Original music is welcome at Rainbow Bridge and outstation bands don't have to worry about stay as the band will be given accomodation right at the studio for the entire period of recording. He even charges lesser for bands recording original music in his studio! So you guys can get in touch with him.
We also spoke about their new album "A Little Bit Per Verse". I'm sure you all got the pun in the name of the album:) I played for you guys two brilliant songs from the album..."Dead Woman" and "Sister" and on 21st Jan you also heard "Water" from the album. I'm sure you'll hear these songs very often on my shows...because honestly I love their music.
So on a more personal note...I honestly think the band was awesome(no jokes) and the direction they have taken with their music and their work is commendable. Young bands have much to learn from these veterans. I hope you guys liked them as much as I did.
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com. They'll be out with their own website very soon!
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Vishal & Shiraz while Randolph and Papal
Vishal : Vocals
Randolph : Guitars
Papal : Bass
Shiraz : Drums
Pentagram were interviewed on 8th Feb on the show and I spoke with Vishal and Randolph from the band. Let me tell you a bit about these guys.
Pentagram was started in 1993 by Vishal & Shiraz while Randolph and Papal joined in a year later. Within the first three years they won three of India's biggest rock competitions, one of which resulted in them signing a record deal for their first album with Plus Music in 1996.
The first album "We Are Not Listening" was listed by Rhythm House (India's premier record store) as the fastest selling rock album. They released two videos ('The Ignorant' and 'Yoo') which were frequently played by all the music channels.
They won tons of awards after this but not satisfied with the glory...the following years saw the band experimenting with their sound which began their foray into electronic music. The band started tweaking their sound with generous use of samplers in their set blending it with a heavy rock sound.
And finally in 2002 they released their second album "Up". Now I played for you two songs from that album on the tuesday night interview. "Is There A Light" and "Price Of Bullets". Vishal had some really interesting things to tell me about those songs. Hope you didn't miss that. Let me just mention a little bit about the latter song.
During the Kargil war Pentagram recorded and released India's first exclusive to internet song, "The Price of Bullets", featuring famous poet Javed Akhtar and popular Indian Classical artist Shankar Mahadevan. The video directed by Farhan Akhtar, one of India's most successful young film makers was blacked out by channels across the board for being 'too politically loaded'. It was added as a bonus track on their second album "Up".
It was a very cool song...and the message in the song...even cooler!
It was excellent having one of India's top bands on the show with me. Believe me you have to see them perform live to just understand how kick ass they really are:)
Well till the next time they come on air...with their third album(which should be out very soon) I'd just like to say to these guys...and their fans...KEEP ROCKIN' ON!
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com and the official website of Pentagram!!!
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2BLUe : Vocals
Ravi Iyer : Guitars
Schubert D'Souza : Bass and Keyboards
GopaaL Dutta : Drums
It was major league fun!!! The first band to come to the studio with their instruments. We spoke a little about their origins...their current line up...their concerts and live performances...and their upcoming EP.
But the best part of the show were the performances. 2BLUe was feelin it!:) We kicked off their segment with "Durganaad" one of Ravi;s fusion-based compositions. Then the band performed Deep Purple's "Soldier Of Fortune" followed by an insane rendition of the Beatles classic "Daytripper" and a bit of Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" before getting into the actual CD track which I played from the David Gilmour concert that you guys got to listen to exclusively on my show a few months ago. Finally, we had a VAYU original...another rare exclusive for the show! The original, they called "Tonight", had me singing in the chorus as well(couldn't help it with 2BLUe urging me on). It was actually a very catchy song!
We spoke a little about their upcoming EP...which should be out sometime this summer. It'll be their debut EP but let me tell you a bit about these guys. They are a group of hardworking men with daytime jobs and an incurable desire to "break on through". Believe me when their EP does release, I'll be the one bringing it out to you guys!
Oh by the way, Schubert is gonna be a dad soon. So on behalf of all VAYU fans and the listeners of AIR FM Rainbow, let me congratulate Schubert and Francesca(his wife)
Reflecting once again on their performance, Ravi's guitar work was phenomenal! He had Schubert (who apparently plays not just the bass and keyboards) accompanying him on the guitar. And 2BLUe?...phew, he was energy personified! All in all a great 'first time' on the show.
Hopefully this will urge more bands to come to the studio to perform...LIVE!
See you guys soon(I'm talking to you...if you've got a band;)
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com and Gigpad.com and the official website of VAYU!!!
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Sriram Iyer : Vocals
Amartya Rahut : Guitars & Additional Vocals
Amit Trivedi : Keyboards & Backing Vocals
K.G.Vishwanath : Mridangam, Percussions & Backing vocals
K.G.Ramnarayan : Percussions & Backing Vocals
OM, the fusion band was brought together in the month of November 2002. A band consisting of 5 members is now more than 2 years old and already boasts of over 35 programs in such a short span.
The genre of music that the band performs/ plays is essentially self- composed and has a distinct Indian sound with a significant western influence.
It was excellent talking to Shriram (on the 22nd Feb) about the band. They're not just a Sufi rock band like their first video "Maula" might suggest. They're a whole lot more...they've got a tremendous amout of talent in the band and it is evident from their songs which I guarantee are beautiful and unique. Using different styles (folk/bandish/classical/sufi) and different Indian and western instruments...these guys have a sound which is very truly their own...the OM sound!
Their work is brilliant and they're very real. You could see the evidence of that statement when Shriram just went into a song the moment I asked him to sing. He sang "Son Chiraiya" from their album...a song you'll soon hear on the show. We also heard "Piya" just before he came on air. It was truly beautiful. These guys love what they do...and it's clearly evident in all their songs. Well here's wishing them all the luck and success that they deserve. As far as I go, I've just found myself another band I can regularly feature on East West Masala and that's a good thing not just for me...but for all you guys as well:)
They don't have a website yet...but the moment they do...you'll know about it here.
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Pradeep : Vocals
Rohit (Pman) : Bass
Vispy (V.A.S.P) : Guitars
Mithun (Pervert) : Guitars
Jai : Drums
It's insane how many people would swear that they are "pinheads" all over the country! No...that's not another word for stupid or crazy:)...it's what you call people who live for a bit of Pin Drop violence!
Believe me guys...you have to see these guys whipping crowds into a frenzy at a rock concert to really feel the craziness. It's awesome.
Now I'll be honest with you all...their kind of music is not what I listen to all the time...but I just couldn't be unfair to them and say...heck I can't have you on my show cos I don't really 'love' your music. There are thousands and thousands of people who love these guys...and maybe their music will grow on me too. I want you all to listen to all the best bands in the country and believe me these guys are in the top 10 right now.
Well on 25th of Feb I interviewed Pradeep and Rohit from PDV and we spoke about the band, their music, their experiences at the Channel V Launchpad concert, their rocking time at GIR 2005(Great Indian Rock) and their forthcoming album. That's going to be their second album. Their first album was called "Compose...Oppose...Dispose" and it was released in2004 on Sony Music!
These guys are doing a great job...and having a blast doing it. I'll get em back for you when they come out with their new album.
Oh we did play one of their songs. "In Dependence" was what it was called and it kicked major rear end:) Do look out for it one of the sites given below...I'm quite certain it's available for download on the RSJ site.
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com and Gigpad.com and the official website of Pin Drop Violence!!!
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Lionnel : Vocals
Denzil : Guitars
John : Guitars
Dennis : Bass
Vinayak : Drums
These guys have an awesome sound...I'm sure you'd agree with me if you heard "All Over Again" on friday(25th March). They've got power and heaviness but at the same time they're able to get a message across in their songs. I think that's because of the band members who are themselves a bunch of really good guys. I spoke to Dennis and I was very pleasantly surprised to hear about the other(non rock, humanitarian) projects that he's involved with. Like I said...a bunch of really good guys for sure.
Psychomotor was formed in 1998 in Bombay, Denzil and Dennis are the only two original members.Lionnel formerly from RUST joined in May 2001, going on to make the most aggressive and comfortable lineup ever. John re-joined in March 2004, his musical skill jelled perfectly with the band's style.Vinayak is the new edition to the band.
They've got a few songs out and they told me we can expect an EP soon. So wait up for that...I assure you we'll hear more of them on the shows. Another thing about their music is the varied influences that the band members have. Obviously like a lot of other bands, each of the guys has his own choice and what's cool is that they can work together as a unit and incorporate each of their influences into their music, add a bit that is purely and uniquely Psychomotor's and come out with some brilliant kick ass music.
For sure, more from this band will be heard on the show.
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com and the official website of Psychomotor!!!
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Zarir : Vocals
Samuel : Rhythm Guitar and Vocals
Abhishel : Lead Guitar
Behram : Bass
Danesh : Drums
Rohan : Piano
I had a ball!!! It was so much fun having The Other People in the studio. We started off by talking about their origin, how they all got together, a bit about their individual musical tastes and finally we spoke a bit about their work at present. They told me that they were working on some original stuff...well when they're out with it, you know you get to hear it first!
Well these are a bunch of young guys...very talented. I'll admit that Zarir the lead vocalist is excellent...but for me...what sets this band apart is the back up vocals that Zarir gets. Sam is brilliant and I know I distinctly heard Rohan, Behram and Abhishek joining him too. Together, they make for some sweet, sweet listening and a beautiful wholesome sound is what they have. How did I make this judgement?
Well they played two songs for us in the studio. The first was Def Leppard's "Two Steps Behind" on which Sam played the guitar and then Soul Asylum's "Runaway Train" on which Abhishek played the guitar. Both songs were impecabbly done and I found myself very readily joining in on the choruses of the songs.
These guys have been performing at Not Just Jazz By The Bay for the last few months and continue doing so there...so check out the schedules and go check em out performing live. I know I'll be seeing them sometime soon. I wish them a lot of luck and I'm honestly very anxious to see these guys perform.
Read up more on the band on official website of The Other People!!!
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Adam : Lead Guitar
Brian : Rhythm Guitar
Eddie : Bass
A very unique band like I said before. Their music is a blend of lots of different musical genres which inspires them. Their music is a blend of Genres like Indian Clasical, world music, new age and of everything that they enjoy without loosing the essence & the raw energy of Rock.
These guys have been at it for a while now. Almost 14 years into music. Their debut ccd Titled "Urban Reality" was distributed In the US by "SONIC WAVE INTERNATIONAL". It was the First Indian band to have their music Released In the US....and the cd also went on to be shortlisted for 2003 Grammy Awards!
The Hindi Movie "PAANCH" directed by Anurag Kashyap was loosely based and Inspired on the band. They have scored Music for "Hair-Cut" a short Animated Film done in Canada by Jacob V. They have scored for the hit Tele-serial "Pancham" which was aired Daily monday to friday on Zee Networks. Pretty cool all that...but check this out.
They have signed up with Dream Catcher Records In UK which has Well Known Artists such as Yngwie malmsteen, Y&T etc under its umbrella....their 2nd Album Titled "14" is scheduled to be released May end or June 1st week....all over Europe.
I'm very happy for them and wish them all a lot of luck. On the 17th May when I interviewed them I spoke with Adam about their music, their direction, their new album and their future touring. He had loads of interesting things to tell everyone and we also heard three of their originals. "Light", "You Cry" and "You". I loved 'You' and I'm sure you all will get to hear that song in the future again. Till the next time we hook up with Pralay...this is me saying "Best of Luck" guys with everything you do. Make us proud.
Read up more on the band on official website of Pralay!!!
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Devraj Sanyal : Vocals, Acoustic Guitars
John Ferns : Lead & Rhythm Guitar
Vincent Thevor : Bass
Cyrus Gorimar : Drums & Percussions
I had a long and interesting talk with Cyrus about his band Brahma and also about his event company Opium Events. We spoke about their albums and about the longevity of Brahma as a band. They've been around for a really long time now, since about 1993 as a matter of fact.
Since then they have to their credit, 2 albums - "The World Beyond", released on Virgo Music in 1998 and "Reborn" released on Sony music in 2003. They've had a good amount of success with both of their albums and now are working on their third album. I shall play that for you once it's out.
One of the finest things I realised about Cyrus and about Brahma members in general are that they are "clean" heavy rockers and they advocate the same to their fans. Rock music is not about sex, drugs and rock & roll. That's just a cliche...rock music is about rock music. Let the music make you high...and not anything else. But that's just my belief...and one that was agreed apon by Cyrus.
Do what you would like, just don't blame it on rock music!
Ok:), enough preaching. We also spoke about Opium events and about getting Joe Satriani down to India. Cyrus also mentioned that a lot more international acts are now interested in coming to India. A few people he named were Paul Gilbert(guitarist from Mr.Big fame), Steve Vai & Billy Sheehan, Megadeth and Eric Clapton!!!
Well here's hoping that Brahma keeps kicking butt their way...and praying that Cyrus is successful in getting down everyone he mentioned.
I can't wait to see Clapton!!!
Read up more on the band on official website of Brahma!!!
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Paresh Kamath : Vocals and Guitars
Naresh Kamath : Bass
Abhijit : Keys
Tyrone : Guitars
Jaideep (JD) : Bass
Kurt Peters : Drums
Samrat : Synths
These guys have been around for a while now. They seem to love experimenting with all sorts of things. They certainly have a very unique sound and they're not scared about trying out a lot of new stuff every time.
I spoke with Paresh about the band, their music and what they're up to these days. It's good to hear that they're back out there performing their music and that people are really enjoying it.
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com and on official website of Bombay Black!!!
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Siddharth Coutto : Vocals
Johan Pais : Bass
Meghashyam Adoni : Guitars
Jay Row Kavi : Drums
New band on the block with a lot of old seasoned musicians. These guys are a fun band. They love a lot of different styles of music and don't mind experimenting with all kinds of styles in their performances. They have an album out called "Thank You, Come Again" and it's got some brilliant songs.
I interviewed Sidd and we spoke about their music, their album and about the band in general.
I have to mention here that all the other members really sound awesome in the band. You've got Johan on the bass who can really kick it into another gear when you need him to, there's Meghu on the guitars...and man! can this this guy play!
And finally there's Mr.Jai. In my opinion he's one of the finest drummers in the country today.
Here's hoping that you all enjoyed them as much as I did.
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com
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Rachel Verghese : Vocals
Akshay Deodhar : Vocals/Rhythm
Samir Karnik : Lead guitar
Jehangir Jehangir : Drums
Rahul Bahadur : Bass
Anup Pereira : Keyboards
One of the few bands who came to the studio for the interview. These mumbai boys and girls are definitely rocking the city with their music. They're a young band with young members but they're already standing out with the kind of music that they're playing. They have a few originals and we heard a couple of them on the interview.
We had a blast at the interview and they even played a few songs live in the studio.
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com
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Rahul Guha Roy : Vocals/Guitars
Sukanti Roy : Guitars/Vocals
John Bose : Bass/Vocals
Ritoban Das : Percussions/Vocals
Interviewed these boys from Calcutta...or is that Kolkatta? Well irrespective of the name of the city one thing that can be said about these guys is that they are very passionate about their music and they seem to have a really good time playing it. They have a very nice sound and the EP they sent me sounds wonderful. I played two songs from their EP...and it was nice to see that a lot of you liked their music a lot.
I played "Only For A While" and "Turn Back The Clock" from their EP. What comes across when you listen to these guys is that they put in a lot of thought behind their music. It's not just insane ramblings nor is it a bad attempt to immitate someone. They know who they are and what they want to sound like...and it comes across through their music.
It would be nice to see them in Mumbai sometime soon.
Read up more on the band on the official website of Cassini's Division!!!
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Rudy Wallang : Vocals/Guitars
Tipriti Kharbangar : Guitars/Vocals
Certainly the best band I've heard in the longest time. These guys play the blues and sound amazing. Tipriti as a vocalist is phenomenal and then there's Rudy's guitar work. It's pure genius!
Oh...the man can also sing really well!
It is probably one of the first Indian albums I've heard which I can keep hearing over and over again and not get tired of listening to it. There's something beautiful in every song in this album and in my opinion, this is going to be one of the best albums ever made by an Indian band.
I interviewed Rudy over the phone and we talked about their music, the band, their new album and their touring. The man is absolutely brilliant; you can make that out the moment you put on the cd...but let me just add...that he's probably one of the most down to earth, modest and sweet people I've met. I played 4 songs from their album, 'Shillong'..."Love You", "The Price", "If You See My Baby" and "Blues Is My Soulmate" and believe me that there was something very beautiful and unique about each and every one of those songs. It could be Tipriti's beautiful voice or Rudy's guitar work...or maybe just the lyrics...but every song was a gem. Oh! I almost forgot...I also played an instrumental calles St.Valentine's Day Blues"...and one word for it...ethereal! You have to get this album and see just why I think it's so amazing!
I wish Rudy and 'Tips' as he fondly called Tipriti a lot of luck with their new album and all their endeavours.
Read up more on the band on the official website of Soulmate!!!
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Timir Chimulkar : Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
Aniket Waghmode : Drums
Janus Sanyal : Bass
Amar : Lead Guitar
They were the 25th band to be interviewed on my shows!!!
I saw them in action at Mosh Mania and was blown away by how amazing their stage presence and crowd pleasing ability was. The people obviously love them...and well I think they respect their fans in return...which in my opinion is one of the most important necessities to be a successful band.
I spoke with Timir about the band, their origin and how they go about making their songs. We spoke about their influences and I played a few of their favourite songs for them.
I played "Revolution" from their EP on Monday, 15th of August and on 27th of August you'll get to hear "Charred"!
Definitely a band that's here to stay! Sceptre Rocks!
Read up more on the band on RSJonline.com
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email me at mihirlovesmusic@gmail.com