Author: ajaibhandari

“Despite being an amateur (or perhaps because of it), whenever I listen to music, I do so without preconceptions, simply opening my ears to the more wonderful passages and physically taking them in. When those wonderful passages are there, I feel joy, and when some parts are not so wonderful, I listen with a touch of regret. Beyond that, I might pause to think about what makes a certain passage wonderful or not so wonderful, but other musical elements are not that important to me. Basically, I believe that music exists to make people happy. In order to do so, those who make music use a wide range of techniques and methods which, in all their complexity, fascinate me in the simplest possible way.”

― Haruki Murakami, Absolutely on Music: Conversations with Seiji Ozawa

If you are a lover of music and moreover a lover of Murakami, I highly recommend you read his book “Absolutely on Music”. The book is a compilation of Murakami’s interviews with the celebrated conductor Seiji Ozawa. It provides illuminating insights on Ozawa’s interpretation of music and the art of conducting through Murakami’s surreal writing.

This playlist is a collection of music without words. It always amazes me how instrumental music can connect with people from different cultures, religions, genders, social backgrounds and age groups.

Personally, I love to listen to any genre of music without words as I can use my imagination to the greatest extent. I can immediately transport myself to the densest jungle or the calmest ocean. I can place myself in a movie with a bittersweet ending. I feel suspense. At times I feel healed. I experience deep emotions – longing, envy, joy and love when I listen to music.

To me, wordless music is like a piece of art. An artist can paint the sky in varying shades of blue to depict the time of day, but it is up to the observer to decide whether he or she is observing a sunrise or a sunset. Wordless music is much the same as we can interpret it in whatever way we choose. While some musical notes agree with each other, others disagree and it is this very dissonance that enables two people to feel completely different when hearing the same piece of music.

Whether you like psychedelic trance, classical music, jazz or just ethereal sounds, the appeal of wordless music is much the same. It allows us to embrace sounds without any preconceived notions. The sounds of nature are wordless which indicates wordless music predates human existence on this planet. While I love lyrics, I must admit that a wordless chorus speaks to me in ways words cannot.

I hope you enjoy this cross-genre jam of wordless music. You can find the Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube playlists below.

1. Boy 1904 – Jonsi & Alex
2. I Never Dream – A. A. L.
3. De-Punked – Gorillaz vs. Space Monkeyz
4. God Bless the Child – Sonny Rollins
5. Untitled (Track 3) – Sigur Ros
6. DNA – Akira Kosemura
7. Meeting – Rakesh Chaurasia & Talvin Singh
8. Lady and Man – Khruangbin
9. Night Over Manaus – Boozoo Bajou
10. The Return of Uncle Benon – Shakarchi & Straneus
11. Etude No. 3 – Nico Muhly (performed by Nadia Sirota)
12. Euphoria, Lobster & Champagne – Malakoff Kowalski
13. Soft Music Under Stars – Fila Brazillia
14. Become Ocean – John Luther Adams (performed by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra)

Playlists: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Jonsi is Jón Þór Birgisson, the lead singer of Sigur Ros who along with his partner Alex Somers produces ambient music and visual art under the moniker of Jonsi & Alex. Boy 1904 features the voice of Alessandro Moreschi, the only castrato to have ever made a solo recording. The recording was made in 1904 (hence the title) and while it sounds absolutely beautiful, it carries a dark history of centuries worth of cruelty to young boys. But without words, you would never know this.

I Never Dream is off of A. A. L.’s (Against All Logic) latest album released in February of this year. This was a surprise release by none other than Chilean-American producer Nicolas Jaar under the pseudonym AAL! I love the funky feel of this track. The beats are so complex, crisp and unpredictable – typical of Jaar.

Laika Come Home is one of my favourite albums of all time. It is a remix of the self-titled debut album by the Gorillaz. Spacemonkeyz have completely transformed the album into a dub stepping masterpiece with sonically brilliant production. In order to not miss the relentlessly deep bassline, De-Punked must be listened on top notch headphones or a HiFi.

Sonny Rollins’s cover of Billie Holiday’s God Bless the Child is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard. There is nothing I can write that fully explains how I feel about this song. I know that if I have a child someday, this will be the first song I will play to her.

Track 3 in Sigur Ros’s Untitled album is one of the most euphonious melodies I have in my music collection. Seeing them perform this live standing in the last row of The Beacon Theatre in New York circa 2007 was a transformative experience. This music makes me feel like something good is just around the corner. It reminds me to hold on and stay strong.

DNA is on this playlist for a reason. If you listen to it closely it is almost as if Akira Kosemura composed it as a sequel to Track 3 by Sigur Ros. DNA makes me feel like I am in a movie where something very significant has just happened and I am running away as fast as I can. I reach a mountain top and I scream at the top of my lugs, but cannot be heard by anybody.

Rakesh Chaurasia is the nephew of renowned Indian flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia. In the song Meeting Chaurasia is playing the bansuri and is accompanied by Talvin Singh on tabla. This is a lovely tune to wake up to in the morning.

Khruangbin hail from Houston, Texas and have the most unique sound! I was lucky to catch them last week on their Indian tour where they played an absolutely mesmerising set. In Lady and Man Mark Speer’s Fender Strat stirs us with hypnotic melodies backed by Laura Lee’s super funky bass. Drummer Donald DJ Johnson has a lazy drum beat that perfectly augments Speer’s psychedelic guitar riffs. I must say at their Bombay gig, bassist Laura Lee stole the show. While the guys couldn’t get enough of her sassiness, every lady in the house was imitating her feline dance moves. Khruangbin are truly a class act.

Boozoo Bajou are a German duo that I heard for the first time a few days ago but they have been around for ages. While the song’s title Night Over Manaus points towards a Brazilian influence, it in fact takes me to the deep south of Louisiana. The cajun beat coupled with the tribal howls is spooky, strange and enigmatic. It would fit perfectly in an episode of True Detective or True Blood.

The Return of Uncle Benon is just a plain old fun song. It is off Shakarchi & Straneus hilariously titled debut album “Steal Chickens from Men and the Future from God.” Now I know this has lyrics but I have no idea whether they have any meaning and I am just fine with that. This song makes me smile every time I listen to it. I guess that is the whole point right?

Nadia Sirota’s album Baroque is a fantastic collection of compositions. My favourite piece off this album is Etude no. 3. An Etude is a short musical composition for a single instrument and it is composed specifically to demonstrate the skill of the player. This étude is in the style of an off-beat sforzandos (sudden, forceful attacks) and Sirota captures this perfectly. The short bursts of sound bring about a feeling of being trapped and trying desperately to break free. The composition ends so suddenly leaving the listener in complete suspense. Did we/they make it out?

Malakoff Kowalski was born to Iranian parents but has lived his entire life in the US. I absolutely love this particular song because of its subtleties. If you listen closely I am almost certain you can hear a snare drum in the background. Euphoria, Lobster & Champagne is a delightfully familiar melody that is soothing and calm.

Soft Music Under Stars has been on my playlist for decades now and it never gets old. The song takes its time to reach a crescendo but when it does, it comes together beautifully. I am a sucker for sitar and beats and I wish more artists experimented with this sound.

Become Ocean is the Pulitzer Prize winning composition by American composer John Luther Adams. It is one of the most intriguing pieces of music I have ever heard as without even knowing the title, I felt the absolute terrifying strength of the ocean. Luther describes it best when he says: “As I composed Become Ocean, I had in my mind and my heart this image of the melting of polar ice and the rising of the seas. All life on this Earth emerged from the ocean. If we don’t wake up and pay attention here pretty soon, we human animals may find ourselves once again becoming ocean sooner than we imagine.”

Playlists: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

I have always assumed that the music industry is more diverse than the film industry. It just makes sense right? Jazz, Blues, R&B, Rap, Soul and Funk – the foundations of modern music – have been dominated by minorities. But what about gender diversity? The New York Times published an excellent article earlier this year that highlighted a study led by Dr. Stacy L. Smith at USC on this very topic. The study analysed the top 600 songs from 2012 to 2017 (based on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart for each year) and the results are quite shocking.

The study finds that only:

• 22.4% of musicians are women
• 12.3% of songwriters are women
• 2% of producers are women
• 9.3% of Grammy nominees are….. women!

At first I could not believe it. It just didn’t make sense to me. But then I took a look at some of my own playlists and I realised that only 17% of the songs I have been recommending are performed by women.

I grew up listening to female musicians. My foremost memories of music are watching musicals like The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins on VHS in my parent’s bedroom. I am not sure whether it is possible to have a crush when you are 5 years old, but if it is then I had a huge crush on Julie Andrews. Her voice is etched in my musical memory and always takes me back to a more innocent time in my life, when my only care in the world was how much chocolate there was in the fridge.

Throughout my childhood, my father was the music director at home. While Elvis was and always will be his greatest love, women musicians always had a significant place in his music collection. When most kids my age were playing sports or doing homework, my weekends were spent getting an educated in the blues. I spent hours listening to reel-to-reel tapes and CDs of Ella, Billie, Etta, Doris and Aretha. At that age, for me it was all about the voice and less about the music or the meaning of the songs. To exemplify this – I have a distinct memory of listening and imitating the song ‘Physical’ by Olivia Newton-John for weeks without having a clue what it really meant 🙂

During my teenage years my tastes changed and while Alanis Morissette, The Cranberries and No Doubt were on the top of my playlist, I still enjoyed coming home to hear my sister playing ‘Like a Virgin’ on repeat. Even at school, the first song I played with my band ‘The Penguins’ was a cover of ‘What’s Up’ by 4 Non Blondes. We learned it from some of the senior boys in school and I don’t even think we knew that it was sung by women rockers until much later.

At around the same time my parents were all about Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton and Whitney Houston and while I appreciated their talent, at the time I was too far gone down a rebellious streak to admit it (publicly at least). However, I will say that Whitney Houston’s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner is one of the most striking live vocal performances I have ever heard. And of course The Bodyguard is a classic!

The first ever concert I went to was to see Lauryn Hill at Wembly Arena in the summer of 1999. I was blown away by her performance and consider myself lucky to have seen her in her prime. This concert was a life changing event for me as it got me hooked onto the thrill of live music performance as an art form… something we were completely devoid of in India. The high I felt at that gig was just the beginning of a beautiful journey of sonic discovery that I am still on today.

During my time at Indiana University’s Jacob School of Music I studied the history of rock n’ roll as part of my music degree. It was here that I was introduced to the intoxicating female musicians from the 60s and 70s such as Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Janis Joplin. Joni Mitchell’s song ’All I Want’ was the first time I truly paid attention to the meaning and soul of a singer / songwriter’s music. Till today it remains one of my favourite songs.

The last decade has seen some of the most enthralling female musicians soar in popularity; to name a few – Norah Jones, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Adele. But for me there is just one musician that has outshone them all as far as raw talent is concerned – the late Amy Winehouse. Amy’s words in songs such as ‘Back to Black’ and ‘Love is a Losing Game’ narrated her feelings of heartache and deep sorrow. Unfortunately, in reality her life followed her songs (or was it the other way round?) and steamrolled towards a seemingly inevitable conclusion.

Amy Winehouse’s voice, music and life continue to have a profound impact on me as I will never let myself be trapped the way she was. When I listen to Amy’s music I am reminded that no matter how dark the forest there is always true beauty in this world and to find it, you just need to look within.

As an ardent feminist and lover of all music, I really do wish we had a more even playing field for female musicians, writers and producers. The issue is not one of supply or demand, but in the deep rooted misogyny that prevails in the entertainment industry at large. My sincere hope is that the direct-to-fan model of distribution will put enough pressure on the industry and sooner rather than later more women will be heard.

In the mean time, here’s to all the women who have had a deep impact on my life. You know who are. I hope you enjoy my latest jams. You can find the Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube playlist links below.

1. Ozma – Shannon and The Clams
2. iT – Christine and the Queens
3. Do It – Rae Morris
4. Pine & Ginger – Amindi K. Fro$t, Tessellated, Valleyz
5. Better Than – Lake Street Dive
6. Cycling Trivialities – Dyan
7. Don’t Bother Calling – Moses Sumney
8. Les Héros da Barbes – Juniore
9. Music on My Teeth (feat. Jose Gonzales) – DJ Koze
10. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow – Amy Winehouse
11. 1985 – Intro to “The Fall Off” – J. Cole
12. My Contribution to This Scam – Jean Grae & Quelle Chris
13. Clair de Lune – Kamasi Washington
14. Where Can I Go Without You? – Nina Simone

Playlists: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Think oldies, 1950s, just when rock n’ roll was taking over from doo-wop but instead of a refined melodic voice you have punk rocker Shannon Shaw at screaming down the hooter. Ozma is just my sort of jam. Whether you like oldies or not, this is dance music.

The next two songs are all Shloka…

Christine and the Queens is the stage name for French singer/songwriter Héloïse Letissier. When asked about her song iT she says it best: “My first song “iT” was about wanting to have a dick just in order to have an easier life. I wrote it when I got expelled from drama school in Lyon seven years ago because I put on my own play. My teachers allowed boys to do stage directing but told girls they had to learn about acting first. Those teachers are still lecturing today. Now I wouldn’t write “iT”. I’d rather stay a woman and fight, and try to control this male gaze by wearing unsexualised suits and speaking about my own desire without worrying about being desirable on someone else’s terms.” I will always hold the memories of driving down the Carterra Austral listening to this song closest to my heart.

Do It is a super catchy tune from Rae Morris’s sophomore album. Do It is not a pop song but it’s a freaky, weird and surprising song which grows on you every time you listen to it. Its funny because I rarely watch music videos but I tried to imagine what Rae would do and when I watched the video, her odd dance moves were EXACTLY what I expected. On a lighter note, this song also reminds of Rob Schnider’s “You can do it” from the film Water Boy 🙂

Pine & Ginger is a joint production from talented producers Tressellated and Valleyz with Amindi K. Fro$t on vocals. Both Amindi and Tressellated are originally from Jamaica, but Amindi has never lived there. While you can hear the dancehall roots of the song you can also feel the LA finesse to it. I wonder if they will continue to collaborate because whatever they have works like dynamite.

My roommate from my freshman year at Indiana University Adam Cranky suggested that I check out Lake Street Dive (LSD) a few years ago. Adam and I are huge Ben Folds fans and I trust his taste in music without reservation and have rarely been disappointed. Better Than is off one of their earlier albums and I love the off-beat drums and the soulful lyrics. Rachael Price has a lovely R&B voice and the guitarist Mike “McDuck” Olson’s trumpet sounds so sweet.

Alexis Marsh’s cover of Jose Gonzales’s Cycling Trivialities is magical. The way she emulates Jose’s style of singing with undulating flowing vocals is mesmerising. I love that she uses this dreamy keyboard patch instead of the guitar. Check out Dyan’s originals as well – Looking for Knives is one of my favourites.

Aromanticism, the debut album of Moses Sumney, is one of the most spellbinding collections of music I have heard in some time. He reminds me of a softer and more romantic version of Frank Ocean. Don’t Bother Calling is a beautiful song about finding ones self. I strongly identify with Moses when he writes that we cannot love somebody else until we love ourselves. This is a life lesson I have learned the hard way but I am glad I learned it at all.

Les héros de Barbès is the latest single by French indie rockers Juniore. It is a cover of a song by Yves Simon from the 70s. The soundscape that Juniore create in the song is surfer rock-esq with great use of effects straight out of a 1970s science fiction movie! I have become obsessed with this song even though I have no idea what the words mean. And I don’t want to know either – the music is fascinating.

DJ Koze is one of the most versatile producers of our generation. Music on My Teeth from his spectacular release Knock Knock is just one of the masterpieces on this album. Anybody who grew up in the age of audio cassettes and Walkmans knows that this track sounds like a Walkman that is just about to run out of batteries. We’ve all been there at some point or another. Needless to say, Jose Gonzales’s voice sounds heavenly as always.

Amy Winehouse’s cover of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, first recorded by the Shirelles, has the most ingenious musical arrangement. Amy really makes the song her own, just as she did with Valerie. It is hard to imagine that this song was written in the 60s!

And finally we have a diss track by J. Cole: 1985 – Intro to “The Fall Off”. Diss tracks are a feature of rap and are always fun to listen to. 2Pac’s Hit ‘Em Up has always been the gold standard of disses but J. Cole takes it to a different level. Cole’s diss is not personal but it is a commentary on commercial hip hop where artists just rap about money, jewels, rides, champagne and women. His raps are brilliant and no wonder all his past albums have gone platinum. J. Cole is to rap, what Bob Dylan was to rock. He has made the game his own and he is brilliant.

The reason I have put My Contribution to This Scam by Jean Grae and her fiancé Quelle Chris right after 1985 is because this is exactly what I think rap should sound like. Fresh, exciting and intelligent. Jean Grae’s lyrics are smart and hilarious at times and Quelle’s voice is just plain spooky. Enjoy.

Critically acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Kamasi Washington does it again in this stunning interpretation of Debussy’s Clair de Lune. I don’t even know where to begin with this song. Somehow Kamasi is able to keep the essence of Debussy’s piano classic while infusing his lovely tenor saxophone right into the middle of it. This is truly an astounding piece of music because it manages to hold true to the original while going off in multiple directions at the same time. Kamasi binds it all together.

I never really listened to much of Nina Simone’s music. Shloka changed that and I finally get it now. Oh Nina… so sultry and sexy are you. The depth of emotion you can hear in Nina’s voice when she sings Where Can I Go Without You? is quite incredible. Nina Simone was more than a musician, she was a personality who always did what she wanted and usually got her way. At the end of it all isn’t that the only the way to live?

Playlists: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

I used to have mixed feelings about flying on airplanes. Experiencing the sadness of people and places left behind, but at the same time being excited for new adventures and friendships used to leave me quite torn. Recently however, my view on flying has changed. “When we fly its like we are suspended. It’s like a break in our lives. We are isolated from everything. It’s liberating. Not making any decisions. it’s a relief.” I couldn’t agree more.

My recent trip to Varkala Beach felt like one long flight. Laying on a long board, gently floating on the dark undulating waters of the Arabian Sea, staring out at nothing but the vast expanse of cloudy waves – I felt the world pause. I felt light – like I could breathe again. The thing is, I realised I could only feel this way because regardless of place, time, or circumstance, I was distinctly aware of the love I have for myself, my soulmate and the universe. Some call it a red thread, some call it fate or destiny – but for me finding strength in love has reminded me how to fly again.

Whilst not falling off my long board and swallowing litres upon litres of salty seawater, I spent my days getting very brown, reading the spectacular book “A Brief History of Seven Killings” and finding my vibe through music – old and new. For me music is an expression of incorrectness and mystery. It’s when artists play the wrong notes at the wrong time, that I get goosebumps and smile uncontrollably.

Wherever you are, I hope you enjoy my beach vibe.

1. The Beat Comes – Snowden
2. Think I’m in Love – Beck
3. Love and Death – Ebo Taylor
4. To Binge (feat. Little Dragon) – Gorillaz
5. Visions of Johanna – Bob Dylan
6. Crane Song – Toledo
7. Put Me in the Mood – Max Romeo
8. After the Moment – Craft Spells
9. Gucci Gucci – The Homesick
10. Foul Mouth – Mouse on Mars / Amanda Blank
11. Naked Soul – Madboy
12. She – GOON
13. One For My Baby (and One More for the Road) – Frank Sinatra

Playlists: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

The Beat Comes has indie rocking written all over it and sounds as refreshing today as it did when it was released in 2013. Jordan Jeffares picked a rather unfortunate name for his band but in all fairness they were around before Edward Snowden came onto the scene. I love the instrumentation on this track which starts with simple acoustic guitar strumming but launches into heavy synths and accompanied by a heavily compressed guitar lead.

Beck needs no introduction to anybody who grew up in the 90s. What’s awesome about Beck’s songs are that while each song is distinctly unique you can tell its Beck from hearing the first few notes. Think I’m in Love is a cruising song, one that forces you to roll down your car windows and test the limits of your sound system. Sick bass line.

I first heard of Ghanaian superstar Ebo Taylor last week but the more I listen to his music, the more hooked I get. The song Love and Death, from his 2010 album with the same name is a mix of African horns and Latin beats with quite deep lyrics. I mean it’s not every day when you compare falling in love with dying 🙂 If you are fan of Fela Kuti, you must listen to Ebo Taylor.

Damon Albarn has the ability to continuously reinvent himself with every album. If you hear his latest album Humanz, it sounds absolutely nothing like the seminal Demon Days. To Binge, a lovely duet between 2D and Yukimi Nagamo, is a seemingly light song but scratch beneath the surface and the lyrics are quite dark. My read on it is that it’s about a man who is so completely addicted to a woman that he cannot bare to live without her. His infatuation turns into haunting masochism leaving him heart broken.

Visions of Johanna is one of my favourite Bob Dylan songs. Many critics laud it as his greatest piece of writing but nobody can really pinpoint what the song means. So typical of Dylan! Over the years, I have thought long and hard about the meaning of this song, and my conclusions it is about the unattainable urge to always want what we cannot have and at the end, all we are left with are Visions of Johanna.

Toledo describe themselves as an indie-folk band and they have yet to release their first album. Daniel and Jordan of Toledo met when they were busking in a small town in Massachusetts aged all of 12. Crane Song is innocent, beautiful and surprising (wait for it). I expect to hear a lot more great music from these guys.

Put Me in the Mood is a classic from my reggae collection. For me, Max Romeo’s blend of 1950s doo-wop and Jamaican reggae music is the perfect simmer down jam to listen to on the beach. Just sublime.

I haven’t heard a squeak from Craft Spells in years but their 1980s styled hit After the Moment always gets me dancing.

Hailing from the Netherlands, The Homesick are my favourite new band. Gucci Gucci is in the most unusual time signature and that just catches the listener completely off guard but makes it impossible to stop listening to! Their debut album Youth Hunt just came out and it is totally worth listening to. They self produced it and they have really developed a unique sound and voice – absolutely exhilarating.

I don’t have a clue how to describe Foul Mouth from Mouse on Mars’s latest album and featuring Amanda Blank. I guess that is what makes it so riveting. Indulge yourself and imagine the creative process behind a song like this. I would give anything to witness these guys in action.

Bombay’s very own Madboy has a new video out for his track Naked Soul and it is incredible. The track is also very special and is super groovy and very different from the funkadelic music he produces with Madboy Mink. This is perfect wind down music and I always get transported to the jungle towards the end of the track with the sounds of birds chirping.

GOON has yet to release their first album. The lead singer is LA based Kenny Becker and he has a condition that has leaves him periodically deaf. She is a melancholy song with layers of vocals, sort of reminiscent of the Beach Boys harmonies. I really dig their dreamy sound.

I guess I had to class it up at the end. Anybody who knows me knows that I am a huge Elvis Presley fan. But boy, am I also a sucker for Frank, who never really thought much of rock n’ roll. While in my books Elvis will always have the most breathtaking voice, Frank Sinatra has unmatched suave and class. One For My Baby (and One More for the Road) is one of my favourites.

Playlists: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Kendrick Lamar just won the Pulitzer Prize for music – DAMN. This is significant because he is the first non-classical or non-jazz artist to win the award. First Bob Dylan wins the Nobel Prize in Literature and now this? Should we be surprised?

Not at all because it makes perfect sense. Hip-hop, like jazz back in the day, is music that depicts life on the streets – reality. Hip-hop is unique as it has a distinctly aspirational message. Not only does it embrace sonic dissonance like very few other genres do, Hip-hop has transformed itself into a lifestyle.

As inequality rises the world over, populist ideologies (from the right and left) flourish and movements such as Black Lives Matter dominate our newsfeeds and lives, Hip-hop has evolved from its Thug Life roots to being the universal voice for urban expression.

When you scratch beneath the surface of Hip-hop, as I have been doing lately, you will find layers of familiar emotions: fear, love, happiness and so on. But you will also find an overwhelming sense of unsuppressed existential angst being expressed through Hip-hop into mainstream pop culture for the very first time. It is impossible to ignore. Hip hop is the definitive voice of a generation.

So here’s to Kendrick Lamar and scratching beneath the surface of Hip hop… have a wonderful 420! I hope you enjoy my latest playlist. As always, Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube playlist links are included.

1. Hits from the Bong – Cypress Hill
2. A$AP Forever (feat. Moby) – A$AP Rocky
3. Song For You (Jacques Greene Remix) – Rhye
4. About you – G Flip
5. Schikken (feat. Flmmboiint Frdii) – Spark Master Tape
6. Kal (Future) – Prabh Deep
7. Don’t (Lose My Number Remix) – Daniel Freitag
8. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ – Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood
9. Lucy (feat. Odie) – Still Woozy
10. Mr. Tillman – Father John Misty
11. Somewhere Over The Rainbow / What a Wonderful World – Israel Kamakawiwo’ole

Playlists: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

I couldn’t resist starting this Jam with Hits from the Bong…. need I say more?

A$AP Rocky, a member of the hip-hop collective A$AP Mob, brings back to life Moby’s classic tune Porcelain (from the cult classic film The Beach) in this track A$AP Forever. A$AP Rocky’s proud and wicked rhymes are a stark contrast to Moby’s ethereal dreamy keyboards in the background. Strangely half way through the song A$AP Rocky bows out and we cut over to Moby singing about dying, lying and hurting.

Song For You is a sensitive love song by Canadian Mike Milosh of Rhye. In this song he portrays his love affair as one where he deeply experiences his partner’s sorrow and pain. He feels helpless and he keeps repeating “ Why don’t you tell me what you need? Oh, what you need.” Jacques Greene’s subtle remix really brings the song to life! But if you haven’t heard the original, you must.

G Flip – ok… now I must explain – I realise the vocals sound poppy at first but give it a chance. This is the first ever release from the extremely talented Aussie Georgia Flipo who impressed the pants off critics at SXSW. Georgia recorded this track in her bedroom and played all the instruments herself. About You is sparse by any definition – but it is elevated with its dark baseline, sick beat and stunning vocals. Respect.

Spark Master Tape (SMT) is an anonymous rapper. He wears a mask in public, his voice is always laden with effects and he disappears for years at a stretch (2014-2016). Ok so there isn’t much to the lyrics of Schikken – drugs, money, b*tches, guns and chicken soup? But it is very catchy and I dig the mystery behind it all.

I went to a Prabh Deep gig at Above the Habitat a few weeks ago in Mumbai. I was BLOWN AWAY! This man is smooth and his fans are absolutely nuts (in a good way). It was the first time I have witnessed our homegrown hip-hop lifestyle – from clothes, swagger to krumping. Prabh Deep’s super intelligent rhymes are about his experiences growing up in Tilak Nagar, New Delhi and touch on the socio-economic hardships faced by people living in that tough neighbourhood. Although I only understand bits of Punjabi, the energy he exudes on stage especially during this song Kal (Future), was enough to get me jumping (not krumping) up and down. Check out this Class Sikh!

Don’t is the second single off of Daniel Freitag’s debut album Still. He explains it best: “The song deals with loves lost, chances missed and ultimately letting go.” The remix is superb but the instrumentation gets quite sophisticated with maybe a little too much going on in the chorus. That said, I find my head bobs like I am at the Roxbury whenever this plays on my cans.

This is the most intoxicating cover of the 1964 classic You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ originally recorded by the Righteous Brothers. Lee Hazlewood’s baritone voice coupled with Nancy Sinatra’s seductive crooning is a perfect match for this power ballad. I am not sure how I came across this cover but it is truly a magical find as it is almost as if I am listening to this song for the first time.

If you just read the lyrics, Lucy could be just another cute love song. But when you play it, you can see why Still Woozy has a something really special to offer. Sven Gamsky self produced this entire album after he quit a math rock band last year (yes you read that correctly). For me this is perfect Sunday afternoon music.

I may be a bit late to the genius of Father John Misty (FJM), but this song Mr. Tillman is brilliant. The song is a hilarious conversation between Mr. Tillman (FJM’s real name is J. Tillman) and a member of staff at the hotel he is staying at. His idiosyncratic acoustic sound is so refreshing to hear and his lyrics are always sharp and witty.

If I had to choose one song to represent the beauty of the world around us I would choose the medley Somewhere Over The Rainbow / What a Wonderful World performed by the late great Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. Whenever I hear Israel singing and playing the Ukulele I smile and find immense strength in knowing how lucky I am to love and be loved in return.

“Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly.
And the dreams that you dream of, dreams really do come true.”

Till next time…

Playlists: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Do you know Snoop Dogg’s latest album Bible Of Love currently holds the #1 spot on the Billboard Gospel Album charts? I promise this is not an April fools joke. From gangsta rap, making porn and even forming his own youth football league, Snoop never ceases to reinvent himself. Don’t worry, I will not subject you to the gospel by Snoop 🙂

Here is my playlist to start April with. There is so much new music out there it has taken me weeks to curate this playlist. I hope you enjoy it. As always, Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube playlist links are included.

1. Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op 24: II – Ludwig van Beethoven
2. I’ll Fight for Your Life – The Drums
3. Come Meh Way – Sudan Archives
4. IDLU – Ezzyland w/ Raychel
5. Sinking Ship – Wild City
6. Magnolia – Lushlife
7. Thug Tears – JPEGMAFIA
8. Beautiful English – Rafiq Bhatia
9. I Wonder If I Take You Home – Meshell Ndegeocello
10. Losing You – Boy Pablo
11. Pissing Stars – Efrim Manuel Menuck

Playlists: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

As spring is upon us (well in Bombay it feels like the depths of summer) I thought it would be nice to begin with Beethoven’s Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major often known as the Spring Sonata. You are listening to the second movement, Adagio molto espressivo, which for me brings about a feeling of immense saudade. The gentle dialogue between the violin and piano always really moves me and has made this one of my favourite pieces of music. It is performed by the superb Chloe Hanslip (violin) and Danny Driver (piano).

I’ll Fight for Your Life is my favourite track off of The Drums 2017 release ‘Abysmal Thoughts.’ This is Jonny Pierce’s first record without Jacob Graham, his childhood friend and founding member of The Drums. I was amazed to learn that Jonny recorded the entire album in his bedroom. He composed the music and played all the instruments himself! While the lyrics are typical of Jonny, the arrangement is refreshingly more complex than his older songs.

Come Meh Way by Sudan Archives is groundbreaking by any standard. Sudan Archives composes, performs and produces her own music. If the Sudanese fiddle inspired violin riffs do not catch you off guard just wait till 1 minute 12 seconds into the song and you will understand why I am so obsessed with her. Absolutely exhilarating bassline that just makes you wish you were at the PS1 Warm Up in Queens.

Sidharth Ezhilan from Salem, Tamil Nadu produces music under the moniker Ezzyland and damn does he have raw talent. The song IDLU is a departure from his typical style as he has collaborated with Korean vocalist Raychel. In fact, the more I listen to Ezzyland’s music it is quite obvious that he doesn’t really have a style – every track of his is unique in its own way. More about Ezzyland in my next post.

Sinking Ship is a blissful acoustic ballad about love and life. While the verse brings about a feeling of foreboding, the chorus turns it around when Kelsey Wilson breathily sings that even if its cold in the water she is better for it. Towards the end of the song it sounds like Wild Child are actually playing underwater! Amazing use of the studio to bring out the meaning of the song.

I discovered Magnolia when I read that critically acclaimed hip hop artist Raj Haldar aka Lushlife was coming to Bombay this week. Born and raised in Philly to Bengali parents, Lushlife wrote many of his early rhymes sitting in Calcutta. However, unless you see him live you would never guess that he is Bengali. In his latest album The Skull Eclipses he has a rejuvenated sound that is piercingly original. More on Lushlife next week.

JPEGMAFIA’s raucous rap Thug Tears is as experimental as it comes and I cannot get enough of it. While this track may sound discordant at first, it takes a few listens to really appreciate the genius behind the glitch heavy synths, thick basslines and angry lyrics. Stay with it for sometime and you will get what I mean.

Rafiq Bhatia creates the most harmonically rich soundscape with his instrumental piece Breaking English. Rafiq’s influences range from hip hop artists to Jimi Hendrix and you can just hear the confluence of ideas in his music. In his own words: “A lot of my approach to the guitar has been making it into something it’s not.”

I Wonder If I Take You Home could be a tribute to Prince but its so much more. Meshell Ndegeocello’s website describes her latest album Ventriloquism as lush and investigative, subversive and sublime – I cannot phrase it better. The crisp guitar, tight synths, excellent sampling and Meshell’s husky voice creates a resonant musical style which just screams to be listened to.

The latest song by Norwegian indie rockers Boy Pablo is catchy to say the least but it’s the duplicity of the song that makes it so appealing. The achingly sad lyrics are about a relationship going sour but the music transports me to an 80s yacht party – complete with funky clothes and disco era dance moves. This sort of makes Losing You a song for anytime and anyplace. I love it.

Efrim Manuel Menuck’s latest album released in February titled Pissing Stars is sculpted upon the improbable romance between Mary Hart (a beautiful TV presenter) and Mohammed Khashoggi (son of a Saudi arms dealer). He never even knew the couple! Again, I promise this is not a joke. Whatever his inspiration, the last song on this album also titled Pissing Stars features a simple guitar melody with Efrim’s haunting, effect laden voice which is then layered with effects that simulate a feeling of atmospheric euphoria. The song builds into a shrill crescendo of beautiful noise that just captivates me every time I listen to it.

And thats all for now. Happy listening!

Playlists: Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

So this is what I am currently listening to (in no particular order of preference). I have included links to the Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube playlists. Enjoy!

1. Continents – Hembree
2. The Ramble – Julian Lage
3. The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs – Wye Oak
4. Everything is Now (Part Two) – Belle & Sebastien
5. Beautiful Blue Sky – Ought
6. See How – Young Fathers
7. Extraordinary Love – Erika Wennerstrom
8. Moon River – Frank Ocean
9. The Fear Flipped – The Shins
10. Strange as it Seems – The Wood Brothers
11. La Nueva Ciudad – Balun

Spotify Playlist | Apple Music Playlist | YouTube Playlist

Hembree’s band members have strayed quite far from their Americana roots with this single. Laced with synths and vocal delays, Continents plays like an alternative rock anthem.

The Ramble is the first song I have heard by Julian Lage and I have had it on repeat for a month now. I have never been a huge fan of jazz guitar but this man is just brilliant! His fingers effortlessly ooze across the fretboard of his Fender Strat in this bluesy masterpiece.

Jenn Wasner from Wye Oak has her own signature guitar The Reverend Signature JW-1! The Louder I Call, the Faster It Runs is a synth heavy track and is perfectly unpredictable – just my jam. I wonder what the ‘It’ is?

“Lonely as a picture hung in an abandoned room. You fall back on the love inside. Please let your love be known or it will die”. The Scots – Belle and Sebastien have written the most soul filled lyrics for this magical tune Everything is Now (Part Two).

Ok… Beautiful Blue Sky takes a few listens to fully comprehend, but once you get it, you cannot stop repeating yourself. Listen to this 7 minute 43 second opus and you will understand. Listen up for the vocal / guitar jugalbandi in the bridge – very cool! Warplane. Condo. New Development. Time Again. Hows the church? Hows the job? Fancseeing you here. I FEEL ALRIGHT! Stop reading this and play the song.

From the longest song to the shortest, Young Fathers create a stunning soundscape in See How from their latest album Cocoa Sugar. Notice how delicately each bass note cuts right before the next one starts – I cannot get enough this group! Clearly Scotland is the place to be to hear fresh sounds.

Extraordinary Love is a hard hitting rock ballad about self love. This is the first single from Erika Wennerstrom’s debut solo album after taking time off from the Austin based Heartless Bastards. This album is a culmination of her two year emotional journey that included a hiatus at an Ayahuasca Retreat in the Amazon. After hearing this song I really want what she got there! In her own words “The song is the realization that I do everything in my life for love. We all want to be liked and to give and receive love. If I can’t be kind and loving to myself how can I expect anybody else to. It starts with me. I find the most extraordinary thing is to be truly compassionate to yourself.” I could not agree more.

Frank Ocean… pure genius. He has turned Moon River, the Audrey Hepburn classic from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, into a stunning labyrinth of vocal harmonies with minimal accompaniment. Whenever I listen to this song I am tempted to peek into the fire escape (if we had them in Bombay) to find Audrey Hepburn longingly strumming her guitar. Lucky for me I have my own girl but for those of you who don’t, this is the perfect love song.

Oh The Shins… a band that just continues to evolve while remaining true to their sound. While The Fear – Flipped has seemingly simple instrumentation, it is James Mercer’s effect heavy ever-droning voice and lyrics about coming from love instead of fear that brings goosebumps to my skin.

Steel guitar (I think), standup bass and cello. It’s all strings on this lovely song by The Wood Brothers. Oliver Wood’s voice sounds bright as ever and Chris Wood’s (MMW) bass provides the backbone for Strange as it Seems.

Fuck Despacito… this is the real deal from Puerto Rico. Balun in their song La Nueva Cuidad create a sonic universe that thankfully defies any genre. Cruising down Marine Drive late at night, Arabian Sea to your left, this is the song to wind down the night (and this post).

Spotify Playlist | Apple Music Playlist | YouTube Playlist