Musical Interlude: July Edition

Wesley Newton never ceases to amaze me. Since our school days, his passion, talent and faith have defined his actions and these virtues continue to guide him. Coupled with loads of hard work, they have made Wesley well-known in the Bangalore music circuit as a musician (most recently of Blushing Satellite), and now entrepreneur and educator as the Director of the NAD School of Music. I have known Wes for close to twenty years now and I am overjoyed that he agreed to share his gift with us this week. You don't want to miss this.

Tower of Power : Diggin' on James Brown

This was the first song I heard that changed me from being a predominantly rock drummer to being a soul/r&b/funk drummer. "Tower Of Power" has been my favourite funk band for at least 5 years now, and is one of my biggest influences musically. This song of theirs was written as a tribute to the godfather of soul, James Brown, and has an infectiously happy vibe that is sure to get your body grooving. 





Joshua Redman : Jazz Crimes

This brilliant song by jazz tenor saxophonist, Joshua Redman, has my favourite drummer, Brian Blade, playing on it. He changed my life. No kidding! Watching him play made me realize as to what kind of drummer I really want to be like, 'cause I had never seen a drummer play in such union with the kit before, and that is exactly how I want to be. He is so responsive to the music, and his feel, flow, control, time and musicality are god-like. Okay, coming back to the song now - Jazz Crimes has a brilliant mix of funk and swing, and the syncopation on it is extremely catchy! It has a great melody, and some really well constructed improvisation too, so all in all, it makes for a must listen.

Maps and Levees

This Monday, we have a music selections by our only fan in Bangladesh - Minita Varghese. Here are two new songs that she thinks you need to know about. Happy listening.

Max and Alyson Stoner : Maps

I only recently feel in love with this version of Maps by Max Schneider and Alyson Stoner. So grateful for YouTube, where you don’t need a record label or producer to share your music.  

Joy Williams : Until the Levee

Joy Williams used to be a part of what was once, the Civil Wars. She recently went solo, and this is one of my favourites from her new album – Venus. Such a pleasure listening to her – just as always.

So Now What?

Tanisha's Pick

If you want a fun song to wake you up on a lazy afternoon, this is the one you need.
Complete with lots of clapping and sing-a-long type lyrics, it's a guaranteed foot tapping song. The Score's usual genre is lovey-dovey and this song is just like the rest. I'm pretty sure this infectious melody will stick in your head all week.

We're a thousand miles up and about to get higher...

Following the release of this single, was their equally praise-worthy track Catching Fire. Keep a lookout for their EP releasing sometime this year.

Sudhir's Pick

A friend of mine told me a while ago that if you didn't like The Shins you are crazy. They are a band for Everyone. I took his advice and tried them out an shave been hooked ever since. I was super excited when one of their songs was used to close out the penultimate season of how I met your mother. This song provides the constant rhythm and beautiful sounds to entice you into a journey yet you are constantly brought back to reality through the re-asking of the title -So Now What?

X Ambassadors

Formally known as the Ambassadors, the X Ambassadors are a four man band with some great talent mixing funk, RnB into their alternative rock base.Their styles vary so much with each track on their EP's and their singles, it's quite possible to have love-hate feelings for their music. 

The band was formed by 4 friends that include brothers, Sam and Casey (their pianist who is blind from birth) Harris. They've been touring the past year with Imagine Dragons and will release their album VHS out in a few days.

Sudhir's Pick

This is not something I would usually post but I couldn't help it. It is hard to explain why I like it despite their not being a depth in lyrical prowess, nor clarity in the vocals. I guess it is the strong beat which dominates the song and the anthem which it creates. Take a listen.




Tanisha's Pick

Sudhir picked his song first and I decided that I would pick a song by the X Ambassadors too. I listened to their first album Litost a while ago and loved their track Unconsolable. Listening to them again now, I've noticed that their style has changed a little bit from then. This one's my favourite from their new music- Renegades.



Picture courtesy CAVE magazine

Oh I could sail the world...

I know we've missed a week. Things got busy last week and suddenly it was already Tuesday and we didn't even realise. Apologies. Hope these great songs make up for it. 

Tanisha's Pick

I was watching episodes from this years Britain's Got Talent today. This is the singer and song that got Simon Cowell to hit the gold button! Watch his audition here. Calum Scott reached the finals and even though he didn't win, he's made impression in the in the indie world with a voice that is a lovely blend of Michael Rosenberg and Adam Levine.

Sudhir's Pick

Admittedly, I do not know much about this band. This is the only song of theirs I have listened to, in fact. But this is what this blog is all about - being open to new things, searching for new tunes and new soundtracks to guide our week. 

The lead singer has a very Christina Perri sound about her, but with the pop stripped away. This song is as indie as it gets. Take a listen.

Indie all the way

Sudhir's Pick 

"Walk away and we'll start a war"

For this week I would like to introduce you to The National. There is really no good comparison (in my opinion) for what these guys sound like.The deep voice of the lead singer adds depth to the soulful lyrics and peaceful melodies. If you have the time also check out their song 'Fake Empire'.

Tanisha's Pick

Here's another one from my iPod. This was on the soundtrack of a Katie Holmes/Josh Duhamel movie that wasn't really a movie worth watching. But the soundtrack was unexpectedly quite brilliant. Very minimalist selection of indie songs. Some of the tracks, like this one and some of the ones by The Bird and the Bee had quite an eerie feel to them. 

June Tunes

Sudhir's Pick

Firstly, I need to clear the air. I haven't picked this artist because of my love for individuals who have two first names as their full names. Phew!

Even though the title of this song might imply that it is being performed by a death metal group, this guy perfectly personifies the Indie genre from the first decade of this century.  Catchy tune, variety of instruments, fun video - can't say enough good about this song. You know why?! Because "That's the way I like it."

Tanisha's Pick

I've been a bit disconnected the past two weeks. I've been travelling in North India on a project trip and it has been so amazing. I've mostly been listening to music on my iPod on the long train journeys and haven't discovered anything new to share.

This is a song I heard on a Fox Travel advertisement recently. It's so refreshing to hear good music choices on TV, even if it's just a snippet of a song. American Authors is a fairly new band, but their singles have been doing exceptionally well. With the combination of great music and great lyrics, you'll know why.