That’s the first image that comes to my mind whenever I hear the term “trip-hop” – a warren of rabbits on acid. Of all the ridiculous musical genre names, this has got to be the silliest. It is also unfair to the music itself. With a name like that, you (at least I did) expect…
Democrazy
It’s election day here in the state of Karnataka, India. For those of you who don’t know, Karnataka houses the city of Bengaluru or Bangalore. There’s a slow change that seems to be coming over the attitude of people to elections, at least among the ‘educated’ middle class. Indifference and apathy are giving way to…
Bridge (Never mind the gap)
Another longish break and yet another return. I was having too much fun with getting ready for the launch of our new venture (there was also a bit of sweat and stress involved, but mostly it was fun) to add anything to this or to my BanteringRam blog in the last few weeks. And in…
Another Kind Of Love
This post came about after yet another listen of a Leonard Cohen song, a personal favourite of both my wife and me. It is really an extension of an earlier post of mine featuring a couple of superb pieces of music exemplifying two very different facets of love. Perhaps this would have been more befitting…
Slow Down Boss
This one has taken its own time coming. I had intended this for a couple of months back but something else kept catching my fancy. But then a podcast I heard on BDWPS catalysed my finally writing this piece. There was a bit on Black Sabbath (no, there is only one other, albeit trivial, relationship…
Blow’n’ Away
Just a month into the year and we’re already hearing some terrific new music. I don’t easily get excited by musical sound these days. Maybe because I’ve become somewhat of a jaded listener. But the new album ‘Gamak’ by the Italy-born US-based jazz saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa has got this old dog’s ears all perked up….
A Case Of Favouritism
No, this is not a best of 2012 list. Such a claim would be quite a tall order 🙂 These are just a few of my favourite sings (sick, sick, sick) from the year gone by. Again, just a few. I had a fabulous start to the year spending time at an NGO up in…
A Rhyme For Every Reason
And a song for every season. They could well paraphrase this song to ‘Churn, Churn, Churn’ and make it the HR department’s anthem This one for the marketer peddling his wares And for that mythical honest business For the paranoid and the merely curious alike If only Pontius Pilate had sung And in this season…
Take A Bow, Mr. Brubeck, Take Five If You Will
He opened doors. Dave Brubeck opened the doors to a hitherto mystical world of Jazz for people like me. He uncovered for me the riches of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Art Blakey, Chick Corea, Weather Report, Robert Glasper, Vijay Iyer, Brad Mehldau…a whole area of beauty. A tune that I heard countless times before I…
Hallelujah: The Original and A Chorus Of Note
One thing leads to another. Earlier this week I was listening to Handel’s “Messiah” when I remembered an email newsletter that I had received some weeks back featuring a collaborative cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” (now how does “Messiah” lead to “Hallelujah”? Don’t ask, please). More of that joint effort later, but it got me…
DyingNote 