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By the mid 70’s Return To Forever, was most definitely one of the most respected bands in the field of jazz music. But, it wasn’t until their sixth album, Romantic Warrior that the band was able to surpass other fusion bands of the time, and clock record sales, especially for a sibling of […]

From the 23rd to the 25th of October, IIT Kanpur will host it’s annual rock festival called ‘Synchronicity’, as part of the ‘Antaragni’ cultural festival held by the college. This year the organizers seem to loaded to the brimful by sponsors, as they are dishing out attractive prizes for the winners of the rock fest. 
The […]

Indian Ocean Live At BB King’s Blues Club, Times Square

28th August 2008.

There is an ancient Spartan saying that a man is only as strong as the man beside him. Ask a musician what he thinks about it. Chances are, he has felt it, playing in harmony with other musicians. Ask a guy who went to see a […]

Ozzy has always made wise decisions when it came to choosing his guitarists. All the guitarist that have been in partnership with Ozzy, at least for a considerable amount of time have attained the status of guitar gods. Ozzy’s present guitarist Zakk Wylde has been the longest serving, in the long list of Ozzy guitarists. […]

The much awaited Great Indian Rock Fest is finally here. This year, it’s bigger, better and spans across 7 cities, namely, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune, Shillong and Hyderabad. Also, there’s an added advantage for bands playing this year  —  -Rock Street Journal has invited international festival organisers and promoters from Europe and other places to witness […]

This October there will be a reunion of an epic scale. Two of the greatest musicians in the world – guitar king John McLaughlin and keyboard wizard Chick Corea are going to get together to perform on the same stage after more than 30 years.

The duo first got together as part of Miles Davis’s […]

Alice in Chains, one of the oldest grunge bands around today, is going to enter the studio in October to record their first studio album in over thirteen years. The band disbanded in 2002 after the death of the their original lead vocalist Layne Staley, and remained in hiatus for three years before regrouping […]

If one had to define the music of Rory Gallagher one would probably say it was heartfelt, hard-hitting blues music blended with jazzy overtones, and at times mixed with a country backdrop. If one were to describe his music, calling it beautiful would be a definite understatement. After gaining recognition with his band Taste, Rory […]

The master of the shred guitar, Yngwie Malmsteen is back with another album, called ‘Perpetual Flame’ which is due for release on the 14th of October. Yngwie will be matched by equally able musicians this time around. Former Priest vocalist Tim Owens will  join Yngwie, and try not to be over shadowed by the Neo-classical king’s over the […]

Indian Ocean live in concert, on the 16th of March this year. Catch the band play their classics Bandeh, Hille Re and Ma Rewa amongst many others.

In the annual SOI concerts, NCPA has time and again come up with treats for lovers of western classical music in Bombay. This time they have five very promising performances lined up. 
1.
Sat. 13th – 7.00 pm
Jamshed Bhabha Theatre 
Malcolm Messiter: Oboe
Zane Dalal: Conductor 
Pieces performed:
Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy: The Hebrides (Fingal’s Cave) Overture Op. 26
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Oboe […]

Jerry Reed, multi talented entertainer, singer, actor and country guitarist died of complications from emphysema at 71.
The multi grammy winner was a true blue southerner from Atlanta, Georgia and was the guitarist to the King, Elvis Presley at one point of time. Reed Dropped out at 8 after he learned to play the guitar […]

John McLaughlin has maintained a long lasting relation with India now. Over the decades the man has been visiting India with the motive to drown himself in the amazing arts and culture found across the vast country, performing with classical musicians of the finest order. For long he only collaborated with Indian classical […]

From the 12th to the 14th of this month, the picturesque valleys of Kullu-Manali will seem a bit prettier. The first installment of the Play One World Music Festival is on it’s way, which aims to cover the length and breadth of this beautiful country in the course of the year.

Targeting an audience of passionate music […]

After his teacher Joe Satriani introduced the signature Saturator Pedal by Vox, guitarist Steve Vai has introduced his own dual Distortion pedal with Ibanez and it called the Jemini - partly because Vai’s a Gemini and he has his custom Jem guitars from Ibanez. Jem + Gemini = Jemini get it?

It has this funky […]

In 1982, when Randy Rhoads died in a terrible plane crash, everyone thought Ozzy had hit another brick wall and this time he wouldn’t be able to recover and make a come-back. After all Randy was Ozzy’s new found secret ingredient, that helped him gain some respect after being sacked from his Sabbath job. […]

 
Over the past four years (that’s about when I first attended the event), I’ve heard tons of people talk about Independence Rock in its heyday at Rang Bhavan – when it was held on the 15th of August, when advertising the event wasn’t THAT big a priority and above all, when the bands that played […]

The Bombay Chamber Orchestra Society is organising what could well be a once in a lifetime treat for Bombay’s music lovers. Lothar Hensel – one of the world’s most renowned Bandoneón player is soloing at Tata Theatre on Sunday 7th September at 6:30 pm. Hensel is a German musician who plays a German […]

Songs are best when they make you feel something. A good album can be played over and over and that riff that made you grin the first time you heard it still sounds good. Keep these in mind when you listen to Light Tribe. By the time you listened to it the third […]

English rock veterans, The Cure have shifted their focus form the 13th of September to the 13th of next month now. The band has been releasing a single at a time, on the 13th of every month as a build up to the album release. The bands 13th studio release is titled 4:13 Dream. The […]

British rock legends are all set to release their first studio album in over 13 years and their first ever with ex Bad Company and Free frontman Paul Rodgers. The album titled ‘The Cosmos Rocks’ is all set to rock the world on the 15th of september. The album will released under the banner of […]

Sometimes all the talent in the world is just not enough for an artist. It is equally essential that the same talent is given the right exposure, so that the right art is reaching the right people. Heavy Metal legends Savatage had to wait until their fourth major release Hall of the Mountain […]

And we’re back with one of India’s best jam bands - Something Relevant. With a line up of fabulous musicians, these guys have come a long way. From the random jam sessions that they’ve had as teenagers, to sharing stage space with India’s best at Eastwind…All this and more as they give us a sneak […]

Ozzy Osbourne is a man who’s name is synonymous with heavy metal. In a career spanning four decades now, Ozzy has adopted many forms. From being the wildest and darkest man on stage, to being a sober and sincere family man, Ozzy has lived it all and done it all. Here is the first […]

 
On December 1st 1998, four metal-heads got together to play the music of their choice, music which was just music at the end of the day, but still was so much more than just music. Enter Sceptre. Ten years on, Sceptre have not lost sight of what got them started. During this period, they […]

Here’s something all you metal-heads wouldn’t want to miss! Next week,that is,on the 5th of September  —  -three of India’s most successful metal acts will be performing LIVE at D’Ultimate. The ocasion: The launch of  Brute Force’s album, Force Fed & SCEPTRE’s Now or Never.
Since their formation in 2005, there’s been no looking back for Brute Force. They […]

Indian Ocean live in concert, on the 16th of March this year. Catch the band play their classics Bandeh, Hille Re and Ma Rewa amongst many others.

Parikrama are all set to raise a desert storm in the city of Muscat, the capital of Oman. The Delhi based band is scheduled to play at the Qurum Amphitheatre on the 17th of October.
The modernised open air amphitheatre can seat over 2,000 people and is equipped with excellent sound systems. It looks like the guys […]

Take a look as we speak to one of India’s best jam bands - Something Relevant. With a line up of fabulous musicians, these guys have come a long way. From the random jam sessions that they’ve had as teenagers, to sharing stage space with India’s best at Eastwind…All this and more as they give […]

Jimi Hendrix was one of the greatest and most influential musicians of any era. A man who was known for getting right into his music, Jimi played rockified blues music like none other. Here are the tracks that earned him his immortal status;
Foxy Lady
Hello world, this Jimi Hendrix! ‘Foxy Lady’ was the […]

Dhruv and Ashu impress us once again  —  -this time, with the much awaited Smoke Signals.
Fusion music has become all the rage these days. But what most musicians don’t understand is the fact that having a tabla player in the band does not define ‘fusion’. It’s the synchronization of two completely different genres of music (In this case, […]

On the 29th of this month, NCPA’s little theatre, will play host to a number of Indian classical musicians. Accomplished tabla player Suresh Talwalkar’s daughter Savani, will lead a group of her father’s most able students on stage. The list reads as follows; Eeshan Kaushal and Mayank Bedekar will be on the tabla, while Omkar […]

Bassist Jonas Hellborg and percussionist V. Selvaganesh will kick of a spree of concerts starting today in Mumbai, at the Blue Frog Club. Jonas is a world renowned jazz musician, while Selvaganesh, the son of the legendary ‘Vikku’ Vinayakram is an excellent Kanjira  player, who has gained fame and recognition playing for the fusion group […]

Here’s a look at some of the pianist who have either carved their own style or have taken an idea and have grown on it tremendously. Ladies and gentleman – The Indian Pianists….
 
Louiz Banks
If you’re a jazz fan and hail from India, there is one name your bound to be familiar with, and that’s […]

Chivas Live Alive, is an endeavour which aims at combining the pleasures of music and alcohol. Kick starting earlier this year in New Delhi, the festival is now heading to the other cities on the map of India. First up on the Mumbai branch is the rock band ‘Faces in the dark’ who would be […]

Jonas Hellborg, the swedish jazz bassist will be holding a bass clinic and workshop, at the Blue Frog Club on the 21st of august. Jonas has worked with rock,jazz and fusion heavyweights from around the world such as John McLaughlin, Shawn Lane, Ginger Baker, Sultan Khan, Miles Davis to name a few. The clinic will […]

Zero splitting up? Now that is one revolting thought. More saddening actually. But, if it’s any consolation, the band will be playing at D’Ultimate on the 22nd of August. This performance also features two new, talented and upcoming bands  —    —  Sector 8 and Cirkles.
Sector 8 is a six-member Hindi-Rock band comprising Reagan Desouza on vocals, Abel on lead […]

Few musicians would be as ingenious or adroit, and yet be relatively unheard of as Shawn Lane. People who weren’t well versed with Shawn’s works would often categorize Shawn as a shredder, overlooking his well rounded abilities. Yes, he did have the ability to clock inhuman speeds, but that was just one of the many […]

2008 is all set to become one of the most busiest years in the history of music. With vintage bands making come backs and young bands in full fledged recording moods, here are some of the albums that are to be expected pretty soon with their scheduled time of release.
Queen - The Cosmos Rocks - Sept ‘08
Metal […]

Last week, when news channels flashed images from Bangalore, where in college going kids where being man handled by the police at bars and night clubs, it was almost certain that the Karnataka state governments new strict policies on music performances would affect the Bangalore leg of the iRock.
The final details of the Bangalore prelims is […]

Pancham Nishad, is a company which has been organizing Indian Classical events for over a decade now. The event managers can boast of showcasing megastars of classical music such as Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ustad Bismillah Khan amongst a zillion others. Their latest event titled ‘Malhar Rang’ will take place on the 28th and 29th […]

‘If Ifs and Ands were pots and pans there would be no tinkers’ –quoting Rooshabh Doshi on 13th April 2005 when he kept listening to a friend play ‘If I were a Rich Girl’ by Gwen Stefani continuously on loop…and quoting Navjot Singh Sidhu… and quoting many other such wise sages over the […]

The piano has been a fundamental part of jazz music. Jazz piano is a domain of limitless possibilities. Right from playing the simple and tested sets to the downright obscure, the world has seen a large variety of jazz pianists who have been envied by their counter figures from other genres. By it as […]

Hinduatani classical vocalist Kishori Amonkar will be performing at the Tata Theatre on Friday the 22nd. Kishori is the renowned daughter of Mogubai Kurdikar has netted a place for herself in the field of classical music. The Padma Vibhushan (2002) winner has a style of her own developed by fusing classical and non classical styles […]

Pradeep, the lead guitarist for metal band Demonic Resurrection has parted ways with the band only a few weeks before their headlining performance at iRock. Pradeep was part of the band for over two years and has quoted lack of committed time towards the band as the reason for his departure and nothing else.
Sahil Makhija has […]

Metal bands are found a dime a dozen in the Indian underground music scene. Almost every second band these days is a metal band. In spite of the numbers in place, to find good world-class Indian metal is a rarity. The pick of all these bands that have adorned the Indian auditoriums, would probably be […]

Zero one of the greatest Indian rock bands of all time, were one of the most recent bands to be added onto the list of headliners for iRock XXIII. While this would come as good news for the band’s fans, there is also a catch involved. Rumour has it that this may also be the […]

Mapex’s endorsement of Indian Drummers is finally beginning to show up in catalogues. These endorsements are quite a pat on the back for our Indian drummers and have put them up on the platform with international drummers of the likes of Chris Adler. Even though endorsements are nothing new, they are rare to come by. […]

What happens when a bunch of friends/ardent lovers of music, and the Arts in general, get together? A good conversation over coffee? A game of Taboo? Haha. No, it was the making of one India’s most talented bands that’s now got a fan-following across continents. And I mean that, quite literally.
Menwhopause- The original line-up included […]

Transformation, was The Alex Skolnick Trio’s second release. The follow up to Goodbye to romance saw the band maintaining their addictively smooth sound following the visionary ideas of their leader Alex Skolnick. The band grew on the idea of taking rock and metal standards and turning them into jazz masterpieces. The band’s original bassist John […]

This one is for those who haven’t got hold of their irock tickets yet. The tickets for all the cities are available online at www.bookmyshow.com Alternatively for those who prefer rudimentary methods of purchasing their tickets, the tickets will be available at Music World outlets in the respective cities.
For those in Kolkata tickets are also […]

Make the most of your weekend! Ditch the family reunion and cancel that trip to Khandala (what’s so great about waterfalls anyway?)Stock up on your CD collection at the SonyBMG/ Vodafone Stack Up Music Sale!Over 10000 different titles in stock, and everything must go!Choose from the biggest International Superstars, Rock to Jazz, The finest in […]

Umang, the inter-collegiate festival organized by Narsee Monjee College, Mumbai will play host to the rock band Parikrama this year. Parikrama will join the long list of artist of have performed at the festival in the past. The long list includes Indian Ocean, Kailash Kher, Lucky Ali and Euphoria.
 The event in it’s ninth year receive […]

SILVER is an ambient rock band formed with the very intention of creating original music. The ethereal melodies and resonant tone combined with haunting and inspired performances make for a heady listening experience. A fun mix of musicians here to burn a mark on the Indian Rock Scene…Highly influenced by Funk, Blues, Jazz n good […]

Sweden’s Opeth plays brutal death metal with a melodic progressive edge and “Lamentations” is no exception. Singer/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth’s driving force through the years and does not disappoint on this DVD. The first time I saw this band live was on the Progressive Nation Tour 08 where they were on the same […]

The headliners for Independence Rock XXIII or more famously iRock XXIII have been confirmed. The Sahil Makhija led Demonic Resurrection will partner Delhi rocker Super Fuzz on the 30th of August.
The following day the harcore Scribe and rock veterans Agni will bring the house down aided by Guwahati based band faith and cover specialists Hip […]

The Freedom Jam Festival which was to be held on the 15th of August has been postponed to September due to security reasons. The festival which is in it’s 12th year celebrates poetry, theatre, dance and other forms of art apart from music. The festival is one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the […]

The second leg of the list of the Greatest Jazz Guitarists ventures into the artists who learned and took inspiration from their predecessors and in turn took jazz guitar to a higher level. Many of the guitarist mentioned here ventured into the jazz fusion genre where they would combine the intricacies of jazz with other […]

We talk to one of India’s supremely famous “super groups”, Scribe. “Normal people do not like Hardcore, and we like it that way.” When a band starts their MySpace profile with those lines, you know you are in for a treat. Inspired by bands of yore, like ‘Sick of it All’, ‘Hatebreed’ as well as […]

Mizraab, the Pakistani progressive metal band is a force to reckon with. Being one of the few metal bands that use Urdu as their choice of song, the band is spear-headed by child protégé Faraz Anwar. After the band’s debut album Panchi, the band managed to land itself troubled waters and parted ways. From then […]

A Hindustani Shenai concert has been a surprise addition to the forthcoming Ganesh Chaturti Music festival from the 29th Aug08 to the 02nd of Sep08 being organized by the ‘Shri Subha Sidhivinayaka Mandhir Society, Mayur Vihar, Delhi – India, in collaboration with the music society ‘Issai Kudumbam’. Though the festival is basically organized by the South […]

Being a jazz guitarist can be one of the most taunting tasks that could be undertaken by a musician. The sheer complexity of playing jazz guitar can be most overwhelming, and could make many a players break a sweat. But, when perfected after years of practice and study the outcome is something that cannot be […]

Ghazal maestro Talat Aziz is making a come back of sorts with a compilation album of traditional poems presented in a modern avatar. Talat has been working on the album for a while now and is hopeful that the album will earn him back the superstar status he once enjoyed.
 The album should go a long […]

 
We talk to one of India’s supremely famous “super groups”, Scribe. ”Normal people do not like Hardcore, and we like it that way.” When a band starts their MySpace profile with those lines, you know you are in for a treat. Inspired by bands of yore, like ‘Sick of it All’, ‘Hatebreed’ as well as newer […]

This Independence day there will be a scent of musical freedom in the air. Percussionist Taufiq Qureshi and drummer Ranjit Barot will join hands to play at the beautiful backdrop of the blue frog club. Joining them on stage would be vocalist Vijay Prakash and mridangam player Shridhar. The event would be a nice way […]

 
Unplugged @ Sharktooh Livestorms on the 17th of February.

I bought this CD more out of curiosity than any expectations. Let’s face it, when was the last time you heard Axl Rose screaming his a#$ off on an album? (And no, I am not talking about the Chinese Democracy leaks that appear on the web every two years or that mutant aberration which appeared […]

The Indian Rock Scene is pretty much dominated by metal - be it Thrash, Death, Goth or any other sub-genre. There aren’t too many alternative/grunge or classic rock bands as such (No, not those cover bands! We’re talking about originality here) and even if they’re there, there’s a small percentage of people that’ve heard them […]

Nobody said playing original metal music in India was going to be a walk in the park, especially in a place like Mumbai, where people bow down in awe to bands for covering their favourite rock tracks. Even the metal genre is not spared, with bands such as Sceptre covering bands like Metallica, Megadeth, etc. […]

For those who haven’t been fortunate enough to experience an Indian Ocean concert in person, here is treat for you. The Indian fusion band has just released a live dvd of their concert held at the ‘Garden of Five Senses’ in Delhi. Included in the 2 hr fusion fiesta are Indian Ocean favorites ‘Kandisa’, ‘Hille […]

Although late to arrive into the metal world, death metal made a huge impact ever since it’s incarnation in the late 80’s. Born to black and thrash Metal, death metal has made heavy inroads and today boasts of having some of the most loyal fan following in the music kingdom. Here are some bands who […]

Elvis the “King” Presley was more than just a musician or an actor he was a performer, and a performer like no other. No once since and none after him have been able to come anyway to close to having the stage presence or the magnetic pull of his aura. Here is a countdown to […]

Double Happiness is a three-piece band hailing from Vancouver, Canada, whose music has got a vibe and tone so different that it’s hard not to listen to them! They’re an Indie/Alternative band comprising of Alex on vocals and lead guitar, Jason on the bass guitar and Riley on drums and percussion. At the moment, these […]

With the Mumbai gig scene whiling away into hibernation, coming by a gig worth its trouble had become an arduous task. So when I heard of this gig in Pune I finally found an excuse to get out! So I left good old Mumbai and went to the land of colleges(and metalheads) a plenty, Pune.On […]

Part two of Van Halen’s finest dwells into the Sammy Hagar era Van Halen. The fresh face also brought a fresh sound to the band. An accomplished guitar player in his own right Sammy Hagar played rhythm on some on the songs, allowing Eddie to play keyboard live as well. Together they wrote some of […]

Unplugged @ Sharktooh Livestorms on the 17th of February.

American hard rock legends Van Halen have probably been the most influential band in the history of rock music. The combination of the Halen brothers, and the vocals of Hagar and Roth have clocked 80 million albums in record sales till date. Here is the first half of their finest tracks.
1) Runnin’wth the Devil
This […]

Sell out is a word, which these days is dished out with a velocity more than that of hungry cheetah pursuing it’s prey. But who is really a sell-out? Is there any clear-cut definition of such a person by which he can be distinguished from his non-adhering counterparts? Most obvious to me, a sell-out […]

One of the simplest pleasures in life would be to sit back on a lazy Sunday afternoon, getting high on the musical fragrance of the late great Joe Pass.

The musical journey of Joe Pass set forth on his ninth birthday when he received an acoustic guitar from his father. From then with a keen ear […]

It is time to tip our hats off to eleven of the greatest Thrash Metal bands of all time. Please bear in mind three things. One; record sales are in no ways indication of greatness. Two; the bands mentioned here all have one thing in common- they played and continue to play metal as it […]

We talk to one of Mumbai’s vicariously famous upcoming bands, Rosemary. Their take on commercialism, original music, the Indian indie scene and pop media’s newfound fascination with it all is explored in this part of the interview.

This is the 2nd part of the interview. Signup for our Newsletter/ RSS feeds, at the top of our […]

The Shri Subha Siddhi Vinayaka Mandhir Society (Regd.), Pocket IV, Mayur Vihar, Phase One, Delhi 110091, in coordination with the Issai Kudumbam of Delhi, celebrates the Carnatic Music Composers Day Series featuring the wonderful compositions of Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya (1408 – 1503) in Telugu and Kavi Ootthukkadu Venkata Subbier (1700 – 1765) in Tamil.  The […]

The demonic Sahil Makhija has done it again. He has been the messiah of the metal scene and this time, he was feeling benevolent enough to give out his solo album. Titled “And Chaos Will Reign…” and labelled as a tribute to everyone who has ever supported Demonstealer Records, it gives one a distinct window […]

Unplugged @ Sharktooh Livestorms on the 17th of February.

Calling all college bands to step up for Xavier’s Malhar Street Sprit’s Amateur Night. Amateur Night “is not a competition but a platform for collegians to showcase their musical talent”. There is, however a selection process that aims to diversify the genres and bands playing.Registrations open on the 14th and 15th of July. You can […]

The 5th solo release of keyboard wizard Derek Sherinian is a spectacular treat for progressive metal fans. Working with countless acts over the years Derek has managed to gain the respect of formidable artists of various genres many of which have joined him on his previous solo endeavours. Al Di Meola, Allan Holdsworth, Virgil Donati, […]

This month’s Rolling Stone issue has a certain delectable goody snuck between its last page. A multi artiste compilation disc titled New Noises Vol.1
 
 
The track list is right below:
 
 
01. Cassini’s Division - Story Of My Life
 
02. Pseutopia - Same Parade
 
03. Sajid Akbar - The Sky Is Falling
 
04. Old Jungle Saying - Phat Cat
 
05. Nerverek - Sky Mystify Me

 
06. Thermal And A Quarter […]

Bangalore is set for a treat in the coming months, with Segarams and Airtel joining forces to bring our friends down south the Unplugged Fuel festival. Exalting a dozen acoustic band from the South covering folk rock, blues and alternative genres, the festival will be hosted by Le Rock and Legends of Rock. We say […]

Kolkata 
 
 
Afflatus 
 
Ahimxa 
 
Camouflage 
 
Crystal & the Witches 
 
Dark Horizon 
 
Lucid Recess 
 
Safire 
 
The Scavenger Project 
 
 
Delhi
 
 
Artillerie 
 
AVR 
 
IIIrd Sovereign 
 
Fire Exit 
 
Five 8 
 
Frequency 
 
Rampazze 
 
Stitch 
 
 
Pune 
 
 
Dropout Society 
 
Pitch Black Symphony 
 
Relaps 
 
Secret Society 
 
Silver 
 
Unbound 
 
Vyzasa 
 
Wagon Rags 
 
 
Bangalore 
 
 
Catalyst 
 
Easy Street 
 
Enthrall 
 
Heretic 
 
Inner Sanctum 
 
Rainbow Bridge 
 
The Sixth Element 
 
Whitenoiz 
 
 
Mumbai 
 
 
Aftertaste 
 
Depth 
 
Manefus 
 
Medusa 
 
Rosemary 
 
Surface Trauma 
 
Black 
 
 The Works 

A cancelled tour leg and thousand disappointed fans after, Def Leppard has kept their promise of returning to India in October as the last lap of their tour. They’ll be performing in Bangalore on the 17th of October @ Palace Grounds and at Mumbai on the 19th of October @ MMRDA. Since Event18 is organizing the sow, […]

 
We talk to one of Mumbai’s vicariously famous upcoming bands, Rosemary. Their take on commercialism, original music, the Indian indie scene and pop media’s newfound fascination with it all is explored in this part of the interview.
 
The interview will be released in a 2 part series. Signup for our Newsletter/ RSS feeds, at the top […]

These days when one talks about Pakistan, it is most likely about the sorry political state of the country or a discussion pertaining to terrorism. However, if one dwells further and goes beyond the surface, one discovers a beautiful world of music surviving in the midst of utter ugliness.Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the Shahenshah of […]

Derek Sivers, founder and president of CD Baby and the indie artist’s modern day hero has put out a free e-book titled ‘How to Call Attention to Your Music’. Readers of his blog will know how precise and precious his advice his.For any band that wishes to get a label, it is necessary that they […]

Track 1 : Sphere VII ( 5 mins 19 secs )Most of the good albums in any genre have a good first song and damn! This track is pure ownage! The intro is simply brilliant and the momentum is carried towards the entire song! The best part of this track is that there never is […]

‘B’wood overshadowing solo music’Sufi impresario Rabbi spills over wisdom on the state of indie music in India, and how Bollywood’s repetitive nature is squashing unique music.According to him, independent singers and composers need to develop avenues to rival multiplexes, we can do more live shows as television channels are also not helping much in our […]

Sandeep Chowta Projects And Bhargava’s Musik will be hosting  Virgil Donati and Brett Garsed at Bhargav’s Music in Bandra.Virgil is the drummer on Steve Vai’s band, a phenomenally respected drummer, and is considered a god when it comes to technique and power. Dave Weck from the Modern Drummer Awards’ Hall os Fame has been quoted […]

Music transcends all barriers. This was something I had heard early in life, but it never became truer to me than when I discovered Ustad Bismillah Khan.Khan Sahib held a pedigree of courtly musicians in the princely states of Bihar. Born as Qamaruddin, his name was later changed to Bismillah when his grand father uttered […]

It was only two days ago that I browsed through Shruti Haasan’s Myspace page. And boy, it was impressive. Her originality and just the entire tone of her music and the way it shaped up sort of took my fancy. But then again, that wasn’t a live performance. It was pre-recorded in a studio with […]

Nostradamus is the first ever concept album to be released by the godfathers of heavy metal, Judas Priest. The album revolves around the life of the 16th century prophet of the same name and his works. The album had been expected back way in 2006, but the release was postponed until 2008. The double disc […]

“JRO 2008 is aimed at combating the demons that plague live rock. In plain speak, frills cost money: snazzy stadium rock-concerts cost lots of money! At the end of the day, the die hard rockers practicing hard in sweaty garages, dreaming the big dreams, get nothing.Saturday 28th JuneSaturday 5th JulySPREAD THE WORD!!!Band line up for […]

A nice succulent hamburger with some delectable laal mirchi anyone?Although Indian Rock Acts have not found their way into the International Markets yet, there certainly has not been a lowdown on people of Indian ethnicity plucking the six string with finesse or singing an F sharp note in a huge ass International Rock Band. These bands […]

There’s not enough that can be said about the genius of Al Di Meola. The Berklee College of Music alumni had achieved such amazing control over the guitar at an early age, that jazz great Chick Corea enrolled him for his band when he was only 20. When Corea picks up someone, talent is the […]

The media on which the music is distributed and the technology behind it has always been a backstage process. The .mp3 revolution has changed the rules of a game no one knows how to play yet.Kid Rock Boycotts iTunes, Champions P2PKid Rock has to be unconventional, its his style. He not only manages to slam […]

 
Indian Ocean is succinctly described as the Indo-rock fusion band with jazz-spiced rhythms that integrates shlokas, sufism, psychedelia, environmentalism, mythology and revolution. And with the release of Black Friday, patriotism that moved a nation.See this interview to get the lowdown on the wizards behind the amazing phenomenon that is Indian Ocean.  
 
The interview will be released […]

1. Freddie MercuryThough Freddie wasn’t born in India and in fact was a British citizen at the time of his death, I as a proud Indian would always regard him as Indian. Through fronting Queen, Freddie became one of the greatest and most influential singers in rock history having inspired artist from varying genres of […]

Thrash metal daddies Metallica have finally revealed the name of their new album on their official website. After a week of pictorial hints, it has been announced to be Death Magnetic. The band has revealed the name in the form of computer wallpapers, which can be downloaded by the users here. The title and release schedule […]

When Rock Machine revamped the band’s image and sound they also took up a new name ‘Indus Creed’. With Indus Creed the band left behind the traditional hard hitting rock sound, bringing in soft rock/acoustic rock elements into their songs and also incorporated Indian instruments into their music. They released their self titled debut album […]

As a kid there was only one thing Jason Becker wanted to do and that was to play the guitar for the rest of his life. This drove Jason to spending hours upon end practicing in his room in order to perfect his craft of choice. With discipline and motivation towards reaching musical brilliance, his […]

Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock, is the mouthful title of Joe Satriani’s 12th studio album. Since his 1998 release Crystal Planet, Satch has maintained a steady interval between each studio album having a release every alternate year. Joining him this time around are Satriani regulars Matt Bissonette on bass and Jeff Campitelli on […]

Hello readers! In the second column for the music rookie, I’m going to write about one of my favourite musicians, The Who drummer, the late, great Keith John Moon. Now The Who, in spite of being an extremely influential band are not really that hyped or well known among people today - not like other classic […]

Today’s special is Alisha Batth served up in covers and panning across numerous gigs, with a hint of classic punk few can pull off. Thrown in are YouTube links to 3 of her covers. ( Yes, we wish they were originals too! )1. Bring Me Some Water-Melissa Etheridge ( Cover )2. Ani Difranco - Grey […]

Virtuoso guitarist and the big kahuna of jazz fusion John Mclaughlin will be performing in Bombay, on June 23rd which is from 9 to 12 p.m. at Blue Frog for the release of his new album Floating Point, which is to be released in India by Blue Frog records. The tickets are priced at Rs […]

Independence Rock XXIII, with its 23 years of legacy and under E18’s umbrella has returned, stronger than ever.For the uninitiated this is what I Rock is all about.Celebrating 22 years of Indian Rock - Independence Rock the annual rock event held every year for the past 21 years has become the oldest & biggest rock […]

Niyaz will release their new album titled Nine Heavens, a double CD marvel with electronic and acosutic versions of their tracks on the 24th of this month. Azam Ali, best known as the vocalist of the successful world music group Vas, Loga Ramin Torkian, the multi-instrumentalist and composer for the critically acclaimed group Axiom of […]

5. B U Ganesh Prasad, a young violinist who has been making quite a few ripples in the music world. Trained in Bangalore, his skills were stepped up under the tutelage of Shri V.V.Subramaniam. Ganesh is a stock accompanist for the flute wizard Sashank, and also accompanies many leading vidwans during the various festivals. Ganesh’s […]

Abiogenesis, Nagaland’s famed band which fuses Naga folk tunes with modern rock will be playing tonight at Blue Frog. They call their sound Howey Music and guitarist Mao Subong is credited with inventing a the Bamhum, a bamboo wind instrument. The Bamhum was unveiled by the Governor of Meghalaya during the International Bamboo festival in […]

Back with Black. The band tells us all in the second part of this much awaited interview.
 
 
The interview has been released in a 2 part series, continuing the fest. Signup for our Newsletter, at the top of our sidebar to be notified of the updates.

Bo Diddley (30th Dec 1938- 2nd June 2008)Rock n Roll legend Bo Diddley passed away in the wee hours of Monday morning. Bo had a career spanning 6 decades in which he played with Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, Little Richard amongst infinite others. His contributions to music were acknowledged by The […]

While Inquilaab had announced Junoon as a band of serious musicians, having people stop and notice them, it wasn’t until Azadi that they became a sensation both this side of the border and around the world. The album features the now legendary line up of singer/guitarist Salman Ahmad, vocalist Ali Azmat & bassist Brian O’ […]

Very few bands can actually be described as super groups. Shakti most definitely fitted this label. Easily one of the finest fusion bands of all times, Shakti had the best of both worlds. Fusion is defined as the merging of similar or different elements into a union. Shakti was just this. It’s similarity lay in […]

Greetings reader. This is the first piece of The Music Rookie, a new column at Chordvine that aims at initiating and educating complete noobs to the world of music, which can be intimidatingly large and complex. And the general elitism of the average musician or music connoisseur doesn’t really help the situation for the straddling newcomer. […]

We talk to Black. The whole freaking band. Together.
Need i say more?
 
The interview will be released in a 2 part series, continuing the fest. Signup for our Newsletter, at the top of our sidebar to be notified of the updates. 

It’s the tragedy of life that success and sheer talent never seem to walk the same path. Such was the case of Death Metal pioneer Chuck Shuldiner. Chuck invented the whole genre of death metal almost single handedly and his contribution is immeasurable. A beloved member of the extreme music community Chuck was a highly unpretentious […]

Former Nirvana and Queens of The Stone Age drummer and current Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl has released the following “open letter” to Metallica: “Dear Metallica, Hey, it’s Dave! Remember me? Yeah, I’m the guy that’s been listening to your band faithfully since 1983. I bought your first album ‘Kill ‘Em All’ from a mailorder catalogue called […]

Justice Karnik is the newly crowned saviour of the Indian music scene, and he is yet to perform at HRC/Blue Frog .”To my untrained ear, both the musical works appeared to be similar” -  How simpler does judging plagiarism get?So honoring the shift in the Indian music scene with its very first legal addendum to […]

The second edition of the Chordvine Show featuring Sahil Makhija a.k.a The Demonstealer of Demonic Resuurrection, Mumbai’s much acclaimed ‘Demonic Metal’ band. DR lays undisputed claim to the crown of Best Indian Metal Band, and we think its rightly so. Rooshabh and Sahil continue their engaging conversation.The interview will be released in a 3 part […]

Indian Ocean are a genre by themselves. A style of their own, and an outlook to life as beautiful as their music. Kandisa would be their first studio album, but their third release to hit the shelves. It uses traditional literary works and infused them with new life. Kya Maloom, opens up with a typical Jazz-fusion […]

IIIrd Sovereign are an extreme death metal band from Aizwal and impressed many avid metal followers with their EP “Horrified Visions”. The release of their new album Destined To Suffer just confirms their status as one of India’s best death metal bands.Their line-up consists ofVedant - VocalsBenjamin - GuitarReuben - DrumJonah - BassTrack 1 : […]

India’s singing sensation Asha Bhosle will give her first performance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall tonight. It will be a one night performance that will cover songs from her latest album ” 75 Years of Asha: A Musical Journey ” Asha Ji is one of the most prolific singers of Bollywood and and an […]

This May, we’ll see the sixth round of celebration of South Asian Music at the Small World Music Festival, Toronto, Canada.  The festival is organized by the Small World Music Society, a non- profit seeking organization which aims to break down cultural gaps through the power of music. More than a decade old, the Organization […]

The Indian leg of the Def Leppard tour has been postponed.“We are sorry to report that due to unforseen circumstances of the Indian government suddenly calling May elections (and making certain venues now unavailable for any music or sporting events), the two Indian shows that were supposed to take place in Bangalore and Mumbai on […]

What sets the bar between a good band and a world class band? For me, it’s the ability of a band to make you hum their original compositions for days, months or even years together. It is this that separates the so-so bands that you wouldn’t mind hearing every now and then when ‘plain bored’ […]

As a musician, the bigggest dilemma about getting the right equipment these days is more about what to get rather than how to get it. Which amp is gonna get that piercing tone? Is a change in pedals the need of the hour? Which is the brand to swear by? Chances are, if a respected […]

A Salute to Rafisahab. Rafi had a career spanning four decades in which he did over 25,000 songs. Qawwalis, bhajans, classical, melodic love songs. These are just some of the types of songs that Rafi did. Sure he was not the most technically brilliant singer to arise from India, but Rafi had a charm of his […]

‘Nights In Shining Karma,’ is the first solo release of the ex-Zero axe man Warren Mendonsa. The album can be characterized by its melody and feel, rather than speed and antics. Apart from guitars, Warren can also be heard playing bass and keyboards, while younger brother Zorran fills in with acoustic work and programming the […]

The One Tree Music Festival is possibly the only major Music gig in Bombay where one gets to listen to awesome, awesome music without getting ones feet trampled upon by some Rihanna emulating teenybopper’s stilettos or being faux-moshed by some wannabe metalhead types. Couple this great crowd with the awesome amount of real estate, owing […]

Danny Federici, keyboardist for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band passed away after his three year struggle with melanoma, a type of rare skin cancer. Danny was there from the band’s inception, since 1972 and has been integral part of the band’s sound ever since. During the bands inactive period Danny also released a couple of […]

Solo artists aren’t quite the rage at restaurants and lounges with few owners willing to compromise on their clientèle in order to promote musicians. But I figured it’s a completely different story at the Cafe, with the artist management team focusing on quality music, raw talent and performances, they assure, that will blow your […]

Zero’s Ten (Pentagram) / We Will Rock You ( Queen ) and Old Man Sitting On The Back Porch at as part of the NMIMS Cultural Festival - Euphoria.Need i say more ?

I will never forget the day when after my initial months of training in Hindustani Classical music my Guruji announced that we would be learning Raga Yaman. I was excited and couldn’t wait to begin – my first Raga! I was given a little introduction saying that Yaman was the King of Ragas and that we […]

Wyclef’s 3-city India tour will commence on the 16th in Bengaluru, followed by Pune on the 18th and will end his India tour in Mumbai on the 19th of April. All gigs will be hosted by The Hard Rock Cafe in the respective cities.‘VH1 Handpicked’ touring initiative is to be lauded for getting Wyclef to India.Sony BMG will […]

 “Slayer, in a Muslim country?” – Tom ArayaThe most awaited sequel in the short-lived metal-cinema history is here. Sam Dunn takes upon himself the titanic task of reproducing the magic he created with Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey in 2005. This time, he has not restrained his research and ideas just to western contemporaries, but has […]

Hot off the press, a reader just tipped us on what Def Leppard’s India Tour’s set list is going to be. Def Leppard is set to perform on Friday, the 16th of May at Palace Grounds in Bangalore and on the 18th at Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. Even though the website says the ticket […]

This list is to celebrate the music and life of the greatest entertainer that ever lived. Kishore had a special song for every mood. Hence it is almost impossible to categorize the best songs in one list without raising an objection of some sorts. This very list written on another day would probably have a […]

The band’s second studio outing is also considered their best. Ritchie Blackmore, unhappy with the previous release replaced all the musicians barring Ronnie James Dio. Blackmore managed to rope in Jeff Beck drummer Cozy Powell. The album recorded in the German city of Munich has the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra playing along with the band to […]

1) Mimi FoxDown Beat said “She’s The Woman is everything jazz guitar is supposed to be.” And boy, is she the woman.  Her unchained solos, her ability to enchant the guitar into doing her bidding, the melodic collection and the stylish twists make her the Queen of Jazz.2) Ella FitzgeraldKnown as “Lady Ella” and the […]

Let me ask you. Who according to you is the greatest guitarist of all time? Come on take your time. Clapton? Slash? McLaughlin?If you look up most polls about the greatest guitarist of all times, most often then not one name tops the list. James Marshall Hendrix. While most people like you or me wouldn’t […]

Legendary rockers Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of the the 60s british supergroup The Who are to perform a rare acoustic set on Sunday 13th April at the Royal Albert Hall, London, to benefit teenage Cancer Trust. The Who as a band were wildly influential, and have shaped much of what we today know as […]

Guitar virtuoso John McLaughlin’s latest work ‘Floating Point’, hits the streets on the 20th of May. Recorded primarily in India, the album will boast of having some of the best musicians in the Indian scene playing on it.Drumming sensation Ranjit Barot, percussionist Sivamani and Jazz veteran Louiz Banks will provide the backbone of the album, […]

Rush members Geddy Lee & Alex Lifeson joined the Foo Fighters live on stage and jammed with them during the latter’s recent performance at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The veteran rockers played their classic ‘YYZ’ along with band and were the surprise package of the night.Foo fighter’s front man Dave Grohl has worked […]

”Shine a light’ the much anticipated Martin Scorsese documentary on The Rolling Stones finally hit the theatres on the 4th of April. The film documents two Stones’s concerts which took place in 2006. Apart from standard show footage the film is liberally sprinkled with interviews from the members and clippings from past events. Also included are performances with […]

Legendary jazz fusion band Return to Forever have finally reunited after a hiatus of 25 years. Dates have been set for a long US tour staring this summer running through the end of the year. While a new studio album is a possibility, nothing of that nature has been confirmed yet. The current lineup features […]

DR as they are called in the Metal Circuit are one of the most popular bands around on the Indian Metal Circuit. They play a mixture of black/melodic/speed/death metal or ‘Demonic Metal’ as lead singer, Sahil Makhija better know as the Demonstealer would say. One of the most controversial, exciting and talented bands of the […]