Desicritics Category: Media: Music

The Cons of Singing Karaoke

Jo — Sun, 8 Mar 2009 03:46:02 EDT

Reproducing a popular song is not an easy task. You have to take care of so many things when you sing the karaoke version of a popular song. Your audience belong to different classes and it will show up in the feedback you get. For most people, it is an excellent performance if the singer has imitated the exact voice of the original singer. As a result, you will see singers struggling to sound like the original singer in many stage shows. It ends up being mimicry but people would applause saying "he sounds like Yesudas" or "his voice is the same as SPB" etc. Here, the singer is satisfied as he gets a round of big applause for trying to copy the exact song in the (almost) exact voice. But he/she fails as an individualistic singer. But for the professional performers who have to sing before the masses, they do not have a second choice as their livelihood depends on the success of the show.

There is another class of audience who does not care whether you imitate the voice of the original singer, but they want to hear the variations and nuances intact. They would be unhappy if you chose to ignore some of the original variations and put some of your own. This class could consist of people who are musically trained or have the technical knowledge of music. It is hard to please this class too.

If you choose to please these two classes of people, you will end up being a ghost or a xerox copy of some popular singer. When you try to imitate a singer or his styles too much, you end up being nothing but a copy. Also remember that even the original singer cannot exactly reproduce what they have sung in the studio. Watch some of their live shows as an example.

My suggestion is that do not bother too much about sounding like the original. Understand the lyrics, stick on to the basic emotion/expression/feel that the lyrics suggest and sing from your own heart. Do not bother too much about the original variations and nuances of a song. Just add your bits to it and sing it from your heart. Make it your version so that singing karaoke tracks would not be a monotonous task.

Just to add that I am not suggesting that you should not pay attention to the original song and it's variations when you sing a karaoke version. Paying attention to those details in the original version would help you a lot in the practice sessions. And you can learn a lot from those popular singers. So keep an ear for that in the practice sessions, but add your inputs when you actually sing/record a karaoke song.

In my early days of music blogging, there were people who told me that "you sound like Yesudas" or "your voice resembles Madhu Balakrishnan" or "you have a voice similar to Venugopal" etc. I think that as soon as people hear a new singer sing, they have a tendency to identify the singer with a popular singer. Or this could be the problem when you sing karaoke songs of a particular singer. Say for example, when Sonu Nigam used to sing Mohd. Rafi songs for a long time, he was seen as a Rafi double, but he failed to make his own mark. People who heard Sonu remembered Rafi. He was also branded as a singer who could do only sad songs. But we all know where he stands now after he got a couple of breaks in the film music industry.

I remember what an online friend of mine, who also happens to be a singer, said in one of your chat sessions about music - about karaoke singing and reality shows etc:

You can only satisfy one or more of the following but not all:1. Classes
2. Masses
3. Your own self

One of those 3 are always unhappy.

I would always prefer to please option #3 first which itself is a very tough task! :-)

Music Review: Trickbaby's Chor Bazaar

Aspi — Mon, 9 Feb 2009 00:29:24 EST

Trickbaby are an Asian fusion band who are precisely two albums old. Their first - Hanging Around - a delectable collection of amped down fusion of Punjabi and low key British house beats came out in 2004.

It was a year later that they broke big for fans in India when Rohan Sippy invited them to reboot "Sabse Bada Rupaiiya" for his movie Bluffmaster. In a CD full of highlights composed by Vishal and Shekhar, Trickbaby's composition was a standout. A few of their songs also made it into the background score - "Neelaa" (which samples Silsila's "Sar Se Sarke"), "Indi Yarn" and "Nine Parts of Desire".

One more year went by and Trickbaby did more Bollywood - composing the title track to the Fardeen-Vivek Oberoi-Esha Deol-Amrita Rao starrer "Pyare Mohan".

Now, two years later, Trickbaby have their sophomore CD - Chor Bazaar - out. And it's got its own India release on the Saregama label.

What exactly is Chor Bazaar like? It's a signature Trickbaby album, which means it's full of synth beats, seductive vocals and Indian percussion via dhols, tablas and drums. There are some clean guitar riffs - there is only selective feedback laden picking on a couple of songs to fill out the beat. The whole thing is very melodious - each song has multiple hooks that prompt sing alongs.

On "Fighter" which opens the CD, Saira talks about getting into arguments without intending to. She narrates an addiction to auctions just because she wants to win the final bid. As in all songs, she drains the emotion of the song in favor of sexy, breathless vocals. And combined with Steve Ager's smooth production - it sets the tone for the rest of the material to come.

There are twelve tracks on Chor Bazaar - two are remixes: Nine Part of Desire gets the cowboy guitar treatment and Neelaa has some minor tweaks. The other nine tracks are new songs. And while I'll let you discover the CD for yourself, there are a few worth highlighting.

On the title track, Trickbaby invite Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz (vocals), Sergey Ryabtzev (Violin), and Yuri Lemeshev (Accordian) to create a zany, Russian flavored tribute to India's one of a kind, dubious-goods markets. It's a bold move - perhaps even a confounding one. But it works really well because it not only captures the fervor of a chor bazaar but the Russian lyrics reflect the phoren-maal nature of the items usually found on sale.

There are plenty of genuine fusion tracks as well. Trickbaby use a clap driven percussion to power "Babu" which is sung in Hindi. "Broken Dreams" is in English and Punjabi and uses faded Bollywood influenced backup vocals.

Chor Bazaar is so groovy its well worth the wait. But next time, guys, please don't take so long between CDs.

Mumbai Stands United!

Varun P — Wed, 3 Dec 2008 20:11:38 EST

In a unique show of solidarity, ALL radio stations in Mumbai played the song "Maa Tujhe Salam", sung by AR Rahman, at 8 p.m. today on their respective wavelengths! Now ain't that something? Good to see that they let go of their constant endeavor to hog the limelight and take such a step -- I hope our news channels too take note of this and do something similar.

In another more widely covered act, thousands of citizens took to the street across the metros in India to demand action against the terrorists and to express solidarity with the victims of this attack. Read more on this here.

I just can't help being skeptical of such ACTS - taking out demonstrations has the means to catch attention but I believe to elicit some sort of action from our thick-skinned politicians, it's going to take something more than this! By now, our netas have tackled the aftermath of so many terrorist attacks that such "peaceful" demonstrations will not more than scratch the surface! History shows that we are pretty tolerant and lack muscle -- from the Bombay bomb blasts in 1993 to the bomb blasts in the Mumbai local trains and the attack on the Parliament (not to mention several other instances of similar horrendous terrorist strikes, quite a few in 2008) we have been happy enough simply to put a bold, tough stance early on only to soften our "tough" stance as time goes by. We have been waving our "List of 20 most wanted terrorists" in front of Pakistan for several years -- yet have we done anything beyond mere demonstration to show that we are serious about what we want. I think not.

What will it take to wake up the Government and get them to swing into action -- actions that will not let terrorism rear its ugly head again and again? How many more lives need to be sacrificed for us to see some justice being done, our security being enhanced, our lives being secured? For how long do we carry on like this? It's good that Mumbai and along with it, the rest of India, has an indignant streak, a get-on-with-life spirit -- else how will we survive and continue our struggle in the city of dreams, the city that never sleeps, with a sword hanging perpetually over our heads?

Preaching about what is wrong with our system is a thing taken for granted these days -- heck, I do it, you do it, the news channels do it all the time, with or without any due reasons. Now what can we do to show that this time, yes THIS TIME, we mean action! Action that is not only immediate but also long-term -- while we are used to live under the lengthening shadow of fear and insecurity, let us make an effort to ensure that the next generation does not need to put up with the atrocities like we did.

Thinking of what the radio stations did made me think of what more could we do. A possible idea doing the rounds in my head is this: Could our newspapers join hands and launch a major campaign directed against terrorism? Times of India has in the past taken the lead and launched campaigns like "Lead India" (2007) and "Teach India" (2008) initiatives. Now can the newspapers come together, join hands and announce a war on terrorism? They say that a pen is mightier than a sword -- time to put the old proverb to test, what say India??

Even as I'm writing this piece, I've received a mail from Network 18 announcing the launch of a platform "to express our frustration and helplessness". Check the site here. I'm withholding my comments on this new endeavor for the time being.

A Reviewer's Dilemma

Cine Cynic — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:06:41 EDT

While critics often garner our respect for their insightful analysis and interpretations of works of art, reviewers have their share of distress while reviewing. Unlike critics, reviewers do not have much liberty in choosing the books, movies, or albums. Reviewing something which they feel strongly about (especially negatively) is when reviewers may tend to get into trouble.

Jeevi of IdleBrain.com is the most popular Telugu movie reviewer on the Internet. He used to review almost every single movie, straight or dubbed, immediately after its release. A couple of years ago, he skipped reviewing a big-budget movie called Bangaram. The movie turned out to be the worst movie in hero Pawan Kalyan's career and the grapevine was ripe with speculation that Jeevi might not have written the review only because it would've sounded a death knell to the movie's meagre chances.

Earlier this year, Rediff's Raja Sen revealed the climax of Race in his review, and after some controversy and debate about whether a review can or can not reveal the ending of a movie, half-heartedly apologized to the film-makers while justifying his actions.

Around the same time, Maxim's David Peisner gave a 2.5/5 star review to the Black Crowes album Warpaint without actually listening to it. It blew into a high-voltage drama that ended with Maxim's president releasing an official apology.

These instances, and perhaps most others which have created controversies, originated from a reviewer's strong feelings, which he or she is entitled to have. The reviewer may find a movie god-awful and might feel dutiful to advise the readers against watching it. The trouble comes when the god-awfulness ebbs over the objectivity. And even Roger Ebert wasn't immune to it.

Last week, Ebert gave a 1 star review to an indie Tru Loved after watching only eight minutes of the 102-minute movie! He made a full disclosure in the review itself, though that might not usually be enough to avert a controversy, especially for a reviewer of Ebert's stature.

But there isn't much controversy over it. His actions in the aftermath have been truly exemplary. Being the honest and wise man he is, he poured out his thoughts into his widely-read journal. He listened to the reader's comments, pondered even more, admitted his guilt of affection for his prose, watched the whole movie this time, and reviewed it again. (The 1 star remains.) The man who perhaps has contributed more to film criticism than any other single individual showed the path, that more than a review or a movie or readers, it is the plain truth that deserves priority.

However, this doesn't end the debate nor the dilemma. Can a reviewer skip a review to help his friend-filmmaker? Can a reviewer reveal a climax? Can a reviewer walk out of a movie and still review it? If yes, can he review it watching just the promos? If no, where is the tipping point, the time after which it may be allowed?

It won't be futile for every reviewer to face these questions, and more importantly to answer it in his or her own manner.

Music Review: Everything That Happens Will Happen Today - David Bryne & Brian Eno

Aaman Lamba — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:05:56 EDT

The fab team of David Byrne and Brian Eno team up for the first time after 1981’s My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. Byrne does the rich lyrics and vocals, while Eno produced the music. Although each has a stellar reputation in their own right, the duo were behind many of the excellent Talking Heads records in the 1970s, and seem to have lost little of their verve in the intervening years.

The opening track, "Home", gives a multi-dimensional perspective to the common term, looking at it from a distance, remembering, yet appreciating - even the negative stuff

Home- where the wheels are turning
Home- why I keep returning
Home- where my world is breaking in two
Home- with the neighbors fighting
Home- always so exciting
Home- were my parents telling the truth?
Home- such a funny feeling
Home- no-one ever speaking
Home- with our bodies touching
Home- and the cam'ras watching
Home- will infect whatever you do

The vocals are rather unemotional, as one might expect from David Byrne. This is not to say the song is unemotional or shallow. Rather, the singer lets the lyrics and orchestration create the illusion of home, without layering it with the sentimentality a lesser singer might impart.

"My Big Nurse" seems a geriatric ode to life and to the things that protect and care. The song is deathly slow, creating a languid afternoon mood. The quest is for "all the possibilities/For dancing on this lazy afternoon". This is something one might do, interestingly enough, "When he shakes the stars above/When we lose the ones we love/When the seasons lose their grip/When the tightrope walker slips". The security one needs for this kind of carefree, Sufi-ish dancing is derived from being "In the comfort of the world/In the arms of my big nurse." This is perhaps a song best appreciated in the evening, or even, afternoon, of one's mortality.

There's a whole lotta stuff going on in "I Feel My Stuff". This is as much a vehicle for Eno's masterful orchestration as for Byrne's out-there imagery, combining Lebanese Sailors with Christian crimes and fast-paced fretwork with staccato electronica notes. Let the song wash over you, give into a 'fatafat generation' vibe and "stuff it, step it, pick it, going bye".

The title track "Everything That Happens" might be just a build-up to the chorus. Then again, it seems to evoke a post-9/11 vibe, from the very beginning, with the 'neighbor's car explode' on a 'perfect highway'. There is hope, asking, "Oh my brother, I still wonder, are you alright?/And among the living, we are giving, all through the night". The signature lyrics are perfectly apt for our times, "Everything that happens will happen today/& nothing has changed, but nothing's the same/and ev'ry tomorrow could be yesterday/& ev'rything that happens will happen today".

Music Review: Thieves - British India

Aaman Lamba — Sat, 6 Sep 2008 02:49:53 EDT

After their impressive debut album, Guillotine, the evocatively-named Australian punk rock band British India returns with Thieves.

The album begins with some classic strumming on "God is Dead, Meet the Kids" and 'woo-hoo' hums that would not be out of place in a more jejune band's repertoire. As the song proceeds, it gets better (and harder), creating an atmosphere of post-Modernist ruin and neglect, 'neon lights' and 'unspoken truths'

The hard and distortion-heavy "This Dance is Loaded' layers self-centredness ("it's so rare that we need somebody else") with teenage angst about "fucked up dances". This is one song that makes you stand up and shout, tap a beat, and wiggle your ears.

"I Said I'm Sorry" is the first single from the album, a more radio-friendly song and with a traditional rock beat. Everything from the drums to the bass track to the steady vocals indicate a band maturing to its true potential. This is the kind of song that lingers and hopefully makes a lasting impression on the band's future ouevre.

"Put it Right Down" doesn't leave much of a mark, at least for me, being rather generic in structure, yet quite in keeping with the album's tenor. The song attempts to redeem itself in the final third, not to much avail.

"Funeral For A Trend" redeems the band, being a Beatles-esque ballad, the lyrics murmuring about an 'avalanche of golden teeth' and how the singer's 'chest is caving in'. The guitar work and slow-paced drum beat provide counterpoint to the menacing theme of the song. The song evokes the loss of a
great relationship ("Long time no see, where have you been/Before I get to say it you get taken away/You never go but you never stay")

"Airport Tags" is a hopeful ditty about growing up and losing what mattered once, and doesn't any more, about believing that things could revert to a halcyon state and the wishful thinking that "tonight everything's going to change'. The hope ("Airport tags, she was gone now she's coming back/I was worried but it's not that bad/Nothing much has changed") is belied by the reality ("So hang yourself in the bedroom at your parents' house/Watch as all your best friends gather round/And you might feel loved/Tonight everything's going to change")

"You Will Die And I Will Take Over" gives us the anti-establishment line that is de rigeur in punk. The twist is the apparent realization that the next generation is still more of the same ("A clever clone out on his own"), the systems that make us are the ones that keep us ("When your dad had his heart attack we watched it all on videotape/His shirt was ironed, his teeth were white/He clutched his chest like a commercial break").

"Mona Lisa Overdrive", also the title of the final volume of William Gibson's Sprawl trilogy, is a dark song about a crime committed in the heat of passion. The protagonist has been fed some laced drinks ('My mouth is filling with glass/My blood is laced with caffeine"), and he will be 'dead in an hour'. That is more likely an illusion of the archetypal breakup, the final drink, while 'a taxi is coming now'. He has the realization that "I've been through this before, i hoped I never would again/As girls shine like magazines
Avoid us falling like masonry/I had to ask myself, what are you thinking". The music is appropriately enough bass-heavy and the rhythm guitar sneaks in at the end with a few choice chords that wrap up one of the best songs on the album.

"Nic the Poet" deals with the general know-it-all awareness every generation has that its fucked up and powerless to do anything about it. "Twenty thousand kids all on their mobile phones" refuse to accept that "This party is finished, give us xanax and fifteen minutes". The poet's call to "change the station this bottled water generation" will be ignored, after all they're just "four white boys getting high tonight".

The final song "The golden years" is a gentle ballad, giving prominence to Declan Melia's vocals, a memory of growing up and growing away, of wanting to get back to the temps perdu. The mature realization is that "These golden years that we are drowning in, we'll spend our whole lives trying to get to one place we don't want to be.

This is an album, then, of growing up, of coming of age, and by poets of yet another lost generation.

List : The Definitive Geeta Dutt

Ritu Chandra — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:57:31 EDT

20th July 2008 marked the 36th Death Anniversary of Geeta Dutt. A small tribute to the memory of this enchanting songstress.

It is difficult, almost unsettling to think of Geeta Dutt as a shriveled septuagenarian(what she would have been if she were alive). Time stopped aging her voice long before she actually passed away in 1972. Even today her voice represents a youthful joie-de-vivre that can lift anyone out of the bluest of blue moods. Her sad songs have an aching vulnerability that makes one want to weep for her and with her. And her richly-layered bhajans are strangely soothing. No other singer could traverse such a complex range of emotions with the ease and spontaneity that Geeta Dutt did. In addition to the richness in expression, her was voice was rich in tonal quality, robust and sweet quite like a juicy Dasheheri mango!

Despite all these qualities, today she is merely a memory in the history of Indian film music. Slotted early in her career as a 'club song' singer, Geeta unfortunately got stuck in the very mold that she created for herself with such blazing individuality. Couple this with her own battles with the bottle, failing marriage to film-maker Guru Dutt and a lackluster approach to her career, Geeta Dutt faded away, much before her times.

Yet, her small repertoire is dazzling to say the least. This list more than amply strengthens the belief that God sends all good things in limited editions.

Note : Click on the link to view the video of the song

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1. Tadbeer se Bigdi hui Taqdeer Banale (Film : Baazi(1951); Composer: SD Burman; Lyrics : Sahir Ludhianvi) The seductive and persuasive strains of the guitar, SD Burman's path-breaking western treatment of Sahir Ludhianvi's ghazal, Geeta Bali's energetic screen presence and Geeta Dutt's vibrant singing, the dice had no option but to roll in favour of this 'Baazi'. 'Tadbeer se Bigdi' was the greatest attraction of Baazi and the audience went to see the film in repeat mode only to witness the magic of the two Geetas.

2. Thandi Hawa Kali Ghata (Film : Mr and Mrs 55(1955); Composer: OP Nayyer; Lyrics : Majrooh Sultanpuri) Raju Bharatan, the much maligned film music critic, summed up the effect of Geeta Dutt's voice in a rare moment of clarity- "'Geeta Dutt was thandi hawa and kaali ghata rolled into one. The moment she came, you got the refreshing feeling of aa hi gayi jhoom ke. There was a rare swing in her voice. She hit you like a thunderclap"
What more can one say to recommend the freshness in this song other than to say that the effect on yours truly is without fail '....naache jiya ghoom ke' .

3. Aaj Sajan Mohe Ang Lagalo (Film : Pyaasa(1957); Composer: SD Burman; Lyrics : Sahir Ludhianvi) Guru Dutt's innovative idea of using a vaishnav bhajan to depict the purity of the romantic situation in the film, was ably supported by his wife's singing. Geeta brings a very human yearning to her rendition and yet keeps it sublime and other worldly like a true bhajan. Geeta Dutt's interpretation of bhajans was very distinctive. Whether it is 'Tora manwa kyon ghabraaye' or 'Na mein dhan chahun' or our chosen 'Aaj sajan mohe ang lagalo', she blends the sensual with the sublime seamlessly. This is true to the sufi tradition whose texts abound in erotica that couples with spiritual fervour. It can be argued that if Meerabai made a time-travel trip to the 50s and 60s she would have sung in the voice of Geeta Dutt!

4. Ankhiyan Bhool Gayi Hain Sona (Film : Goonj Uthi Shehnai(1959); Composer: Vasant Desai; Lyrics : Bharat Vyas) The classic Geeta chutzpah brims over in this duet with Lata Mangeshkar. The coy and docile heroine being teased mercilessly (or praised to the heavens) by a bunch of giggling sahelis is one the staple daal-roti situations done to death in hindi film songs. Yet, Geeta's sweet and wicked take of the situation makes this song a standout. Note the way she sings 'Sona' in the first line. This song also represents the female-female genre of songs of which Geeta has many memorable examples like Bachpan ke din, Jaanu Jaanu Ri, Thandi Thandi Hawa , under her belt.

5. Koi Chupke Se Aake (Film : Anubhav(1971); Composer: Kanu Roy; Lyrics : Kapil Kumar) The soft, romantic type of songs flowered in Geeta's melodious and expressive voice. Geeta's singing in Anubhav demonstrates how much she still had to offer even at the fag-end of her life. In the chosen song, she is soft, teasing, whimsical, romantic all at once and the ever so slight tinge of pathos in her voice highlights the enigma that was Geeta Dutt.

6. Babuji Dheere Chalna (Film : Aar Paar(1954); Composer: OP Nayyer; Lyrics : Majrooh Sultanpuri) The slow and sensual club song is Geeta's comfort zone. She could sleep-walk through those kind of songs. Yet, this one stands out for hitting all the right notes at once. The measured sensuality, a hint of vibrancy, a slight edge in the voice and a full throated bass-heavy tone all combine to make this OP Nayyer composition into a classic club song. OP Nayyer composed a slew of such songs for Geeta and later Asha Bhosle. Aayie meherban could be considered the successor to his body of work with Geeta.

7. Mera Naam Chin Chin Choo (Film : Howarah Bridge(1958); Composer: OP Nayyer; Lyrics : Qamar Jalalabadi) This irrepressible upper is arguably Geeta's signature song. The swing in her voice can get even the most languid of people out there up and jiving. It is high energy, peppy and brimming with the joie-de-vivre that is the quintessential Geeta Dutt.

8. Nanhi Kali Sone Chali (Film : Sujata(1959); Composer: SD Burman; Lyrics : Majrooh Sultanpuri) From the seductive to the soothing - the transition is as smooth as butter. The synergy of the Majrooh-SD Burman combination and the nurturing vocals of Geeta Dutt make this lullaby from Sujata as one of the most memorable loris created for Hindi films.

9. Waqt Ne Kiya (Film : Kagaz Ke Phool(1959); Composer: SD Burman; Lyrics : Kaifi Azmi)A brooding film-maker, his honey voiced wife, the beautiful actress and the inextricable mess of their liason - Life was a pre-scripted tragedy for the Dutt couple. Kagaz Ke Phool was Guru Dutt's semi-autobiographical magnum opus that immortalised his personal situation. Kaifi Azmi's lyrics are poignant, SD Burman's tune wistful, but it is Geeta's singing that stirs up the storm of emotions. The songs aches with nostalgia. The travesty of time and the indelible stain that it leaves on the soul is universal. Rare is the person who looks back at his life and does not wistfully discover.... 'hum rahe na hum' .

10. Na Jao Saiyan (Film : Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam(1962); Composer: Hemant Kumar; Lyrics : Shakeel Badayuni)
The character of Chhoti Bahu in Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam is undoubtedly one of the greatest written for mainstream Indian cinema. Meena Kumari immortalised the tragic Chhoti Bahu with a stellar performance. Anguish, devotion, desire, self-disgust, rebellion and a repressed sexuality every little facet that constituted the complex character of Chhoti Bahu comes to life in this song. When Geeta Dutt poignantly mentioned that this song represented her own emotions rather than that of the film's character, Chhoti Bahu, Meena Kumari and she all fused into the same person. This song is a fitting finale to the list.

See Also

Upperstall Profile : Geeta Dutt

Raaga : Geeta Dutt songs

Geeta Dutt : Biography

Note: This is an edited version of a longer article. The complete article along with some pictures can be found here

Pappu Learns To Dance

RukmaniRam — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:27:04 EDT

So we have our Specimen A (read Pappu) who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth (which was later surgically removed, I suppose). Hits the gym everyday and builds his boddie to make full use of his blue eyed angrez looks. The man has it all- a fancy schmancy MBA, holidays in France, the fast cars, the expensive watches and designer perfume (the modern metrosexual man, eh?).. No wonder he's a craze among the lay-deej! Still has his papa's faith (mine lost faith in me sometime in high school), musically talented.. The man reigns where ever he goes. But poor Specimen A, in spite of all this, the dude is taunted, publicly, in a farewell party with real loud music. Teased by the very people he parties with, his popularity and star quality notwithstanding- simply because he cannot dance!

Now consider Specimen B - yours truly. Pappu probably is already at a dance studio, the finest his money can get! Not only can B not dance (and not afford the class either), B doesn't have any of the other things Pappu has. If the well endowed and talented Pappu's fate is this, mera kya hoga, Kaaliya??

Dream sequence: song and dance, with at least a hundred youngsters on the floor, and a DJ wearing psychedelic colors (well, Specimen B can't have real parties, the lease doesn't allow that, don't you know?)

Tirkit daana tirkit daana hee hee haa haa last chance
Tirkit daana tirkit daana hee hee haa haa last chance

Hai globular, hai jocular,
Hai globular, hai jocular, irregular and singular! (she's singular.. she's singular)
Iski to life ek daze hai
140 pounds she weighs hai
Her mundane life is rotten through
Milta nahi use praise hai... (use praise hai...)
Ise gaana nahi aata hai, but gaati "la la la"
Iske muh pe lagaao thaala! (hoye hoye hoye hoye)
Iske muh pe lagaao thaala! (hoye hoye hoye hoye)

Wenna may I see you when you prance and you fall
And a wenna may I see you when you prance….hey!

Tirkit daana tirkit daana hee hee haa haa fat chance
Tirkit daana tirkit daana hee hee haa haa fat chance

Paida yeh hui to tab bhi thi yeh chunky
Kisi se na hui dosti, aur nikli ek flunkie
Hey yeah yeah... iske paas na paisaaaaa
Hey yeah yeah... wants a guy Imraan ke jaisaa
Hey yeah yeah... yeh to bahut bekaar hai......
Hey yeah yeah.. paas na car hai, na yaar hai
And she never got romance waala! (hoye hoye hoye hoye)
And she never got romance waala! (hoye hoye hoye hoye)

End dream sequence

Sigh.

P.S. to the non-Hindi-understanding section of the readership: English translation to the dream sequence can be found here
P.P.S: the original score can be found here

How Wikipedia Conquered my Reality Soap/TV Addiction

Kim — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:08:29 EDT

I was typing a comment on Uma's post A Bad Habit Called A Reality Soap and realised I had written a comment long enough to be a post :)

I realised I was watching most of the reality shows I liked because I liked seeing who would get eliminated next.

I was lucky, because most of the reality shows I watch are the American ones which come to India a couple of months after they are released in the US. So after losing a couple of hours spent unproductively watching reality shows, I realised that just checking the Wikipedia entry for that season cured me of it.

Wikipedia lets me know who got eliminated and why and who won & thats it, no longer any compulsion to watch the show. Thats because my trigger to watch most of them was the suspense and surprise.

With my location change and different seasons playing in different countries on different channels, I was getting confused with sequence of events on serials like Lost, Prison Break, Desperate Housewives. Wikipediaalso helped me catch up on all the seasons of Lost with 3 hours of reading. Same for the other serials too.

Of course there are the shows like So you think you can dance? which I watch for the performances but I'm not too interested in the results show the next day because I know I will figure out next week who has been dropped anyway.

I used to be a huge fan of American Idol till Constantine, Latoya, Jennifer Hudson, Melinda, Daughtry consecutively kept getting out way before their time while lesser performers were still kept on. I just stopped watching each season when my favorites got out because I no longer felt it was worth watching. Proof of the flawed voting system is that only 2 of the winners of this show in its 6 seasons - Kelly Clarkson (Season 1)and Carrie Underwood (Season 4) - have received commercial success while many of the finalists who were dropped on the side have had a better success rate. Season 7 which is currently on does not have a single finalist who seemed interesting enough for me to follow the series and Simon is now more obtuse than brilliant, so I just watch it intermittently.

With Rockstar INXS and Supernova, I had slightly better luck. My favorites made it to the final 3 each season although they lost out to the person I least liked from the entire bunch both times. While I have reconsidered my opinion on J D Fortune, I still think Dilana was the best of the second bunch.

I used to love The Amazing Race till it started blurring the lines with Fear Factor. When competitors on The Amazing Race had to start eating weird stuff it grossed me out too much to follow it.

Each of my favorite reality shows/contests gave me its own reason to stop me from being addicted and obsessing about watching it on time every week. The downside is that I seem to have replaced it with an addiction to Wikipedia.

Music Review: Rejoice - The Sound of Urchin

Aaman Lamba — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:05:56 EDT

Sound of Urchin is a New York based band that has garnered much attention on the tour circuit, after the well-received Diamond (2005). The band members - Tomato (lead vocals, drums), Doo Doo Brown (bass), Rev. B-Ill (guitar) and Seahag (guitar) - have an enthusiastic approach to blending various musical styles, sounding sometimes like the Foo Fighters, other tracks set to a late 80s vibe, and an overall bonhomie that helps set the mood, particularly in live sets.

Their latest as-yet-unreleased album is Rejoice, quite appropriately touted as 'the Return of the Rock Album', which premiered at SXSW this year. The rhythms and vocals are well-produced, along with consistently good lyrics. It feels at times like a gospel-rock set, but there's more here than just that.

"Jesse Tenser" begins with an extended riff on the guitars, before launching into a rant on the impact of fame on the self (you'll remember everything you haven't done/was it that bad or sometimes fun?Did you ever think it would come to this) The stanzas are interspersed with some impassioned fretwork that enlivens the song. The vocals go up a few notches as the song progresses before culminating in a pensive note on how 'it takes you back to selfish acts/and just won't let you be'.

"Dig" keeps the tempo up, a strong thrash-metal beginning gives way to the driving urge that makes human achievement possible and keeps one going (I don't care as long as I can get it/Wheels are turning/I am burning/Can't you see it's a part of me). The thrashing riffs never let up, and the vocals are expertly mixed through the chords, although not quite able to overpower them.

"Shake The Magic Eight Ball" lets the magic roll, friends, feeling and all. The bass and rhythm guitar vie for attention, and Tomato's leads from the front.

"Go To Your Room" has a catchy rhythm and fun lyrics,("I'm hurt/I'm hurt/.../Go to your room/I've had it/And don't come out till 7/I'm tired/...You're rude and ugly and pretty disrepectful/You take up all my time/and suck up all my juice") I intend to play this for my kids the next time they rip the place up with their antics. I love the 'What did I do to deserve this?" riff. Best song on the album - "Black Helicopters Over Brooklyn" status? We'll see.

"The Last From Me" eases the pace somewhat. Its pretty vacuous, though, for all the nifty beats. The final third somewhat redeems the track, but not entirely.

The segue into "Oh My God" is redeeming (pun intended). This is the space the band occupies best. Frenetic strumming, drums, and strong vocals - "satisfaction is guaranteed" I'd love to try this song on Rock Band or Guitar Hero, but doubt I could pull it off.

"Rejoicing The Majesty", from the title sounds suspiciously like another Redeemer track. part of the Vatican Top 10. The lyrics don't change the impression (time to get closer to your sweetness/...Desire/.../reach for the unknown/) and the track covers the gamut of any self-respecting thrash-metal godhead song.

"Don't Walk Me Down That Road" is a rather more traditional rock gospel track, I find the imagery memorable ("and then I get that feeling/my heart has a ceiling/and I can't find the words to speak/.../I can't get my breath to breathe/") The lust for life is portrayed well (the forces of evil gently judge my soul/but I won't go/the floor keeps calling me to come on down/but I'm living my life like I never did before/and I want more/) and if you believe there's more to life than the heat and noise, this song will make you feel that other side all too close.

"I'm Not Surprised" retreats to familar territory. The extended refrains don't seem overlong, rescued as they are by guitar solos.

"Rite To Fire" stays strong, with something resembling an 80s vibe.

"The Rooster Says Good Morning" seems to keep at the same pace. It's another light track, saying much but not quite getting to its goal, going 'on and on/and up and down/and round and round'.

?Hag" is a great track, in the league of some of the best metal anthems around. Its instrumental, building the pace and giving room to all the instruments to blossom on the soundstage. The rhythm guitar enters late in the piece, and yet is the crowning achievement to this masterful number. (*****)

"A Better Place" gives one more chance to build and maintain the heavy pace, providing meaty support to the compelling lyrics. One of the longer songs on the album, it doesn't lose pace along the way.

"Disappointment Has Come Upon Me" seems to take a breath at the beginning, and then returns to strong guitar work with a somewhat cheesy 'la la la' refrain.

"All Reality Has Changed / Nosferatu" is a good book-ender, taking its time to settle into its pace, and deserving of a few listens. The second half (Nosferatu?) is a thrash-metal playfest, never easing up.

The final track "Living Well Lady" sounds like a concert outtake, and quite different from the rest of the album. The piece barely begins and ends, almost an afterthought.

Overall, a good effort, worth the listen, and will help cement the already strong cred of Sound of Urchin in their fanbase. Will it be a breakout album? Perhaps, it should resonate with rock fans, at the very least.