This weeks Friction Introducing band are B'Bay De Mundey - a Punjabi Rap group based in Mumbai.Ìý Forget the faux radical vibes thrown out by a Bollywood industry desperate to be loved, and forget the current crop of rock/pop-lite bands in both countries desperate to get into Bollywood - This lot are a bonafide 'group' in the 'youth culture' sense..they make tracks just because they want to, and they are in a band because they can.Ìý For us in the west that's a normal start for rock/pop/urban musicians - but in India & Pakistan one always gets the feeling that the only reason artists make music and sing songs as bands, is because they failed to become music directors or Bollywood vocalists.Ìý
Ìý
Read the rest of this entry
I'm not sure if this is so Good its Bad - Or so Bad, Its Good.....??! (Ha heh he he ha)
Read the rest of this entry
As we move tenderly into 2009 looking for hope amongst war and recession, can I just give you 50 reasons to celebrate instead of commiserate?
I've spent the entire holiday period compiling my Top 50 tracks of 2008 because I always feel like I have to try and define what a year means to me - especially in music.Ìý I started with a list of over 400 new tracks we played on the 'Friction' show and then spent an eon trying to whittle that down to 50 tracks.Ìý Seriously - if you want to go mad in 1 easy step try doing it.Ìý You'll end up arguing with yourself in the mirror, in your head, with your family, and it always ends up with your right side punching your left side in anger!Ìý Anyway, once I did that I then had to rank all 50 tracks in an order of preference - that in it's self gave me sleepless nights over the New Year period - BUT I DID IT!Ìý
So here it is, warts and all - You may agree, orÌýviolently disagree - but whatever you feel there is no denying that 2008 had a badass soundtrack!
Ìý
Ìý
Read the rest of this entry
