The Music Box.
Entries about the music I like.
CHAI – PUNK
CHAI’s PUNK is an idiosyncratic mix of dance, punk, and J-pop. The Nagoya four-piece’s second album is both a bundle of joy and a statement of rebellion against modern (mostly Japanese) society’s view of women. Of the several albums I’ve spoken about in the past few years, including the ones I’ve featured on Stranger Fiction, it’s one of the few that are outright joyous.
Funktuation – Funk Katcheri
I’ve been listening to Chennai-based Funktuation’s 2019 EP, Funk Katcheri. The songs on the EP are mostly sung by Benny Dayal, known for his work on Rahman-composed songs like Pappu Can’t Dance, Nazrein Milana Nazrein Churana, Rehna Tu, etc. It’s a straightforward Tamil electro-funk EP, with its first two songs, Oora Paaru and Poovey being the EP’s standouts.
Peter Cat Recording Company — Bismillah
Anybody who talks about Indian indie talks about Peter Cat Recording Company. It’s the Indian independent music version of you like beatles? So it isn’t really a hot take to say, you like PCRC? But here goes: Bismillah is a great album.
Lifafa — Jaago
Some time in 2014, my friend and I were partaking in that quintessentially Bombay concept of a sharing table at that quintessentially Bombay institution, Janta, when we were joined by the lead singer of what was then, and is now, my favourite Indian band, someone we assumed was a girlfriend, and someone we assumed was a girl friend. Bombay doesn't allow known faces private conversations.
Prabh Deep — K I N G
I’ve been unable to indulge in hip-hop much anymore. A weird thing that has begun happening with me and hip-hop is something that happens whenever you hang out with your alco-weird friend. You’re always on the look out for a fight picked with a stranger, or inappropriate views about women or something else from a litany of embarrassments. Anyway, I don’t feel that way about Prabh Deep’s K I N G. In fact it’s one of my favourite records from 2019. It’s also my most listened to album from that year.