By Yamini Gaur
I am a firm believer of the fact that the music that a person listens to is a mirror into their innermost trepidations and longings. It is an insight into their brain; an oracular glance into their helplessly opaque soul. People have a heartless and cruel habit of attaching themselves emotionally to a song to such a huge extent that they feel a nagging and lingering sense of dismay when others don’t approve of their playlist. I have felt these similar pangs of disappointment when a kid in my class came up to me and told me that “he thought I listened to better music”.
I am a firm believer of the fact that the music that a person listens to is a mirror into their innermost trepidations and longings. It is an insight into their brain; an oracular glance into their helplessly opaque soul. People have a heartless and cruel habit of attaching themselves emotionally to a song to such a huge extent that they feel a nagging and lingering sense of dismay when others don’t approve of their playlist. I have felt these similar pangs of disappointment when a kid in my class came up to me and told me that “he thought I listened to better music”.
But I guess it’s alright if our playlist doesn’t perpetually transport you to a state of sheer elevation; when you are someone else entirely and your life is undeniably as contemporary as you always wanted it to be. Disapproval did prevent me from wanting to share my music with the people whom I knew wouldn’t understand it or appreciate it in the same fashion. But I guess it’s hard to find your kind when you aren’t a straw in the hay. It is hard when you have a knack for the unconventional; when you are as chaotic as the world around you and as peculiar as it may seem, you begin to fall in love with the bedlam.
“Everything Good Under the Sun” is a playlist. And that is putting it mildly. I am not asking you to like it/ fall irrevocably in love with it. I’m not even asking you to appreciate the songs/ albums that I’ll end up ranting ceaselessly about. You can be repulsed by the sight of it/ brandish this article in your virtual bin of everyday trash.
This playlist is fun, sad, quirky, suave and catchy all at the exact same time. It is perhaps the most significant part of the contents of my iPod and I hence felt obliged to write about it.
· The Smiths
The Smiths are a tad different from what I usually listen to because I constantly fall into a sublime state of confusion when it comes to classifying The Smiths in a genre. They are strangely comforting; biblical proportions of their songs describe pain and suffering as borderline congenial.
“Everything Good Under the Sun” is a playlist. And that is putting it mildly. I am not asking you to like it/ fall irrevocably in love with it. I’m not even asking you to appreciate the songs/ albums that I’ll end up ranting ceaselessly about. You can be repulsed by the sight of it/ brandish this article in your virtual bin of everyday trash.
This playlist is fun, sad, quirky, suave and catchy all at the exact same time. It is perhaps the most significant part of the contents of my iPod and I hence felt obliged to write about it.
· The Smiths
The Smiths are a tad different from what I usually listen to because I constantly fall into a sublime state of confusion when it comes to classifying The Smiths in a genre. They are strangely comforting; biblical proportions of their songs describe pain and suffering as borderline congenial.
My own personal favourites include “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” especially with the catchphrase “To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die”. Morrissey’s voice makes you believe in a realm of endless possibilities; it almost ricochets across an empty hall; it is classy and yet assertively truthful.
· Arctic monkeys
I got introduced to the Arctic Monkeys in 2008 with Fluorescent Adolescent. Now, this song has always been an object of great fascination to me because of the way its beats instantly transport me to a British Countryside with a high school knock off band admonishing a frightfully active crowd about the charms of a young girl.
· Arctic monkeys
I got introduced to the Arctic Monkeys in 2008 with Fluorescent Adolescent. Now, this song has always been an object of great fascination to me because of the way its beats instantly transport me to a British Countryside with a high school knock off band admonishing a frightfully active crowd about the charms of a young girl.
Arctic Monkeys are lively and fashionably ostentatious. You can’t help but fall for Alex Turner’s sophisticated drone; the impeccable use of electric guitars and such tastefully quirky lyrics. Arctic Monkeys are like treacle tart. You can only relish them till the last crumb and they leave you begging for more.
It would be unfair and highly, exponentially unjust on my part to recommend a selected few songs off of my Arctic Monkeys collection because believe it or not; this band has managed to polish every single song of the 5 albums released so far, to utter perfection.
· The Killers
Needless to say, I was actually introduced to The Killers through this playlist. I had heard them a couple of times on VH1 but The Killers are far more underrated than the value of the music they make.
It would be unfair and highly, exponentially unjust on my part to recommend a selected few songs off of my Arctic Monkeys collection because believe it or not; this band has managed to polish every single song of the 5 albums released so far, to utter perfection.
· The Killers
Needless to say, I was actually introduced to The Killers through this playlist. I had heard them a couple of times on VH1 but The Killers are far more underrated than the value of the music they make.
Most of the bands out there start sounding monotonous and repetitive after a while. But The Killers are creative and tremendously innovative with each and every song. Their songs are elemental and pleasant to the ears. “Spaceman”, “All These Things That I’ve Done”, “Deadlines and Commitments” and “I Can’t Stay” are some of my own personal favourites. I have this habit of playing The Killers on shuffle though because every one of their songs is mesmerizing beyond belief.
· Foxygen
Foxygen is like a breath of fresh air. Their novelty in the music scene is fairly apparent, with all the irony that a newbie can dare to muster. Their songs are plain old school; blaring out from a dust laden gramophone. They are reminiscent of The Beatles fused very delicately with MGMT and the outcome is fairly impressive.
“San Francisco”, “On Blue Mountain” and “Shuggie” are my personal favourites.
· The Strokes
I won’t classify myself as a judgemental person and I try to abstain from forming opinions about people who openly and without carrying the much required ammunition, wear “WE ARE BELIEBERS” shirts in public arenas.
But if you haven’t heard of The Strokes, then ahem. *Coughs*.
· Foxygen
Foxygen is like a breath of fresh air. Their novelty in the music scene is fairly apparent, with all the irony that a newbie can dare to muster. Their songs are plain old school; blaring out from a dust laden gramophone. They are reminiscent of The Beatles fused very delicately with MGMT and the outcome is fairly impressive.
“San Francisco”, “On Blue Mountain” and “Shuggie” are my personal favourites.
· The Strokes
I won’t classify myself as a judgemental person and I try to abstain from forming opinions about people who openly and without carrying the much required ammunition, wear “WE ARE BELIEBERS” shirts in public arenas.
But if you haven’t heard of The Strokes, then ahem. *Coughs*.
The Strokes gained their most significant acclaim from “Reptilia” with its beguiling half sober intermissions followed by a stream of reckless, out of control instrument-bashing.
The Strokes to me, bring out the carelessness and speedy life of the overhyped and much speculated New York City with its every song. They are weird, peculiarly slow on the outside with a speedy foreplay of rhythmic interludes on the inside.
The Strokes represent chaos and that’s what earned the band, its acquired stature.
Watch out for “Last Nite”, “Under Cover of Darkness”, “Hard To Explain”, “Electricityscape” and “Machu Picchu”.
· Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire turns heads due to its unusually large number of band members; all husbands and wives in a wondrous cacophony, pun intended. This band has contributed soundtracks to The Hunger Games, Her and their album “Funeral” won a Grammy for the Album Of The Year and rightly so. Their songs capture turmoil through the eyes of an unadulterated soul; their lyrics reflect innocence and munificence in a very pristine fashion. Arcade Fire is newly arrived but is surely here to stay.
The Strokes to me, bring out the carelessness and speedy life of the overhyped and much speculated New York City with its every song. They are weird, peculiarly slow on the outside with a speedy foreplay of rhythmic interludes on the inside.
The Strokes represent chaos and that’s what earned the band, its acquired stature.
Watch out for “Last Nite”, “Under Cover of Darkness”, “Hard To Explain”, “Electricityscape” and “Machu Picchu”.
· Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire turns heads due to its unusually large number of band members; all husbands and wives in a wondrous cacophony, pun intended. This band has contributed soundtracks to The Hunger Games, Her and their album “Funeral” won a Grammy for the Album Of The Year and rightly so. Their songs capture turmoil through the eyes of an unadulterated soul; their lyrics reflect innocence and munificence in a very pristine fashion. Arcade Fire is newly arrived but is surely here to stay.
Watch out for their album “The Suburbs”. I wouldn’t recommend songs for this band because not everyone likes their music; it is extremely generic and at the same time, subtly morose.
The band plays drums, guitars, cello, violin, xylophone, double bass and a couple of instruments that are not only unheard of, but are difficult to pronounce as well (Exhibit A: Glockenspiel).
· Kasabian
Kasabian is a very different band. Their songs are ironically meaningful and my love for them grew a thousand fold when they made a reference to The Beatles’ Lucy in their semi-psychedelic number, “La Fee Verte”. Their use of instruments, especially the violins in “Acid Turkish Bath”, is phenomenal. There songs have eccentric and oddly placed intermissions of strange noises emitted by men and women caught in a seizure attack but somehow, with the strong vocals and feverish onset of the rest of the instruments, everything seems to fall perfectly into place.
The band plays drums, guitars, cello, violin, xylophone, double bass and a couple of instruments that are not only unheard of, but are difficult to pronounce as well (Exhibit A: Glockenspiel).
· Kasabian
Kasabian is a very different band. Their songs are ironically meaningful and my love for them grew a thousand fold when they made a reference to The Beatles’ Lucy in their semi-psychedelic number, “La Fee Verte”. Their use of instruments, especially the violins in “Acid Turkish Bath”, is phenomenal. There songs have eccentric and oddly placed intermissions of strange noises emitted by men and women caught in a seizure attack but somehow, with the strong vocals and feverish onset of the rest of the instruments, everything seems to fall perfectly into place.
The best part about Kasabian is that they are very experimental with what they do and uninhibited with their music which is a quality not seen so commonly in new bands.
· Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend is every bit as enchanting as the Turkish Delight that the White Witch in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe tried to lure Peter with. And I am not exaggerating when I say that.
Vampire Weekend is all the ages from the 60s to the modern era, just wrapped in a tight bundle and presented to the listener with extravagant flare and a knack for strangeness.
· Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend is every bit as enchanting as the Turkish Delight that the White Witch in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe tried to lure Peter with. And I am not exaggerating when I say that.
Vampire Weekend is all the ages from the 60s to the modern era, just wrapped in a tight bundle and presented to the listener with extravagant flare and a knack for strangeness.
Their songs have naughtiness, sadness, love, passion, youth, old age and happiness hidden beneath each phrase, intending to charm the listener into a perpetual state of bliss. Ezra Koenig didn’t seem as gung-ho as he was while singing Contra when they came out with Modern Vampires of the City, but this band has a way with its listeners. They did end up winning a Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 2014.
For starters, give their albums ‘Vampire Weekend’ and ‘Contra’ a listen before moving on to their later songs. My personal favourites include “Oxford Comma”, “Cousins”, “Horchata”, “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, “I Think Ur a Contra” and “Kids Don’t Stand a Chance”.
Disclaimer: This playlist was callously handed over to me by an extremely ill-fitted and thick skinned young man. I am only just kidding. Or am I?
Thanks Abhirup Mukherjee.
Click here to read about the German duo of Kyau and Albert. They are amazing at what they do. Trance!
For starters, give their albums ‘Vampire Weekend’ and ‘Contra’ a listen before moving on to their later songs. My personal favourites include “Oxford Comma”, “Cousins”, “Horchata”, “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”, “I Think Ur a Contra” and “Kids Don’t Stand a Chance”.
Disclaimer: This playlist was callously handed over to me by an extremely ill-fitted and thick skinned young man. I am only just kidding. Or am I?
Thanks Abhirup Mukherjee.
Click here to read about the German duo of Kyau and Albert. They are amazing at what they do. Trance!