12th grade – one of the most boring and tiring phases of a student’s life. On one hand, there is a pseudo assurance by seniors that this would be the final year of hardship (Trust me kids, that is totally wrong. Don’t fall in the trap.), and then on the other hand, we start to miss the student life as days go by (it gets worse after the final exams). I remember, when I was in 12th grade, I was into writing poetry a lot. Things really got boring during the final exams and I ended up writing a 500 line long poem before my Mathematics exam (I hated the subject. Still do.). Something similar was faced by Srimanta Mitra during his days in 12th grade and it resulted into this 4 song EP – Monochrome.
Dedicating the EP to his parents and his piano teachers, Srimanta has started on the right foot or rather, the right note, on his journey into music. Any kind of solo instrumental is a tough thing to crack, but here he takes it to a totally different level! The very feeling of boredom and the sense of escapism is evident in his Waltz’s, especially Waltz for Madame Distressed. The mood changes in the song can very well depict the general nervous breakdowns we face from time to time. Though, I’ve never been a big fan of Waltz’s personally (maybe because I suck at dancing or just because I’m too dumb to understand the music), the two Waltz’s here – Sonatina Waltz and Waltz for Madame Distressed, deserve utmost respect from the listener. Broken Road is a track he has been working on since he was 13! And you will be surprised at the sound and the ambience created. There is a deep feeling of sadness involved and a grim atmosphere in the song and it somehow tends to stick to your mind and keeps on playing in a loop, unconsciously. A beautiful composition and can certainly change anyone’s mood in the 3:37 seconds of the song!
Though, the EP has no particular connection between the songs (except for them being played on the piano), there is a sense of serenity hidden somewhere. It is like a cool breeze on a hot and humid day; relaxes the mind for that particular time and is desired more. This is a perfect album to listen to during relaxing and detoxing in between long office hours or after a tiring days’ work. Broken Record makes way into my personal playlist of songs, for obvious reasons. A must check if you are a fan of instrumental music.
FuzzCulture is cool. They just are. The minute you hear their first song you realise their coolness. They are those guys that you know will play something unexpected. They take you back to when you want to experiment. They take you back to the time where you played around with a mixed tape.
Experimentation with music can go horribly wrong. But when it goes right, it makes you curious for more. And these guys deliver. The songs are harsh and out there, Srijan Mahajan (from Parikrama fame) and Arsh Sharma (The Circus) not trying to hide anything. Discoveries are best when they are shared.
This two member band, out with the album that they released on Sound Cloud for free is one to watch. While vocals aren’t the main focus, the voice comes into the song in a nice way, not taking away from the intense drum beat and guitar but adding to it. What I most enjoy is the slightly sinister feel to the electronic. Reminds me of a sped up Kraftwerk, with a Tangerine Dream kind of feel.
What is also nice is that the band keeps you on your toes. You aren’t sure what to expect and that is an unbelievably good thing. You also need to pay attention to the music to understand what the subtleties and innovations are.
Take their track Pizkiatone for example. The track has a great intro that has you grooving, but the more I listened I felt like I was being taken through a journey (for me it was on a boat discovering a new island, which might have a little to do with my current travel fetish). The point being that their music transports you and is not something you want to turn off. I could listen to
Some of the sounds are plain intriguing. The Delhi band manages to create sound that seems of unexpected surfaces. Making me reminisce of the one time I witnessed Sivamani live with a plate and spoon in hand, the band while creating a completely different kind of music shares his spirit of creation. Degeneration Next is a perfect example of that. Another thing that really got me was the fact that while the music combines electronic, electronica, dubstep and more it is not too harsh on the ear. It has a smoothness to it that has you listening to it happily at 11 pm. And yes, I am the sort of person who prefers soft sounds before she passes out.
Giving out a very new-age dance movie vibe, Mr. Profanity should be used in any dubstep presentation. It is perfect. I could imagine a sequence in my mind. Again being transported in my head. These guys are cool. As mentioned before. They are very cool. They make you want to discover more about electronica. While the wide-spread electronic music scene spans Columbia to Japan, it takes just one to leave you wanting more, and FuzzCulture does just that.
All I’m saying is if I were walking through a music Weekender, I would stop in my tracks if Indulge.Divulge played.
“The Buzz – Living Performances” was a program which commenced way back in 1996 to provide a strong platform for various artists in the buzzling city of Chennai to perform on, in the field of Music, Dance and Drama thus in a way creating a source of superior ‘live’ entertainment for the audiences in the city.
Boardwalkers who have a total of 19 successful shows to their credit with performances including Jesus Christ Superstar – Just Friends – Women with Voices – The Flatulist – The Owl and The Pussycat – The Spirit Of Bob Dylan, ABBA tribute and many others joined hands with Club of North East Madras. A charity program in nature aiding with various causes supported by the Rotary Club, the tribute to the ‘King of Pop’ in view of his 55th birthday celebration was sponsored by Sterling Holidays..
Even four years after his death, the love for MJ and his ‘Moonwalking’ is eternal. The minute the audience heard ‘Dangerous’ , the crowd went bizarre, This is the kind of euphoria associated with the legendary artiste.
Aishvarya, a die-hard MJ fan said “MJ’s songs are always approachable despite being complex. They have depth and always have an interesting blend of various elements of music”.
Rao, who also performed MJ’s songs with his band 7even at the Broadwalkers’ tribute concert to MJ exclaimed that the era of pop and Disco is owned by MJ and that no one can ever replace him. “ ‘Beat it’ is one MJ’s song that can make anyone dance” he said.
All MJ fans were enthralled with dazzling dance and music performances who came together from various renowned troupes/bands respectively. Anusha Swamy ‘beat it’ with some kickass moves to a blend of MJ songs 😉 . Franks got the Funk and Junkyard Groove were also present there giving the audience some magical MJ moments.
Leon James, the renowned keyboard player in Chennai expressed that MJ’s music ‘quality’ has what has made his music reach out to the people at large. Vivin, a freelance musician who plays the keyboard, recalled a show he did two years ago. With ‘Man in the Mirror’ being his favourite number, he expressed that MJ’s song never got him bored even though he listened them to a million times.
Another huge fan of MJ is dancer Anusha and her friend Divya, a dancer too. Anusha who was also one of the performers with her group said that his songs are such that it can cover a wide genre of dances—salsa, hip hop, Cha Cha Cha and so on. “It is actually a choreographer’s delight,” she says. She expressed that one can sense passion in all MJ songs. Tarun, who was also one of the dancers said “ It is definitely not easy to copy MJ’s steps. They may seem easy when you watch them. But replicating it and that with perfection is such a hard task. We kept practicing for more than a month. I would still not say our moves are perfect , not even close to what we see on the videos. He is a spontaneous dancer.”
Sunitha Sarathy, leading playback singer was also a part of the tribute show and entertained the audiences with a few famous tracks.
It was not just a music concert! It was not just a dance show! It was a true tribute to the legend! It was MJ FOR A CAUSE (with all proceedings being donated for a good cause by Rotary) This tribute concert which happened at the Lady Andal Auditorium was packed with youngsters and mid-aged MJ fans who did not fail to spread MJ love and support the scene.
Some people have that commitment and perseverance in what they do, that they put their entire effort in doing it without giving much damn about the feasibility and monetary factors involved. No matter how many hurdles they face, they would just keep going on. Aditya Mehta would be one of those guys; be it his famous blog, Mehta Kya Kehta, or be it his musical career, he has established his name in the industry by putting in a lot of dedication to his work. What started as a two-piece Satanic Black Metal band, featuring him on vocals and guitars and Yash Pathak on drums, gained a full-fledged line-up and created a stir in the metal scene across the country, even though it was just for a few shows that it delivered. Sadly, Solar Deity is back to being a two-man band with Aditya Mehta on guitars and vocals and Animesh Das on bass. But then who said that that would never work!
Solar Deity was formed in late 2011, and within this short period of less than two years, the band has released two EPs and one single, all to be given to the fans for them to download for free; validating my point on his dedication. And yet again comes a vicious release from these matadors which, in my opinion, is much more ferocious and much more expansive than its predecessors; a release so brilliantly titled ‘Devil Worship’. ‘Devil Worship’ is the follow-up of the band’s last EP, ‘Darkness Of The Being’ and a sequel to wicked ‘In The Name Of Satan’. And yes, this one is free as well!
The EP, though just consisting of three songs, lasts for twenty five minutes and delivers enough savagery to weaken you in your knees. Entering subtly with thunder sounds, ‘Raise The Horns’ takes us right into the chaotic sections constructed faultlessly with rad guitar progressions and brilliant harsh vocals. The song is mostly built on tremolo picked riffs which are laid over skilful double-bass drum lines. It is rather nicely structured and the flawless production makes the listening experience even better. The sound is not too fuzzy, at the same time isn’t too modern either; to say it in a very typical black metal way: it is trve kvlt! Daniel Kenneth Rego and Ashwin Shriyan have indeed done a good job on the production side, I must say.
‘Supreme Evil’ is one of the most interesting tracks I’ve come across by any Indian band. It is pretty melodic and beguiling to the ear, yet possesses a strong essence of devilishness in it. The track drags you through an intro, which is built of one of those super-catchy melodies that you would look for in any track, followed by medium-tempo paced heavy verses and choruses, connected through rather orgasmic bridges (you’ll know what I’m talking about when you listen to the song!). I really loved the work on vocals, especially on this track, where the grunts pretty much tear things apart.
‘Through The Hallways Of Narak’ is set in a dark and wistful ambience which somewhat reminds me of the early works of Norwegian black metal bands; the fast tremolo-picked progressions, electric blastbeats and a perfectly gloomy atmosphere, they just make you say: Yes, this is it. The high-tempo paced track takes you through really frantic progressions, grasping the apt amount of melody to create a balance in the dynamics of the song. The long instrumental sections and dark descanted vocals make the track very ambient, although the galloping bass lines fill in for the heaviness and aggression, which is one thing never comprised in a Solar Deity song.
With ‘Devil Worship’, the band has certainly reached a higher level of ascendancy, leaving absolute quality material for us to listen and headbang on. For those for you who want to hear it like this: yes, it better than their previous releases! Now go f*cking get it!
You can’t help but sway to the blues. They are just like that. Whether you listen to them in the afternoon or late at night, swaying is just your body’s natural response. Anyone who says otherwise is lying to you or is just deaf.
Mad Orange Fireworks brings a new temper of bass to blues. Consisting of Michael Dias, Kaushik Kumar, Ramanan Chandramouli and Deepak Raghu, the band seems to have managed to create blues with a twist. While they don’t call their music blues alone (the term Orange Rock was coined by them to describe their music; they also play punk, pop and rock), their music has the strongest blues influence.
The album is a testament to the band’s love, work, emotion, insanity and freedom. It is a testament to the bands idea of ‘life’. It captures a moment in their lives and presents it to us in the form of bluesy love. Each song shows a state of emotion and soul that the band wants its listeners to feel, to experience life in a new perspective.
The songs sound similar. Sparing one of two, the numbers sound like each other and while that isn’t a good thing, what stands its ground is the actual music. It is lovely. The songs are great at any point of the day and have you humming and bobbing along, wishing for some wine. Black Hole is a song that I feel one can listen to on loop. It isn’t over-rated, it isn’t understated. It is just right. So is Confusing State. There are a few slower numbers like Green Fever and Give It Back that need a more relaxed mood to enjoy while Break My Fall and Don’t Step On Me are similar numbers but with interesting guitar and bass respectively.
The few negatives about the album, apart from the fact that the music all seems to blend together, are numbers like Empty Saturday and On The Ledge. While the former is boring, the latter sounds plain off. School Boy is also a number to watch out for, but more because it sounds like you have heard it before. The stand-out number in this album, however, is Free Ain’t Moving. It starts with a funky accent and keeps you listening throughout. A must hear.
Inspired by the likes of Slingshot and Junkyard Groove, the band has an interesting and attractive flavour to their music, something that a little work can do wonders with.
Allegro is Italian for ‘cheerful’ or ‘merry’, and fudge is a yummy dessert made by mixing together a variety of ingredients. So Allegro Fudge could literally mean a lively and uplifting mash-up of a variety of techniques and sounds. Their music contains elements of pop, funk, folk, country, blues, jazz, progressive, rock and even Celtic, which makes it difficult to put it one specific genre. The band lists Dream Theater, Eric Clapton, Jaco Pastorius, Muse, Rush, Deep Purple, Pentagram, The Raghu Dixit Project, Dave Matthews Band, Dire Straits, Mozart and Elton John as its musical influences, yet sounds very little like them. They themselves prefer not to classify themselves as a particular genre, instead preferring music that is inspired from people and events around them. Unlike most bands, where the drums are the lifeblood, Allegro Fudge relies heavily on keys for percussion. Formed in 2007 by keyboardist Jason Zachariah and Joey Sharma, the band has had quite a few changes in the line-up over the years.
The present line-up consists of – Jason Zachariah (Keyboards), Saahas Patil (Vocals), Shalini Mohan (Bass) and Anish Nadh (Guitars).
The band’s debut album, Maximum City, is a celebration of everyday life, influenced by Bangalore, the city they call home (the album artwork features a stretch of MG Road), and their immediate surroundings. The 56 minute album with 9 tracks is dominated by piano riffs; Jason has magic in his fingers and I guess the band didn’t want to let that go to waste! Also noteworthy is the brilliant vocal co-ordination of the various members, and clean, fresh music that you would give a second listen. Ideally, I would recommend a rainy day and hot chocolate to go with this (:D). The first track, ‘Adrift’, was one of the first songs written by the new line-up in 2010. It was inspired by the movie ‘The Soloist’, featuring the schizophrenic musician Nathaniel Ayers. This track sets the mood for the rest of the album, with the beginning, and the clean vocals are amazing. Meaningful lyrics (“Shut this open door to the growing darkness that leads my step astray”) talk about a man’s lonely journey to fulfillment of dreams. Up next is ‘Day Dreamer’, a pop rock song talking about the endless and ever-present dreams of youngsters. At number three we have ‘Colors Fly’, an upbeat, optimistic song, with lovely piano flourishes and encouraging lyrics (“If they could see the world through your eyes, you’re a diamond in the darkness, waiting to shine”). I could imagine myself dancing to this one! ‘Far Away’ was originally written by Noella D’sa, the previous vocalist, and redone later by the present line-up. I personally feel that this particular song could have done without the extra percussion beats, as it’s a dark story about a woman trying to break free from an abusive relationship (“Her happy dreams a lifeless misery… Her mind is free but her hands are tied”). The fifth track is ‘Enchantress and the Hillbillies’, the only instrumental track of the album. Jason unleashes all of his magic in this one, structuring the piano chords around the opening guitar riffs with a fabulous end result. This could be one of my two favourite tracks of the album. Next we have ‘Waiting’, a country number with blues elements. The song has a relaxed feel to it, which is a nice deviation from the overall tempo of the album. Again, the vocal co-ordination is very pleasing to the ear! At number seven, ‘Hear Them Say’ is as country as the band goes, with a “Yee-haw!” thrown in with the guitar twangs. There are a whole lot of guitar, piano and drum solos, which may get a little overwhelming towards the end. This brings me to the next track of the album, and this is my other favourite pick of the album. ‘City of Sin’ is structured mainly around the theme of temptation; although the song starts off in a jazzy funky style, it features a darker, more ambient interlude, with sassy lyrics (“So once again the evening turns to night/ She slams the phone down, another pointless fight/ Turns up the music loud to get him off her mind/ Calls up a girlfriend, says Let’s get drunk tonight!”). The ninth track is ‘Rock All Night’, which, as the name suggests, is a rock number, with a little jazz thrown in. The tempo change is very interesting, without breaking the actual thread of the song, and the heady bass and suggestive lyrics make this a winner. The next track, ‘Eye to Eye’, is a progressive funk rock number with an odd time signature. The bass is good throughout, and the drum solo at the end is amazing! The eleventh and last track is the title track; starting off with a guitar riff which almost sounds like a sarod, this song is a tribute to Bangalore, the city that the band calls home. ‘Maximum City’ is an acoustic rock number, and talks about the inevitable changes that the city has gone through over the years.
Overall, Allegro Fudge has done an outstanding job with its debut album. With excellent vocal co-ordination and the magical piano, they’ve created fresh and meaningful songs, without having to depend on drums for the most part. I’d keep an eye out for their next one, for sure.
Sanjay Divecha was always a music guy in quest for musical expression; a cross-border search that saw him delve into the physical and cultural. Graduating from Guitar Institute of Technology, part of Musician’s Institute in LA, Divecha has had the opportunity of working with the likes of Angelique Kidjo, Carlos Santana, Michael McDonald, Fred Raulston, Dave Weckl, Louis Johnson, Dumazz and Sambaguru. He also had the honour of studying with renowned guitarists like Scott Henderson, Joe DiOrio and Robben Ford.
Based in LA back in the day, Divecha worked as a session musician, performing Jazz, African,Brazilian, R&B and Gospel. His music currently include incorporating indo-centric folk traditions and classic al music. This began with his exploration of India in 2003. Post this came the release of Full Circle showcasing everything he was and is as a musician. The album was 2 years in the making and you can witness Kailash Kher, Kunal Ganjawalla, Ranjit Barot, Karl Peters and Vivek Rajagopalan to name a few lend their skills.
The music is exceptional. There is nothing negative that one can say about this album which is what made it very difficult to review. Every song has flavour and India in every beat. Divecha is an artist and those with him have just made him that much better. It has songs in multiple languages. Vaa Pudhu Ulahe is a Tamil number that I just adore; it uses the language to best of its advantage.
Naino Se, Pal Ke Pal and One Day are great slow numbers that you can listen to and discover new sounds and beats. Invocation is one that surprised me. Starting off like a number that could be used in prayer, the number moves smoothly into jazz and then bursting out with some traditional table that is just wonderful. Another nice song is Le Gayo Jiya which has a folk twist to it that is nothing short of melodious.
The one thing that doesn’t work is the English number Changing Seasons. The English sounds awkward and ruins the nice tune. Contrary to this, the title track Full Circle works very well. Very jazzy and slow, it sounds truly international. Guitar Duet is another one that confuses. While brilliant because of how much he has pushed the usage of the instrument, its borders on confusing.
All in all a great album, Divecha is an artist. With quite an imagination.
Noteworthy: My Conversation & When don’t you do it right
There is something incredibly sexy about lead singer, Samara Chopra, and her red lips. She starts singing and you just stop moving. There are no two ways about it. Clad in interesting clothes, she and the rest of The Ska Vengers manage to intrigue and maintain it.
The hit the music scene with a bang in 2009 and gained popularity due to the lack of danceable live music that wasn’t EDM. They are currently prominent performers around the country, having performed at Blue Frog in Delhi and Opus in Bangalore. Delhi-based, the band is known to like The Clash, King Tubby and Fela Kuti, drawing inspiration to create their unique ‘Ska Ska’ rhythms with dub, punk and rap to create a new flavour of music that is highly danceable.
Apart from being featured on VH1 who created unique animation to go with the bands tunes, the bank gained a large following through the once popular Ska! Ska! Ska! Evening at Q’BA in Delhi. The bank has a very curious old-meets-new vibe to their music that can get the laziest member of a crowd grooving. Following the release of Rude Boy Skank on the Stupid Ditties IV Compilation Album come a smile-worthy series of songs on their LP.
Coming to the individual tracks, the slow moving numbers take you back to a black-and-white era that reminisces gangsters and sleek suits. I personally love When don’t you do it right which from first chord took me back to an era that is one of my ultimate favourites. Another enjoyable Jamaican number is My Conversation that would be most impressive live. Another nice simple number is Mr Big Stuff, a number that will see you finding yourself a partner.
Unfortunately there are a few disappointments. Bam Intifada doesn’t catch you quite how some of the other songs do. There is a little repetition to some of the tracks though. Gunshot and The boy that radiates that charm have similar music lines underneath that makes you feel like you are listening to the same song again. Even Vampire starts the same way, though picks up a nice rhythm a few beats in. And it doesn’t hurt that the lyrics of this number are too quirky to ignore.
“BLAKC has always been about two things, the music and the people. We believe that our music is an extension of our personalities and the only way to connect to so many music lovers. Off stage we are weird; on stage we can tear a place apart purely because of the energy we have. We love making music and playing it LIVE.”
This is what Mumbai based Alternative Rock band; Blakc has to say about themselves on one of their digital domains. This digitally active being has generated quite a following for itself over the years through its ear catching music and innovation inspired professional promotion skills.
‘Mothered Land’ is the second release of the band after ‘Choking on a Dream’(2009). The band has almost redone / remade itself in this album. “Our first album, ‘Choking on a Dream’, is more grunge. ‘Mothered Land’ has more focus and an important message. We also love experimenting with art and visuals, so we’re always thinking of interesting ways to make our cover art and our videos stand out,” quoted Anish Menon (guitarist) in an interview. The band has already released a video ‘Untitled’ from this album on YouTube, with around 10,000 views.
An alternative classic rock treat. This album is Classic Rock meets Nu Metal meets Alternative meets Progressive. Apart from the Gods of Rock, the band is inspired by various local acts that made it big, such as Avial, Junkyard Groove, Thermal and a Quarter, Indus Creed and Parikrama.
‘Anti-Corruption’ is the main concept behind this album. The cover depicts the current state of affairs, where individuals increasingly become pawns in someone else’s scheme. Anish Menon and Shawn Pereira (vocalist) together wrote lyrics for the entire album. This is aimed at showing the political skullduggery that is prevalent in every contemporary sphere of activity. “The title was thought of after all the songs had been written. We realized what a mess it is out there in our motherland. Thus we came up with mothered, which means ‘messed up’,” says Pereira.
Classic guitar riffs, lip smacking drumming patterns by Shishir Thakur, complimented by Roop Thomas on the bass, dynamic vocals presented by Shawn Pereira and Reinhart Dias is what Mothered Land is packed with. An interesting support of effects on the vocals has given the vocalist the ability to keep things fresh.
Shantanu Hudlikar from Yashraj and Keshav Dhar from Skyharbor have also worked on this album. The mastering has been done by Chris Athens (who has worked with artists such as Coldplay and AC/DC) at Sterling Studio, New York. Shantanu was so adamant in getting the mastering done by Chris that he paid for the expenses for the mastering himself. This change is probably the best reflection of how the Indian Rock Scene has improved since the nineties. Listen to any recordings pre-2003 and be the judge. Blakc released their sophomore offering ‘Mothered Land’ at a launch party at Blue Frog, Mumbai on June 3rd and Hard Rock Cafe, Hyderabad on 28th June. The band is also offering this album in a box set along with ‘Mothered Land’ t-shirt, stickers and a poster. Grab at will!
Barney Stinson said, “Suit up, bro!” and this Chennai based quartet did exactly that. Started in 2008, Blues Conscience was formed with the intention of bring blues into the spotlight in today’s rock and metal favouring audience. With all time greats like B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf as their musical influences, there’s not much scope for them to go wrong.
Blues Conscience are – Anek Ahuja (Vocals, Bass), Aum Janakiram (Vocals, Guitars), Neil Smith (Drums) and Sid Kumar (Keys).
Their 56 minute debut album, ‘Down & Dirty’, had me hooked since I first saw the name, and I simply HAD to listen to it! Packed with 14 songs and with a host of artists featuring in different tracks, the entire album presents a diverse musical collection which one wouldn’t normally expect from a blues band. Then again, these guys love to jam. Starting off with ‘Like What Music You Got’, featuring DJ Dean, this foot-tapping number with good clean vocals is classic blues, with full on sax blaring; the scratches provided by DJ Dean lend a whole new twist to this one. ‘Blues Santa’, about spreading Christmas cheer in the community, is another peppy track which thrills me with the background choir music. The lyrics also get me interested (“Don’t buy her a diamond ring; spend some money to make them sing”). The third track is ‘Closer’, a lovely romantic number, with Indian vocals in the background. Ujjayinee Roy, the guest vocalist, has a lovely dreamy voice I would love to lose myself in. The lyrics are amazing too (“I’ll be there, everyday, When you’re flying high like a kite, I’ll be the one right by your side”). ‘Tipalo’ has some nice guitar work, along with percussions. At number 5, ‘Dreamland’ is the first instrumental track of the album; it’s the kind of relaxed song I would expect at a beach party. ‘Morning After’ is fun and lively, with some good guitar work. The lyrics are awesome too, and DJ Dean is back with his signature scratches; I especially love the instruments in this track. Halfway down the list, we have ‘Perfectly Reasonable Girl’, a romantic number in every sense of the word; refreshingly cheesy, melty and warm lyrics (“You got the groove, woman, I’m loving your lips, I’m loving you more and more with every kiss”) make me go “awwwww”! This is almost my pick of the album, but not quite. Next up is ‘No Life Without The Blues’, featuring Ed Degenaro, Siddharth Srinivasan, and Nipun Nair. This is a straight up blues track, with soulful vocals and astounding guitar work, and it’s my pick of the album. ‘Looking For A Girl’ is a simple song, with a country feel to it; foot-tapping music and lyrics make it extremely enjoyable to listen to. At Number 10 we have ‘Obama’, where “the only way to make her stay is if Barack Obama comes with me”! ‘Janis’ is awesome, with its unusual lyrics and blues beats. And with that, we come to the 3 songs with the best names I’ve ever seen. ‘Five Naked Virgins’ starts off in true blues style with drums and keys. Boasting of more amazing guitar work, this instrumental track is another one that almost became my pick of the album. The second last track, ‘Shagging My Dog’, is a total scream; the guys were obviously having a good time when they performed it! The final track is, ahem, ‘Kamasutra’! Seriously, hats off to Blues Conscience for the innovative names! Another straight up blues track, this one makes me groove and shake!
With clean vocals and a good variety of music, this album is a must listen. There are virtually no slips, and each track offers something new to the ears and soul. Bottom line, if you’re going for a long drive, play ‘Down & Dirty’ and enjoy. Oh, and call me too :P.
