The Indiecision ’08: Best Album Indian

The Indiecision â??08 is a recap of the year gone by in Indian indie and a recognition of the work of its artists and those involved with the creation and promotion of the music.

The Best Album Indian is the best album released by an Indian independent artist in 2008. The nominees for Best Album Indian are

Jet Lag, Da-Saz

Multi-ethnic, multi-genre, multi-influenced Da Saz had a name that made them sound all gangsta but hip hop was not high in the list of sounds they traversed on their enjoyable debut, which surprisingly sounded as good live as it did on record. With frontman Dhruv Sangari’s eclectic vocals and an unmatched variety of percussion brought to the table by Suchet Malhotra, Jet Lag was a truly refreshing sound.

Confect, Scribe

The fact that Scribe gave away Confect as a free download does nothing to diminish the expectation or the quality of this record. The complexity of this album is matched only by its ability to relate at a very visceral level. At its (hard) core it was a balls-out metal record that put together talented musicians who are destined for greater things.

Hit â??Moreâ?? for the rest of the nominees and the Best Album Indian â??08.

Raqhu Dixit, The Raghu Dixit Project

It starts delicately, with just his voice and acoustic guitar. Then slowly – through a set of folk rock songs that sought inspiration in everything from reggae to Bollywood –  we get to hear that voice in full boom. Raghu Dixit’s debut album may have been too “poppy” for some people’s tastes but the sincerity of the music, channelled through one of the most distinctive new voices in Indian rock, shone through every hook-filled track.

Light Tribe, Shaa’ir + Func

Shaa’ir + Func are hard to ignore. Their act is very in-your-face, their content is political and their look is kitschy. And they know how to put this engaging mixture onto a record with style. Light Tribe was far more aggressive than it’s predecessor and saw S+F deal gave the delicate sophomore-syndrome a beat down we will remember for a long time to come. Perhaps till their next record?

Going Nowhere, Lounge Piranha

Lounge Piranha are perhaps the most entrepreneurial band in the country today, even more so because of their ability to have that reflect in their music. At the face of it, their brand of alternative is simple – catchy melodies coupled with lyrics about relationships. As a debut however, we’ve found this record to be rewarding and worthy of all the praise thrown its way.

And the Best Album Indian â??08 is

Light Tribe

Head to the Indiecision â??08 homepage for all the details and the awards.