Editor’s Week In Review: Oct 23-29

Arjun S Ravi takes a look back at the week in Indian music, tracking October 23-29.

I feel terrible about missing The Great Indian Octoberfest in Bangalore. Our prolific lensman Prateek Biswas brought the festival to life in his vivid photo galleries (check out my favourite pic below) covering every day of the three-day festival (Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3). Featuring performances by, among others, Italian metal giants Lacuna Coil (who we interviewed at the fest, check out some great behind-the-scenes pics from just before the band went on stage), British metal act De Profundis, Shillong blues act Soulmate (whose mostly meh gig in Mumbai this week just rubbed in the fact that I should’ve been at Octoberfest) and folk fusionists Swarathma, Octoberfest did seem a great live music experience. Plus, Palace Grounds was apparently flooded with beer. Damn.

Also, we need photographers!

“I’m somewhere in the middle – I’m not a nerd, and I’m not one of those friendless people who sit in the corner of the class and eat chewing gum.” Varun Kannan is perhaps the coolest 16-year-old we’ve met. The wunderkid responsible for the hilarious ‘Short Songs’ YouTube sensation told us about growing up as hipster as it gets in Chennai, dealing with idiot teachers and his “douchebag deadpan attitude”.

If you haven’t already read our contributing editor Amit Gurbaxani’s excellent new column about the co-option of rock by Bollywood, do it now. Gurbaxani cites the recently released music of the film Break Ke Baad, which features the vocal skillz (speaking of vocal skillz, watch this) of Monica Dogra and Nikhil D’Souza among others, in elucidating how popular Bollywood music producing duo Vishal-Shekhar (feat Vishal Dadlani of Pentagram) now have a definitive sound, and how that’s perhaps not the space we want them to be in.

The Prodigy‘s inviting Indian fans to ask them questions. Perhaps they have the answer to the most elusive objection of our generation – how can she slap?

Here are a few international records I’ve been listening to this week that you should check out

1. Growing Pains – Dinosaur Pile-Up: If you love early Foo Fighters, you’ll wet yourself over this record.
2. Sainthood – Tegan and Sara: Start prepping for their tour now.
3. Lonely Avenue – Ben Folds: Lyrics, Nick Hornby. Music, Ben Folds. ’nuff said.

Stay cool, stay tuned.

Lacuna Coil @ The Great Indian Octoberfest, Bangalore