The Indiecision ‘10 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 Most Promising Indie is the artist who, in 2010, showed most potential as an act for the future. The nominees for Most Promising Indie are
Albatross
The concept album is a tough nut to crack. Yet, Mumbai horror-metal quintet Albatross take on the task without much fuss. The project of Workshop bassist Riju Dasgupta, the band’s guitar-heavy sound is markedly refined, creating cascading soundscapes that instantly fit the genre. With a mission to reach out to audiences not only from India, Albatross have the chops to become one of the most creative, contemporary Indian metal acts. Now if only they’d find a suitable vocalist.
The Riot Peddlers
Most bands claiming to be punk in the country are usually just angsty alt rockers. The role of the old-school, anti-establishment punks is being taken on boldly by this (now) trio from Mumbai. The Riot Peddlers are dirty, profane, tongue-in-cheek punks who have things to say about corrupt cops, delayed local trains and stuff. With an EP on the way, this young act could well be the long-awaited face of Indian Indian punk.
Bombay Bassment
Bombay/Mumbai has its share of wannabe hip hoppers, but Bombay Bassment proved that the city was also home to the genuine article. Bombay Basement aren’t a collective of MCs with laptops, they are a band in the truest sense of the word. Comprising rapper Bob Omulo, drummer Levin Mendes, bassist Ruell Barretto and DJ Chandrashekhar “Chandu” Kunder, Bombay Bassment are by their own description close to The Roots than to 50 Cent, and are all the more refreshing because of it. Their occasionally conscious hip hop lyrics never take away from their party starting, feel good vibe, created by a sound that blends rap with funk and reggae.
Kaav
This trio from Vypin Island won us over with their eponymous three-track EP this year. Their EP was a landmark in the indie music scene, they quietly defined something very important – you don’t need a tabla, a sitar or even a vocalist to make music steeped in Indian-ness. Kaav’s brand of honest alt/prog post rock combines memorable melodies with sounds representative of their roots, to make instrumental guitar-driven seascapes evocative of everything from If These Trees Could Talk to Oceansize to Porcupine Tree – with a distinct Kochi flavor. We’re definitely looking forward to a full length album.
The Bicycle Days
If there was one new act we saw live this year that left us dumbfounded and infinitely gasping at their awesomeness, it would be The Bicycle Days. Most unmetal Indian bands painstakingly put together technically perfect soundscapes and inventive progressions, only to see their efforts destroyed by vocalists and strange accents. In the case of The Bicycle Days, they’ve nailed it all. Compelling vocals over heady psychedelia, long delay, ringing harmonics, android-esque effects, put together to create one whole reverberant atmosphere. This progressive/psychedelic rock band from Bangalore released their first EP 42 this year, and played a number of gigs all over the country, picked up some awards along the way, blew the crowd away with a stellar performance at the Bacardi NH7 Weekender, and are now certainly on their way to an interesting and dazzling future.
And the Most Promising Indie is
The Bicycle Days.
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