Sharik Hasan’s New York Quartet India tour announced
Jazz pianist/composer Sharik Hasan is set to embark upon an eight-city tour of the country, beginning today. Hasan will be touring with his band, which was formed in the Manhattan School of Music. The jazz quartet comprises Raviv Markowitz on double bass, Philippe Lemm on drums and Adam Larson on the saxophone. The tour will be supported by the newly-established True School of Music, which has a strategic partnership with the Manhattan School of Music. Check out tour dates below.

June 19 – NCPA, Mumbai
June 20 – Shisha Café, Pune
June 22 and June 23 – Windmills Craftworks, Bangalore
June 25 – ‘Music Works‘, Blue Frog, Mumbai
June 28 – Princeton Club, Kolkata
June 29 – Calcutta School of Music Workshop, Kolkata
July 1 – Lamkaan Workshop, Hyderabad
July 2 – Western Music Foundation and The Marriott Hotel, Hyderabad
July 3 – US Consulate, Chennai
July 5 – The BFlat Bar, Bangalore
July 6 – Heritage Jazz, Goa
July 13 – Coctails and Dreams Speakeasy, New Delhi
TBD, July – Blue Frog, New Delhi

Sound Avatar to play Boiler Bar Thursday
Mumbai’s weekly electronica night, Boiler Bar Thursday, is now a regular fixture at Chez Moi, Oshiwara. Next week’s edition, which takes place on June 27, will host Mumbai drum ‘n’ bass producer Sound Avtar. The night will also feature a set by Fuzzy Logic, the solo electronica project of Slow Down Clown dummer Arfaaz Kagalwala. The gig kicks off at 9pm, and the entry charge of Rs 300 includes one drink. Sound Avtar recently played an opening set at Oji’s Escalate gig in Mumbai (pics), stream that set below.

GMI Sessions performance video released
The Global Music Institute, Delhi, recently celebrated its second anniversary with a concert on June 13. The concert saw performances by pianist Sharik Hasan, Tarun and Aditya Balani (of Adi Suhail Tarun, Tarun Balani Collective and Aditya Balani Group), and Advaita vocalist Chayan Adhikari, along with other Delhi musicians and some special guests. The institute has released a live video from the concert, with a performance of ‘Belief’ by the Tarun Balani Collective. Check it out below.

That’s all the news for today. Stay tuned for more daily editions of the Quick Fix.

Putting together the best non-metal indie music soon became an annual ritual for Singh (who has professed his great affection for creating mixtapes in our zine article here) and over the years has kept up his perennial quest for hunting down and compiling the year’s indie music. Music journalist and Mumbai Boss editor, Amit Gurbaxani spoke in glowing terms about Singh’s compilation especially when it comes to exposing people to new acts, “Stupid Ditties was and is hugely important both to the bands and the fans of the Indian indie scene. Like the Great Indian Rock series of compilations, the Stupid Ditties sets, which started in the days before Facebook and Bandcamp became ubiquitous promotional tools, helped bands from across the country reach out an audience they may not have been able to reach on their own. Today, even though it’s not hard to find the music, the compilation works as a helpful curator of the new ‘un-metal’ music out there. Personally, the series has introduced me to the music of Adam and the Fish Eyed Poets, The Lightyears Explode! and Blek, bands that I now count on list of my favourites.”

Six Stupid Ditties compilations have been released and the diversity of the music on the playlist makes each of these compilations unique and diverse in their own right. Artists try to get onto the compilation and send Singh their music in the hopes of making the grade. This has always been the case according to Sky Rabbit frontman Raxit Tewari, who says that artists would go out of their way to get included onto the compilation, “Stupid Ditties back then was one of few compilations people recorded singles for. Today, it has become this exhaustive, democratic being where one finds some really fresh, alternative sounds. Some of these tracks come from towns that many artists haven’t even performed in.” This is a sentiment echoed by Blek frontman Rishi Bradoo, “For me, Stupid Ditties was a launch pad. Every year, there are brand new bands and for any of them to make it onto Stupid Ditties is definitely a breakthrough. Rishu has a really heavy DIY ethic and he genuinely believes in giving away this music to everybody he could. That’s why I’ve seen these CDs in some of the weirdest places and that’s also why I think it’s a reasonable way for new bands to break into the scene.”

Stupid Ditties 666 was last year’s compilation.

In so many ways, the compilation is a representation of the state of the indie music scene in India with tracks from new releases making it to the final playlist. Stupid Ditties 7 is going to be no different and from what we understand it’s going to be called Lucky 7 – Stupid Ditties. We spoke to Rishu Singh who told us more about why he chose this title and what expects from the next edition. “I’m expecting it to be beautiful and wonderful. I think what’s going to effect it this time is that I don’t have a job this time around and so I can put some more time in it! Mira Malhotra is doing the art this time around which I’m very excited about. It’s our ‘Get Lucky’ number seven. It’s better to come up a nice name like that rather than just go with ‘no. 7′ at the end of each one and I hope and pray that everyone in the scene has plenty of good luck and prosperity this year. I’m expecting a lot more awesome music this because some really good releases have come out. I’m also expecting a lot more diversity this year which will make it perhaps a little more special,” says Singh.

The optimism in his voice seemed genuine and while it remains to be seen how the new compilation will turn up, Singh will be hoping to continue the tradition of releasing it in September. This tradition is in place for Singh’s daughter Myraa, whose birthday is in September, and her father intends to release the compilation around her birthday so that she can listen to the music that was part of the scene at each year. Singh has not yet begun calling for entries just yet but the Lucky 7 – Stupid Ditties Facebook page is up and running, so expect to see instructions for entries there. In the mean time, download every edition of Stupid Ditties released so far for free here.

Which Indian indie acts have you discovered through Stupid Ditties? Leave a comment and let us know.

“For Coke Studio, we discussed what would be the theme for season two and we came up with two words that came up very strongly – celebrating diversity, and celebrating originality. We wanted a different sound, where Coke Studio is the sound of India which is a variety of sounds. Then, we needed to go to people who had different interpretations of what the Coke Studio sound meant to them. Therefore, the idea to have multiple producers.” Aditya Swamy, EVP & Business Head of MTV India, who conceived season two, told us last year. “The filter was about people who are known to experiment, who have dabbled in diverse kinds of music. For example, the fact that Clinton (Cerejo) had started doing gospel music, then did ad films and then Bollywood and Tamil films, that to me was the exciting part about why we chose Clinton, not just because he’s a great producer. The fact that Karsh (Kale) is known for Table Beat Science and then the DJ circuit with electronic music makes Karsh an interesting proposition for me. The fact that Amit Trivedi is the next wave of sound today in Indian cinema – like what Rahman had brought in the mid ’80s, and he had a signature sound for Indian film music. Today’s modern, edgy film sound is actually Amit Trivedi,” he said about his choice of producers for season two.

Watch a performance of ‘Madari’, produced by Clinton Cerejo for season two, below.

This year, the show, which is scheduled to start airing in August, follows the same format with eight producers each producing original music for an episode of the season. While Clinton Cerejo, Hitesh Sonik and Amit Trivedi will return to Coke Studio@MTV for Season 3, the 2013 edition also features some of the country’s best producers including Papon, who has been a featured musician on both seasons of the show before, Bollywood composer duo Salim-Sulaiman, Mumbai ad and film music producer Ram Sampath, and, undoubtedly one of the country’s best musical talents, AR Rahman.

Each producer working on the show brings radically different visions and sounds to the table. For example, on season two, Clinton Cerejo strived to create something different from the material he’s normally known for in the advertising and film realm, while Amit Trivedi used Punjabi and Rajasthani folk elements to bring out, as he explained to us, the “crux of the country”. This year too, we can hope to see some interesting collaborations, with each producer pushing the boundaries in terms of the artists they choose and the music they create for the show. Each episode also sees performances by artists curated by the producer, and season two saw the likes of Harshdeep Kaur, Swanand Kirkire, Piyush Mishra, Vishal Dadlani and Benny Dayal, among others, perform on various episodes of the show.

The last episode of the season is a multi-producer medley, and features six upcoming artists from around the country. Last year, Bangalore Carnatic rock act Agam, Hari and Sukhmani and Papon were among those featured on the season finale. The finale of season three will also be a multi-producer episode, with six young artists working together to create original music for the show. This year, Coke Studio@MTV also teamed up with Blue Frog for leapFROG to Coke Studio, an initiative that gave one fusion act the chance to perform on the season three finale. After a month of heats, Mumbai singer-songwriter Winit Tikoo and his ensemble won leapFROG to Coke Studio, and will feature on the eighth episode of the upcoming season. We spoke to Tikoo about his band’s big win at leapFROG here. Check out a video of his performance of ‘Paagal’ for leapFROG to Coke Studio below.

Season 3 of Coke Studio@MTV starts airing in August 2013. Stay tuned for more news and interviews from the TV show, and read all our previous coverage of the show, including extensive interviews with each producer, here.

Weekender served as the initial litmus test. But after the festival, the band gradually slipped into hibernation. With the band’s focus shifting towards working on the debut LP, gigs were sparse. Passing time saw the inclusion of Ramanan Chandramouli (ex-Blind Image axe-man) and Abhishek ‘Shakenbake’ (yes, the Holy Stoked dude) replacing previous members of the band Paul Dharmaraj (bass) and Nikhil Narendra (samples).

 42 was released in 2010. TBD have made heavy sonic alterations since they played their first gig at Strawberry Fields (they were runners up). They join the long ranks of rock bands who’ve embraced technology and the use of sound synthesizing software. Pentagram did it in 2002. Medusa had to rename themselves Sky Rabbit in 2011 as they took to a new direction and most recently, I saw The F16s from Chennai carry out a dedicated dubstep segment in one of their songs.

New material was previewed on a terrace in Bangalore as a part of the Chaiwala Sessions, but it was acoustic. A few months into the new year, ‘Hush’ was previewed. Well, a glimpse of it was. With an outright “work-in-progress” sign, this proved to be the clearest and most definitive indication of The Bicycle Days’ new sound. A trudge through minimal atmospheric electronica, guided by frontman Karthik Basker’s calm vocals – “To embrace and give way / You helped me learn / Now let me unlearn / ’cause I’ve had my fill”. This preview tore down all preconceived notions clouding the sonic expectations of the new record.

The Bicycle Days have buffered the blow of a complete makeover in sound on their debut album Calamitunes; remnants of 42 visible, a progression in sound evident.

Basker’s vocals lumber through a minimal soundscape on first single ‘Crawl (The Human Experience)’ (check out the video). ‘Hush’ is cut from the same cloth. And ‘Escape’ too follows suit (with the exception of an interesting guitar-hi-hat-bass section, two-and-a-half minutes into the song). Moving away from this new soundscape, more heavier and drowning guitar tones are introduced with album opener ‘Conundrum’ and a reworked version of ‘Circles’, titled ‘Circles (Information =/= experience)’ reinforces this evident evolution in sound on the record. Apart from the synthesized tracks, TBD’s music borders on the circumference of alternative psychedelic music. Laced with spots of psychedelia, the tracks on Calamitunes come across as well-constructed arrangements all shaped by the whims of each individual band member. The songs move from one tranquillizing note to another, weaved together with sampling and the band’s new muse; electronic soundscapes. The highly cinematic ‘Indignation’ with a sneering ‘good-joke’ sample heard towards the end reinforces this newfound love.

However, The Bicycle Days wean off the heavy stuff towards the end of the LP. Having touched both spectrums (electronic atmospheric sounds vs drowning guitar tones), both ‘Moulds’ and ‘Truce’ appear to be poems as the musical compositions simply provide a safety net to Basker’s chants. The most minimalistic of the lot, ‘Moulds’ is just two minutes of electronic fiddling. “There’s a need to talk / to each other / open the gate /communicate” are the opening lines and as a near stagnant mood is set at the onset, the boundaries of minimalism are pushed.

Calamitunes is a result of the classic trial-and-error method. With an EP to their credit, The Bicycle Days still don’t write crowd-friendly choruses, expecting the audience to sing along at gigs. The song arrangements are precise and a song may touch two extremities while cued. On record, the breakdowns and wall-of-sound created by the music overpower the vocals, but as an entire package it comes off as an odyssey of what the band has experienced and imbibed, during their course as musicians. And for a band that’s constantly evolving, there’s no better way to write a debut album.

Indiecision: B+

1. Hoirong – ‘Glass Jaw’
We haven’t seen the sun here for four days, at least, and the weather requires some appropriate music. Hoirong‘s ‘Glass Jaw’ fits the bill for many reasons. The grimy, beautiful distortion that’s prevalent through his entire album provides the appropriate air of gloom. The song in general makes me think of a rain-soaked vigilante striding through the greyness with a katana, stopping only to plunge it between the ribs of those who annoy him (read: autowallahs who refuse fare). Buy the album, because it’s brilliant, and because what your music collection really needs is a folder titled The Resurrection Of The Princess Of Woe And Her Vampire Hound Posse.

2. Sigur Ros – ‘Brennisteinn’
For some reason, I always thought of Sigur Ros as beautiful ambient sound. Beautiful, but not engaging enough. I hadn’t actually listened to enough Sigur Ros. ‘Brennisteinn’ off their new album Kveikur is proving me very, very wrong. And I’m happy about being wrong here.

3. Gold Panda – ‘We Work Nights’
Brit producer Gold Panda’s second album, Half Of Where You Live, released on Friday. ‘We Work Nights’ seems to be just that, a track to keep you going when you’re working late nights and dangerously close to nodding off. It’s still got nothing on ‘Quitters Raga’.

4. The Lonely Island – ‘Spring Break Album’
The Lonely Island are sending you subliminal messages (read more here), showing you the cutest male same-sex couples ever (awww, Andy Samberg & Zack Galafinakis!) and packaging it in a rather catchy anthem.

5. Benedict Cumberbatch – ‘Flat Of Angles (part 2)’
Today, I learnt of Late Night Tales, a compilation album series by UK label Late Night Tales. Since 2001, everyone from Jamiroquai to Belle and Sebastian to Snow Patrol to Fatboy Slim to Brit visual artist David Shrigley has created mixes for late nights for the label. Many of the albums often end with a spoken word story piece. Royksopp’s Late Night Tales came out a couple of days ago, and it features part two of a short story titled ‘Flat Of Angles’, read out by Benedict Cumberbatch. Yeah, that guy. This is how a dramatic reading is done. Want context? Read ‘Flat Of Angles’ here.

Check out previous editions of the Indiecision Five at 5 here.