Lakshmi Govindrajan Javeri
LOLLA IN INDIA: Can it bridge the chasm of expectations between fans & organizers?
From the organisers’ perspective, there are huge names in the lineup. From the concert-goers’ perspective, they are great co-headliners but not big enough to hold their own. This is the chasm reveals the divide between conditioned mindsets and having a finger on the pulse
RIP Jeff Beck: Beck’s innovation with the electric guitar, fingerstyle playing took the instrument beyond rock music
The eight-time Grammy winner’s use of distortion and feedback inspired his contemporaries and generations of musicians after him.
Explained: How Independence Rock was much more than a rock festival
Started in 1986, in defiance of a strict St Xavier’s College principal’s authoritarian diktat about rock music on campus, I-Rock became synonymous with Rang Bhavan.
How Eminem broke racial barriers as white man and became successful in black music space?
It may be a comparison he hasn’t quite fancied, but Eminem’s early hip-hop influences from his neighbourhood shaped his artistic expression, making him an iconoclast in the typically Black genre.
Beyonce aka Queen Bey: There’s a reason she’s called the Queen
Beyonce is as big as it gets, fittingly holding the title of Queen Bey. What makes her the royalty that she is. Here is a look at the elements that contribute to making Beyonce the demigoddess and how she's changed the course for female vocalists, particularly artists of colour.
George Michael fought for his artistic individuality, paving the way for generations of male solo artists
If Freddie Mercury inspired George Michael who in turn inspired Adam Lambert, this cross-generational influence transcends many other pop artists as well who have been inspired by Michael’s musicality, creativity and individuality.
Elvis’ baritone blurred racial lines, combined genres created the template for modern rock
Blessed with a soothing baritone and an ironically rich falsetto, Elvis used his emotive music, oodles of self-confidence, a reservoir of charisma, and unmissable gyrations, to define the coolness of youth and social defiance
The revolution of Sex Pistols
In a short span of time, Sex Pistols went on to define the punk movement in music and in society with their scabrous songwriting, nihilistic attitude and exuding utter chaos.
My Chemical Romance's comeback music is truly the antidote we need in post-lockdown world
My Chemical Reaction's newly released The Foundations of Decay prima facie appears to be a return to their emo roots but is a sonically mature outing.
Vangelis: The magical musician of electronica
When Chariots of Fire was released, people had no idea of how iconic its score was even though they slowly lapped up the title track. Greece-born Vangelis’ journey until that moment of winning the Oscar for a British film was nothing less than Olympian
As Kendrick Lamar releases new album Mr Morale, revisiting the reflections of social disquietude in rapper's music
As the world through—social media and otherwise—rapidly loses its decency while rejecting the idea of the “other”, Lamar is forcing you to face your own hypocrisy that masquerades as different versions of libertarianism today.
In a world where algorithms determine our playlist, what exactly constructs a classic rock genre?
In its strictest sense, “classic” is something that has been judged favourably over a period of time. If timelessness of a song/album/band is the backbone of the “classic rock” genre, then we have to be prepared for those playlists to grow exponentially
Why Slow Horses theme song Stranger Game is a masterclass in singing swagger, thanks to Mick Jagger
If Slow Horses is about Gary Oldman’s masterclass of a performance, then 'Strange Game' is Mick Jagger’s reminder that he may not be the most prolific rock and roll singer around but there is still so much surprise left in his voice.
Heropanti 2 music review: AR Rahman, Mehboob, Ahmed Khan reunite, but not exactly for another Rangeela
The album of Heropanti 2 forces us to rethink how we slot works of AR Rahman and lyricist Mehboob, and accept that the music of today requires all that tech-robotic soundscape that we do not usually associate with either of them.
What makes Richard Linklater a perfect chronicler of time and space: Studying his mastery over coming-of-age genre
When you watch Richard Linklater's latest Apollo 10 1/2, you are reminded of what made you admire the man behind Dazed and Confused, Slacker, Boyhood, the Before trilogy, and School of Rock: the ability to show personal transition through the prism of time,
Jersey music review: Sachet-Parampara's nuanced sonic efforts do justice to film's rousing themes
Jersey's four-song soundtrack by Sachet-Parampara is everything we’ve come to expect from them: dulcet, rocking and balladeering.
How Metal Lords on Netflix serves as a reintroduction of metal to the TikTok generation
There was a time when metal was so much more about the current youth than the previous generation. Metal Lords attempts to remind Gen-Z that the 'outsider' exists in every generation, and metal will continue to be their sonic identity.
Decoding Miley Cyrus' command over vocal range and what sets the singer apart from her contemporaries
What works for Miley Cyrus over her peers is how she refuses to typecast that voice as she traverses from the chirpy pop of her debut through the rustic nature of country and her later years love for rock.
3rd Secret album review: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden collab lies in the realm of K-pop, only a touch darker
When seen in the context of the band members’ grunge history, 3rd Secret feels like a restrained effort that sounds a bit like a bunch of people who once had a wild past.
In appreciation of Red Hot Chili Peppers' enduring ability to sound like themselves across genres and time
The understanding that the band is bigger than the individual has contributed greatly to the overall songwriting and sound of Red Hot Chili Peppers.