Firstpost Playlist: From Bon Iver to Tom Odell, music to tune out Diwali crackers

Diwali is here, and it’s going to be bringing with it, the sound of crackers aplenty. And while it’s fun for a while, there’s going to come a time when you’re going to want to listen to somethign other than loud explosions. And this is when this playlist will come in handy. It’s not remotely festive, we’ll be the first to admit, but it has a lot going for it — such as being a collection of Grade A tunes. So plug in and give this a listen. And as always, tune in, to tune out. ’Truly Madly Deeply’ by Savage Garden

I don’t know any 90s kid who doesn’t love this song. Savage Garden was one of the best things about the nineties and Darren Hayes was my first crush. If you don’t want to hear the song, see Darren Hayes croon to you — the music video is as amazing as the song. Filmed in Paris, the video has a very 90s rom-com feel to it. Two lovers are trying to find each other in the city of love, and keep missing meeting each other. There are shots of the famous Soleil de la Butte restaurant, de la Concorde and the Jardin des Tuileries and the Gare du Nord station. All is well when the two unite at the end of the video. — Ankita Maneck ’Marilyn Monroe’ by Sevdaliza

Since this is the Diwali weekend, chances are any recommendations we make are going to be overpowered by blaring sounds of firecrackers bursting in your neighborhood. Nonetheless, this week’s recco will be respite to your ears. Sevdaliza is the kind of music artiste who’s a complete game changer. That her (electronica heavy) music is trippy and slo-mo is a no-brainer. It reminds you of Glass Animals, but with the sultry female voice. You’ve probably never heard her kind of music before. It’s filled with beat breaks, and very minimal melodies. Almost non-conformist. The minute you expect any sense of predictability, her tracks stump you. Originally a basketball player, this Iran-born singer starter her career in the Netherlands and is now a well-known name in the electronica circles. Why should you listen to her song ‘Marilyn Monroe’? Because Sevdaliza always sounds like someone’s playing music at a much slower speed than its supposed to be. Tune out from all the noise this Diwali by listening to something soothing. — Swetha Ramakrishnan ’Grow Old With Me’ by Tom Odell

Tom Odell said he never wanted to be a singer in one of his interviews. But you listen to his songs, and you feel grateful that he did. His songs have emotions and the video to this song just makes me want to revisit it. — Kinjal Vora ’Arbiters of the Apocalypse’ by Revocation

Despite being a fan of the more technical and thrash metal side of the rock genre, there is often with an issue of, how can I put this, the lack of rhythm in the tracks. In order to infuse the aggression that trash metal often calls for and the instrumental complexity that technical and progressive metal tracks ask for, grooves are often sacrificed. But that isn’t the case for American technical death metal band Revocation. The band has been around since 2000 and they are probably one of the most underrated bands that I know of. Ever since I first heard their track ‘Invidious’. I knew they’d be one of my all-time favourite bands. With their jazz-influenced tunes and convincing guitar riffs and song writing, the band makes sure that their songs are as catchy and groovy as they are complex and heavy. — Siddhi Desai ’______45______’ by Bon Iver

The new album is a reward for the patient. Possessing a unique electronic texture, the music is fresh, experimental but not self indulgent. The music isn’t structured, the songs are essentially arrangements — fractured compositions and the beauty is truly lies in the disjointedness of it all. ‘45’ is one of the coolest songs (tone wise) in the album, it is strangely likeable and it’s still out there, floating in the beyond. — Vishnupriya Bhandaram