So I had a chat yesterday about how there must be new music around us and we probably just aren’t listening for it. So this is what I did:

I went to ReverbNation, searched for Bangalore and started listening to Most Recent. This list is by no means extensive, it is very clearly my opinion and is based on nothing but clicking play. That said, let’s party.

Number Ten

Trick Cylinder
The Vampire Cult of Bangalore
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_9700756

Takes me back to the nineties, of DJ Quicksilver and the Porn Kings. Not as much style as Fat Boy Slim but enough so suck you in nearly immediately and numb you into submission. Production needs a big bump but the beginnings are all there. Gotta hope they make lots and make it often so they get all of this stuff of of their system and start making something new!

Number Nine

Blak ‘N Wayt
Mind Wanderer
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_9649568

Simple and strong, a touch Staind maybe, and hints of very generic rock from the 90s-00s. The song layers very well, and if produced well could end up sounding real nice and solid. The lyrics are well meant, a tad emo, but unapologetic about and I appreciate that. This track seems to stand as the every-man and exist because it’s always worth it to just be.

Number Eight

Pysko Suneel
Me and the Moon
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_9344866

This track is entirely unfinished, missing the whole melody section, but I wanted to put it in anyway mostly because I’m ten pages into this hunt and haven’t gotten far. It’s not a bad ambient track, feels great to have around like an old tshirt, but I’m hoping this doesn’t make the final cut.

Number Seven

Ugly Fungus
Evil or Good
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_9648942

An ambient rock base gets you started, and there’s strains of unpolished Thermal all over this. Comes off heartfelt though, and that’s important. Feels the type of band you would sit through live, but the drummer really needs a step up here and it could really open up the sound if the rigid beat let go a bit.

Number Six

J.Jo.B
Beautiful memories…
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_8350122

Somewhere between electronic reggae and 80s rock, this has the corniest lyrics and the worst vocals on this list but I really like the sound base. New vocalist, writer and lead guitarist maybe… someone to tackle sound production of course, and there’s a song here.

Number Five

Ayaan’s Band
Chal kudiye
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_9330981

Nothing but style here. Great, although overused back beat, and they’ve taken it apart real nice to give it the hip-hop backbone they wanted. It’s all on all the time, like a Michael Bay film, and that’s what this stuff is made for. Shit corny with the lyrics, and almost entirely ridiculous… and that makes it perfect random listening.

Number Four

Ajay Isaacs
Big Eyes
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_8270519

The first original, truthful and truly deserving piece… yeay! I am now renewed with vigour and appreciate why I did this in the first place. This will sit comfortably in the soundtrack of Veronica Mars and strains of Indie from 5-6 years ago – a tad trippy in atmosphere but centred on very simple.

Number Three

Bulletproof Peach
Floating all around Sound
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_9166926

We’re really warming up here. Epically long intro that lives up to the title… but then again, maybe I’m just a softy for the tabla. Surprisingly, about halfway through, it cuts right into an entire rap piece that slides in perfectly. I’m generally wary of rap in India, because of a lack of context and a weak grasp of the language, but this all gets handled fairly well here and all that turns a tad sour is the screaming guitar.

Number Two

Hungry
Keep Your Towel On
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_7598257

Damn thing is just a 30 sec preview but still the best thing so far. Really need to listen to the rest of the band, but seeing how that isn’t going to happen easy, this is the least objectionable thing. If anyone’s heard these guys, confirm my suspicion that they do actually sound nice and raw live… somewhere between Panatella and No Safe Word with some humour thrown in for good measure.

Number One

There’s no number one. Can’t do it. Site has given up and the flash media Player won’t load.

Yeay! Finished. And I learnt never to do this again. But you should still go out and give Indian music a chance.
Songs listened to before I got bored: 135

Other things: Metal and Electronica were the best produced but mostly all the same. There’s tonnes of hip-hop I did not know existed – almost all crap, but Bangalore seems to want to make it. I almost put a Bieber remix on the list because of the comparative value of the vocal quality (but I suspected, looked it up and found it was a shitty remix, no more).