The ‘Titanium’ and ‘Dangerous’ hit star DJ David Guetta is on his Unity Tour and is going live in India from 12th Jan to 15th Jan 2017.
“The Grandfather of EDM” David Guetta is on his Unity Tour 2017, which includes a four city tour in India, performing live at Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Noida from 12th Jan to 15th Jan 2017. Robin Schulz will be a special guest in the tour. The team is all set to put the Sunburn arena on fire this New Year!
David Guetta, a French dance-pop DJ and producer who has sold over 15 million singles worldwide, has learned and perfected his craft in Paris nightclubs throughout the 1980s and 1990s. DJing professionally from the age of 18, and after spending years on the French club scene wowing crowds and winning fans, he formed Gum Productions in 2001 in partnership with DJ and producer Joachim Garraud. One of the biggest names in dance music has collaborated with a huge string of stars of the past decade to create some momentous world-wide hits. Now the French DJ has collated these into one massive live show where he drops in some of his personal favourite dance/pop records from a variety of eras. People feel David’s charisma when playing to a live crowd, as they describe him visibly enjoying what he does as the more energy the crowd give the more animated he becomes within his DJ box. People abroad have described, “As he drops the likes of ‘Shot Me Down’ and ‘Titanium’ he hypes the crowd further by dancing along with the masses. His sets often feature numerous tracks from a variety of genres. It is fair to say there is something for almost everyone during Guetta’s set and you assured to dance along to at least one piece of music.” So, yes we are expecting an excited and loud crowd in all his concerts in India!
David Guetta has toured all over the world – both on solo stints and alongside Rihanna in 2013. He has literally travelled over a million miles to bring his dance anthems to all four corners of the globe, and is known for releasing the party animal in his fans. With two Grammys already under his belt and a strong legion of fans from across the globe, David Guetta’s fame and success will continue to balloon.
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when hear the word ‘South Korea’? Is it Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’? Well, most of us have certainly danced to this tune without even understanding what he was trying to convey, but K-POP is not just limited to this tune. In fact, Korean wave or Hallyu as Koreans call it has marked its presence in the global music industry for at least 6 years now.
The Korean singers’ eccentric style-sense, ingenious approach to music, talented voices, on point choreography and not to forget their irresistible cute-faces, has certainly set K-Pop apart from other genres. So, let us look at 3 K-pop bands which are stealing the hearts around the world and leading the Korean wave at this very moment!
EXO
The largest band after Super-Junior, this band has 12 members and is equally divided in two parts – EXO-K (Korean) and EXO-M (Mandarin). EXO with its mixture of Korean and Chinese culture made its debut in 2012 through S.M. Entertainment and has a strong fan-base with each member having about 3 million followers each on Instagram.
They’ve been hailed as the ‘biggest boy band in the world’ by many media outlets due to their knife-point choreography which gels well with their songs. They’ve received numerous awards till now with their first solo concert being sold out in 1.47 seconds which is the fastest for any Korean artist ever.
This is the band whose boys will surely win your hearts with their strong personalities and talent as they concoct magic in each album! EXO has just released its fifth extended play For Life on 19th December, 2016. Go, check it out!
BTS
BTS is a seven member band, also known as ‘Bangtan Boys’. They debuted in 2013 with their first album 2 Cool 4 Skool, for which they won several “New Artist of the Year” awards including those at the 2013 MelOn Music Awards and Golden Disk Awards, and the 2014 Seoul Music Awards.
Time and again they’ve surpassed themselves and have recently clinched their second daesang for ‘Artist of the Year’ at the 2016 Mnet Asian Music Awards in row. They have a strong international fan-base due to their strong and myriad range of personalities and talented members. They’ve also managed to dominate the worldwide music charts with their Most Beautiful Moment in Life trilogy and also became the most retweeted artist in March 2016 following which twitter launched its first K-pop emoji featuring BTS. Follow them for some Hip-hop and R&B tunes, in addition with young-cute guys role-playing as tough bad boys or just their usual adorable selves!
GOT7
GOT7 is K-Pop which borders closely on hip-hop. It was formed in 2014 following which they won several New Artist awards at various award shows. The group consists of seven members including JB, JR, Mark, Jackson, BamBam, Yugyeom and WIN.
GOT7 took China by storm with Asia Style Best Influence Group. They have been twice nominated in MTV Europe Music Awards for Best Korean Act Category. They’ve recently released their first Japanese studio album, Moriagatteyo. They are the newest talent in the list and something to wait and watch for as they are steadily rising to fame. Their performances on stage are grabbing eyeballs all over the world as they include “martial arts tricking”.
Building Bonds that go beyond Verbal Communication:
As is rightly said by Henry Longfellow, “music is the universal language of Mankind” and the music society is the perfect example of this statement.
We all hail from different states, eat different food, have different cultural backgrounds and speak different languages which at times becomes a barrier in initiating a conversation and befriending each other. For that matter, A Punjabi girl (trained in Jazz guitar) might have some troubles bonding with a Keralite guy (a trained Carnatic vocalist) and won’t have many things in common when it comes to having a verbal communication. But both of them would be equally enchanted and amused when the jazz guitarist jams to the Carnatic Symphonies establishing a bond that transcends the cultural divide.
Team work:
This notion might not sound as exclusive to the music society as the previous one, but trust me, it is. Music forms like acapella performances which include a group of 10-20 vocalists performing together without any instrumental aid, requires immense coordination. Unlike a pyramidal structure which has its base as the most crucial part, an acapella has a musical structure as dynamic and fragile as a house of cards where every singer has an equally important role to play to maintain the overall balance. ( One mistake and, Pffftt!)
What you do is also your means of recreation:
Unlike certain societies where people, after hours of working, take breaks to relax, we do something we’ve been doing for hours already. We play more. So it’s very common for musicians to break into random jamming sessions and have a small fling, playing their favourite melodies when they wish to take a break.
You may also find your Alter Ego:
We tend to like and connect with people with similar tastes in literature, sports etc.
Every musician has his or her unique way of composing and improvising. But the moment you realize that the person you’re jamming with has a similar composing / improvising sense, you tend to have an inexplicable chemistry, an instant connection which often, later establishes and compliments strong friendships.
Altercation regarding grants and equipment:
An integral part of the music society is pleading for grants and permission to use college’s sound equipment, auditorium etc. You’re really lucky if you have cooperative cultural secretaries but if not, boy! you’re going to have a tough time!
Being a part of the music society demands commitment in terms of practice routines. It demands discipline and often causes discomfort at times, as you have to practice in public places, in the scorching heat even when colleges are closed. (And also Because A/C Jampads charge money.) But what it gives you in return is much more than it asks for. A family like experience, great musical minds to work with and friendships that go beyond cultural barriers.
Feature Image Credits- http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_29172264/employers-bend-over-backward-shower-their-workers-unusualAditya Narang[email protected]]]>
At the end of their multi-city tour, DU Beat got in touch with Paras Thakur (lead guitarist) and Sahil Sarin (drummer) of the rock band, The Local Train. They are known to have successfully mesmerised the students of Delhi University with performances in colleges like Lady Shri Ram College for Women and Jesus and Mary College this fest season. From being ranked as India’s #1 band in 2015 by Sennheiser to getting their song Aaoge Tum Kabhi featured in the Bollywood movie The Angry Indian Goddesses, they are touted as the new face of Hindi Rock music in India. We had a chat with them about music, Bollywood, fans experiences and their future plans:
Q. The band did a multi-city tour after the release of its first album. What was the tour life like?
Sahil: It is a lot of fun. Every musician loves to go on stage and play his/her own music and we got to do this abundantly.
Paras: Exactly! It is very hard for musicians to get a show these days, especially since there are like a zillion bands competing for the same ground. So, when your band gets a show, let alone a tour, you feel really lucky.
Sahil: But, it is also equally hectic. There was a time when we had three shows, one in Sonepat and two in Calcutta, in less than 24 hours. So, sleep becomes very hard to catch up on. The only way one can then afford to sleep is on the airplanes. I won’t lie; there have been times when the air-hostess had to wake us up.
Paras (laughs): Yes, they’d be like, “Get out, man!”
Q. There are a lot of artists and bands which even go on 6-month long tours. Is that something you guys are interested in?
Paras: Yes, why not? Bon Jovi did 200 shows in 365 days and to be able to do just that is the ultimate dream!
Sahil(laughs): In fact, we’re even planning to get a bus as soon as possible and just leave for tour again.
“We’re even planning to get a bus as soon as possible and just leave for tour again.”
Q. What are your views about Bollywood and the Indie-music scene?
Paras: Talking about Bollywood music scene as a whole, it definitely gives you an audience which is bigger than anything. But, at the end of the day, a good song is a good song, and bad one is bad irrespective of whether it is a Bollywood song or an indie song.
Sahil: But, indie is definitely a way of life. We don’t have a producer come and tell us that you must put a Munni or Sheila in the song to make it sell. We play music because we feel for it. It is not a manufactured product for us.
Q. What do you guys think about lending your music for Bollywood movies and licensing your songs?
Paras: If our songs do make it to Bollywood, we would not like to be one of those people who are hired as musicians only to be forced to make changes in their songs because of some woman’s special dance performance on it. We, as independent artists, get to make whatever we want to make, and make it so good that whoever wants our music would want it just the way it sounds.
Sahil: Exactly! In fact, even the song for Angry Indian Goddesses went exactly as it was released on the album. They were not like, ‘put a disco groove to it or change the beat of the song.’ That’s so much for an indie band. Licensing is honestly the way to go. A few changes here and there in the structure is acceptable but if somebody wants to change the vocalist or is asking you to change the song to a point where it loses its true essence, then licensing becomes tricky. It’s about the way you do it, which becomes important.
“We would not like to be one of those people who are hired as musicians only to be forced to make changes in their songs because of some woman’s special dance performance on it.”
Q. Your songs are thought-provoking and have such great lyrics. In an era where songs with absurd lyrics are trending and the music scene is shifting away from Hindi, what makes you stick to the language and lyrical quality? Do you want to re-vamp the Hindi music scene?
Sahil: It comes naturally to us. Singing in Hindi is not something we have to try. We all grew up speaking in Hindi. In fact, this question always becomes weird for us to answer.
Paras: In most interviews, people end up asking this question and for a second we go, like “are we in India?” So why not Hindi? (laughs). But honestly, at the end of the day it’s all about making good music. The lyrics, the language and the lingo are just the means to communicate with the audience. It doesn’t matter which language we use as long as we connect with the audience.
Sahil: We’ve been called the new face of Hindi Rock. We don’t plan to add English or Punjabi as a gimmick.
Q. Recently your songs were played on an International radio show called the Indian Raaga. So, do you have fans internationally as well, or do you think language becomes a barrier?
Sahil: We truly believe music transcends all boundaries. Our music is playing everywhere and we have fans from different corners of the world. Bandey’s video is playing in Brazil, Mexican channels are playing our videos and getting positive reviews, people from Seattle message us saying that they have been listening to our music, and several others are following our songs on YouTube.
Paras: Basically, language is just a means to communicate. But, I think music also pretty much does the same job.
“Bandey’s video is playing in Brazil, Mexican channels are playing our videos and getting positive reviews, people from Seattle message us saying that they have been listening to our music.”
Q. Just like your lyrics, the videos of your songs are equally beautiful with strong symbolism. What drives you to make such powerful and meaningful songs?
Paras: We just require things to have meaning. These days, art forms of music- visually or orally, are just over-flooded with aesthetics. Aesthetics are very important, but aesthetics with just pretty girls, huge cars or big explosions become meaningless. Till a certain point, it’s fine but when everything leads towards the same thing, it doesn’t make any sense. We like to attach a special meaning to it. Since our songs are so lyrically heavy, we tend to give them a form of visual aid and make sure that it’s meaningful.
Sahil: In fact, that’s exactly the kind of thing we want to add to our music, visually as well. This is where Anchit Thukral from ‘The Morpheus Productions’ comes in. He’s been with us from our very first video. He helps us execute what we see in our head and how we would like to put it in a certain song. He’s been our guy from the start!
Q. Which artists do you all listen to, internationally and otherwise?
Sahil: We all listen to different kinds of artists and have different tastes which make it all the more interesting for all of us to come together with our own particular influences and then, make some music. But, some of the artists we really like are Raghu Dixit, Indian Ocean and a band called Parvaaz from Bangalore. We also listen to Coldplay, U2 and the likes.
Q. How did you react to the people offering you exposure rather than money?
Sahil: We have turned down more gigs than we have performed, frankly, and this has always been a conscious decision of the band. A lot of people are willing to undersell themselves, but we’re not one of them.
Paras: I would suggest bands to work more on their art so that people are willing to appreciate and share their music on their own.
Q. After your performances in Delhi University, which college did you find the most receptive to your music?
Sahil: Every place has a different vibe. We really can’t choose any one.
Paras: At least, don’t make us choose on record. (laughs)
Q. There are a lot of bands that are formed during college days and the same is witnessed in Delhi University. So, do you think college becomes an important platform for upcoming talent?
Paras: College is THE most important part.
Sahil: Music Education in India is not taken seriously. Even for me, I think, back in school, music class was more of a fun class than an educational one. I started playing at the age of five but in the first 10 years of my life, I learned very little. The only time I actually learned was when I participated in college level competitions. So, I think this phase sets a foundation for all musicians. It makes them realise whether they want to/must pursue this for a living or not. So, yes, it does certainly become one of the most important phases of your life.
Q. Can you tell us about your most intense or funny moments on stage?
Paras: Starting from the funniest moments, there have just been too many – from Raman’s forgetfulness or singing the wrong lyrics, to my repeated attempts to look cool and then end up playing the wrong notes. I’ve fallen down more than once on the stage while trying to jump out of excitement and even sprained my ankle once.
Sahil: The most unfortunate moment would that be of Ramit falling off the stage. It was a pretty intense time for all of us as he instantly had a seizure and for a few seconds, we were just looking at him trying to figure out what to do. Apart from that, a lot of things have happened from equipments falling off the stage to several technical glitches. Things go wrong all the time because there are so many variables to take care of.
Q. Has the band experienced any creepy fan moments?
Sahil: Of course. We’ve all had them. One time, right after playing this gig, I got a phone call from a landline number. When answered, a woman said “I will rape you”. That has, by far, been the creepiest moment in our records. Like, what do you say to that?
Paras (laughs): That it’s illegal!
The crowds at The Local Train’s shows are crazy!
Q. Is there any movie for which you would have liked to give music?
Sahil: One movie that really hit me and it would’ve been nice to be a part of was ‘Black Friday’.
Paras: I think Gangs of Wasseypur and other such movies of Anurag Kashyap as well.
Q. What all sitcoms do you guys follow?
Sahil: Every Monday, it’s Game of Thrones. Apart from that, we follow plenty. We all have our phases with addiction to new shows, like Ramit is currently fond of ‘That 70s show’ and we love watching Utopia. And now we have Netflix to watch many more!
Paras: They have this auto-play feature, which is the worst; you play one video which goes on for 12 hours. It’s very slowly destroying our lives!
Apart from the regular range of spicy street chaats and traditional comfort-food dishes, Delhiites are never too hesitant (or in fact, full) to try something new, and always welcome delectable varieties with both their eyes and mouths open (even with wallets empty). While Chinese, Thai and Italian may top the list of the most preferred international cuisines for now, it’s not too late for tummies of all foodies to be growling just at the mere thought of soft scrumptious sausages being served with braised cabbage and sweet mustard or a mouth-watering plate of juicy pan fried schnitzels surrounded by crispy potato wedges.
Zu Tisch
To make this experience of German cuisine even better, we have the new restaurant Zu Tisch to thank. Nestled in the heart of the capital in the bustling M-Block market of Greater Kailash-1, Zu Tisch is the first one-of-its-kind European Bistro bar and restaurant which serves authentic German cuisine. It was founded by a group of IIT-ians who quit their jobs to open up a restaurant and decided to devote all their time to two things which they loved more than anything else in the world- food and music. It is highly likely that whenever you walk in you’re your friends in the evening, you’ll be welcomed with a live gig. On more than a couple of occasions every week, they have renowned artists performing at the bistro, which not only builds up an exciting and fun venture for all music lovers, but also instantly enhances the whole dining experience altogether.
Apart from its perfectly crafted German menu, impeccable service, rustic vintage charm and beautiful ambience, what also makes this place extremely popular among all students is the fact that it proudly hosts music societies of different colleges every “Thursday Night, Live!” in an acoustic intimate setting. It includes college A Cappella, trio or solo performances with a specific headline act. They not only provide opportunities for college societies to perform in front of a live audience and gain confidence, but also serve as a platform where they can take chances, become spontaneous and different, learn from their mistakes and grow into better artists with each new performance. Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Gargi College, Shri Ram College of Commerce, St. Stephen’s College, IIT Delhi and Sri Venkateswara College’s Western Music Societies are some of its past performers.
Rhea Mahanta of Western Music Society, LSR, tells us, “Playing at the Wine and Music Fest at Zu Tisch was an experience of simply loving what you do. The crowd was so interactive that it felt like a space where we could play around with the boundaries of music and do our own renditions, and people welcomed it! It was a close knit community of souls genuinely wanting to see what we had to share and be a part of that musical exchange.”
Special discount offers for all college students, such as 1+1 pizzas and drinks on all Thursdays, Happy Hours on pizzas, pastas and drinks everyday till 6 p.m., and many other fun deals on food and drinks also make this place too irresistible to be missed by anyone.
They are also further introducing a campus ambassador program called ‘My office desk is a bar station’. Any student who is currently studying/ has graduated from Delhi University’s college can apply. The program allows students to work at a bar and work closely with their college music society based events. They will get free FnB, an opportunity to collaborate with other artists and fixed monetary bonuses every week. To apply, contact 9953469902/ [email protected]. Zu Tisch also requests more and more music societies, bands or musicians to come forward and approach them for gigs.
“Where words fail, music speaks”- Hans Christian Andersen
There are numerous certifications in music that are available in India and certification offered by Trinity College of London is one of them.Trinity College London is an international examination board for Performing Arts and English language since 1877. Every year, it conducts assessments across the world to support artists to equally learn music with defined syllabi for each instrument. The board conducts assessment for varied kind of music such as pop, jazz, classical and rock. There are nine grades for assessment that includes the initial level and goes up to Grade 8.
Certificate exams consist of a mini-recital of pieces, including the option to present own choice repertoire. There is no technical work and no supporting tests. After the graded examinations there are varied programmes/diplomas for musicians who plan to concentrate in their principal instrument.
Why should you take up the Trinity Exam?
Well, it is a very simple answer. Say for instance you’ve recently started schooling. It is obvious the teacher is going to teach you the letters of the English alphabet. The teacher is definitely not going to jump levels and start your childhood by teaching you Shakespeare or Tennyson. Similarly, in a board like Trinity, as it is not “our” music as such, we get to learn the details from the very beginning with the defined syllabus and it keeps getting deeper and elaborate as one climbs up the grade ladder. Trinity works are strictly scrutinized by a number of regulatory boards worldwide. Additionally, if you plan to join an orchestra or apply to a music school, its always a ready qualification with you.
Support from Guildhall School of Music is a stand out. Due to this, the board appreciates diversity in music learning rather than constricting to the previous syllabus that was more restricted towards Classical approach. Some of the famous music schools in the NCR region that follow this board are – The Delhi School of Music, Theme, GMI and many more. These schools and many more in the NCR region, follow this curriculum and the student enrolled in these schools can choose their preferred board. If an applicant is not a part of these schools, he/she could apply to the Trinity Delhi office and request for an examination slot. Similar to our education system, there are many boards that give the opportunity to apply for certificated or diplomas in India, but one should clearly prioritize his/her direction before opting for any particular board.
Recognising that some candidates wish to take a recital-based assessment, Trinity’s certificate exams are designed to offer an alternative to grade exams by focusing on the performance of a complete mini recital. Specifically, certificate exams allow candidates to: select from three levels of assessment representing three key stages of musical development — Foundation (equivalent to Grade 3), Intermediate (equivalent to Grade 5) and Advanced (equivalent to Grade 8) programme their own mini recitals drawn from specially provided repertoire lists and their own repertoire choices gain additional marks for programme planning, programme notes and presentation skills receive precise and specific feedback to inform their continued musical development prepare for Trinity’s recital diplomas, which follow the same format as certificate exams. As well as incorporating these innovative features, Trinity’s certificate exams are delivered by a panel of friendly examiners who are rigorously trained and standardised. This aims to create a positive and personalised experience for all candidates.
SUBJECTS OFFERED:
Solo certificates are currently available in the following subjects:
Singing Piano Electronic keyboard (Foundation and Intermediate levels only) Flute Clarinet Saxophone Recorder French horn Trumpet/Cornet/Flugel horn Trombone (Intermediate and Advanced levels only) Tuba Violin Viola Cello (Intermediate and Advanced levels only) Double bass Pedal harp Non-pedal harp (Intermediate and Advanced levels only) Guitar Drum kit Accordion
Certificate exams are available for ensembles comprising any combination of instruments and/or voices, including Rock & Pop groups. Information on Rock & Pop group certificates can be found in the Rock & Pop syllabus, available at www.trinityrock.com/syllabus
For more information about application procedure, courses and syllabus, you can go to the following link:
From that blue/black/white/gold dress that might have broken marriages and families over its ambiguous colour, to a certain Saint born to the West and his wife, 2015 has left us ROFLing, face palming and appreciating. In this new series at DU Beat, we bring to you the best and worst of news from the Entertainment world, both from Bollywood and abroad.
1. Music
We grooved into 2015 with the Uptown Funk earworm and we’re leaving the year behind wondering why our hotline isn’t blinging anymore. Mid year, Charlie Puth left us teary eyed with See You Again, as Ellie Goulding crooned Love Me Like You Do.
Zayn Malik broke a number of hearts when he quit One Direction earlier this year. Rumours of the boy band breaking up have led to a second round of heartbreaks.
Zayn Malik left the boyband One Direction | Source: people.com
Sales of Adele‘s third album, 25, soared through the roof, breaking several records, having sold more copies within the first week than any other album. Hello monopolised the position at the top of the charts for four weeks.
Adele in ‘Hello’ music video | Image source: slate.com
Well, we’ll soon be saying hello from the other side as, Justin Bieber‘s new album, Purpose, has turned most people into ‘beliebers.’ Deftones frontman, Chino Moreno, coined the term when he admitted to being a fan of the singer. With 17 of the album’s tracks making it to Billboard’s Hot 100 List in a week, Bieber has broken a 51 year record of 14 tracks previously held by The Beatles.
You used to call me on my cellphone, late night when you need my love. It’s all right if you are still trying to imitate those moves and failing miserably. No one can do it like Drake can. Except Obama, maybe. The YouTube Channel Barack’s Dubs has been leaving the world in splits with their parody videos of POTUS singing Hotline Bling and matching Drake’s moves.
Image source: mercurynewsdaily.com
2. Movies
Most people spent the year waiting for the force to awaken. And when it did, Star Wars: The Force Awakens broke several box office records. The advanced tickets to the highly anticipated return to that galaxy far far away crossed $6.5 million. The movie is expected to break every box office record as ticket sales may cross the billion mark.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens | Image Source: theforceawakensblog.com
While Star Wars: The Force Awakens takes the cake for 2015, The Peanuts Movie, The Martian, Jurassic World and Furious 7 demand honourable mentions.
Indian cinema grew up a little with Angry Indian Goddesses and the furore it created. Similarly, Margarita With a Straw generated all the right kind of buzz. Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Prem Ratan Dhan Paayo became the highest grossing Bollywood movies for the year, with Baahubali and Dilwale crossing the 100 crore mark as well.
Kalki Koechlin in ‘Margarita With a Straw’ | Source: miaminewtimes.com
This year, India also saw its first Broadway-style Disney musical, Beauty and the Beast, being staged.
3. Television
At the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards this year, two records were broken: the first by Game of Thrones which won a whopping 12 awards: the most ever won by a single show in a year. The second record was set by Viola Davis of How to Get Away with Murder fame, who became the first black woman to win an Emmy Award for best leading actress. Don Draper will be missed as Mad Men came to a close this year with Season 7.
Viola Davis became the first black woman to win an Emmy Award in a leading actress category | Source: wordpress.com
The year ends with a bang, but not so much for poor Steve Harvey. The American TV host and comedian has been the butt of jokes and memes on the internet ever since he announced the wrong winner at the Miss.Universe pageant, creating quite some embarrassment for all concerned. What’s more the internet had him wishing us a Happy Easter instead of a Merry Christmas on the 25th!
The human mind tends to associate certain sounds with certain emotions. While visiting a shopping mall or dining at a restaurant, I would often listen to a few selection of songs that would play in the locales, especially during the time of Christmas. I still cherish these songs and associate them with this festive celebration. I am sure some of you would relate to these songs too-
1.) Wham/ George Michael – Last Christmas
George Michael and Wham are still probably on playlists of people who like 80s music. Apart from being a chartbuster track, you won’t find a single mall not playing this in Christmas week. It is a romantic song but you will learn to associate it with Christmas.
2.) Mariah Carey – All I Want For You Is Christmas
A classic by one of the most soulful singers of all time, Mariah Carey’s All I want for Christmas is you is very upbeat and melodic and can get you going. It’s another chartbuster.
3.) Andy Williams – It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
A classic song that has seen many renditions throughout the decades. The song features in an array of movies and can be heard in shopping malls and restaurants.
4.) Michael Buble – Christmas
A modern rendition of the traditional gospel carol by Michael Buble, this song has been the most played version all across the world. It is another groove-y track that can make you dance.
5.) Kenny G – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Probably the most respectable instrumental version of this song. It follows a contemporary jazz feel which can make you flutter on the waltz. Kenny G is a saxophone player who has received many distinguished awards for his music.
These songs remind me of Christmas, and I hear them being played all around during the Christmas time. I hope some of these strike an accord with you guys too.
Exam season has started and the preparation for the oh-so-dreaded exams is more or less about to begin. (If you’ve already begun with it, I’m going to go ahead and call you a traitor!) Now, amid this mind-numbing preparation period, everyone takes breaks to rejuvenate themselves. And, if you are one of those who turn to music to do the deed, here’s a list of five rock bands that you must try to revamp both, your mood and your playlist!
1. Fall Out Boy
Fall Out Boy is an American rock band formed in 2001. If you imagined rock bands just to be a couple of people, head-banging on ear-piercing music with incomprehensible lyrics, holding bulky guitars, this band may change your perception. The title of their song ‘Where did the party go?’ seems to perfectly reflect the thought of every student swamped with internals and assignments at the moment and may as well turn out to be an interesting listen. Also, their top tracks like light ‘em up, alone together, Uma Thurman and Centuries should not be missed.
Image credits: http://assets.noisey.com/
2. Imagine dragons
You may have heard about them through their much acclaimed single “Demons” and the powerful video that accompanied it. Many put this band in the alternative rock genre but they once said in an interview that, “We don’t want to be a cliché band. We don’t want to restrict ourselves to one genre. We don’t want people to remember us from the genre. We want to let people call our songs as Imagine Dragons’ type songs. So in pursuit of that, we push the boundaries of every genre and try to mix them.” Amazing lyrics, great music, inspiring music videos, this band will provide you with all.
Image credits: http://www.billboard.com/
3. Panic! at the Disco (P!ATD)
This is an American rock band from Las Vegas, formed in 2004. They’re fresh and have a modern appeal. Their songs are so catchy; you’ll end up humming them for weeks. Few of their tracks that you can try are Ballad of Mona Lisa, New perspective and This is Gospel (both the original and acoustic version)
Image credits: http://images2.fanpop.com/
4. Arctic Monkeys
Along with a unique name, this band is famous for their quirky music with lyrics that’ll connect with you in a second. They’re also pretty famous for their ever-so-hot lead vocalist Alex Turner whose voice contains the perfect amount of snotty English accent, which becomes all the more tempting when lazily delivered. Their fifth album ‘AM’ is absolutely the most incredible album of their career comprising of tracks with fascinating titles such as ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re high?’ And ‘Snap out of it’.
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5. The Fray
The Fray is an American pop-rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002. Their songs are ideal for when you’re sitting alone in a peaceful room at night, looking to go on a ride of self-reflection and intense emotions. Their most famous tracks are How to save a life, You found me, Look after you.
I remember coming across this video on Facebook called ‘look up’. This video had about 7 million views on YouTube and I had expected a lot more from it. “Look up from your phone”, said the narrator while I asked myself, “Should I be barbaric then?” I knew he was honest in his disposition, but shouldn’t we move ahead as technology upgrades itself? Yes, we should!
Every time I enter the metro, I am reminded of how the world is a bigger hypocrite than anything else. I hear the voice saying, ‘Please do not play music in the train’, so I put earphones in my ears, but when I am crossing the street, they shout, “Do not wear your earphones.” What should I do then? I chose the former. I enjoy wearing earphones and letting the music flow through my mind. Here are 5 reasons why these earphones are so precious to me –
Music – A break from the ‘noise’
‘Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder,’ and so I choose to get rid of the ‘noise’ I hear outside by trading it for jolly chimes. The cars, the shouting, the repugnant distraction from trance, all can be escaped from, with a simple insertion of two buds into one’s ears. You can listen to your favorite songs, you can memorize the lyrics and you can get rid of anyone or anything stopping you from that happy solitude.
A break from ‘Judgement’
Imagine yourself, travelling in clothes that are ‘unacceptable’ by ‘laymen’ or imagine yourself banging your head, while listening to a bit of heavy metal. The only noble thing this world will do is judge you. And you can escape those gouging eyes, and those ill wishes, by listening to louder music, but through your earphones.
An incentive to ‘Imagine’
I will not shy away from the fact that I am awkward, but I do imagine my self on the stage holding the guitar and playing sick riffs followed by breakdowns on Bring me the Horizon songs, when I am listening to them. Do not tell me you don’t! You do! You might even imagine yourself instead of Ronan Keating singing, ‘”You say it best, when you say nothing at all” to your girlfriend/boyfriend. The point is, if you are in the groove, you will imagine yourself singing those lyrics and playing that music instead of the original people. And a little imagination never harmed anyone, did it?
An incentive to hear better
Have you ever tried talking to people on your phone at Sadar Bazaar or Rajiv Chowk? I have and its painful. Its painful to shout your lungs out so that the other person can hear you. It is also equally traumatic to hear what the person has to say on the other end of the line. An earphone makes your life easy. It helps you decrease or increase the volume as per your wish.
An incentive to better productivity
As cocky as that might sound earphones do as ordered and it is the truth. Earphones do help you psychologically. They do what you want them to do. They play songs you wish them to play for you. They adjust their volume as per your wish. You are hence in complete charge of them. They fill up your brain with natural nicotine to help you function better; to help you concentrate more. It is all according to your will. Something that functions well, is bound to make you more productive.
Earphones are good for many other things.Sometimes, they reduce the chances of people stealing your phone from your pocket or they can help you escape the blabbering of your better half. Anyway, in this age earphones are desperately needed, at least by me. So what about you?
