Who’s got the blues?
BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Freddie King.
The names that I just mentioned define this ‘little thing’ in music, that we so sweetly call, The Blues. Possibly one of the most expressive methodologies of music (now that’s saying something, isn’t it?), the Blues have been around since the early 19th century and to say that this genre has stayed may be slight of a push, but it’s certainly had its effect.
Looking at India, the Blues scene hasn’t been so great, but here are a few bands that blow my mind whenever I listen to them.
Blues Conscience – Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Suits, hats, shiny guitars, mean-looking drums and million dollar smiles. Put them all together and you get Blues Conscience. Formed in 2008, Aum Janakiram(Guitars), Neil Smith(Drums) and Anek Ahuja(Bass & Vocals) wanted to spread the Blues in a country infested with metal and rock. You should really see these guys live. Their songs scream out Love, Drugs, Life, and the likes. Perfect combination, eh? Anek’s vocals are coupled perfectly well with Aum’s melodies and the end result is nothing short of awesome!
I must take this time to mention their sessional saxophone player, Maarten Visser. The guy’s a genius on the sax and his addition just makes this band even more worth listening to. Very recently, they put in a sessional keyboardist, Siddharth Kumar, who you might remember from my Udaan article that came out last time.
I can tell you one thing for sure, this band’s going places. You might want to check them out right now, because when everyone’s talking about them, you don’t want to be the idiot not knowing what’s happening, now do you?
Reverbnation Page : http://www.reverbnation.com/bluesconscience
Facebook Page : http://www.facebook.com/bluesconscience
Soulmate – Shillong, Meghalaya
I’m sure you’ve heard of these guys before. If you haven’t, then this is your ticket to heaven. Rudy Wallang (Great Society and Mojo fame), the frontman of the band is captain of this bluesy boat. He sings, he writes the songs, he plays the guitar. Having been awarded the Best Guitar Player award in 2009 at the Jack Daniels Rock Awards, Rudy continues to make some amazing music and somehow, this is just the beginning. Now moving on to the vocals, Tipriti Kharbangar, a.k.a Tips, is one hell of a vocalist. She’s beautiful, and she’s got a voice that you want to put up on a mantelpiece and show off to the world.
The band’s released two albums so far, titled “Shillong” and “Moving On”. I suggest you check both the albums out. It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of the Blues or not, because like everything else, music’s got it’s Soulmate, and it isn’t that hard to find.
Reverbnation Page : http://www.reverbnation.com/soulmateshillong1
If you take a look at today’s scene, you’ll see two major divisions. Rock, and Metal. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. Of course, the effort that goes into any sort of music is amazing, and all that. But it’s the BLUES. Listen to the bands and artists that I’ve mentioned, and I’ll bet you’ll want to see more blues bands out there. So please, spread the word. If you happen to come across some good ones, please write to us, or send us some tracks.
Share
About the Author: Arjun Rajkishore
« Interview: Jeffrey Archer Life in a hostel: Sophia College, Mumbai »
