Add this to your playlist!

Sniff. Whine. I'm woozy in the head (flu, lack of sleep, loss of appetite) and my newest blog post got deleted! WAAHHHH!! This automatic saving system failed on me and only the title got saved in the drafts. I'm too heartbroken to be mad. Let me try rewriting it.

Artistes/Albums/Songs that are either new or newly discovered by me that I highly recommend. Instead of the usual grab-you-by-the-arm-and-holler-at-you-for-not-getting-this-or-that-song, I am attempting a more dignified approach to promotion. GO LISTEN TO THESE ARTISTES! NOW! (P.S: The compilation could be a little too ecletic for normal taste, so please scan and screen)

1. 'Saavan' by Mitil and Mukul
This song's for the happily committed (and the sappily single) ones out there. Washes over you like a romantic rainy afternoon. Mukul's silken vocals and the highly heart-stopping (and identifiable) lyrics are bound to leave you wishing it was monsoon time again. Contact me for translation.

2. 'Raising Sand' by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
Ever imagined Led Zeppellin's shrieky frontman would return with a passionate bluegrass-rock album, teaming up with one of country music's nightingales? Well, he just did.
My favourite track on the album is the tragically beautiful 'Polly Come Home' on which Plant's voice floats along, smooth as mist. Another favourite is the powerful 'Nothin'' (don't miss the 'Led' tribute through raw distortion), unleashing fury after a relationship gone sour. I also like the mischievous 'Fortune Teller', a tale of a soothsayer's prediction with a twist! Krauss's angelic voice soars through 'Trampled Rose', just like a songbird. And just when you don't want to get too mesmerised by the exquisite portrayal of pain and heartache, 'Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)' gets your feet tapping...and well, gets you moving on.
Not a diehard Led Zeppellin fan, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this album. The colourful and bouncy video of 'Gone Gone Gone' caught my eye. This interesting new collaboration project proved to be a welcome relief from
-handclap beats
-"I want you You want me We want it" lyrics. A little subtlety, people!
-Also, the depression that seems to be prevalent in all of today's rock. Like Bowling for Soup accurately observed, "It sells records when you're sad these days/It's super cool to be mad these days". As if we don't have problems enough, what with global warming and all! Atleast try singing your sadness a little sunnily, will ya?!
-beautiful voices lost somewhere in the distraction of mini skirts and pouts.
-watertight genre classification, with no room for a little experimentation.

Oh and I also did a little reading up on Robert Plant. Turns out he has an affinity for North-African, Saharan music and has, along with Jimmy Page worked on several collaborations with African artistes. Check out 'Yallah' while you're at it. If I discover that he is best friends with Rachid Taha, I shall conclude that he is my subconscious alter ego living halfway across the world!!!

3. 'Tashan'- Vishal-Shekhar
Minus the excessive promotion, the much-discussed vital statistics of a particular actress and the immensely cliched visuals, a couple of tracks on this album are actually worth a spin or two! 'Dil Haara' is one of them (please shield your eyes from the video! Saif Ali Khan should not be watched dancing-not with the leather get-up and the handlebar moustache. Please stick to acting and glaring, Saif-we love you for that.) "Tabad tod naach lu naach lu naach lu/Naach lu re/Ho oh/Chappan taare tod naach lu/Suraj chanda mod naach lu/Ab to tabad tod naach lu/Main da banjara re/Ho oh"-my knowledge of Bhojpuri is limited, but it is clearly evident that the song is about abandonment and the ecstasy of love. Moreover, I love Sukhwinder Singh's voice (he's sung most of my favourites from 'Chinnamma Chilkamma' to 'Chaiyya Chaiyya') and so the song has me hooked for a while, atleast for the curiosity factor. 'Tashan mein', is another interesting one, fusing Saleem's Hindustani vocals with Vishal Dadlani's razor-edged style in of course, Bhojpuri again. However, the chorus tends to kill this title song. 'Chhaliya' is simply intolerable (it's like Pepsi without the fizz...or fizz without Pepsi?). Not exactly the best way to introduce Miss Kapoor's new look.

4. 'Scream'- Timbaland ft. Keri Hilson and Nicole Scherzinger
Much as I quite clearly outlined my distate in this trend of the music industry, one cannot ignore Timbaland. Here's another from Timba's hit factory for you to press forward to instead of replay on 'The Way I Are'. Shake your hips, do crunches or the stepper to this as you pretend to be Nicole Scherzinger. Or Timbaland. Actually, Nicole.

5. 'Friday'- Goldspot
Yes, it is a reference to that fizzy drink we used to drink as little kids long before there was any Youngistaan...or any awareness of calories. Siddhartha Khosla, the lead singer of this L.A based band apparently discovered his musical inclinations while singing bhajans as a child. However, he took this hobby quite a few steps further (much to the horror of his Yale-educated parents, I'm assuming) and founded this alternative rock outfit. 'Friday' speaks of not fitting in, creating your own imaginary kingdom (hmm..now how does that sound familiar?!!) and finding hope. Highly recommended for all you Coldplay/Paolo Nutini fans out there- 'The Assistant', 'Float On' (which appeared on 'The O.C' apparently) and 'It's Getting Old'. I'm hoping Khosla is the next Freddie Mercury...in an alternative/indie kinda way. :)