Oh Maynard, you crazy genius!

Track: Judith

Artist: A Perfect Circle
Album: Mer De Noms

Year: 2000

Genre: Alternative Rock



Wow, this hiatus was a long one! (Not as long as Tool's or A Perfect Circle's, haha! Burn? Nope, probably not. Our loss. Crie).

I am so glad I decided to attend the Aftershock 2017 festival in Sacramento, California. A bunch of new bands to explore, and a pleasant reintroduction to some old acquaintances. And if there was one smashing reintroduction, it has to be the one with A Perfect Circle.

I daresay they upstaged the headliners, who were none other than Nine Inch Nails. The lighting was on point, the instrument mix was perfect, and what do I say about Maynard James Keenan?! His unique style and unsettling vocals were the highlight.

So, with the sole intention of writing about this experience and this band, I had my pick of any of their hits for this blog post. 'Passive' is an old favorite and the lyrics from 'The Noose' are breathtaking, but 'Judith' is what I'll write about today. It is probably their most popular song.

You may be a cool person, but you can never be tie-your-hair-into-a-bun-between-verses cool. Paz, on bass, completely rocks that part to perfection, to be ready just in time to start playing again. Check that out at around 1:56 in the video.

As Billy nonchalantly picks up the guitar slide to play a memorable lick, and Freese continues to murder the drums, Maynard takes a sip of water and sings about his mother's relentless faith in God even after being paralyzed, eventually for 10,000 days before passing away. I've got to give props to David Fincher, the director of this video. Yup, the same guy who directed Fight Club. It just exudes class.

Can you feel their haunting presence?

Track: Holy Mountains

Artist: System Of A Down
Album: Hypnotize

Year: 2005

Genre: Alternative Metal



When I restarted the blog in this format, I promised myself that I won't adhere to any schedules. No weekly posts, no obligations. I shall write about a song if it captures my imagination, plays on loop in my head and if I can't help but hum it throughout the day.

These exact things happened yesterday, and here I am with 'Holy Mountains' by System Of A Down (SOAD).

This is one of the few tracks that speaks directly about the Armenian Genocide, an abomination that happened in 1915 and which is to date not recognized as a genocide by the Turkey, or the United Nations. SOAD, made up of 4 friends of Armenian-American descent, have always been open about their desire to create awareness about this event (which is said to have "inspired" Adolf Hitler).

To start off, I love the intro which is reminiscent of 'Aerials'. If I close my eyes and listen to the arpeggio, I feel like I am atop a mountain with a spiritual and mystical air around it. This gives way to a killer riff that made me headbang like a madman. The verse continues the sonic rollercoaster, as trance-like notes nudge the silence.

The pain in the history of their people can be felt when Serj launches into cries of "Liar! Killer! Demon!" and "Muderer! Sodomizer!" as the lyrics point to the Turk/Ottoman perpetrators behind this holocaust. The bridge and conclusion feel like a victory for the fleeing Armenians who made it to Mt. Ararat, which they consider holy, and towards River Aras, which marks the present day border between Turkey and Armenia.

This song is a masterpiece and a tribute to the hundreds of thousands of Armenians who were massacred.

You just want Attention, you don't want my heart.

Track: Attention

Artist: Charlie Puth
Album: Attention (Single)

Year: 2017

Genre: Pop



Hola, amigos! Summer is here, and I hope you all have a good one. You can definitely take it up a notch by adding the songs from this blog to your playlist. In fact, let me make things easier and do the hard work for you. Follow my Spotify playlist, and have the updates managed by me:



I first came across this song during my camping trip in Yellowstone National Park. Satellite radio is a savior in areas with no cellular network to stream music, and so I tuned into SiriusXM's Hits1 channel for their weekend countdown.

'Attention' immediately caught my attention and left me stunned by the time it ended. The vocals are totally on point. Any praise is too little for Charlie's voice. It's SO gooood! The bass and percussion are perfect, making this a tremendously catchy song.

The lyrics are incisive, and almost surely sounds inspired from personal experience. I simply love the line:

"I know that dress is karma, perfume regret"

This song is Charlie's masterclass in an ex-girlfriend begging for attention to satisfy her own insecurities. He gets into her mind, sings out her thoughts, and switches back to his conflicted and unapologetic thoughts. This track also inspired me to spend some more time composing, rather than covering existing songs. I feel I have a lot inside me to create something beautiful, impactful and memorable.

Keep watching this space for more recommendations this summer! During this beautiful season, go on a memorable adventure, recharge your creative juices, ask out that boy/girl that you like for the longest time, write that short story/poem that your pen (or keyboard, jeez!) is itching to begin on. Do something that scares you, and let it shape who you are.

Adios! (Yes, yes, yes I am learning Spanish. And no, it is not because I want to understand what Despacito means.)

On the outside you're ablaze and alive, but you're Dead Inside!

Track: Dead Inside

Artist: Muse
Album: Drones

Year: 2015

Genre: Electronic Rock




"I'm back."

Okay, gotta admit, Arnie does it much better than me, probably always will. But yeah, I'm back with a new recommendation. A track that will probably receive much wider acceptance that some of the stuff I usually listen to. This is a perfect marriage between synth/electronic elements on a foundation of rock.

The way I look at songs, each one has a distinct personality. Sometimes it is the resultant of the personalities of its creators, sometimes it is something totally different. Sometimes the instruments or the vocals can display arrogance, pain, anger, conflict while sometimes it is as opaque as the Trump administration.

This is how I characterize Dead Inside - uber-sophisticated, urban, industrial, persistent and repressed. The drums are persistent, the vocals exhibit pain, while the synth-guitar expresses moments of lapse into the eccentric.

I always like it when this track pops up on my playlist, as Matt Bellamy's unique voice smooths all the wrinkles from the previous songs and brings me into the world of over-produced music from my usual fare of unfiltered rock.

The lyrics are pretty interesting. How often have you seen a person live, what you think, is the fucking perfect life? Someone who visits amazing places, eats exotic food, hangs out with beautiful people, has the funniest stories. They do look ablaze with life and happy on the outside, but do you really know their internal struggle? Maybe all that glitters is not gold, and all that flitters is not a butterfly. Maybe they are Dead Inside.

Bartender, can you pour some love?

Track: Bartender

Artist: James Blunt
Album: Afterlove

Year: 2017

Genre: Pop



The only guy who told you that you were beautiful, apart from your mother- yeah he's back. And how! 'Afterlove' is a stellar album with as many as 6 catchy tracks. I had an exceptionally hard time deciding which song to showcase here on my blog. Because you know, with great power comes responsibility. Just kidding. But yeah, a sincere thanks to the 30-40 friends that do read every blog post of mine. You keep me writing. Leave a comment about the song sometimes, I'd love to have a chat about it.

'California' came really close to be featured in this space, 'Over' fought tooth and nail, 'Heartbeat' made me do a double take- but enough is enough. 'Bartender' is what I'll talk about today. This song starts off with acoustic guitar and vocals eerily reminiscent of Ed Sheeranesque music. Funny they are signed to the same record label (Hint Hint!). It's heartening to see that James Blunt has adapted to the 2017 music scene in his own unique way to stay relevant.


I hope this song makes you go back and listen to the entire album. On a surprisingly chilly night in the dawn of Spring, you are under the sheets in your bed. You are not sleepy, you have a million thoughts racing in that head of yours. You remember playing the radio at night when you were a kid. The radio used to shut off automatically after an hour, but by that time you would be peacefully asleep. This is the album that will give you the same feels. Them feels *shudders*.

There's nothing significantly different about the lyrics of this song than the thousands that came before it in this genre, but it is the way Blunt renders them in his hooks is what has me hooked. In The End, it doesn't even matter what you think, I am proud of that pun. Coming back to the point, it's about forgetting the past over drinks and being happily ever after. Dancing, and going back to his or her place after last call. I absolutely love how Blunt sings the hook-

"Bartender, can you pour some love?"

It makes me think about how fun this song would be while driving on the Pacific Coast highway, as the sun makes the ocean golden during your winding drive in a convertible. A drone with an HD camera follows you and as you drive into the distance, pans up to capture the sunset in all it's glory.

Blackbird, fly away! May you never be broken again.

Track: Blackbird

Artist: Alter Bridge
Album: Blackbird

Year: 2007

Genre: Hard Rock




Alter Bridge was a late bloomer in my playlists and musical journey. It deserved more than being an untouched folder in my library. There would be the one-off occasion when I would shuffle this folder in the background while browsing cat GIFs, scrolling endlessly on Facebook and partaking in other stupid activities I was well known for indulging in. Cat GIFs are the absolute best.

It's been five years since those days, and I am delighted to say that this hard-hitting rock band from Florida has finally claimed its rightful place in my daily life and received the respect that it deserves.

Blackbird is one of those songs, when they once enter my playlists, threaten never to leave. It is a musical masterpiece from everyone in the band. Tremonti starts this track off with an unmistakable introduction which has become THAT moment in an AB concert when every member of the audience is gripped by emotion. Myles joins in with a vocal performance that mirrors the feeling of every listener's core link to anything that is filled with despair, hope and freedom in the world.

Every power chord switch before Myles' iconic lyrics twists and releases, wrenches and lets go of your gut in a way that only music can do:

"Let the wind carry you home

Blackbird, fly away!

May you never be broken again"

I always imagine an epic back story to this epilogue of a song. A grand story about a metaphorical blackbird, with big dreams and big plans, and a heart as courageous as a lion's. How this blackbird is deceived and captured and subjected to the most abject of conditions by yet another abstract and evil entity (or not! I haven't made up my mind yet. Maybe I'll write a couple of short stories on this topic and let you decide!).

This song continues to tug at one's heartstrings as it creeps into a memorable crescendo which leaves you very, very satisfied with the last few minutes of your life. The two back to back solos by Tremonti and Myles were voted the best in 2011, defeating behemoths like Slash, van Halen, Jimmy Page, Hendrix, Petrucci, Steve Vai and David Gilmour by a wide margin.

This song leaves you happier, leaves you a little better prepared to take life on. I know I have been rambling in this post, but you need something to read while this 8 minute long gem approaches it's conclusion, right?

I have always had fun at Alter Bridge concerts, and I look forward to listening to more of their music- old and unreleased alike. If you are feeling adventurous and feel like expanding your musical spectrum from the usual Chainsmokers and Coldplay way of life, I highly suggest you check these guys out on The Last Hero tour in a city near you. I am sure you have better things to do than be a witness to the confession of a mattress thief from Boulder.

Pray to your God, Stick to your guns

Track: Stick To Your Guns

Artist: Sick Puppies
Album: Fury

Year: 2016

Genre: Post-Grunge/Alternative



This song hit me like a f@#king brick wall, the kind Trump keeps on saying he will build. And it helps that it is my most favorite type of song - relentless, heavy guitars, bass and drums + melodic vocals with a chorus that packs a punch. I know I will be exploring this Australian band a lot in the coming days. Though they have a new singer now, but I am pretty sure some of their old work must be sweet too.

Let me take a moment here to compliment Emma Anzai. She is an absolute monster on bass and her backing vocals are on point. She kills it, man, kills it. Watching such talent live, or on Youtube always sparks so much inspiration inside of me. Check her out, owning the bass line on THIS VIDEO, and tell me you're not impressed.

I love it when this song comes up during my morning commute. It's a blast of energy and motivation to go and make it 'my best day ever'. Tried to do an Apple reference there, don't know if it worked. Well, now you know.

Anyway, this song is about persevering for what you want to be in life, and cutting out the negativity inside you and thrown at you by others, telling you that you can't do it. I absolutely love the line that starts this song off:

"It's a waste of time to try and please everyone around."

Hoping this song does for you what it does for me. Go out and shine. 24x7. Like Zlatan. Not really. More like the midnight sun on the summer solstice.

I feel it coming, I feel it coming, babe.

Track: I Feel It Coming

Artist: The Weeknd feat. Daft Punk
Album: Starboy

Year: 2016

Genre: Pop/Electronic/Disco



If Starboy, the track, was more Weeknd and less Daft Punk, 'I Feel It Coming' is an out and out Daft Punk song featuring The Weeknd. It is reminiscent of the Get Lucky vibe from Daft Punk's revolutionary, smash hit, and one of my all time favorite albums 'Random Access Memories'.

I had been mulling over making this post about this song or not, trying to make my mind up about this song. The only reason I ever heard Starboy, the album, was because Daft Punk was featured on it not once, but twice. Wow, for a world parched for more Daft Punk, this was like manna from heaven.

When I first heard this track, I wasn't impressed. Bah, another stagnant track acting as a filler. But as I heard it again, and again, it grew on me like moss on a stationary stone. And the stimulus that sealed the deal was the music video that released a couple of days ago. The robots in their flowing, black capes! Drooooooooool, me likey!

The Weeknd is probably one of the best vocalists around right now. You need only see some live videos to be amazed at his vocal control. Here's wishing him a great career, and being validated by Daft Punk is a massive, massive thing. Starboy will be for him, what Hybrid Theory was for Linkin Park, or Appetite For Destruction was for Guns N Roses.

Daft Punk famously disappear for years altogether after dropping new music only to return Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger. I am personally excited for their imminent 2017 announcements. The ALIVE 1997 and ALIVE 2007 tours were revolutionary in the world of electronic music. Oh, the respect I gained for Daft Punk after listening to the story behind their Pyramid and LED stage at Coachella 2006. Though the signs don't look good, I can't help but think Daft Punk have something up their sleeve. And if it is Coachella 2017 after all, no doubt about the fact that I'll be there to witness something special.

So, for their imminent return all I can say for now is: "I feel it comin', I feel it comin', babe!".

We'll never be Royals

Track: Royals

Artist: Otep (Originally by Lorde)
Album: Generation Doom ()

Year: 2016 (2013)

Genre: Heavy Metal (Pop)



You know that new song that you just heard somewhere and fell in love with? You added it to your playlist, fantasizing about it coming up when you least expect it (and most want it) in your car, in the gym or just walking on your way to work. THIS IS THAT SONG.

I just want to say 'Splendid job!' to the machine learning guys down in Spotify for their Discover Weekly playlists. It has thrown up many amazing tracks over the weeks, including this gem. This song is my current earworm and a cover of Lorde's Grammy winning song of the same name.

The bass guitar clearly rules on this track, setting a foundation so strong that you never feel like you're sinking into an abyss of thin music. The vocal line is fresh with a hip hop/rap influence in the verse which seamlessly transitions into a cold blooded scream for the chorus, and it just fits. Takes the song to another level altogether.

There's no fancy solo or face-melting shredding on this song, but there is a very simple octave based bridge riff that I whole-heartedly enjoy, because it just seems like the right thing at the right time. I know I am gushing, but I also am absolutely in awe with the album art as well. It reeks of power, mystique and general badassness.

This song is about dignity in humility and simplicity. It calls out the common displays of ostentatious behavior by many in the music industry (think Baadshah or Honey Singh, my fellow Indians). Bling, cars, women- haven't we all seen that being paraded around recently? Lorde/Otep says that she is extremely comfortable in her skin, doesn't care about the things that are meant to impress and that she'd rather showcase her power through her music and show them their place, rule the industry.

Seduced by fame, a Moth Into the Flame

Track: Moth Into Flame

Artist: Metallica
Album: Hardwired... To Self-Destruct

Year: 2016

Genre: Heavy Metal



Date: 29th July, 2017
Location: Rose Bowl- Pasadena,CA

Setting:
Avenged Sevenfold has just finished a killer set and extracted as much energy as they could from almost a hundred thousand fans. But the public has been smart. They have rationed their energy judiciously, for they know who is coming up next on stage.

METALLICA.
The once demi-gods of the Thrash Metal scene.

Darkness. Silence. Murmurs.
Flash of light, and this song begins.

I am getting goosebumps as I write this, because if everything goes according to plan, I will be one of those 100K screaming fans along with Shreyas Gaonkar (why you haven't followed him yet!?). You can betchyo ass I'll be ready to sing along with James Hetfield (Ooh Ooh Yeah) on this track-

James: "Same rise and fall, who cares at all? Seduced by fame-"

Me: "A moth into the flame!"

This song talks about how we get trapped into a downward spiral of narcissism, self-importance and shallow materialism once we have enough reason to believe we have made it in this world. This could be because of what fair weather friends whisper in your ears, what you see in the media (Fake news!) or simply your own dastardly ego.

I love the title of this track. It is perfect. Just as a dumb moth, bound by his primal urges, flies towards a bright, inviting flame only to be burnt to death, we must remember to not be stupid and to always stay humble by keeping our feet firmly planted on the ground.

You better get real, real, real.

Track: Dust Clears

Artist: Clean Bandit feat. Noonie Bao
Album: New Eyes

Year: 2013

Genre: House / Electronic



A drive along CA-1, with the Pacific on one side and mountains on the other.
An evening enjoying TexMex in Austin overlooking the Colorado River.
A walk on a trail in North Carolina surrounded by tall trees that provide glimpses of Lake Raleigh.
1pm on a weekend, up but not awake, under the blanket.
And this song.

Because music is just not complete in itself. It's that extra context of a situation, a surrounding, lights that invoke the feeling that an artist desired to.

I discovered this song thanks to Akar (go, follow him!), when he posted this track as his current earworm. And I kid you not, it gets really catchy very soon. I love the bass riff on this song, as it supports a fairly generic but pleasing violin-cello combo.

This song challenges what we think the reality is. It throws up a lot of What Ifs, making us do a double take, correct our perceptions and finally make ourselves a lot saner and clear-headed. And I have been at my most introspective during the settings I started off this post with.

From the lyrics, this song seems to vocalize the thought process of a guy picking himself up, getting back on his feet after exiting a serious relationship. Through a woman's voice, and his own, we are told that we sometimes paint a rosy picture of something that is not, just so we are able to live with ourselves and our decisions. And even as that rosy picture starts wilting and decaying, you remember it as the bright and colorful portrait that you were once awe-struck by. The woman reminds the guy that it will be hard to restart his life with a clean slate, but he needs to get real and not hold on to the past. To stop questioning his past.

I am reminded of this exchange between Uncle Iroh & Prince Zuko (Avatar: The Last Airbender) after the latter does something completely out of character, and is now engulfed in an inner war between the good and bad inside him:

Iroh: You should know this is not a natural sickness.

Zuko: Wha... what's happening?

Iroh: Your critical decision, what you did beneath that lake, it was in such conflict with your image of yourself that you are now at war within your own mind and body.

Zuko: What does that mean? [coughing]

Iroh: You are going through a metamorphosis, my nephew. It will not be a pleasant experience. But when you come out of it, you will be the beautiful prince you were always meant to be.

And no one dared disturb The Sound Of Silence.

Track: The Sound Of Silence

Artist: Disturbed (Originally by Simon & Garfunkel)
Album: Immortalized

Year: 2016 (1964)

Genre: Rock (Folk Rock)

I first heard this song during the JJO Sonic Boom music festival in Janesville, WI. And what an amazing couple of days that was, rocking out to so many of my favorite bands with brother from another mother Shreyas Gaonkar (go, follow him!). But those stories are for another blog.

So, we saw David Draiman of Disturbed (the bald dude singing his heart out) invite Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge (another guy with an unconventional voice, that I really love listening to) on stage, and they captured everyone's imagination with a beautiful rendering of this Simon & Garfunkel song.

1 Oct 2016 - David and Myles at JJO Sonic Boom '16 during Disturbed's headlining set - Janesville, WI

And I had parts of this song replay in my head for weeks after that, never really nailing the lyrics. I understood the true beauty of the song after I added it to my playlist.

The above video is the exact performance that has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Rock Performance this year. Here's wishing Disturbed get to see Ten Thousand Fists in the air when they go up on the stage to collect their prize. And that the crowd erupts in applause, ironically to celebrate The Sound Of Silence.

It is amazing to see how the problems of the 1960s have reared up their heads again in modern avatars. This song talks about how truly lonely we really are, even in a world constantly shrinking as technology overcomes traditional communication barriers. How we hold our inventions, our flimsy escape from our loneliness, in the highest regard - even higher than personal relationships.

When was the last time your kid didn't check his Facebook at the dinner table? When was the last time your friends took a moment to take in the natural beauty of the mountains, lakes, forests around them before rushing to whip out their fruit phones to capture an inferior-on-all-counts 12MP picture or Snapchat or Instagram or Boomerang or WhateverTheFKidsDoTheseDays? When was the last time your girlfriend looked you in the eye during a date, and not kept on glancing at the constant stream of notifications on her Whatsapp?

Can we just take a few seconds and appreciate the poignant writing of this verse?

And in the naked light I saw

Ten thousand people, maybe more

People talking without speaking

People hearing without listening

People writing songs that voices never share

No one dare

Disturb the sound of silence

I'm All The Way Up & Nothing Can Stop Me

Track: All The Way Up

Artist: Fat Joe, Remy Ma ft. French Montana

Year: 2016

Genre: Hip Hop

I owe UV my thanks for introducing me to this song during one of our countless wanderings in and around San Jose, rocking some tunes in the car. This track is perfect for your morning dose of motivation, more potent than that dark liquid 'Starbucks Lovers' (yeah yeah, I know Taylor Swift didn't say that) swear by.

Say something frequently enough and it starts sounding true. Sing along - "I'm all the way up! And nothing can stop me". Say it again. And again. See? Don't you feel powerful, with the world at your feet, ready to tackle any challenge in your way and ready to take all the credit for it? That's what I'm talking about.

As my taste in Hip Hop is still underdeveloped, I really don't give a second thought to the self praise and hedonistic, misogynistic lyrics that complete this song. But the hook makes it all worth it.

So brush off that laziness, go get something productive done in this Vine of a life. And for all your haters, and anyone that tries to bring you down, can you even hear them? 'Cause you're all the way up! And nothing can stop you.

Shorter. Faster. Better.

In this age of reducing attention spans, the most engaging content is in the form of small doses. This is me embracing the new world order of fickle loyalties and trivial pursuits, trying to find a way to still get my points across. 

Reintroducing MusicManiac, 2017. Of all the shitty things bound to happen this year, I hope this is not one. Seriously, how long are we going to humor the app (and its users) that lets you create a 10 second snap of your face in a slice of toast? 

One song recommendations, auto video playback, and sassy but honest writing - all of that cool, annoying stuff. It'll be over before you know it. Best case: "Hold my beer while I add this to my playlist". Worst case: "Yeah, I know this song, and it sucks balls."

Here's me raising a toast to the long life of this short blog (shlog?). And also to shlongs, thank God there are still things on this planet that people prefer the long form of.

Till the first post comes out, I have just one thing left to ask. In the words of the evil genius Moriarty : "MISS ME?".