Working Man

I've been working a couple of part-time jobs lately, including being a roadie (see related post below), and running a campaign for Lee Jeans Co. Proceeds go towards the POD XT Live, which I hope to pay off within the next 30 years. Its taking a while, but I'm sure I'll manage. Any work you guys got for me?

I get home at five o'clock
And I take myself out a nice, cold beer
Always seem to be wonderin'
Why there's nothin' goin' down here

Well, they call me the working man
I guess that's what I am

Buttons, buttons, more buttons... and then some!

Well, this is primarily for my oh-so-techie family, who keep pestering me to let them know as and when I update my blog ("Beta, if you're going to spend time in front of that screen, we want to know what it is you're up to... and turn down that evil music!"). So there it is, a blogarithm so you can be updated by email when this page has some new graffiti on it (anti-RIAA or otherwise). There you go, folks. And its not evil music, its just your everyday Scandinavian Death-Doom-Goth-Black-Symphonic-Power-Progressive-Speed-Thrash-Sludge-Stoner-Gore-Grind-Hardcore-Nu metal...

A very rudimentary first recording featuring my Ibanez GAX30 and Line6 POD XT Live can be heard here. Please let me know what you think. Cheers!

Roadie 101

Bangalore witnessed the final day of Kingfisher's OctoberFest this past Sunday. The main attractions were local acts Lounge Piranha and Thermal and a Quarter. I roadied for TAAQ, and learnt a couple of things that day that I thought I should share:

• To appear busy, keep calling out random names and mentioning technical terms. Example: "Tony, that preamp needs a jumper, could you look into it? Tony, hey, Tony!".
• Its not about what you lug around, its how many items you lug around.
• 'To err is human' does not apply on stage.
• A marked set list is your best friend.

TAAQ took to the stage at 8:20 PM, to soar through a brilliant set of approximately 15 well-chosen tracks of their fantastic catalogue of over 100 tracks spanning 3 releases over 8 years. TAAQ plays 100% original farm-fresh 'curry rock' (more akin to jazz rock, IMHO), and features four fabulous musicians who are masters in their own right - Bruce Lee Mani (Guitars, vocals), Rzhude (bass, vocals), Sunil Chandy (keyboards, guitars, bass, vocals), and Rajeev Rajagopal (drums).
The band kicked off in earnest with Pink Floyd's Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Bruce shone on lead guitars, displaying a great deal of proficiency and feel that was worth blogging about (see what I mean?). He said it was their way of getting the crowd on their side, though, after the show, anyone would say that it was hardly a neccessary tactic. Other great tracks included How Can I Get Your Groove, Look At Me, Falling Down, and Drunk (my favourite.. besides, a lot of folks in the audience could easily relate to it). This song had a killer groove, with some neat drumming by powerhouse Rajeev.
They also played a short acoustic set, including a rousing version of Lennon's Imagine, with Chandy on keys and Rzhude on vocals. Next came Closer To Heaven, with Chandy taking up a fretless Bass. Very good stuff. Also of note was their version of Roxanne. I absolutely loved this one, since it was a very interesting take on an already great song. Next, they performed Holy Jose, and dedicated it to a very inebriated young man in the crowd.
Cat Stevens' Wild World saw them return to the rest of the electric set. Paper Puli was pull(i)ed off really well - that riff is stuff of rock legend, I tell ya! They wrapped up their show with a brilliant instrumental Hoedown, which was a treat for all the guitar fans present.
All in all, a really tight, energetic show. It had been ages since I had last seen TAAQ perform, so this was a special treat for me. Their relentless pursuit of excellence has definitely paid off, and made them the top rock act in the city, and a force to be reckoned with, this side of the Pacific. Rock on, y'all!

The Vikings Cometh...

::Concert::

Seagram's 100 Pipers Legends Live Presents The Jonas Hellborg Group, featuring Mattias IA Eklundh and Morgan Agren
12th November / 7:30 PM, ITC Hotel Windsor Sheraton & Towers, Bangalore

When I finally realised that I was going to get to watch this show for sure, I was beside myself with excitement. Mattias Eklundh is probably my favourite guitarist (he also fronts the brilliant Swedish Prog-rock act Freak Kitchen). His proficiency, feel and versatility have always been a major source of inspiration for lil' ol' me. Jonas Hellborg is a renowned bass player and jazz exponent, and has collaborated with V Selvaganesh on various projects.
Eklundh made it very clear that the night would be loud. Very loud. And they delivered. The trio performed a selection of tracks from Hellborg's albums and compositions, including 2 new untitled pieces . I think the exact genre would be heavy metal jazz, and I've never heard anything like it. This was especially fascinating for me, since I've just begun getting into jazz (Pat Metheny, Alex Skolnick Trio, Thelonious Monk, John McLaughlin, et al), and seeing some of the best in the business at work (or was it play?) was just the thing to propel my interest further.
Eklundh exhibits some very fluid playing, but also brings a lot of start-stop stacatto riffing to the table, and a whole lot of whammy histrionics. But what is even more astounding is his sense of melody. Hellborg really brought the house down with his bass mastery. His style is very expressive, and refreshingly no-holds-barred. Agren is a great drummer to watch. Every beat resonated with energy, and his drum solos were truly stuff of legend.
My favourite piece was Who Do You Want To Be?, primarily for its ferocity and marvellous composition. On the whole, this was one of the best jazz concerts I've been to. It was great meeting Eklundh in person as well; a very down-to-earth, peaceful Viking... Once again, props to Sunil Chandy for taking me along (and darling little Kiarna for sacrificing her ticket!). All hail the Swedes!

Wazza!

Woke up at 6:30 am today. Studied a bit, then got down to leeching Clutch's 1999 album Jam Room. Clutch plays some really good Stoner Rock, which I'm absolutely loving right now. Its like fun bluesy-groovy-rock with deep Southern sludge vocals, if that means anything to you. Anyway, its all good. Been playing their 2005 disc Robot Hive/ExodusI also subscribed to 2 years of Worldspace Digital Satellite Radio programming. As if I didn't already have enough music to keep me busy (as of now, 33 GB). RIAA, come and get me... I live in Kaval Byrasandra. I'm yours if you can find me... muhahahaha!
Had breakfast at India Coffee House, MG Road, this morning, with my mate Prateeque. Scrambled eggs on toast, cold coffee, mutton cutlets and some more toast... 50 bucks a head. Even got hassle-free parking just outside, which is a first (probably a last as well, given Bangalore's rising traffic and parking problems).
Mattias Eklundh will be playing in Bangalore on the 11th of November, joining bassist Jonas Hellborg's jazz group. I'm hoping to go, but several minor technicalities might prove to be a successful obstacle. Time will tell.

::Book::
The Stranger by Albert Camus

A story about a young man living his day-to-day life as a cynic, as several minor events (the death of his mother, the disappearance of his neighbour's dog, the seemingly inconsequential affair with Marie) eventually lead to the climax: the protagonist's murder trial. There's enough of character formation, but one can't really feel for the old chap. Anyhow, its a really short novel, and reading it would do you just as much good as not taking it up.

::Music::
Clutch - Robot Hive/Exodus (2005)

I love this album. Great vocals, neat blues-rock-funk riffs, fun RHCP-esque lyrics with a twinge of realism, and an overall killer sound. Every track is a classic. My favourite, however, is 10001110101. This album is full of all those tracks you want playing behind you as you walk down the street, y'know, when all is right with the world. Lots of nice guitar and keyboard bits all over the place. 5 Stars. I'm now hooked.

::Software::

Iconoid (For Windows 98/2000/Me)

Nifty features to fiddle with your desktop icons. Change the icon text background colour, font colour, make your icons do a little jig (!)... its free, too. Go here.

Firefox Extension: All-in-One Gestures

Use your mouse to perform functions (Back, Forward, Previous/Next Tab, Close Tab, etc.) simply by holding down a button and gesturing (drawing a rough pattern). Its really neat. Its available here.

A Certain Shade Of Green

As you can see, I've added a couple of links, and a shoutbox (courtesy cbox.com). Please take the time to check them out. I'm also trying to figure out how to use flickr and photobucket to upload photos directly to my blog. Lets see how far I get.

Get Your live music kicks here

I found a really neat site, chock full of high-quality audio files in various formats of live concerts. Several bands are featured here, and some of these collections are priceless. Go here to see what I'm talking about. At present, I'm leeching stuff by Alex Skolnick Trio (Guitarist from thrash metal band Testament playing jazz - kickass!), Derek Trucks Band (some fine blues here), 311 (reggae-rock meets Incubus), and Toad The Wet Sprocket (ballady rock - some of the finest songwriting I've ever seen).

Lucky... No Time For Love

Thats what they all say. The average hindi-speaking autorickshaw driver indulges in 3.67 romances with Bollywood actresses. That means 14 letters to each actress' address (Rs. 85 per address from a 'trusted' source), totalling 51.38 one-way correspondences. Add to that, say, 3 postcard-size photos and 1 poster of each actress. Silk shirt meant for that special occassion, plus matching bandana. Total cost of dream: Rs. 878. Life's a bitch. 'You can trust a snake, but don't shake hands with a girl.' 'No time for love - Lucky'... Senthil sighs as he ties his fluorescent scarf around his neck, runs his hand through his collar-length oiled hair, and starts the engine, and drives into the deep dark night.
Right, lets move along, shall we? I've been leeching some quality stand-up comedy off the usual P2P networks. Pristine 352x240 .mpg files of Comedy Central Presents. I've seen Dane Cook, Russell Peters, Carlos Mencia, and Pablo Francisco so far. Brilliant stuff! Cook is a tad overrated. Maybe the physical humour is what gets 'em. Still, all thoroughly enjoyable. Francisco does some marvellous imitations (of Latino girlfriends, male dancers, and Arnold Schwarzenegger), and Mencia is very, very angry. Peters has changed my life. A round of applause, ladies and gentlemen!
My MSN Messenger 7.0 doesn't seem to be able to connect anymore. Thats why I'm using Trillianv3.0 now. Very nice, as always, but now its gotten a lot better. There are now tons of great skins available for it, so you can dress it up as you wish. Neato!
I recently got a Line6 POD XT Live. Its a wonderful guitar effects processor, with lots of big buttons and shiny knobs to play around with, to get killer tone. Trouble is, it costs a bit. To pay it off, I'm handling the Graphics and Design column for Sri Lanka's IT Times. Check out an issue here.

::Music::

• Ra - Duality & From One

Great, straightforward rock from this tight foursome. Check out Fallen Angels, Do You Call My Name, and Superman.

• Foo Fighters - In Your Honor

They've still got it. I like this double album a lot. Neat hooks and stuff. I'm in this place right now where I'll listen to anything that sounds good. Nothing in here is highly thought-provoking, but its nice nonetheless.

• Pat Metheny Group - Offramp

This disc isn't very in-your-face. Lots of flowing moody stuff. Its very moving, in a way. Makes you feel like you're floating... Au Lait is probably my favourite track, although I love the entire album. Offramp is one trippy piece. Very Mahavishnu Orchestra. 5 Stars!

• Jet - Get Born

Some really fun retro stuff from this neat Australian band. Apparently, they bought a bunch of riffs at a Garage Sale held by Angus Young, and they decided to rework them for their own album. The results are crunchy, with a smooth texture on the outside. I love this disc!

• Jerry Cantrell - Degradation Trip

Now this is rock done right. Strong, groovy and with purpose. Cantrell's vocals are delightfully Layne-Staley-esque, and completely complement his songwriting and playing. Very good stuff, again. Anger Rising is one hell of a song.

• Liquid Tension Experiment - I & 2

The Dream Theater boys up to mischief, featuring Tony Levin on The Stick (12-string bass instrument). This instrumental side project is absolutely balls-to-the-wall-multi-genre stuff, with 4 virtuosos strutting their stuff and bringing the house down. Mindblowing work. See if you can get your hands on the videos. Weirder than watching David Blaine.

• Clutch - Robot Hive Exodus

Great stoner rock, with some great riffs, and neat songwriting. Every track is a gem. Possibly one of Clutch's top albums. Loved every minute of it!

Come closer...

Just got back from watching the stage version of the film Closer, performed by Bangalore's Black Coffee Productions. Good stuff, in my opinion. Darius, however, sucks.
More importantly, though... MSN Messenger 7.0 Skins! Get them here. There are loads of them, all packaged in nifty little installers. My current favourite: Tiger MSN Aqua.

Get Over It

What is it with people and their concerns about privacy? Every second IT company worth their salt these days is being sued or coming under fire from the public and the media for posing a threat to peoples' personal information. Perhaps there are some related issues I'm not clear on, but still, the article I've linked to below mentions how Google might compromise people by providing personal details to the government. I don't see how its a huge problem. For one, the government can anyway use Google (or any search engine) to find personal details about people, that they may have submitted or posted online. Secondly, so what if the government knows about you? How would it matter to them whether or not you enjoy looking at pictures of little girls and ponies?
I can see how this might inconvenience a criminal/fugitive, but isn't that a good thing? Besides, I'm sure Google can't provide terribly confidential information like your credit card and so on. Where's the problem?

See the Yahoo! article here.

Weekend Film Fest

I watched some really good movies over the weekend, though I have mid-semester tests on...

• 
  Madagascar (Animated) - Voices by Ben Stiller/Chris Rock/Jada Pinkett-Smith/David Schwimmer : Directed by Eric Darnell

A very cute film about 4 animals that escape from New York's Central Park Zoo to go live in the wild. Things don't go as they expect, and its a fun roller-coaster ride all the way. 3.5/5

• 
  Constantine - Keanu Reeves / Rachel Weisz : Directed by Francis Lawrence

A gripping plot, neat twists, fabulous special effects, Rachel Weisz... very good stuff. Keabu is a bit too wooden though, and his character could have been better established. Still, I loved this one! 4/5

• 
  Raghu Romeo - Vijay Raaz / Maria Goretti / Saurabh Shukla : Directed by Rajat Kapoor

Rip-roaring comedy, with some of the most absurd moments in Bollywood history. Very feel-good, with marvellous dialogues and sequences. A must-see! 4.5/5

• 
  Papillon - Steve McQueen / Dustin Hoffman : Directed by Franklin J Schaffner

A true classic, with a brilliant performance by McQueen. It does get a bit trying towards the middle, but picks up the pace again, to keep you on the edge of your couch. Good stuff! 3.5/5

Googleness!

Google is taking over my PC. And fast. And I can't wait till my computer is completely Googlified, simply because every single product of theirs is so damn good. The company has a brilliant attitude towards projects and customers, and their efforts are truly inspiring. Everything they do, from the idea of expanding from just the quickest and most efficient search engine to providing the best email service, the most innovative planet-mapping software and more, seems just ingenious. And as I said before, I can't wait till they create software for just about everything I need.
Google stuff I use:

• Google Search
• Gmail
• Google Talk
• Google Desktop Search
• Blogger
• Orkut
• Picasa
• Google Personalised Homepage
• Google Suggest
• Google Toolbar
• Google Earth
• Google Translate

In short, I'm just waiting for their media player and OS. Click here to check out all of Google's services and products (did I mention they're free?), and here to check out projects in progress.
I love how they launch their products in a quiet, unobtrusive way. Google now offers all the extra services that older search portals like Yahoo, MSN and Excite do, but unless you want them, you don't even have to know of their existence. Google products also offer convergence, but if thats not your thing, turn it off. Its that simple. I love this brand!

Talk the talk

The folks at Google have done it again: a brilliant take on an existing product/service that scores over everything else out there. This time, its an Instant Messenger with VoIP, called Google Talk. Its still in its beta phase, but the voice chat works fantastically well. Get it here. Once you've got the hang of it, you can check out CustomizeTalk to, well, um, customize Talk (with skins and plug-ins). Note: Google Talk requires Win2k/xp, but can be connected to using other clients for Mac and Linux. Enjoy.
I wonder how long Google will take to develop an OS and thereby ostracize Microsoft? Let it happen!

Geek Goodies!

What kind of nerd would I be if I didn't add some neat software + web links on my blog, eh? Here's a grab bag:

• Konfabulator: Add widgets to your Win2k/xp pc, i.e., add fun(ctionality). More RAM, better performance.
• kewlpAd: Only the best notepad on the planet. Free. Skinnable. Excellent 'Find' feature, reads any size .txt files (not restricted to 60kb like Windows Notepad ;-) ), especially useful for IRC file lists.
  
• Approcket: Cute little program launcher (Win2k/xp). Also launches bookmarks, media files and more. Again, needs memory.
• WackyVids.com: Great little videos to watch, including banned commercials, bloopers and more. Free.
• Extensions:

1. Foxytunes: Control your media player (choose from the list) from your browser. Very neat, plus skinnable!
2. Gmail Notifier: QUickly log in to your Gmail account with 2 clicks.
3. CuteMenus: Adds icons to context options when you right-click. I'm a gfx fetishist, so this works for me.
   

Nothing really. I've gone off posting those reviews for a bit, since I haven't been watching or reading much. Maybe when I finish a couple more books I'll have something substantial to say.

Great new albums out this year:

• Nevermore - This Godless Endeavour (Power Metal)
• Pagan's Mind - Enigmatic: Calling (Power Metal)

• Opeth - Ghost Reveries (Progressive Death Metal)

• Freak Kitchen - Organic (Progressive Rock)




• Ill Nino - One Nation Underground (Nu-Metal)
  

Design for the masses

I've been looking at a lot of practical design lately, and I've seen some great work, particularly from smaller firms and independent designers.

• Santiago Calatrava is currently my favourite architect. His sweeping lines, surreal structures and brilliant ideas, that combine form with function, just take my breath away.
  
• Philippe Starck has an extensive portfolio, with product design, print and so much more. His Icon Condominiums are a sight to behold as well.
• Check out Lebedev Studio's Industrial Design section. They have some beautful products on display and in progress.
  

Upwardly Mobile

::Film::



Cellular / Starring Chris Evans, Kim Basinger ][ Directed by David Ellis

Its been a while since I watched a good thriller. This film can't be described as a classic, but its fast-paced, energetic and fun. None of the performances are spectacular, but they do justics to the script. I enjoyed every minute of this!
3 and a half stars / 5 stars

::Film::

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
Starring Jack Nicholson, Directed by Milos Forman
File under 'heartwarming', 'poignant', 'Jack Nicholson's finest moments'...
I loved this one from the very beginning. A great story, fantastically told, with just the right details. Vintage Nicholson is obviously a novelty, and he also delivers the goods. A very strong performance, with his classic go-on-slap-me-i'll-think-its-funny smile adding to his character an indescribably apt element. Human and alien emotions express themselves beautifully through the thoroughly captivating inmates. A must-watch!



The Usual Suspects (1995)
Starring Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Spacey, Directed by Bryan Singer
Now this is a carefully wound surprise that leaps at you over a span of an hour and a half. This jack-in-the-box of a crime flick is brilliantly directed (and edited on film) by Singer, and stars the brilliant Spacey. Although every actor delivers a splendid performance, Spacey steals the show. His delivery, timing, everything, is just impeccable. The story twists and turns at a hundred a second on a roller coaster rail, and takes you with it. Verbal (Spacey) is a character unlike any I've seen before. Another fine yarn. Definitely a must-watch.

::Book::
Tokyo Cancelled - Rana Dasgupta
Still reading it... its a wonderful collection of 13 stories disguised as a novel. I'm halfway through, and each tale is as enchanting as the next. The stories take you across the globe, through various moments of trepidation, horror, pity, and so much more. Great stuff!

More of the same old same old...

::Film::

• The Big Kahuna - Starring Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, Peter Facinelli, Directed by John Swanbeck

I quite liked this eclectic hour-and-a-half conversation between three salesmen that covers various topics, from American sub-standard sterile ritualistic sales conventions to life, death and their causes and effects. Good show. I admit, not too much happens, but still, I haven't seen a film this frank and poignant in quite a while.

• The Shawshank Redemption - Starring Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Directed by Frank Darabont

What a brilliant film. What a magnificent, mindblowing film. This is a great prison story told fantastically well, with some fabulous acting and scintillating dialogue. You've got to see it if you haven't already. And it has been a while since its release.