News

Its been a while since I blogged, hasn't it? I've been really busy with two plays that Forum Three will be performing this month (see the Forum Three Bulletin Board for more information). I've been playing around with my digital camera and Photoshop CS some, too. Results will be up soon. For some plain-vanilla photos of the Ghoshals from this year, click the Flickr button to the right (or just go here, same difference).
I've been listening to a lot of great music, including Thelonious Monk, Derek Trucks Band, John Mayer Trio, Gov't Mule, some Indian bands (Zero, Acquired Funk Syndrome, Pin Drop VIolence, Moksha, Motherjane), and the like. I'm hoping to get hold of the recently-recorded Caesar's Palace EP. They're a great new band that specializes in jazz-funk-rock.
I don't know if I've mentioned this, but these days, I work. I write for the Sri Lankan magazine IT Times (see the December issue in PDF format here), and I'm the Gallery Director (Skins & Themes) over at Deviantart.com. Hectic, I tell you. Haven't watched any good movies in a while, but that will change as soon as this play-fest is over. Lots of stuff to do, come back next week for more. Cheers!

Maria

Well, Clara has been replaced, by a new Sony DSC S-60. Her name's Maria, and she's got similar features, save for a more petite LCD screen, and her buttons are a bit more dusky. Other than that, I love her very much. I'm going to make sure no one loses her, by taking several drastic precautionary steps, including making the current user wear a suit of velcro so as to be able to attach Maria to his/her body and not be able to misplace her.
What have I been up to? Oh, not much. Sleeping, eating, taking in a few movies (that I don't think are worth mentioning, except for Green Street Hooligans - easily the worst I've ever seen). I'll gather up my thoughts soon and write something more coherent. Till then, y'all be nice to each other.

I'm hurting too much from my recent loss to write a bunch of concert reviews. Gangamma, Where Is My Pleasure? placed 3rd at InBloom 2005, the annual inter-collegiate fest at Christ College. I'm absolutely stoked!
Bands I saw over the past week: Soulmate, Orange Street, Thermal and a Quarter, Zero, Pin Drop Violence, Junkyard Groove (winners of Strawberry Fields 2005), Panatella, Demonic Resurrection, Inviktus, Morrison Avenue. Good stuff!

Gone...

Our brand new digital camera is lost. Her name is Clara. If you see her (she's a Sony DSC-S90), please return her to her family. Thanks so much.

Clara, I miss you already.

Flick Fanatic

I attended the annual COMMITS Seminar, named Flickers, today. This year's focus was new trends in Indian Cinema, and featured Ashutosh Gowariker, Nagesh Kukunoor, Khalid Mohammed, Mahesh Dattani, and Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar as speakers. The first three filmmakers mentioned spoke at length about how they entered the world of cinema, what kind of films they make and want to make, and of course, their views on what Indian cinema will and should look like in the near future. All three were very impressive, during their individual addresses, question-and-answer sessions, and the joint discussion. They answered several key questions, including Nupur Basu's "Why don't you make films with strong political messages, seeing as how you have the power?" She should have thought things through before asking that one, in my opinion. Why should every filmmaker have a bloody message? Can't one simply tell a good story? Its going to be bloody difficult to make a movie in this country if its got to have a message. To each his own, ma'am. If these directors don't feel like making political films, they damn well won't.
Mahesh Dattani explained the process of his shift from theatre to film, and how strange it felt. He also answered questions about his various works, adaptations and the like. I didn't stick around for Nagathihalli, since he failed to hold my attention beyond a few minutes into his speech.
All in all, it was an interesting seminar, but I felt that a few more topics on the subject of new Indian films could have been touched upon. For instance, whether multi-language films will be seen more frequently, the broadcasting of documentaries made in the country, and so on. Well, maybe next time. I had fun. Lots of folks had quirky accents, asked nonsensical questions, and one mate, after hearing Gowariker's speech, screamed out, "Mr. Ashutosh, before you leave, I just want to tell I LOVE YOU!" Fanatics will be fanatics...

:: Update ::

• Now watching: Tim Burton's Corpse Bride

• Now listening to: Weather Report - The Jaco Years (Jazz), Mastodon - Leviathan (Metal)

Whats new? Hmmm... a lot, really. Firstly, its December, which is a good thing, especially this time of year. Secondly, I've been appointed Gallery Director - Skins & Themes over at Deviantart. I'm really enjoying my new responsibilities. Plus I hope to buy some prints once I get paid (the 10th of every month, I hear)...
Also, I'm now using xp, which runs a lot faster and smoother than win2k. I've also installed Photoshop CS, which is a joy to use. My friend Sudhanva was a godsend, patiently installing, reinstalling, formatting, and doing whatever else was required. So sweet!
In real life, Gangamma, Where Is My Pleasure? competed at Campus Rock Idols, Bangalore. We didn't make it, but it was still fun taking to the stage again. We played Purple Haze, Alive, and Poundcake. We hope to have Matthews around to play bass once Strawberry Fields and InBloom are upon us (16-17 December, I think).
Also, my dad and I picked up a couple of very neat gadgets, namely a PalmOne Zire31, and a Sony S90 Digital Camera. I love 'em both! I'm planning to take up photography classes next month or so, at college. On Tuesday, I'm off to Flickers, a seminar on Indian Cinema. Speakers include Mahesh Dattani, Ashutosh Gowariker and others. I can't wait!
Whats next for Abe? Only time will tell...

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!