Indiecision: Music Blog: Independent Music in India and Elsewhere

INDIAN ACTS IN BLENDER’S LIST OF ‘100 HARD ROCK BANDS YOU MUST LISTEN TO’

Blender’s known for its vast variety of lists. As with most lists related to music, the results are often (always) debateable. The new issue of the Indian edition of Blender features the clinically titled list ‘100 Hard Rock Bands You Must Listen To’.

Making the cut among international acts like Nirvana (#3), The Ramones (#8), Meatloaf (#86) and The Clash (#8) are a few Indian acts. Here are the Indian bands that made it to the list of ‘100 Hard Rock Bands You Must Listen To’

Thermal And A Quarter (#48)
Junoon (#53) (not Indian though)
Pentagram (#76)
Agnee (#81)
Colourblind (#87)
Zero (#95)

In case you were wondering, Led Zeppelin were #1, The Sex Pistols were #2 and Deep Purple were #100. But Zero behind Junoon, that’s just wrong.

BLENDER AND ROLLING STONE BRING METALLICA TO INDIA

Here’s three things that the Indian editons of Blender and Rolling Stone have in common

1. Their websites suck (Blender, Rolling Stone)
2. They are priced Rs 50 too high
3. They have Metallica on their October covers

Blender’s taken it upon themselves to whore the exchange4media mailer system like email was going out of fashion. They send mailers to announce everything, which is some times cool, and most times not. This time around, the subject line read

Blender Becomes The Only Indian Magazine To Interview Metallica

Well what a coincidence Blender. And by that I mean, HAHAHAH, ROTFL and lolcats.

Blender probably implies that an Indian journalist interviewed Metallica, as opposed to Rolling Stone’s leeching off its international issues. But unless there’s a definite answer to the question “Will Metallica play in India in 2008? 2009? 2010?” this is a blooper.

BLENDER INVITES YOU TO DANCE GANESH

The great thing about Indian culture is that as a mass of over one billion people, every celebration we partake in usually involves the participation of a number the size of the population of Sri Lanka. It is true that this is also not the great thing about Indian culture.

Come the month of September and Mumbaikars people who live in Mumbai are faced with a tough proposition - join the Ganesh party, or sit at home because the drive to college/work will now take approximately two to three hours longer. And if dholaks aren’t your deal, then Blender’s inviting you to a party with a host of DJs and equal amounts of religious insanity.

The ‘gig’ happens on the day of the ‘big’ visarjan - 2pm onwards, Sunday, the 14th - at Mahalaxmi Temple Compound, Breach Candy. How Blender got the legal cajones to pull this off, we will never know. But they have, and according to the mailer

The visarjan will commence at 7pm with 80,000 watts of specially created music by DJ Asad and Whosane!

Other acts playing include Ruskin, Ashwin (Jalebee Cartel) and Raoul. At least of these should spin this song. Anyone driving in that area at around that time, shouldn’t.

Also, doesn’t Dance Ganesh sound like a video game?

BLENDER MAGAZINE IN INDIA

The thing with the music media in India is that there’s just not enough sex in it. Here to change all that is Blender. Following the entry of Rolling Stone in India, Blender is brought to us by the same guys who brought us Maxim.

Though I haven’t seen the magazine anywhere in Mumbai, their PR claims a base of 150,000 for the inaugural May issue. Heading editorial is Sam Lal, ex-RSJ.

Full review once Indiecision picks it up.

Just like Rolling Stone, they don’t have a working India website yet. So negative marks already. Hopefully the India content will be better than Rolling Stone.