Indiecision: Music Blog: Independent Music in India and Elsewhere

THIS WEEK’S TOP GIG PICKS

Your guide to the top gigs in town (Mumbai town), weekly.

We’re back to regular gigs this week and if you’re not a weekend person, then that’s just swell.

Head to Hard Rock Cafe on Wednesday (Dec 10) to catch British pop singer/songwriter Laura Critchley live. The gig is part of VH1’s Global Music Express series. Win tickets here. Critchley plays three other dates in other cities, so non-Mumbai peeps can also catch her.

Update: The Laura Critchley gig has been canned. In its place there’s an album launch; percussion guru Sivamani unveils his latest release. Props to Animesh and Bobin James for the heads up.

Fork out Rs 300 at the Blue Frog on Thursday (Dec 11) for Shaa’ir + Func. According to the Blue Frog gig calendar

They have recently been selected to represent the indie music scene in India in Cannes and now…

THEY NEED YOUR SUPPORT

The proceeds from this show will be used to send the band to Cannes.

It’s for a good cause, and you haven’t watched S+F in a while.

Have a week Mumbai.

SHAA’IR + FUNC, ASHUTOSH PHATAK PLAY AMSTERDAM

Blue Frog label buddies Ashutosh Phatak and Shaa’ir + Func performed at the Melkweg Cultural Centre in Amsterdam as part of the Amsterdam-India festival, on Nov 16.

According to the press release

The festival, which kicked off on Wednesday the 12th of November, will continue through to the 30th and is a presentation of the finest that India has to offer in the fields of music, art and culture. Participants in this festival are selected for their unique talents and are in effect cultural ambassadors for India.

S+F and Ashu aren’t the first to be ‘cultural ambassadors’ for India abroad though. The Raghu Dixit Project also recently concluded a four country, international mini-tour as part of an Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) promotion.

Still, the more Indian artists that play abroad, the better. Especially artists that are not traditionally considered representations of ‘the finest India has to offer in the field of music’. S+F made the cover of a Dutch magazine as well.

SHAA’IR + FUNC, BRAHMA, DREAM OUT LOUD IN VH1′S TOP INDIAN ARTIST SHOOTOUT

Another year nears its end and another season of year-end lists begins. Kicking things off is VH1’s aptly titled ‘Nation’s Favourite Music’. The channel is giving fans the opportunity to vote for their favourite international artists from pre-decided lists of five.

The ‘Indian Artist’ category features among Jay Sean and Goldspot, Shaa’ir + Func, Brahma and Dream Out Loud. Here’s an excerpt from Brahma’s profile

They created history of sorts by being the first band ever to release an album at an Independence Rock(1998) and now have added another album to their repertoire.

Put that in your Indian rock trivia kids. Vote for these acts here.

Acts left out that should’ve been there - Thermal & A Quarter? Lounge Piranga? Scribe? Da-Saz? Avial? The Raghu Dixit Project?

Have no fear, the Indiecision lists will set things straight!

SHAA’IR TO DO BOLLYWOOD

Remember when Indiecision told you that Func did the music for a Bollywood film and you were like “No way bro, uncool!” but then you figured “What the hey, he wasn’t the first and will certainly not be the last” so you went back to listening to your Godspeed You! Black Emperor bootlegs and drinking White Mischief because your sorry ass is too cheap to afford good liquor.

This time around Monica Dogra (Shaa’ir) of Shaa’ir + Func fame will take the plunge. In a post on the S+F blog, she announced

So, I haven’t formally told anyone, didn’t think it would matter, but I figure you guys should know why S+F is playing one or two shows less each month. It’s because I (Monica) have agreed to act in Kiran Rao’s directorial debut…yes, a film…a great script…and it’s fun to act again.

Who’s Kiran Rao, you ask? Rao is the wife of Aamir Khan. She’s worked on films like Monsoon Wedding and Lagaan.

Still no answer to the question though - does being an indie Indian musician assocated with Bollywood make one uncool?

Also, S+F will be playing at The Melkweg (Amsterdam) later this month.