Indiecision: Music Blog: Independent Music in India and Elsewhere

MEET STUPID DITTIES 2: THE SUPERSONICS

the su·per·son·ics [the soo-per-son-iks]
- noun
1. ananda sen (vocals, guitars)
2. avinash chordia (drums)
3. rohan ganguli (guitars)
4. nitin mani (bass)

The Supersonics are three years old. They are currently one of Kolkata’s hottest exports and their debut studio album Maby Baking is expected early next year.

‘I Don’t Ever Want To’ makes Stupid Ditties 2.

Tell us about ‘I Don’t Ever Want To’.
Ananda: I had written this song a year and half ago but it only came to life with the band around eight months ago. The song is about the frustration and eventual realization that there is something bigger than all of us that us human beings have no control over. Whether you call this God, luck, fate or just the cosmic energy fucking with our essence, is just a matter of perception, but in the end of the day we are all pawns in a game that we will never truly understand. The song was recorded at my place a couple of months ago hence the low fidelity recording but it also gave us a chance to experiment a bit with different recording techniques that have made us just a bit more wiser. As for how the song came about… Hmmmm… I really can’t remember… It was probably after a night where all the alcohol and herb was consumed and I was pissed that I couldn’t have one more.

Complete the sentence: We are so un-metal that…
… we sing in falsetto like the Bee Gees when we are in the shower.

MySpace

Stupid Ditties 2 is unleashed 12.16pm, Nov 14.

INTERVIEW: THE SUPERSONICS

The independent music scene in Kolkata has very few ‘big’ names to its surprisingly large roster. Skinny Alley, of course, is the most prominent of these; the remaining only familiar to those part of the Eastern locale. The bands that break the geographical barrier are those that have a unique sound and the drive to make their music known. Which is why it is hard to imagine a fresh sound like that of The Supersonics being such a well kept secret, especially given the demeanor of the band.

I phone Ananda Sen (vocals, guitar) a day after his band has played a short, two-gig tour of Mumbai. Hard Rock Cafe and the Blue Frog were treated to sets of The Supersonics’ brand of garage-y, pop punk originals, and everyone present at the venues would probably agree that there is a need for such music to hit the city more often.

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LIVE: THE SUPERSONICS @ HARD ROCK

I have not been this impressed by a new Indian band’s music since The Superfuzz (now known as Indigo Children). The Supersonics played a full set of original music at the Hard Rock Cafe last night to a Tuesday night crowd of not more than 50 people, and thoroughly engaged.

The Supersonics haven’t really ‘broken’ the scene yet, and frankly, it’s a surprise that they aren’t talked about in the same breath as Indigo Children (formerly known as The Superfuzz). The foursome from Kolkata have a refreshing sound and some exciting original music, and if you’re still at home tonight, you should head to the Blue Frog to watch them there.

Head downstairs for the full review, pics and the Indiecision.

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THIS WEEK’S TOP GIG PICKS

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

If you’re a gig fan, this week’s going to be hard on your pocket.

On Tuesday (Oct 14) we have Kolkata based The Supersonics at Hard Rock Cafe. The Supersonics (website, MySpace) are an alternative act with a lot of stolen lessons but decent melodies. They’re also playing Blue Frog on Wednesday (Oct 15) but everyone knows that though the sound at Hard Rock isn’t as good, the VFM is way better.

Thurday (Oct 16) sees the launch of Ashutosh Phatak’s new album Sigh Of An Angel at the Blue Frog. Phatak’s gig at the Frog earlier this year wasn’t much to write home about (though Indiecision did), but his press release promises that

Ashu’s on-stage energy and theatrics during live performances are as adrenalin pumping for the audience as they appear to be for him.

The gig is free but is scheduled to start at 10:00pm and will therefore, start at 11.

On Sunday, we have Indigo Children (formerly known as The Superfuzz) and Advaita playing the gig that the Blue Frog mailing system erroneously scheduled for last week.

So postpone buying that iPod for a couple of weeks and watch some live music in Mumbai.