Jack Joh
nson's "Sleep through the Static"- I don't remember the order of the albums in which i listened to them, but I think Sleep through the static is the first album i stumbled across in 2008. I admit when I first listened to it, i was not as taken i was when I first heard Brushfire Fairytales and I had set it aside for a while thinking that maybe it isn't my cup of tea. But throughout the year, it has grown on me slowly and steadily. JJ has kept his acoustic sound, but it seemed a little darker this time, which maybe took some getting used to seeing that JJ is one i turn to for absolute happiness. I think he used more electric guitar this time with more trebly sound. But "Go on" is a sweet one, while "Adrift" has a little romance to it while "what you thought you need" is one i clung to for the catchy humming and the title track and its beautiful lyrics:Who needs sleep when we’ve got love? Who needs keys when we’ve got clubs? Who needs please when we’ve got guns? Who needs peace when we’ve gone above But beyond where we should have gone? We went beyond where we should have gone
Habib Wahid- Bolchi Tomake- From Bangla music, this is one album I listened a fair bit. Although I liked Habib Bhai's Shonno for its genuine poppishness, Bolchi Tomake is a different album, using more his "love song" approach than any other. Didn't like all the songs, but Goudhuli Logon, a duet with Nancy is definitely a winner, bringing to attention Habib Bhai's lovely Indianish influence on love songs.
Another Bengali album out in 2008 was Kata Taarer Bera by DJ Raf and Jasper. This album is a real hiphop/rnb album in contrast to the dare-I-say wannabe hiphop and rnb knock offs. The intro The History, was really my favourite, a song i blasted when I drove around Dhaka city, on the days I stole the car keys from Elias bhai, a blend of dotara, VERY well done rap and a baul chorus, the perfect Dhaka Dhishting song. Other tracks i loved were Club Sokhina, a remix of the famous Oh Sokina gesosh Kina, and Keno Niley Ei Poth, a song with which I related to every word rapped out, targeting the drug addiction in Dhaka city. It also brought my attention to a very talented musician and producer and singer Jasper whose diversity was only sampled in this album. His classically trained voice smoothes in and out of many genres, excelling at each he touches, and another achievement of 2008 was collaborating with him for a track on his solo album.
Where Riv
ers Meet- Zoe Rahman and Idris Rahman. These two immensely talented musicians, I've had the pleasure of spending time with and featuring on my album, released their cd which delivers a beautiful interpretation of some classic Bengali songs. A mix of West Bengal modern songs, Abbasuddin, Rabindrasangeet Zoe and Idris have tread where noone else in Bangla music has ever gone, the instrumental jazz versions of these songs. And may I say what beautifully refreshing and genius album it is.Dostana Soundtrack- Shankar Ehsan Loy do it with this fun album, which has us singing along in Khabar Nahi and dancing our pants off in Desi Girl and Ma Daa Laadla.
Bondhuta- mixed album- Another Bengali album is a compilation of songs of which stand out Dr Osama by Karnishe Magpaie, a groovy song with thought provoking lyrics. Another pleasant surprise was the subtle production of Dokhiner Janala by Tahsan, and of course Arnob's Bhoboghure was genius as always (i had heard that this song was originally supposed to be the title track of the song later renamed Doob)
Shayan'er Gaan- Shayan- Although I admit that I do not have the capabilty to completely grasp every underlining meaning of the lyrics in this album, i thoroughly enjoyed and was awed by her superior lyrics and melody, my favourite
being "Bhoi Peyona Tumi." A long awaited album delivered at a time when our people needed hope.Jason Mraz is one of the new artists I fell i in love with this year. Introduced to me by Tariq Bhai, Jason Mraz brought joy to my heart to hear what I like to call just music, no genres. But romance, reality, hope, disappointment- it was all there in beautiful melody and the Perfect production. His album We Sing, we dance, we steal things was devoured by myself and it came to me at a beautiful time too, when I moved to Shantiniketon, knowing noone, and The Dynamo of Volition was my everyday rickshaw ride song. I'm now going backwards to listen to his previous albums this year :-)
Dido's return with Safe Trip Home has been awaited by me for years. And there was no disappointment there, with the opening single Dont Believe in Love which I Loved! The rest of the album sounds just like the way she was, dark romance. I admit haven't gotten the chance to thoroughly listen to it as yet, but have enjoyed my first few listens.
Another discovery this year was the genius of Antoine Dufour. his 2008 album Existence dominated my ears ever since I lay my hands on that album. I don't connect to all instrumental albums, and particularly need the main line to be vocalish or "leading" and this is exactly what his expertise is. He leads with melodies prettier than clouds the whole time providing the perfect bass lines and harmonies on that singular acoustic guitar on that singular take. Genius or what? My pick of this album is "Song for Stephen"
Another person who dominated my playlist this year was Amos Lee another musician I randomly stumbled across. I think it was when his song Colours was featured on one of my regular soaps ( i like to call them) when i dug out his discography and completely fell head over heals in love with this incredible singer.
For those who haven't listened to him, his music is jazzy while his vocals are rnb with southern influences, and a lot more. He's groovy, soft, loud all at once.
Anyway his 2008 album Last Days at the Lodge got released, and although I havent really gone through it, I am in love with every song especially "Jails and Bombs" and "Won't let me go" Amos Lee is just BRILLIANT I LOVE HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Monpora Soundtrack- Arnob- The entire album was good with KrishnoKoli's touch all over the album. But the song that stood out was Shonar Moina sung by Arnob, really something. That song just took me back to Arnob and his folk singing days with Bangla. It was the perfect production and the perfect singing on Arnob's part, and really one of the best songs he's ever produced.
Arnob-DOOB While we're on the topic of Arnob, Doob is also another 2008 album. I'd been hearing these songs in the making since last year and when it finally came out, it wasnt a big shock to hear what was on it obvously. Each song has its brilliance, but Noyono Tomare was sth different altogether as it was Arnob's first release of a Rabindrasangeet. It's safe to say Doob reflected a transition in Arnobs music from the Shantiniekton early 20's young lad, to the 30 year old SuperSTar he is now. Yet some songs with Sahana Bajapie's lyrics tied him down, and those will be incrdibely missed.
Kailash Kher- Kailasa is a band i frequently listened to this year and their production of Dasvidanya Soundtrack was wonderful.
Towards the end of 2008 I started to listen to Tabeer, the solo of Shafquat AManat Ali Khan. Although I terribly miss the rest of the band Fuzon (who also released their 2nd album Journey with a new singer in 2008, and good one too), there are some songs where I hear noone but Shafquat's beauty, especially in the song "Khairheyan De Naal" a song that i lay awake all night listening to on repeat. Such beauty is hard to find these days, bless you Shafquat and songwriter.
A great joy to listen to this year was my mate's album Groovetrap. I had been hearing demos and live versions so I was quite familiar to some songs, while others were complete surprises. Shopno Abeer, Khuje Pabe are my favourites but each song has its special funk to it, and I'm still going through his album in 2009.
Lastly My own album Aye Ghum Bhangai came out. And although it's my own album I can still listen to it (or parts of it) as an outsider as all the instrumentation was by some great friends and musicians I've had the honour of working with. Everyone who played not only brought to reality the sound i had planned, but took it a step further by adding their own genius to the song. Adil Bhai especially was sweetest to my ears his short but incredibly sweet solos throughout the songs. and Idris and his mesmerizing solo which always made me miss my queue during recording while i got lost in his notes.
Well that's all that I can remember right now, I obviously listened to a million more songs but at this moment this is what I rejoice listening to in 2008. iT was a great year for music and for me, never a dull moment when it came to listening to albums and I pray 2009 stays the same.
