Made in 17 days and at a cost of less than $150K, Once is a musical which reflects a Dublin of 10-15 years ago when it was much poorer and more working class.

A simple story of a street musician in Ireland, singing covers during the day for Euros, and his own music at night for cents. A verging on middle aged man, still living with his Da, repairing vacuums in a tiny shop and writing songs to his lost love in his tinier bedroom. Approached by girl, an immigrant, who loves his songs, understands the pain that gave them life, and soon they are in a music shop with the girl playing the piano and together they prove that art isn’t produced from big budgets.

It is bittersweet and romantic, with great music (not Irish music, but the singer/songwriter type) as the two main characters collaborate on their songs and help each other become stronger and face the romantic challenges they both are suffering from. The end of the film is wonderful and Hollywood-cliché-free!

Winner of the Oscar in 2008 for “Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song“, another 13 wins & 19 nominations, time just flies by like a butterfly watching this awesome musical.

I myself have watched it more than 5 times and keep listening to its songs without a sign of boredom. You’ll fall in love with the soothing music and the simplicity of the story. And I bet you are gonna watch it more than just… Once…

Buy / Sell this musical masterpiece at the most competitive prices across India only at www.flipgraph.com

BHEJA FRY

Bheja Fry

Gen X film-makers are brimming with ideas. Stories that were considered abstract, experimental and out of the box are finding an audience and most importantly, an outlet. Bheja Fry is one such film.

Buzz up!

Ideally, the plotline of Bheja Fry is best suited for a stage play, but director Sagar Ballary makes an attempt to garnish it with interesting twists.

Ranjeet Thadani [Rajat Kapoor], a music company executive, hurts his back the night he has found a prize catch for a weekly bring-your-idiot talent dinner hosted by his friends and him. He ends up spending the evening with this idiot, Bharat Bhushan [Vinay Pathak], who tries to help him get his wife [Sarika] back, who left him earlier that day. The result is utter chaos let loose by the idiot, who cannot do a single thing without messing it up further.

n a nutshell, Bheja Fry is a time pass fare that doesn’t tax your bheja. It has its limitations since it caters to a select audience, but the film dares to push the envelope further.

Definitely recommended!!

Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King – Dave Matthews Band

Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King – Dave Matthews Band

Honestly, you cant stop listening and loving this album. Each time you listen to it you are just gonna get deeper and deeper into it.

This is the band’s first studio album since 2005’s Stand Up and the first release since the death of saxophonist LeRoi Moore(R.I.P.).
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 424,000 copies in its first week.
On “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King,” the major difference is felt as much as heard in a deeper, beefier bottom end, “drum beats louder” — into a mantra, and a hook will make sure you’re grooving, tapping your foot n loosing your mind. Beauford and Lessard swing the heaviest lumber of their careers. Electric, rather than acoustic, guitars also add weight. When Matthews’ falsetto vocal threatens to float away on “Seven,” he’s brought back to earth by the band’s newfound toughness.

The album is not without its flaws: Matthews can still be a frustratingly simple-minded lyricist when it comes to lust (“Shake Me Like a Monkey”) or a frustratingly mush-minded one when it comes to the state of the world (“Funny the Way It Is”).Having Mark Batson has had some benefits: the songs are punchier, and Cavallo has given the band a bigger, more immediate sound.

Though the ensemble still flirts with exotic musical strains, they’re used judiciously. The Eastern accents on “Squirm” and the bluegrass banjo on “Alligator Pie” amp up the energy, rather than defuse it

Believe me ladies n gentlemen when i say this, this band will leave an impression in your mind for a long long time and DMB is the worlds second costliest band (First is ‘Rolling Stones’)

This album will stay in my car stereo for a long long time.

Definitely buy, steal ,beg or borrow this one!!!

Effloresce – Oceansize

Effloresce – Oceansize

For a while, I found Effloresce a cool album but impossible to listen to for a long period of time. The complex time signatures and longer song lengths boggled my mind; I found the album passing me by.

I had no recollection of what happened. Over the past 9 months or so, I am not sure whether I underwent a musical evolution or simply matured in my taste, but I finally understand Effloresce. Maybe I just noticed the qualities of different tracks because my iPod mixed up the order of the songs and I heard some of the later songs first. Over time, Oceansize’s Effloresce has become one of my favorite albums of the time. Not a classic, but absolutely fantastic and original.

Oceansize presents a world of music drawing from post-rock, progressive, grunge, and even electronica. With open minds and virtuoso talent, their possibilities are unlimited.

Give it a shot!!

The Incident – Porcupine Tree

The Incident – Porcupine Tree

On the first few initial listens, Porcupine Tree’s The Incident has both the look and feel of being the British progressive rock band’s masterpiece.

Everything about this album — from its elegantly photographed cover art, to the fifty-five minute title track that takes up all of disc one — screams prog-rock epic. In these rather lofty aspirations, The Incident mostly succeeds. But there are a few bumps along the road to getting there.

The distribution of the songs for one thing, is, well a little weird. Clearly the epic track “The Incident,” is intended to be the focal point. But in doing so, the four tracks on the second disc, which together comprise all of twenty minutes plus change, make them feel almost like afterthoughts.

What has always separated Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree from many of their prog and metal peers, is the way PT focus on the songcraft first.

“The Incident” largely lives up to its advance billing as the rightful centerpiece of this album. It’s just a great sounding piece of work.

The bottom line? Not a good place to start. In Absentia is a suitable launch point for new listeners. If you’re already into the band, chances are you’re going to buy The Incident regardless of what the reviews say, so dig it as you will.

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If On A Winter’s Night… – Sting

Composer, singer, actor, activist – Sting has won universal acclaim in all these roles, but he defies easy labelling. He’s best described as an adventurer, a risk-taker. As he himself said, “I love to put myself in new situations. I’m not afraid to be a beginner”.

This time he has taken up a different route and inspiration, showcasing his vast taste in music.

This album is a collection of covers of traditional songs, lullabies and carols from the British Isles, which will feature two original compositions by Sting, “The Hounds of Winter” and “Lullaby for an Anxious Child.” Also, if you paid attention, you probably could’ve guessed the album’s non-pop lean by the fact that it’s being put out by Deutsche Grammophon, a German classical music label owned by Universal Music Group.

If on a Winter’s Night… is music for the purpose of introspection, mood setting, or direct listening. It most likely shouldn’t be considered for party or for entertainment. Like most music with depth, it requires a certain conscious presence to fully appreciate and experience the album.

if you like holiday music n carols this one’s for you!!

The Beatles

The Beatles

Its the freakin ‘Beatles’. Need i say more??

One of the biggest acts, Pioneers of rebel n rock n roll music.

Personal favorite albums :

*A Hard Day’s Night
*Beatles for Sale
*Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
*The Beatles

You have got to check this out!!

One Kind Favor – BB King

One Kind Favor – BB King

This isn’t just B.B. King’s best album in years, it’s one of the strongest studio sets of his career, standing alongside classics such as Singin’ the Blues and Lucille. Where those early titles highlighted his youthful, wailing vocals and stinging guitar, this one plays to King’s current strengths: the tear-stained vibrato of his mature voice, punctuated by raunchy licks.

This album is collaborations of the Kings closest friends, They include commendable versions of his signature “The Thrill Is Gone,” with Eric Clapton trading vocal lines and licks, and Howard Tate’s “Ain’t Nobody Home,” with Daryl Hall answering King’s gritty growl. There are obscurities, too, like “Tired of Your Jive,” with a jocular Billy Gibbons, and “Hummingbird,” transformed into a melodic gem with the assistance of John Mayer

All in all, the album is more punchier, stronger, stripped down blues and the ‘King’ sounds more younger.

It doesn’t get better and bigger than this.

Bryan Adams – 11

Bryan Adams 11

He was one of the first musician who’s music actually spoke to me, I was in second grade at that time and i have never been able to let go of him ever since.

Bryan Adams…..ladies and gentlemen is one of the top cream in the music industry.

This is a great album and i hope people will look beyond “Summer of 69″.

One thing about Bryan Adams is that he is simple, down to earth and this guarantees what you see is what you get.

The songs have great lyrics, tracks like “Walk on by”, “Mysterious ways”, “She got away”, “Oxygen” etc will definitely get under your skin as Bryan sings them with such honest and pure emotion and the music is simply perfect with an acoustic, soft electric country singer-songwriter setup.

With this album Bryan Adams toured in ‘11′ venues(across the globe) in ‘11′ days, playing ‘11′ songs, This band is getting better ‘n’ better with age.Can’t wait to hear their next album.

Definitely buy this album guys !!

All Rebel Rockers – Michael Franti & Spearhead

All Rebel Rockers – Michael Franti & Spearhead

A new Michael Franti album is always reason for celebration. This man takes enough time between releases to both collect some quality songs and to get our appetite just right. All Rebel Rockers is, of course, no exception to the rule. It’s really only been two years since the awesome Yell Fire! but regardless, this album is out to beat all expectations. Recording thhe album in Kingston with legendary dub producers Sly & Robbie good things could only possibly have resulted.

The album kicks it out with a lovely dub track track called “Rude Boys Back In Town”, and it sounds fresher than anything Spearhead has ever crafted. “A Little Bit of Riddim” takes you back to some of Franti’s signature hip hop reggae blend. “Life In The City” almost feels like a Rancid track, not quite as raw though but one of the best tracks of the 13. “Hey World (Remote Control Version)” is the first real political track to surface.

It’s got a definitive beat to it that is very danceable. It shows the Robbie connection is paramount. Even on the mellower soul style songs like “High Low” you can feel the influence that bass plays. It features the wonderful vocal talents of Marie Daulne from Zap Mama. But yet another highlight is to be had with the truthful “Nobody Right Nobody Wrong”. Or the song he wrote for his son when he was heading off to college, “Have A Little Faith”.

This album will pep you up!!

Definitely a must listen!!

Exile on Mainstream – Matchbox 20

Exile on Mainstream – Matchbox 20

Exile on Mainstream is a retrospective album. It includes six new tracks and they sneaked a greatest hits album, of sorts, into the package, with all eleven of their previous singles rounding out the track list.

Thing is, some of these “old hits” were hardly considered hits, even at the time of their release. And, as a fan, I’ve never felt their singles were indicative of their best work.

Of the new songs, the album opener is definitely the strongest. “How Far We’ve Come” it’s a catchy, toe-tapper and a groovy tracks and the rest of the other tracks are a good attempt as well.

The musicianship is as good as ever, and the songs are well produced and well written, but there are still only six new songs. Six songs does not make an album.

I’d recommend their previous albums!!

The Legend of Johnny Cash

The Legend of Johnny Cash

Johnny Cash was a legend, his music has inspired millions. He was the king of country music.

The Legend of Johnny Cash spans his entire career for the first time on a single compiled collection. Featuring 21 of his recordings on the Sun, Columbia, Island, and American Recordings labels, it’s the first compilation to include his work on American and has hundred tracks from the legend himself.

His Sun Records tracks begin with his first single, “Hey, Porter” and include great tracks like “Cry! Cry! Cry!” ( a Country Top), “Folsom Prison Blues”, “I Walk The Line” “Get Rhythm” (#1 Country), “Big River“, “Guess Things Happen That Way“, “Sunday Morning Coming Down“, “Man in Black,” (his nickname for the rest of his days) “One Piece at a Time“, “Highwayman“.

The Legend of Johnny Cash includes a track from that period titled “The Wanderer,” a duet with U2 written by Bono and U2, taken from the group’s 1993 release Zooropa.

“Delia’s Gone” brought Cash to a new generation and won the Best Contemporary Folk Album Grammy

This amazing collection has over hundred songs and includes a biography and photo section in the box, also features songs from the beginning to the end of Johnny’s Career.

This is an excellent compilation of the songs of Johnny Cash from beginning to end. This is a must have for any Cash collector.

Definitely buy this one!!

Led Zeppelin(I) – Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin(I) – Led Zeppelin

Ladies and gentlemen I present to you Led Zeppelin. I can go on for days about this band. The band comprises of Jimmy Page (guitar), Robert Plant (vocals, harmonica), John Paul Jones (bass guitar, keyboards, mandolin), and John Bonham (drums).

They have inspired me and million others to pick up the guitar. For the immature crowd out there I personally rank them way above Pink Floyd, so now you know how brilliant these guys were.

This was the debut album of the legendary band “Led Zeppelin” and this was a live album with a few overdubs in it. It was recorded in October 1968 at Olympic Studios (within 36 hours) in London and released on Atlantic Records on 12 January 1969.

The album had fantastic tracks with skilled production and arrangements. Led Zeppelin had thunderous volume, sledgehammer beat, and edge-of-mayhem arrangements that made it the most influential and successful heavy-metal pioneer. From the chunky, hard riff that opens “Good Times, Bad Times” Led Zeppelin introduced the music world to something entirely new. “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” perfectly showcases Robert Plant’s staggering vocal prowess and the groups’ brilliant arranging and playing.”Dazed & Confused” and “How Many More Times” give the album it’s epic feel and are perfect examples of how the blues informed and influenced the band from the very beginning
Individually they were all great musicians but together they were a power house packed with smoking riffs, heavy drums, groovy bass lines and bluesy high ranged versatile mystic vocals.

Believe me, you have to be a bit open and mature their music and they will completely blow your mind.

Need I say more? Get your now!!!

Rage Against the Machine – Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against The Machine

When i heard these guys back then, there was a sudden awakening within me about politics, horrifying truths, inhumanity etc….Their music really spoke to me. For me lyrics come second and instrumentation comes first but with RATM ..it was pure poetry with raw energy and blaring truth in your face.

Rage Against The Machine’s (RATM) debut burst onto the scene in 1992, a time when grunge was in full swing.
Guitarist Tom Morello was a big hip hop fan, while not denying his classic rock roots. This combined some really funky sounds (eg DJ Scratching on his strings) with great classic heavy riffing. His unique use of a Digitech Whammy pedal added to the band’s sound.
Lead vocalist Zack De La Rocha didn’t have any melodies in his vocals, instead he rapped, using dynamics and anger to fuel his unique sound. Bassist Timmy C and drummer Brad Wilk were a great, tight rhythm section and Timmy’s basslines were often very funky and included slapping

The band’s debut album was a total masterpiece, with not one bad song, just totally awesome. There is also a tag line in the booklet: NO SAMPLERS, COMPUTERS OR KEYBOARDS WERE USED IN THE MAKING OF THIS RECORDING.

Integral to their identity as a band, Rage Against the Machine voice revolutionary viewpoints highly critical of the domestic and foreign policies of current and previous US governments. Throughout its existence, RATM and its individual members participated in political protests and other activism to advocate these beliefs. The band primarily saw its music as a vehicle for social activism.

“I’m interested in spreading those ideas through art, because music has the power to cross borders, to break military sieges and to establish real dialogue.” – Zack De La Rocha

Definitely must have!!!

Skin Deep – Buddy Guy

Skin Deep – Buddy Guy

Skin Deep is the 2008 release by Buddy Guy. The album features The Memphis Horns, Willie Mitchell,Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Eric Clapton, Robert Randolph and Quinn Sullivan.

It’s erroneous to characterize this 2008 Buddy Guy release, his first in three years, as a comeback, since he’s never been gone. But between a spotlight stealing performance in Martin Scorsese’s Rolling Stones concert flick Shine a Light in the same year and the appearance of Skin Deep, Guy has returned to the crossover arena as the magnetic and dynamic blues journeyman he has always been.

Guy is in your face, spitting out words with strutting swagger and peeling off molten licks that leave smoldering scars. Guests such as Derek Trucks and Eric Clapton seem like an afterthought, yet the former’s sensitive slide work on the titular ballad brings a crying gospel quality to the song.

Trucks’ wife, Susan Tedeschi, makes a vibrant vocal foil on the mid-tempo “Too Many Tears,” an obvious single. Roots guitar fans will thrill at the six-string intensity of the ferocious slow blues “Out in the Woods” where Guy unleashes torrents of raw sound that make this disc so consistently riveting and a highlight in the legend’s extensive catalog.

“TRY!” – John Mayer Trio

“TRY!” – John Mayer Trio

Longtime listeners have seen it coming: it was only a matter of time before John Mayer dropped the pop star pretense and proved he could really bring it.

Chalk it up to one too many Dave Matthews comparisons, or the cupcake-sweet residue stuck to his image after the success of “Your Body Is a Wonderland”–but something convinced Mayer it was time to take him game to the next level and shed this pop skin. With help from studio pros or “studio gods” Steve Jordan and Pino Palladino, he succeeds on Try.

If the muscled-up covers of Jimi Hendrix’s “Wait Until Tomorrow” and Ray Charles’ “I Got a Woman” don’t scream “no more Mr. Nice Guy” loud enough, the brawn of blues-rock opener “Who Do You Think I Was” does for sure. Mixed in with the Stevie Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton-esque stuff are a few mellow numbers–”Daughters,” most notably, returns from Heavier Things alongside “Something’s Missing”–but even those songs seem hopped up on rock-God hormones

This newfound sizzle can’t fix everything; that segment of the music-buying public that would accuse the singer of having a voice like “a whispering midget” (to quote a customer review of Mayer’s work) won’t want to add this disc to their collection. The good news for Mayer, though, is that anybody with an ear for genuine rock ‘n’ roll chops will.

This will blow your mind !!!

No Line On The Horizon – U2

No Line On The Horizon – U2

The Irish band’s 12th studio album was originally slated to come out before the end of last year, but the band pulled it back to mold and twist it some more, after the original material recorded with Rick Rubin was shelved.
They’ve been rocking since the early 80s, when it comes to stadium-filling anthems, there’s no challenger to U2’s crown.
It’s been a while since their last release, 2004’s “How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb”, but it’s been worth the wait.

It starts out blustery and familiar, before gradually revealing an unexpected and almost lovable sense of vulnerability.
“Magnificent” with its drum crescendos, trademark guitar riffs and a soaring Bono vocal is easily the best thing here and is crying out to be released as a single.

My favorite tracks:

“Magnificent” might place in their top 10 songs.

“Being Born” Interesting direction in sound that I hope they explore more in the next album.

“Unknown Caller “- Vintage U2 take on things.

“I’ll Go Crazy” – Yeah, it’s got to be the first song played at the live show.

“Moment of Surrender” – Might live long as one of their best.

Definitely must listen!!!

The Very Best of Cream – Cream

The Very Best of Cream – Cream

One of the first “Supergroups” of rock.

Cream sold over 15 million albums during their brief career. Their psychedelic blues-rock is best remembered through classics like “Sunshine of your Love” and “White Room”.

Cream was formed in 1966 by guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker.

Here is the finest of Cream’s compilation – the 60s’ mythical trio which gave rock a new definition and took blues as far as it has ever been taken. Eric Clapton’s virtuoso guitar, Jack Bruce’s mesmerising musicianship, Ginger Baker’s guru drumming – it’s all in this album, all at its best! Included are epic tracks like “Sunshine of Your Love”, “I Feel Free”, “Spoonful”, “Strange Brew”, “White Room”, “Badge”… a non-stop succession of the cream of Cream, the 19 best studio recordings, topped up by the legendary live rendition of “Crossroads”. It is remarkable that, untypically, the producers have made an honest effort to include all the best songs in the compilation, not leaving ground for “The Vey Best, part 2″.

The only problem with this release is it’s so good (and that includes, at least to my ears, the sound quality) it will instantly make you want to buy all of the original albums – and that might as well be a wise decision. However, if you’re quite sure you only want one CD by Cream, then, undoubtedly, this is it!

Time to get back to basics !!

Humbug – Arctic Monkeys

Humbug – Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys blew onto the scene, seemingly out of nowhere, in 2006 with their debut album “Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not”, becoming the fastest-selling debut in UK history. The band quickly released a follow-up album, 2007’s “Favorite Worst Nightmare”, which I thought was absolutely fantastic, even though it was less commercially successful than the first album, both in the UK and here in the US. The band toured relentlessly and then took its merry time to come back with new material.

Into a new studio in the desert after 2 years, the AMs team with Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) in the producers chair to deliver another great album, possibly their best to date. The lyric style and subjects remain the same but the delivery and musical envelope have matured and expanded adding weight and a welcome breath of unpredictability

At first this album seems too slow and different to be appreciated as much as the previous two efforts. However, after 2 or 3 listens it really becomes a fantastic display of Arctic Monkeys’ incredible musical talent.

It’s a great album for fans, but if you’re new to the “Arctic Monkeys” then I’d recommend their previous albums

Plastic Beach – Gorillaz (2010)

Plastic Beach – Gorillaz (2010)

What happens when a cartoon rock group turns into the real thing? Twelve years ago, when Blur’s Damon Albarn started Gorillaz, it just seemed like a typical English rock star’s idea of a groovy side project — teaming with London comic-book artist Jamie Hewlett to create a fictional multi-media band. A lot of fans figured Albarn was burned out, both as a celebrity and a Brit-pop concept-flogger. But as a musician, he was just getting started. Three albums in, his cartoon act has ruled as a pop powerhouse longer than Blur did — especially in the U.S., where the first two Gorillaz albums have outsold the entire Blur catalog.

Plastic Beach has a loose environmental theme, inspired by Albarn’s visit to a Mali landfill. The tropical island where the Gorillaz hang out is a “plastic beach” of industrial-waste products, so they recycle all the debris into shiny new toys. And that’s the musical plan as well, mixing up bric-a-brac from around the world. Albarn hasn’t totally given up his day job — Blur are back in the headlines afterrecent reunion shows. But Plastic Beach proves that he’s most truly himself when he turns into a cartoon.

The collaborations on ‘Plastic Beach’ are mostly a great success, however, Albarn’s guests contributing far more than the odd freestyle. On ‘Some Kind of Nature’ Lou Reed slurs his characteristic drawl all over a laid-back groove and a honky-tonk piano refrain stolen from the Velvet Underground’s ‘I’m Waiting for the Man’. The title track features Mick Jones and Paul Simonon of The Clash and ends up sounding like something pulled from their own groove-laden double-album ‘Sandinista!’

Definitely recommended!!