There is no such thing as Indian Rock.

Sukumar Ranganathan — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 04:36:00 GMT

I read a highly encouraging review of Bangalore-band Swarathma's first album in Rolling Stone India (whose website is still not fully up) and decided to buy the CD.
After all, if they were as good as the review claimed they were I needed to 1. check them out and 2. buy the CD to encourage them to do more.
Unfortunately, it just wasn't my kind of music.
I have always felt that many Indian bands try to deliberately use instruments such as the flute, violin, or sitar in an effort to make their music sound different. And I am not so sure that works. Some of the best bands I have heard do use these instruments, but their use doesn't seem to be deliberate or forced.
For instance, British band Traffic used violins, flutes, even sitars in their music. Some Hot Tuna songs feature an amazing violin wielded by the equally amazing Papa John Creach. And almost two decades ago, at a college festival, I heard a brilliant band from Bangalore's Christ college use the violin and the flute to good effect in their own version of Al Jarreau's Spain and Agua de ber (it maybe because I was drunk at the time, but I have always felt this college band's versions were better than the original).
I haven't heard enough Hindi film music to comment but I do get the feeling (from my limited knowledge) that the soundtrack of Rock On is probably the first time Bollywood has used Rock-style guitar riffs.
My son, whose favourites until then included Steely Dan , Traveling Wilburys , Tea Leaf Green , and Disco Biscuits heard Rock On at a music class in his school and insisted we pick up the CD.
I've since seen some writing on the internet that downplays the importance of the guitar riffs in this sound track and instead attributing the rock-effect to Farhan Akhtar's vocals.
He does sing well, but I still think it was the guitar riffs that did it.
The best vocalists I have heard are incredibly versalite and can actually span genres from Carnatic classical to rock.
The first time I heard Steely Dan's Bodhisatva was when it was sung by a band from IIT Madras whose lead singer was actually a Carnatic vocalist.
Vishy was his name and he was brilliant.
The guitarist of that band, Prasanna, has since gone on to achieve greater fame.
His music is good.
Is it Indian?
Well it has Indian influences (and some of his compositions were put together by Indian composers), but it is also influenced by jazz and rock.

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A Daily Download : Disco Biscuits

There is no such thing as Indian Rock.