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Karsh Kale/ Dust

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Karsh Kale/ Dust Genre: Indie/ Asian massive  Label: Six Degrees Records/ Mighty Junn Rating: **** Tablas gallop around like horses, birds chirp in the distance, alaaps saunter in and out, synthesisers transport you to another space, sitars and bansuris dazzle with melody, and words mention mazes, battles and dust. With its blend of traditional and modern, acoustic and electric, Indian and western, Karsh Kale's music has always been adventurous and eclectic. His latest album Dust is no exception, as it takes you on a sonic journey that defies boundaries and challenges norms. Though the Indian-American tabla player, percussionist, composer, producer and singer released a few EPs in the interim, Dust is his first full-length album In a decade, after the 2016 collection Up . Significantly, he does most lead vocals himself, singing in English to provide a global appeal, besides playing piano, synths and bass, besides his regular tabla and drums. He's got a gr...
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Naren's indie round-up/ May 2026, Ep 2

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Daraaz/ Insaan Language & genre: Hindi, rock Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 Hyderabad band Daraaz is out with its single 'Insaan', which talks of inner struggles and the hope for a better world. Soundwise, it has a concert-friendly Hindi-rock vibe, with some smooth guitar lines. The song's lyrics stand out. The chorus is, "Marti nahin hai soch, insaan marta hai, aag mein jalke woh sapne bunta hai". One of the verses has the words, "Zindagi hai karvaan, hum kirdaar hai yahaan, hausley ne di panaah, har koshish ko salaam". Aarindam D. Tripathy and the rest of the group maintain tightness, using a supple rhythm section. The chorus has the sing-along factor. Harsh Karmakar & Apurva Kedia/ Zindagi Language & genre: Hindi, pop Label: Self-released  Rating: *** Producer-pianist-singer Harsh Karmakar and Singer-lyricist Apurva Kedia showcased their new song 'Zindagi' at an event at Mumbai's 3 Art House last month...
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Concert review/ Remembering DV

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR  Aditya Modak/ Remembering DV Genre : Hindustani classical  Details : NMACC Cube, May 9 Rating : **** It was a busy Saturday in Mumbai, with Carnatic maestro T.M..Krishna performing at the J.W. Marriott, guitarist Neil Mukherjee at Two Extra Lives, Bandra, and blues-rock guitarist Warren Mendonsa's Blackstratblues scheduled at G5A. I opted for young Gwalior gharana vocalist Aditya Modak's show at the NMACC Cube theatre simply for nostalgic reasons. Aditya, who is also known for his lead role in Chaitanya Tamhane's Marathi film The Disciple , was launching the Remembering DV shows in memory of the legendary Dattatreya Vishnu Paluskar. As such, his repertoire would take listeners back in time, and also provide some rare gems. The son of icon Pt Vishnu Digambar Paluskar,  'DV' passed away in 1955 from an illness when he was only 34. He had numerous recordings in khayal and bhajans, besides being known for 'Aaj Gaawat Man Mero', his duet wit...
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Naren's indie round-up/ May 2026, Ep 1

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Amitabh Sen/ Bawarey Language & genre: Hindi, pop-rock Label: Self-released  Rating: *** 1/2 One thing that strikes you about Amitabh Sen's new single 'Bawarey' is the quality of lyrics. The sub-title 'Journey Of The Restless Mind' is am indication of what the song is about. The opening lines are, "Yahaan wahaan dhoondkey kahaan, kuchh khoke paaya, kuchh paake khoya" and the main words are, "Bawarey o bawarey, tu kyon nahin sukh paaye". It's sung to a pop-rock melody, with a neat guitar solo by Krishna Chauhan and strong harmonies at the end. The video, by Simply Voyaging, blends studio footage with shots of river banks, religious places and tea gardens. Pretty classy. Anchit Magee feat. Aditya Shukla/ Kyun Language & genre: Hindi, soft rock Label: Self-released Rating: ***  Delhi singer-songwriter Anchit Magee writes a song questioning the purpose of life. 'Kyun' impresses with lines like "Khwaab aise ...
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Naren's indie round-up/ April 2026, Ep 3

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Daksh feat. Agni Varan Ruhela/ Nadiya Language & genre: Hindi, pop-rock Label: AFL Collective  Rating: **** This song just popped up through some algorithm, and I was instantly hooked. I couldn't find much about singer-composer Daksh, but he's created quite a rocking tune, with a strong hook and good lyrics. 'Nadiya' talks of the desire to escape the daily drudgery of city life and be surrounded by nature. Daksh sings, "Yeh nadiyaan hai meri saheliyan, yeh pahaad hain mere sagey, in pedhon ki chaanv mein gaaoon naghme". The arrangement is by Agni Varan Ruhela, and there's some smart use of acoustic and electric guitars. One looks forward to more from Daksh. Mahesh Kaale/ Gatra Veena Language & genre: Traditional, spiritual  Label: Meridian Media Label: *** 1/2 Singer Mahesh Kale gets into meditative mood on the four-minute-50-second track 'Gatra Veena'. As the title suggests, the words describe the concept of the human bo...
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Gig review/ Advaita

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR Advaita/ Unison Genre: Indie fusion-rock Details: NMACC Studio, April 25 Rating: **** 1/2 Seeking, searching, tryin' to find, waiting, watching, I don't know why... It's been a while since I'd seen Delhi band Advaita, who I tripped on when they performed at Blue Frog around 15 years ago. The albums Grounded In Space and The Silent Sea still keep returning, bringing back warm memories. After missing their gig at NMACC last year, their April 25 Unison gig was something that had to be experienced. And what a show it was. Over 100 minutes, they charmed their fans with their trademark mix of rock, classical bandishes and Hindi lyrics. Vocalists Ujwal Nagar, who sang the Indian parts, and Chayan Adhikari, who sang the English lines, coordinated wonderfully as usual, and the other band members chipped in with supple inputs. With flautist Rohit Prasanna coming in place of sarangi player Suhail Yusuf Khan, there was a basic change in sound in comparison t...
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Naren's indie round-up/ April 2026, Ep 2

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BY NARENDRA KUSNUR   Uday Benegal/ Fireflies  Language & genre: English, acoustic Label; Self-released  Rating: **** Indus Creed frontman Uday Benegal is due to release his five-song EP Human Be next month. For the first single, he has put out a stripped down version of Indus Creed's number 'Fireflies', originally heard on their 2012 album Evolve . This version is backed by some wonderful acoustic guitars, played by Sharad Rao, Zion Mathew and Aria Nanji, who's also produced and arranged the song.  Uday's singing is expressive on lines like, "Oh the sun went down today, for reasons you won't say, and I just can't look away from those fireflies". Listeners may obviously draw comparisons with the earlier version, with its lush keyboards and electric guitar, but this one has an acoustic charm of its own.  Aria Sengupta, Rajkumar Sengupta & The British Raj/ Who's That Knockin' On My Door? Language & genre: English, blues-rock  La...
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