Though 2013 abounded in gigs, it was a pretty low-key year for Indian metal bands as far as album releases went. Quite a few promised albums never dropped for various reasons, the ones that did oscillated between ho-hum and downright unlistenable, and much of the year was given to bitching and moaning about the state of the scene. It wasn’t all that bleak, however; there were a few notable releases that made the top lists this year.
The Bacardi NH7 Weekender hit Greater Noida again this year for the NCR edition of the festival. Meshuggah, Nucleya, Mutemath, Scribe, And So I Watch You From Afar, the lineup had it all. The festival also had hot air balloons, gallons of alcohol, a Ferris Wheel, and so much more. Akhil Sood with the full report. Click here for stray observations from the festival.
Nischay Parekh has quickly garnered a large fanbase following the release of his debut record, Ocean, an optimistic and pleasant collection of delightful pop tunes driven forth by a perceptive aesthetic of melody, dynamics, and progression. We caught up with the singer, multi-instrumentalist, and composer for a short chat about his songwriting, the process of setting up a tent in his room during recording, and current and future plans.
Bhanuj Kappal went to the beautiful valley of Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, for the second edition of the Ziro Festival of Music, featuring a host of indie acts from the country, as well as a visit by Lee Ranaldo and The Dust, which has Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley (formerly of Sonic Youth!). He came back a changed man, and has jotted down a comprehensive list of things he learned at the festival. (Part II here.)
Invigorate Seed is an exciting young band from Jorhat, Assam that writes progressive/metalcore music packed to the brim with a thundering intensity. Oh, and they're all still teenagers. They have released their first official single, titled 'Vanity', with RSJ. Learn more about them below.
A review of Lucky 7: Stupid Ditties, an Ennui.Bomb Compilation.
Inch by inch, Frame/Frame has been making waves within the indie community with his bouncy live act and the release of his new EP, Swimmers, accompanied by a music video for 'Pastels'. Here, he talks to Shomi Gupta about the album, the video, playing live "bangers", and recording the flush in his toilet, of course.
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RSJ STAFF This July, we racked our brains and relaunched RSJ's online editorial wing, aka RSJOnline, aka the website you're at currently. We also got a brand
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