I think its been pretty glaringly established that im a fool for instrumental music, and this blog has been dedicated to spreading awareness of music thats wildly under-appreciated/significantly unknown.
Everyone's heard of Dream Theater im asuming? With the legendary keyboardist Jordan Rudess, Mark  Portnoy's brilliance and of course Petrucci's effortless strumming of the guitar and his ridiculously amazing solo's. Dream Theater definately caught on with fans, but what didnt get that much of coverage was one of thier great side experimental projects > LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT.
This progressive/intrumental project boasts a number of long lyric-less numbers that culminate not only crazy prog rock riffs and solo's, but brilliantly crafted piano pieces and a zing of metal and jazz.
Thier best compisitions would include:
1) Acid Rain
2)Liquid Dreams
3)Paradigm Shift
4)Universal Mind

Ive been listening to this band since i was 15 i think? I cant remember exactly when i started following this project, but it was a great introduction to this band by a great person, my idol and hero, my father.
I owe most, if not ALL of my musical knowledge to my dad, who would rush back from work with the latest releases and wait to have heavy discussions with me about it.

The first real musical discussion i ever had with my father was when i must have been 13-14 years of age and revolved around one of my favourite bands of all time, Pink Floyd. One of the greatest bands to kickstart the experimental-progressive-psychedelic movement, helped me pass my exams, go to sleep, deal with a bad breakup and even zone out when i wanted to do nothing productive. So, the arguement i had with my father, was the whole Syd Barrett Vs David Gilmour contraversy. I was on team Gilmour, stating that he took he band's music and transformed it into pure greatness which was a gift to music listeners all around. His arguement on the other hand, was that the bands very first album (Piper at The Gates Of Dawn) which had Barrett as the leading vocalist/guitarist kickstarted the whole pure psychedelic movement and no one could ever replace his unmistakable voice. This was of course before he went totally insane, lost the plot and Gilmour stepped in to replace him.

The discussion, if i remember correctly, lasted close to 3 hours and 4 drinks of Shandy (for me, i wasnt allowed to have any hard liquor back then) but it was the best time I'd ever spent with my dad, and i continue to do so.

Moral of the story, while Pink Floyd introduced the world to the brilliance of prog rock, Liquid Tension Experiment warped it, twisted it, added a zing of other musical elements to give the world a new look at progressive/experimental music.

Ghassi Ram Blues

I came across this project very recently, The Kaya Project, a brilliant amalgamation of Classical Indian beats with an electronic zing, its gorgeous instrumental music that just sets the mood into relax mode and is perfect when youre just chilling with friends, having a drink or two or doing anything else that just sends you into another world.
Walking Through, One God Dub and Ghassi Ram Blues are amongst my favourite tracks by this Experimental Band.
Enjoy it =)

One Tight Slap

Today was one of those days where i was frustrated with everything and everyone.
All i wanted was a nice fish curry to have for dinner, and i had to surpass a sea of obstacles just to get it.
I dont get people in Mumbai, i dont the system here. Truth be told, i HATE the system and the way things work here, this is why i miss Dubai all the time.
Reasons why Mumbai can seriously get on your nerves (What happend to me in the span of one evening):
1) Paan Spitting : Yes Of course we love to paint the town red (literally) by using the passers-by as our waste paper bins. Come fellow paan eaters, and use my feet as a perfect aim for your disease infested chewing of paan.

2) Why must we use the pavements? Its sad ebough that we barely HAVE pavements here in Mumbai, but no, one MUST walk bang in the middle of the road when there is a pavement to walk on. You see we love the thrill of getting runover by madmen and halting traffic so we can take a stroll in the park.

3) Rickshaw drivers have a death wish.: I'm convinced that every rickshaw driver here wants to either kill himself, or take the passenger with him. We like driving our rickshaws like there's no tomorrow and we MUST honk when theres a clear open road in front of us, also we must swear and abuse everyone and anything that moves.

4) Were Indian Taxi drivers: So we MUST be counter productive right? So we dont believe in wastage of space of any kind. So, what do we do when driving? We wont leave ANY space between us and the car in front of us because wasting space is a civil crime here. We also love driving like maniacs and dont believe in STICKING TO THE WHITE LINES ON LANES.

5) Give me some POT.: I wish, no, im referring to the God Forsaken Pot holes ALL over bandra which has given me the worst back ever, and these potholes get deeper and deeper, during the rains, if im lucky, another bigass bus wont plunge into one and splash me in the middle of the road ruining my perfectly gorgeous white Mango dress.

I could actually go on, like how on the way to the fish place i was stuck in an hours worth of traffic right outside Lilavati hospital (Damn Bandra Fair) and how idiots in this place cant drive, my phone flew out the window because i got startled by a Chakka, my fish came Tepid and the rush was insane.
Just, a horrible horrible day. When im having such a bad day, i usually come home and listen to some great easy listening music.
MUSIC TO LISTEN TO WHEN HAVING A HORRID DAY:
Cake
Dave Matthews Band
Jack Johnson
John Mayor
Yoav
Lilly Allen
Corine Bailey Rae
Norah Jones
The Beatles
Reel Big Fish.

Throatally Ridiculous.

Yesterday my two closest friends celebrated thier Birthdays, and i couldnt be there for it because i was too busy coughing out reminents of the Intoxication that happend in Kerala.
Karma is seriously a bitch, of all the months my throat decides to be stubborn and act 95, it had to be the month where all my friends celebrate thier birthdays, including mine.
Turns out, i may have to be hospitalized and get surgery done or something. So much for my "must attend college this semester" resolution. Speaking of resolutions, i've decided that come January 2011, I'm giving up on everything bad for my body, which includes drinking, smoking, Non-veg (Quite unlikely actually) and junk from the streets. I doubt thats ever going to happen considering Arianna Asrani lives two minutes from my house and will find a way to shove a hotdog down my throat from Carter Road.
This blog was really randomly written, serves no real purpose as such, no musical insight to give today or link to share, just plain agony from ym end and a little bit of loathing for the world and its sadistic ways.
Ok peace out, the unwanted meds awaits my consumption.

What's In a Name?

so, some one asked me the other day, "What the hell is Sour Cherry?". My first answer was "Well, its my Blogs Name" and then  i realised that out of 20 people, probably 2 would immediately associate this name with the band "The Kills".
The kills were one of the best Indie Rock bands who make music using thier sheer quirkyness and style.
Its really sad that indie music is dying out slowly, some people havent even heard of the genre to begin with.
"Hindi music you say ah?" Is what people ask me when i tell them im into indie music.
Some other awwsome indie bands to watch out for are Pavement, Dinosaur Jr, Belle&Sebastian, Psaap, The Bird and The Bee, Hot Chip (Which tips on the electronic side) The Moldy Peaches (Look up all thier stuff not just the Juno soundtrack) Kings of Convinience, Karen O, Radiohead (Not too sure if they fall into Indie but what the hell, they're a great band), Bjork, The electric six, Hot Hot Heat, Arcade Fire etc etc etc.

Psychic Gibbon

So, its been a while now that ive been totally addicted to Grooveshark.com and im absolutely loving it.

Im a sucker for originality, and believe in anti-piracy, but i guess that just comes from my dads motives and drive to abolish piracy so we can live in a "real" world. Quite obviously thats never going to happen and zero percent piracy is a dream that would require decades before coming true.
I dont know why i even started on the whole piracy thing when i actually wanted to blog about electronic music. A genre thats almost dying and is wildly unheard of by most of the people i meet here in Mumbai, electronic music is a class apart.
This entry pays tribute to my fav ambient/Electronic bands the world has ever come across. Ill be giving you the names of the bands and thier best songs to look out for, trust me some of thier stuff is beyond madness.

1: Younger Brother
Songs to listen : Psychic Gibbon, All i Want

2: Shpongle
Songs to listen: Divine Moments of truth, DMT, Are you Shpongled?

3: Royksopp
Songs to listen : Alpha Male, What else is There?,Only This Moment, Poor Leno

4: AIR
Songs to listen: Talisman, Sexy Boy, Bee a Bee

5: Zero 7
Songs to listen :In the waiting Line, Destiny, Simple Things, Home

6: The prodigy
Songs to listen: Narayan, Breathe, Vodoo People, Omen, Smack My Bitch Up

7: Massive Attack
Songs to listen: Danny the Dog, Teardrop, Protection, Angel

8: Depeche Mode
Songs to Listen: Enjoy the Silence, In your room, Personal Jesus, Strangelove

9: Daft Punk
Songs to listen : technologic , Robot Rock, One more Time

10: Pendulum
Songs to Listen: Show Down, The tempest

Monday Night Poetry Slam

Just when i thought our entire class was totally incapable of co-existing within the same vicinity and have fun at the same time, was i hit by a big yellow bus of happy realisation.
Monday Night Slam, a poetry open mic event, created and organized by the Bombay Elektrik Project, invited all students of KC to perform and hit the mic stands.
At first i was seriously weary about going up and performing my limericks, because theyre known for being outrageous, slanderous and tipping on the edge of absolute perversion.
Sultan and Avi came over to my place before we headed to Cafe Goa, and pretty much forced me into reading out my stuff, and im glad i did! My nonsense limericks were so well accepted by the audience and even my classmates that left me feeling proud and built this fuzzy feeling of lowe for the world, which i previously replaced with my cynical view of life.
Anyway, everyone came up there, read thier poems, some funny, some deep, some life changing, and some were plain absurd. Props to out creative writing teacher Naina, who initiated the whole thing.
Did i just call her teacher? Im sorry we're in University now its high time we cut the ma'ams/miss'/teachers and replaced them well a well deserved "Professor". So yes, Professor Naina did a great job of getting our hidden talent out.
Im definately going to be visiting Monday Night Slam sessions again, with some more ridiculous Limericks, inspired by my idol - Edward Lear.
On that note, id like to end with a limerick that pays tribute to Pink Floyd, the greatest band to have graced us with thier music....

There once was a boy from Cancun
Who swallowed a helium baloon
He exclaimed in dismay
as he floated away
Ill see you on the dark side of the moon.