If you are a musician submit your new music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 24th September 2023. Here is the SPOTIFY Playlist of the Top songs of the week1. Silent War Performed by KomorebiWritten by Tarana MarwahProduced by Tarana Marwah, Gaurav RainaLanguage: EnglishGenre: Alt-PopGet hit hard within seconds, with the trembling Violins and Violas, and you have no space and time to breathe. This is what it feels like to drown in a deluge of musical goodness. Tarana Marwah a.k.a. Komorebi and Gaurav Raina produce one of India's finest indie albums in English and this according to me is the pick of the album with blazing instrumental arrangements, heartfelt vocals and intelligent, immersive writing. I have already featured the album on my Instagram's #1minutemusicreviews with a rating of 4.25/5, so please do yourselves a favour and listen to the album "The Fall".The Cello picks up in intensity and then with the vocal harmonies joining it all feels like a being inside a Christopher Nolan movie with the phenomenal score of Hans Zimmer. Komorebi rises from a pile of soft-sounding lines, and with rejuvenation, she sings " But what can you do when everything tastes like cardboard". The strings section conveys the urgency of the situation with equal effect, but then she resorts to peaceful methods. The sound of a Harp leads us into calmness with the words "This is a silent war". Komorebi's vocals keep shifting from tranquillity to rage to splendour and she uses all her vocal strengths to great effect to bring out these tonal shifts. The producers Tarana and Gaurav leave no stone unturned and the chosen instruments like the Piano, Electric guitars, Violins, Violas, Cello, and Harp all do their bit effectively just like the rhythm section. The "Be stronger" chorus truly drives home the message and the outro strings section is mesmerising. Gaurav is the mix/master engineer and we have Shaurya and Renu Verma who have styled up Tarana, with splendid photography by Pritiza Barua. @komorebi.music @groovio @mavronquartet @zokovnaice @pritiza7 @morphologygram @renu_verma_makeup_official_ 2. Dangal Music Composed & Produced by: Salim SulaimanLyrics: Cyli Khare, Srushti TawadeSingers: Cyli Khare, Srushti TawadeMusic Co-Produced: Raj PanditLanguage: MarathiGenre: Alt Hip-HopBhoomi 2023 is here and that too with a Dangal of a bang. Well begun is half done, but what if something is amazingly begun? This is the definition of ground-breaking music, that fuses styles, generates interest and makes the head-banging permanent. Cyli Khare and Srushti Tawade write the lyrics and they both turn as lead vocalists as well. Srushti is on a high these days with her Debut album also getting released. This song is composed and produced by Salim-Sulaiman with co-production by Raj Pandit. The very first few seconds she exhibits amazing energy suited for Hip-Hop and I am sold right away. Cyli's talent is something that I have observed since 'Guilty Minds' on Amazon Prime. Get a load of the live instruments and they will just bamboozle you. Salim's Keyboards & Tuntuna, Raj Pandit and Jarvis Menezes on Keys, and Rushad Mistry on bass guitars sizzle right away. When Cyli sings those awesome folkish lines, we hear the Zen Drum by Sulaiman, electronic drums by Darshan Doshi and Aadishakti Group on the Dhol & Tasha. The hint of the horns section comes about ID Rao, Harsh Bhavsar gives that likeable Jazzy touch and then the English and Marathi Hip-Hop gains traction. The stanza is just brilliant lurking in the folk-pop style with heavy Keys, guitars by Nyzel D’lima and the Shehnai by Omkar Dhumal. This song is powerful, inspiring and empowering with every note we hear and that happens collectively thanks to the vocals, arrangements, writing and overall production. Every instrumentalist performed with enough gusto and we have Aftab Khan as the mix/master engineer on the tracks, with Vatsal Chevli as the mix assistant. Cyli and Srushti exude so much confidence in their delivery and this is an exemplary performance. In the outro, we get a SHehnai Solo followed by the leads singing and this is where I sensed some Raag Charukeshi. The recording engineers are Aditya Kalway, Muheet Bharti and Raj Pandit at Blue Productions, with Muheet and Aditya also playing the roles of Music Assistants. @srushtinahitohkaun @cylikhare @salimsulaimanmusic @merchant_records @rajpandit17 @aadishakti_dhol_tasha _pathak @jarvisintune @darshandoshiofficial @rushad1981 @omkardhumal @idrao_official @harshbhavsarsaxophone @adityakalway @muheetbharti @mixedbyaftab @shivansh.j @nyzeldlima @warnermusicindia 3. Kaala Kaasiyo Kade Composed by: Charanraj MR Singer: Charanraj M RLyrics: Dhananjay Ranjan Programmed By: Charanraj MR & Narayan Sharma.Language: KannadaGenre: Synth PopI hope readers here have seen the movie 'Sapta Sagaradaache Ello in theatres! Please do it before it is too late, for the great story-telling, acting and music. I have already featured 2 songs before and this 3rd song just got released on the audio streaming platforms. Charanraj has composed and sung this dreamy pop single that depends heavily on synths and keys. Charan and his close aide Narayan Sharma have worked on the song's phenomenal programming. We get the flowy Keys and mild synths just beneath the vocals of Charan and this makes you wonder, why we don't hear much more from Charan vocally. The piano loads up in intensity and we get an immersive line "Kandu kaanadha, mintha maaya chaaye". Dhananjay Ranjan writes the pensive words. Vamshi stuns us with the percussions, and this is one haunting piece of interlude, something only the genius of Charan and Narayan could have created. Napier Peter Naveen's engrossing bass guitars and the synth-generated sounds transport us to paradise. The stanza is melody-rich and we get Sunil Sylvester playing the acoustic and electric guitars in the background. The strings section adds to the song's gravity beautifully and they are entirely conducted, arranged and orchestrated by Rithu Vysakh. All the music supervision is carried out diligently by Venkatesh G Bhat, Aniket Mohanty and Arjun are the recording engineers at Audiokraft Studios Bangalore. The outro is mesmerizing with the Keys, percussions, vocal harmonies and falsetto-rich lead vocals as well. I did notice that ending portion where it feels like a radio frequency is being attempted, but it is failing to connect, probably because of the significance of the Radio and Cassette in the movie. Sujith Sreedhar @ 2bq Studios Chennai has mixed and mastered the tracks. @charanraj27185 @ssethemovie @narayan_sharma227 @rithuvysakh @napier_naveen @sujithsreedhar @venkateshmusic_ 4. Janha Aau Se Vocals: Subhechha MohantyMusic- Bunny MohantyLyrics - Sumit PandaArrangement - Abhishek PanigrahiLanguage: OdiyaGenre: BalladThis was one of the most amazing songs that I heard this week, and it comes from the most unexpected quarters for most. I have featured a few Odiya songs this year and so, I am not flummoxed in any way by its origins. Bunny Mohanty is an artist I have not heard of before, but he stuns me with his composition and production. Subhechha is the vocalist and does she sing with some haunting effect or what? The song feels like a ballad rich in instrumental arrangements and Abhishek Panigrahi completely handles all the arrangements in style. The Piano and the strings section with the heavy Cello feels like we have just entered a grand Symphony Orchestra in the middle of a performance. The flute solo comes and goes in between just like the mild Clarinet.The song is written beautifully to allow for all these magnificent instrumentals to intervene. It has the nature and tonality of an Ajay-Atul composition. The second interlude is jaw

If you are a musician submit your new music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 17th September 2023. 1. Rooh Jaga DoonSinger, Composer & Music Producer: Arijit SinghLyricist: Shloke LalAdditional Lyrics: Arijit SinghLanguage: HindiGenre: Alt-popHe is a brilliant singer, no doubt, but in art forms like music, freshness and innovation carry more weight than past glory. This is why Arijit Singh is an even better composer/producer than he is a singer in the last 3 years or so. I have featured all of his compositions, and that says a lot about his ability as a composer. This is one splendid song that grows on you and when it begins the guitar riff, the drums and the Keys remind me of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by UK band Tears for FearsArijit composed, sang and produced this Alt-pop track and sticks to the lower vocal registers for most of the song. Shloke Lal is the lyricist and all the additional programming is by Prithweeraj Sarkar. Music even though is composed and produced by many heads and musicians coming together over brain-storming sessions, credits generally go to one or a couple of people. Arijit leads the way here in creating each instrumentalist with composition as well for their segments and that speaks volumes of the man. Aditya Benia and Prachotosh Bhowmick play and compose the guitars, Souvik Roy plays and composes the drums, and Raj Kumar Dewan is the bassist and the composer for his portions. ZIA who is a brilliant keyboardist and Pianist composes and plays the Keys in the song. Arijit vocals are more casual like a walk in the park, and he gets more charged up when he goes "doondhne pe bi agar, aaoon na mein jo nazar". Sukanto Singha plays the gentle Tabla just then after Arijit returns to the title lines. Sunny MR, take a bow, for the outstanding sound design, and he has also done the mixing and mastering for the song. The interlude is mesmerising with the bass and electric guitars playing and leading the way with the Tabla in the background. After that amazing section, we get an even better bridge section with Arijit singing " ghabrao na, jaao na", and these lines get repeated but the innovation comes about with Arijit just singing the first one of two words and then entering a humming mode. I can only say that this song is cathartic and lets you dance away freely forgetting about all your miseries. In the outro the Keys are dominant and remind me of some of Coldplay's greatest numbers. The recording engineer is Ritvik Shah, with Ashyar Balsara as Chief Studio Engineer and Adhithya Sivakumar, Hersh Desai, and Aria Nanji as assistant audio engineers. @arijitsingh @oriyonmusicbyarijitsingh @raj_kumardewan @appaithefuzzyguy @ziamuzik @shlokelal @sunnymr @sukanto.singha.1 @shah_ritvik @sou_viktree @jesuisnikki8adi @adhithya.sivakumar @hersh.desai.9 @ariananji @ashyarbalsara @prithweerajsarkar2. Toote ChhateVocals: Nihira Joshi -DeshpandeComposition: Nihira Joshi -Deshpande (song melody) and Rhythm Shaw (Coda) Production, Arrangements, Vocal arrangements: Rhythm ShawLyrics: Alok Ranjan SrivastavaGenre: Indie Classical-PopNihira Joshi-Deshpande had a fantastic outing last year with a soulful EP called "Trishna", where I loved 2-3 songs and also featured them. Her ability to intertwine classical Indian Ragas and structures with westernised styles is something Nihira excels at. The song begins with the most delightful combination of acoustic guitars, Keys and drums. Kudos to Rhythm Shaw who has managed to produce this song with great detail and coverage. The keyboard and rhythm programming wouldn't be complete without his role and he also ensures the arrangements are enticing. The bass guitars along with the vocal harmonies are just beautiful additional layers that enhance an already viable and attractive melody. Nihira not only romanticises the song with her vocals but also composes the heartwarming melody. There were segments where I believed a bit of Raag Bhageshree was being portrayed, but when I chatted with Nihira she mentioned that there was no inspiration or intention to work on any particular Raga base. It is more about Alok Ranjan Srivastava's intelligent writing that depicts an image of a couple caught during rain under a single broken umbrella. The emotional ride they go through is penned in words by Alok, but Nihira makes us visualise it beautifully through her tune and vocals. The song's sthayi and antara segments are just so elaborate and beautiful with adequate production enhancements. The interlude is a solo electric guitar exhibition where Rhythms excels and the subsequent sanchari section is slow and allows the message to seep in with minimal rhythms as she sings " sard hawaaon ko aao, raahaton se mila dein". The outro(coda) section with engaging vocal harmonies is composed by Rhythm. The unification of these great ideas would have turned out so complete and successful without Amey Londhe's mixing. He has also mastered the tracks and functioned as a recording engineer. 

If you are a musician submit your new music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 10th September 2023. 1. Monochrome Performed by Bombay Dub Orchestra, Bulli Bainbridge, NushiousWritten by Bulli Bainbridge, NushiousProduced by Bulli Bainbridge, Andrew T. MackayLanguage: EnglishGenre: JazzI love how Indian Jazz artists are taking control and putting out their best work out there for us to consume and cherish. We have Anusha Subramney a.k.a. nushious, a singer, composer and guitarist with the 2 piece act called 'Second Sight'. She is performing the vocals here in a brilliant chart-topping Jazz single co-written by Bulli Bainbridge and herself. Bombay Dub Orchestra is also a 2 piece project focussing on electronic and orchestral music with Andrew T Mackay and Garry Hughes. They are performing here and enthralling us every step of the way just like nushious. The Double Bass, Trumpets and the mild drums dominate the proceedings, with the Piano joining slowly but steadily. The song is produced by Bulli and Andrew and by multiple notches owing to the arrangements Once she sings the title line, we get added elements like the vocal harmonies and the solo violin in the background. nushious delivers a stupendous vocal performance, that tests many of her abilities, but she knocks every curveball out of the park. It is called Monochrome, but we get to see so many vivid colours getting painted by the vocalist, instrumentalists and producers. Louis Dowdeswell plays the Trumpet, Andrew McGuinness is the drummer, Andrew T Mackay plays the Piano, and Joshua Rodrigues is on the Double Bass. Juie does the artwork. @bullibainbridge @bombayduborchestra @louistpt @folkestone_drum_shop @andrewtmackay @juiekablooey @sherfiffmumbles @abbeyroadstudios @nushious 2. Yearning  Performed by Anubha Kaul, Chirag TodiWritten by Anubha Kaul, Chirag Todi, Sreenath SreenivisanProduced by Raag SethiLanguage: EnglishGenre: JazzIf it was Jazz music you were yearning for well your prayers have been answered. The second consecutive Jazz single is here and we have another set of brilliant musicians on display. Anubha Kaul has been featured more times by me that I have fingers, and that is no cause for surprise. Just stop reading and listen to her voice and the confident delivery. She is one of the very best in the business and Anubha goes a long way in leveraging her gifted vocals. The song is heavy on the guitar elements and this is where Chirag Todi and Raag Sethi kick in. Raag produced the song with Pritul Chauhan on drums and Kandarp Kavishwar on Keys. Sreenath Sreenivasan writes the lyrics. The lead, bass guitars and Keys combine beautifully. The scat-singing by Anubha around the 90-second mark is pure gold and I cannot see any reason why this might end up being among the best vocal performances in 2023.  I am struggling to write here because I would rather close my eyes and enjoy the madness. The solo on the guitar by Chirag is nothing short of a sensation and stuff like this can keep even a bored lifeless soul charged for days. The song also has some terrific writing by Sreenath, which can get lost amidst all the vocal and instrumental supremacy around. Protyay Chakraborty is the mix/master engineer who has quite a task and comes out tops.  @raagsethi @anubhaaaa @sreenath1 @compassboxstudio @pritul_chauhan @kandarp_kavishwar @protyaych3. Taiy Nahi Kiya Abhi Singer: Papon

If you are a musician submit your new music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 27th August 2023. The Spotify Playlist is here1. Sapta Sagradache Ello Music composed & arranged by: Charanraj MRSinger: Kapil KapilanLyrics: Dhananjay RanjanProgrammed by: Charanraj & Narayan SharmaLanguage: KannadaGenre: Synth PopHere comes the juggernaut Charan Raj, and with his consistently good music, we can soon have an anthem among music fans that goes " In Charan we trust". This is the second single of the new Kannada movie Album "Sapta Sagaradaache Ello", and we have one of the finest playback singers in Kapil Kapilan singing this lead. This was a marriage waiting to happen between a phenomenal composer and a breathtaking vocalist, and we have the desired output. The moment the first notes are sung we do hear the influence of Raag Suddha Dhanyasi, and just when you think it is a classical ssounding song, we get the synths and guitars taking us into the world of Synth Pop. Sunil Sylvester plays the guitars and Narayan Sharma plays the synth bass. I love the vocal harmonies and the humming in the background just after the title phrase is uttered. Punya Srinivas destroys our internal peace with this magnificent solo on the Veena. The best part about the notes here and the execution is that the solo is played with a Western style rather than a classical Carnatic style. The stanza too is a joyful ride and Charan excels at fusing both the Pop and semi-classical melody bits into the stanza. The opening segment of the Charanam is high on Pop influences and quickly transforms when he sings "Neeli baana anchalle namannu kaanutha, elle meeri hodantha preeti aagutha". The lines are beautiful musically and lyrically with Dhananhay Rajan writing the words. Lavita Lobo & Devu Mathew join in on the backing vocals. The closing stage is almost transcendental, with the Keys, Synths, rhythms and all the lead and backing vocals coinciding. The recording engineers are Kashyap and Sujith Sreedhar and Deepesh Krishnamoorthy is the supervisor. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Sujith at 2bqStudios Chennai. Venkatesh Bhat is the music supervisor.  @charanraj27185 @2bqstudios @narayan_sharma227 @venkateshmusic_ @aquestercalledkash @sujithsreedhar @punya.srinivas @sunil.sylvester @devumathew @lavita_lobo_ 2. Yeda Mandola Singers - Nakash Aziz & Gulraj SinghMusic - Gulraj SinghLyricist - Kshitij PatwardhanMusic Arranged and Programmed by Gulraj SinghLanguage: MarathiGenre: Light Music/PopA couple of years ago, I remember featuring Gulraj Singh on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi where he composed an original called "Mann Aangan" sung by Nikhita Gandhi. This was a belter of a track amidst run-of-the-mill songs on Lord Ganesh. Gulraj has been busy making devotional songs now and then, but this Marathi album 'Unaad' is priceless. If we go back to the early 2000's when AR Rahman was at the top of his game, making amazing music that not only transcended state boundaries within India but also captivated all our hearts, we would probably be hearing music like this. This is one of the best compliments I can shower on Gulraj. He begins this song with some amazing vocal grunts and noises, all beautifully arranged and executed. Nakash Aziz is a wonderful playback singer and he finally has gotten a song that allows him to showcase his abilities. Satyajit Jamsandekar and Sanket Gurav handle all the live rhythm and percussions and that is a highlight of the song. The antara section is beautifully composed with Nakash hitting the high notes. We have many instruments in the interlude and maybe there was a mild Clarinet in the mix as well. We have Shon Pinto on guitars, and the elaborate strings section has Abhijit Mazumdar, Prakash Varma, Chandar Makwana on Violins, Sanju Varma, Raju Padiyar on Violas and Sujan Chetry on the Cello.  The stanza is a very hummable segment and it gets perfectly accompanied by Keys and all this comes under the purview of Gulraj who is in charge of arrangements and programming. This is one wholesome song that could become the perfect dance song in Mumbai and parts of Maharashtra. The outro reminds me of Ilaiyaraja and Gulraj evokes the Maestro with the Violins, Violas and Cello that carry great complexity in the composition, but end up with such finesse. The thumping percussions keep up with the strings section. Kshitij Patwardhan pens the lyrics.The recording engineers are Amey Londhe and Akshay Purandare, with Amey mixing the tracks and Ashish Saksena taking mastering duties. Vincent Joseph is the assistant to Gulraj Singh. 

If you are a musician submit your new music here.Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 20th August 2023. The Spotify Playlist is here1. Nam Tham Composed & Arranged by Kalyani NairLyrics: Pradeep KumarSolo Vocals: Kalyani NairOne-man String Quartet: Rithu VysakhLanguage: TamilGenre: A-capella I cannot feel more elated to write about and feature a woman composer at the very top of my week's list. Kalyani Nair is one of the most talented in India and she is rising steadily with every passing day. The Indian Choral Ensemble (TICE) is the brainchild of Kalyani and Karthik Manickavasakam and this single from her upcoming EP is a testament to the talent that Kalyani can boast of. She composed and arranged the song with lyrics by Pradeep Kumar. The seeds of Nam Tham probably were sown long back in 2009 according to Kalyani. In Carnatic music, we call compositions as Ragam Thanam Pallavi, with all 3 segments adopting different styles. Thanam is like a Raga Aalap but with syllables A, Nam and Tham. This composition is based on this with some Tamil lyrics later in the song written by Pradeep. Kalyani's very first tryst with classical Hindustani music was in Raag Kalavati and hence this composition follows that scale mostly. This is the kind of song that can turn your sour, bitter day into something more meaningful and magnificent. TICE is in full flow and no it is more than 40 members strong. We have the high Sopranos with the performers on First Sopranos are Padmaja Sreenivasan, Samanvitha G. Sasidaran and Sushmita Narasimhan, 2nd Sopranos Nidhi Saraogi, Nalini Vittobane and Mezzo Sopranos having Sriradha Bharath and Avantika K. The way these vocalists combine is pure magic and it all comes from Kalyani's years of experience and love for A-capella music. She has arranged vocal harmonies for some of India's finest composers like Santhosh Narayan, Pradeep Kumar and Sean Roldan. The way we hear so many layers and with so many lags, and just past the 1-minute mark, the whole bunch sings " Nam Tha" and we are transported to paradise. The intensity keeps rising and we have the introduction of the strings, with Rithu Vysakh being the 1-man string quartet. The Altos are comprised of Fathima Henna, Aishwarya Ravichandran and Vidhya Vijay on First Altos, Triya Sushma, Nithyasri A on Second Altos. The Tenors are Pranjal Thakore, Sarthak Kalyani, Manikandan Chembai and finally the Basses are Karthik Manickavasakam, Ragu, Dhiyanathiru T, Arul C Durairaj, Regis Tony SD and S Kingslin Pon Bhabha. Kalyani performs the lead vocals when we reach the halfway mark in Tamizh and I hope we have musicians across the country take inspiration from such magnificent work. This along with the next song at number 2 is proof of why music in the South dominates the rest of the country. B Prasanna is the Stereo Mix/Master engineer, and the recording engineers are Lijesh, Davidson and KS Maniratnam@theindianchoralensemble @kalyaninair86 @rithuvysakh @pradeep_kumar1123 @karthikmanickavasakam @b_prasanna 2. Nesam Maruma Singer : Anjana RajagopalanLyrics: Mohan RajanMusic: Girishh GopalakrishnanRe-adapted, Programmed and Produced by: Anjana RajagopalanLanguage: TamilGenre: Opera Nessun Dorma is a famous Aria performed by many Opera Singers. It was written by Giacomo Puccini, but popularized by Pavarotti after his performance for the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. This team of Girishh, Anjana and Mohan have re-created India's first Opera SIngle. It is a Himalayan task and has only been possible thanks to the ingenious efforts of the team of musicians. Every word which is originally in Italian, has been recreated to sound similar but the words are Tamil. For example, the title "Nesam Maruma" sounds almost the same as "Nessun Dorma". If we get to the arrangement, it is thanks to Anjana Rajagopalan who has entirely re-adapted, programmed and produced this brilliant show. When it comes to this vocal performance, I have no words. People who have come from Chennai, are quite aware of Anjana's abilities as a vocalist, especially in the Opera style, but this is something else. We are probably listening to the best vocal performance of 2023 by any Indian artist. Just Listen, enjoy and don't mind if you get a tear or two rolling down your cheeks. 

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 13th August 2023. The Spotify Playlist is here1. X marks the spot Performed by Prabhtoj Singh, Sanjeeta BhattacharyaWritten by Prabhtoj Singh, Sanjeeta BhattacharyaProduced by Prabhtoj SinghLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie PopMark this song, and mark this artist. She is easily one of India's brightest and in this song, she delivers probably 2023's finest vocal performance by an Indian singer. Sanjeeta Bhattacharya is a regular on my website and her ability to use her vocal strengths and compose and write songs is a true gift. This is composed and written by Sanjeeta and producer Prabhtoj Singh.Prabhtoj has done some excellent work in the past and here he produces a blitzkrieg, well that is what the poster of the song looks like too, Sanjeeta and Prabhtoh set the stage on fire. Welcome to the spot, with Keys and the Violin by Madhuri Martinez inviting you. Rythem Bansal gently lays his fingers on the Piano and when combined with Sanjeeta's enthralling voice, it sends a shiver down my spine. Sanjeeta wastes no time, and she gets right down to business, making these outrageous vibratos straightaway. The writing is excellent "Shall I make a speech about my right to speak", and when the lines progress into "I want answers, I want to be sure", Madhuri's solo Violin is taking over with immense power in the background. The arrangements and production by Prabhtoj are nothing short of spectacular, and Sanjeeta dn Prabhtoj sown you what songwriting is all about, with lines like " What good is a story when you've got no one to tell it to". The song moves into a much more aggressive and breathtaking plane with the introduction of drums by Aveleon Vaz and Sanjeeta is singing with her lungs about to explode singing " Babe, why don't you love me no more?". Here come Aman Sagar's guitars and Prabhtoj's bass guitar support. The last 40 seconds are just a celebration of great singing and production. @sanjeeta11 @prabhtojsingh @rythempiano @amansagarr @aveleonvaz @madhurimartinez @andresmayoestudio @ferriswheelstudios  2. Bezubaan Singer: Armaan BedilLyrics: Navi FerozpurComposer/Producer: Goldboy Language:Genre: Folk/ Light MusicI have featured both Armaan Bedil and Goldboy before as artists on my website and here the two combine to create this very enjoyable Punjabi melody. Goldboy composed the tune and produced the music, with Armaan's vocals and Navi Ferozpur's Punjabi lyrics. Kudos to Goldboy for the elaborate production and amazing sound design. We hear the Accordion, strings section and flute, all combining with grandeur. It feels like a song by Ajay-Atul from the album "Sairat". The title line is just brilliant to hear with Armaan's voice and the arrangements by Goldboy. The interlude is rich with a loud and imposing strings section, and Accordion in the lead. The stanza is simple with a hummable melody, but it is the intervening mix of these instruments that make for some wonderful listening. I can also hear the stylish bass guitars. We do not get such productions and arrangements in Punjabi music, and the second interlude is a testament to the effort and execution of Golboy as the producer. @iamarmaanbedil @goldboypro @naviferozpurwala 3. Musafir Singers: Salim Merchant, Karthik Chennoji Rao, Yogeendra HariprasadComposed and produced by Yogeendra HariprasadArranged and performed by Pineapple Express

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 6th August 2023. The Spotify Playlist is hereIf you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Swinging Like a Pendulum Performed by Mathangi JagdishWritten by Mathangi JagdishProduced by KJ SinghLanguage: EnglishGenre: JazzI played this EP called " Major Troubles in Minor Blues" and I had no idea or expectations about the artist Mathangi Jagdish. Within a few seconds I was smiling, with eyes closed and living an unforgettable moment of excitement and joy. If a diagnosis was done of these symptoms, the cause would generally have to be "listening to amazing music". True!Mathangi is nothing short of brilliant and she straightaway reminded me of powerhouse performers like Vivienne Pocha and Samantha Noella. This EP is something that you should try straightaway and I loved all 3 songs, with special mentions for "Swinging like a Pendulum" and "Salt in My Kitchen". The magical Bombay Brass is on the horns section and you hear their delightful intro with Robin Fargose on Trumpets, ID Rao on Tenor Sax, Ramon Ibrahim on Trombone, Rhys Sebastian on Alto Sax and the Baritone Sax. The arrangements of the brass section are by Rhys. Mathangi makes a grand entrance with her phenomenal vocals and when you hear the line " At every corner, a twist and a turn" the delectable vibrato on the word 'turn' makes so much sense and oozes of style. The title line is beautifully composed by Mathangi like the entire song, as she goes " Im swingin' swinging like a pendulum". The Piano and drums are constant companions with Merlin Dsouza on the former and Jeoraj George on the latter. The entire production is by KJ Singh and he deserves a standing ovation just like Mathangi and every live instrumentalist, except that he is the director of this whole movie. Mathangi has written these witty lines and she performs with amazing zest. The bridge section is very nicely written, and Mathangi's genius comes alive again when the word "elevate" is sung with rising notes. Kudos! Singing with emotions is what many in the current generation need to learn, I can feel her weariness when she sings " cos I'm tired". The other song that is just brilliant is "Salt in My Kitchen", with the same roles played by all musicians, except for a few minor changes, there are no major alterations to the amazement. The song feels like Tina Turner's "Golden Eye" OST and here too the Bombay Brass is killing it. Joshua Rodrigues plays the Double Bass in the EP and it is Siddharth Talwar on guitars. Mathangi explores even deeper capabilities of her vocal structure in this song. She conveys so much in " All I wanna do is write my song Cos its been so long" because Mathangi has been such a famous playback singer in South Indian cinema with over 450 songs to her credit. She has sung for greats like AR Rahman and MM Keeravani and geniuses like Ilaiyaraja. I cannot wait for her to turn this debut EP into a start for something magnificent in the future. Towards the end Mathangi does a Carnatic styled " Oh it's been so long" and I was bowled over. This is where I heard a bit of Raag Bhimpalasi in the mix. The tracks are mixed by KJ Singh, with Mark Wingfield on mastering duties. The recording engineers are Mrunal, Leslie Charles, Adhithya Sivakumar and Hersh Desai. Asli Music is the label. @kjpahji @musicmerlin @everythingwedoismusic @saxontoast @idrao_official @trumpetrobin @ramonibrahim @crossbow191 @musicsoundart @jeoraj_george @mark_wingfield @stainedclassprod @lesliecharles @studioislandcity @pandalilikestopaint @punamsawhney @nehav07 @aslimusicglobal @mathangijagdishmusic @hersh.desai.9 @adhithya.sivakumar2. Raahein Singers: Shrishti Kedlaya, Parvatish PradeepLyrics: Sushant SudhakaranMusic Composed & Produced by Parvatish PradeepAudio Design: Sparsh Agrawal, Abin ThomasLanguage: HindiGenre: Electronic PopTime for a newcomer on this list, and that always gets me eager and excited. The composer we have here is Parvatish Pradeep, who has also produced this brilliantly. We hear the female vocals coming from Shrishti Kedlaya, and Parvatish also accompanies the lead vocals. Interestingly Parvatish has a classical Carnatic music background. Shrishti has this amazing tone, almost feeling surreal when you hear her and, there is no way a music lover can resist her voice, so we end up getting drawn into the song. Abin Thomas and Sparsh Agrawal are responsible for the fabulous audio design and we have to credit them with the exuberant and excellent sound. I do sense some Raag Hamsadwani right at the beginning when Shrishti's lines are up. The strumming of the guitars is accompanied by Keys and synths and the song gets a tremendous boost when she starts singing " Raahein". That is one brilliant moment which will throw you off your seat. The electric guitar solo comes into the interlude and some vocal interventions. This sound design in a few ways does remind me of Pritam and himonshu Parikh's 'Kesariya' last year. Parvatish joins in the stanza and maintains the beauty that Shrishti created up until then. I trust a lot of the song's great output is thanks to Sparsh, because to this day, "Colors" produced by him is one of the best Indie songs of 2023. 

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 30th July 2023. The Spotify Playlist is hereIf you are a musician submit your new music here.1. I grew up Written & Performed by - Tarana MarwahProduced by - Tarana Marwah & Gaurav RainaLyrics by - Tarana MarwahLanguage: EnglishGenre: Electronic/Synth PopTarana Marwah a.k.a. Komorebi, impressed me immensely with the background score for the Amazon Prime Webseries 'Dahaad'. It was out-of-the-ordinary, with some moments that truly haunted me. The standout element was the use of local Rajasthani folk instruments and style and such clarity, commitment and skill shared by Tarana and Gaurav Raina is showing its head again here. This composition is by Gaurav and Tarana, and the synths are powering up like a rocket ready to launch. Her dreamy and impactful vocals draw you in deep, and the duo produce this song with an immaculate style. We get the fantastic guitars played by Warren Mendonsa a.k.a. Blackstratblues. Listen to the absorbing strings in the background played by The Mavron Quartet viz. Chris, Beatrice, Rachael, and Niamh. James Gair has arranged the session. This feels almost Hans Zimmer-esque.  The Keys and Synths never take a moment of break and Tarana's lyrics are imposing making you see the message as clear as day. The battle against time is a losing battle, she says and this message feels like a warzone, not knowing where sounds come and hit us from, and kudos to the spectacular design. One of the most enchanting movements is towards the end when we hear multiple layers of vocals, aided by the resonating drums, guitars, Keys and strings. The whole song makes me feel like, I was born, stayed innocent, playful and then suddenly grew up, fell in love, lost in love, and by the time I learnt my lessons, it was time to die. The song is an experience. Gaurav is the mixing engineer and the tracks are mastered by Mike Marsh. @komorebi.music @blackstratblues @james_gair @mavronquartet @mediamonks @groovio @suyashgabriel 2. See Me Now Vocals, Lyrics, Composed by: Sahitya Nepal 'YAATRI' Song Arrangement & Song Production by: Vishal J Singh (Pargot Studio) Additional Production by: Trisha Romeno (Pargot Studio)Language: Nepali & EnglishGenre: ExperimentalThere are many artists here who I have never featured or heard before, and that in itself is something that thrills me. This superior rock single is a class apart and songs like these ascertain India's position in the world of music. Sahitya Nepal 'YAATRI', the Kathmandu-based project, has these unmistakable vocals and they suit the rock genre to perfection. Sahitya has composed and written the lyrics as well along with playing the acoustic guitars. There is an amazing contribution from Vishal J Singh who is playing the exuberant drums, and also getting the grooviness quotient up with his bass guitars and electric guitars. The Keys by Vishal pacifies things a bit in between, but the room gets hot and heavy thanks to Sahitya's breathtaking vocals. Take a bow, Vishal, for the wonderful arrangements and production with assistance from Trisha Romeno. The way the song amps up in intensity and then breathes lighter allowing the vocals and lyrics to be heard is all smartly done. There are moments when I felt like I was listening to Phil Collins perform, and that is one outstanding compliment according to me. Just past the 3rd minute, get a load of a sizzling solo on electric guitar by Vishal. We have the Choir Vocals by Loc Punk (Harip Tatwo), Vishal J Singh, Subodh Dahal, Sahitya Nepal & Ves Timalsina. Vishal and Jason Baruah have done the stereo mixing and mastering of the tracks. @risha_midicore @vishaljsingh @pargotstudios @subodhdahal_ @sahityanepalyaatri 3. Dil Se Dil Tak 

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 23rd July 2023. The Spotify Playlist is hereIf you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Padminiye Song Composed & Arranged by JAKES BEJOY Singer: SACHIN WARRIERLyrics: TITTO P THANKACHAN Music Producers: JAKES BEJOY, EDEN MICHEAL, EBIN PALLICHAN, PRAKASH ALEXLanguage: MalayalamGenre: Light Music/Electronic PopIf Sachin Warrier can compose good music, like he has done recently for a Tamil movie album, he definitely can sing quite well too. Jakes Bejoy is the big facilitator with his fantastic composition and arrangements, but the quartet of Jakes, Eden Michael, Ebin Pallichan and Prakash Alex come to the fore and produce this magnificence. Josy Alappuzha's playful solo on the flute, along with the funky Keys make a grant start. Amidst all these Western influences sounding like an electronic pop song, we get glimpses of the local Kerala percussions like the Thavil, Chenda and a few more. The title line is just filled with poise and fun, and we have Jakes, Akhil J Chand, Aruna Mary George and Aavani Malhar on backing vocals which we can hear faintly are various instances. The Nadaswaram by Bala plays out the title line, and then Josy's flute comes and anoints the interlude. The stanza is just brilliant in composition as you will find yourself constantly being found out by Jakes' unpredictable set of notes. Daniel Joseph Antony and Maneeth Manoj excel in all the session arrangements with Akhil handling the Harmony arrangements. Titto P Thankachan is the lyricist, Midhun Anand is the mix/master engineer and we have Midhun, Daniel, Maneeth, Najid Nizarudheen, Vishnu Shankar, Hari Narayanan and John Gregory are the recording engineers. @jakes_bejoy @warriersach @saregamamalayalam @titto_p_thankachen @midhunanand_official @prakash_alex @ebin_pallichan @aavani_malhar @josy_alappuzha @maneethmanoj 2. Mera Sukoon Singer & Composer: Bhagyesh HendreLyrics: Bhagyesh HendreMusic Producer: Neil-NirajI heard this song while I was waiting to board a flight, and I got so caught up in the brilliant melody, that I played it on a loop over 3 times and missed my chance to board the flight for almost 15 minutes. Finally, when I drew enough utility and pleasure, I went to board my flight, ready to take off with my heart already flying miles into the air thanks to this amazing song produced by Neil-Niraj, and composed and performed by Bhagyesh Hendre.Bhagyesh and Neil-Niraj are all making their debuts on this website and I cannot wait to hear more resulting from their collaboration in the future. The guitars that strum right away are played by Dhananjay Chhettri and we hear the soothing vocals of Bhagyesh. Ha has this tonality that resembles Sonu Nigam and Shaan, their best parts at least. The biggest merit of this song other than the singing and composition, is that guitar riff that stands out. We have the thumping rhythms and in the foreground the strings section in the interlude. For all the intensity in the interlude, the stanza is pleasant and filled with melodic richness. The arrangements are fantastic that get the electric guitar playing in the background. The musical team involves Sahil Vishwakarma, Ajith Aryan, Mehul Nikhare & Meet Gohil@sochmusicindia @neilnirajmusic @ridzzthakkar @whodipesjbangera @iam_kanakharipriya @nirajmusic @_meeeett_ @dhananjaychhettri3. Dhaage Music Composed & Produced by: Salim Sulaiman

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 16th July 2023. The Spotify Playlist is hereIf you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Yeh Awaaz Performed by Bryden & ParthWritten by Bryden Lewis, Nirmika SinghProduced by Bryden LewisLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie Pop'Unstoppable', and it is the perfect word for Byrden & Parth. These guys are killing it and I haven't in 4 years of music journalism seen 3 consecutive weeks where songs from the same album/EP have come in the top 2 spots. This is mindblowing stuff and after 'Chameleon World' and 'Rain Chant', we have a Hindi track here that is dominated by the duo in every aspect. Bryden Lewis is the lead singer and guitarist, while Parth Chandiramani is blowing us away with his Penny Whistle. The song is composed and produced by Bryden like the other two we featured but the duo get Nirmika Singh for the Hindi lyrics. The Penny Whistle is the primary instrumental driving force and this 6-holed woodwind instrument is like a toy that Parth is totally having fun with. Siddhart Kamath's Keys keep taking us back to the 1990s Pop and we have some amazing beats thanks to Liben Toms on drums and Kamal Bon on the innovative percussions. I love the transformation in the notes when the lines "Bulaa rahi bulandiyaan, chalo jo bhi ho, pighal rahi hain dooriyan chalo jo bho ho" emerge. The bass guitars by Osigo Mango add delicate style to the background. Close to the 3rd minute, we get a fantastic interlude with the Penny Whistle, Guitars and drums stealing away all our focus. I like the way the percussions and instruments take a back seat with only the lead and backing vocals dominating towards the end. We have Shruti Dhasmana and Bryden performing the backing vocals. The outro is outrageously good with the Parth on the Penny Whistle, Bryden's lung-bursting vocals and the energetic percussions by Kamal. @brydenlewis @nirmika @vivekthomasproductions @robin.schmidt.mastering @rahul.narayan.15 @parth_chandiramani @siddhartkamath @osigomango @libentom @kamaldrummer @shrutidhasmana @sharanyavasuki 2. Thee Veyilil Vocals by  Gowry Lekshmi, Lyrics by Vaishakh SugunanMusic by Christo XavierLanguage: MalayalamGenre: Light Music/PopI listened to the new Malayalam movie album "18+" and this has a composition by Christo Xavier, someone I haven't featured before. The EP is decent with a few likeable moments but this song stood out, not only thanks to the score but also because of the undeniable beauty in Gowry Lekshmi's vocals. The instrumental lineup right at the beginning of the song is magnificent with the strumming of the acoustic guitar and then followed by the Violin, Viola and Cello with rising intensities. Leave it to Gowry, to then bamboozle the listener with her intricate vocal sensibilities. Christo does an outstanding job in this score as he gets a very hummable melody and adds unique and relevant sounds suited for the modern-day music aficionado.The interlude has even a stylish slide guitar that tantalises the listener and brings an element of American Folk music into the fray. The folk style that is so popular in Malayalam music takes over and who better to sing it than Gowry. The numerous percussion sounds are engaging right through the stanza and the folk turns to semi-classical with the beautiful line " thedumne theeram ennume, kaanumne vaanil vaanavil". The strings section is emphatic in the second interlude. I love the fact that the second stanza is completely different from the first, and there is so much happening in the background in the form of the strings, that I cannot resist standing up and giving Christo a standing ovation. Vaisakh Sugunan writes the beautiful words. @christo_xavier @thinkmusicmalayalam @falooda_entertainments @vaisakhsugunan @gowrylekshmih 3. Hiraeth