Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 9th July 2023. The Spotify Playlist is hereIf you are a musician submit your new music here.1. On The Wild Side Composed and written by Perfect StrangersVocals: Ananya Raja, Pranav DMLanguage: EnglishGenre: Jazz/RockSurprisingly, I am listening to this amazing band for the very first time, but like they say, "Better late than never". This Bengaluru-based band has been around since 2013 and is quite popular in that region. I was truly blown away by this and there was no way this song would be featured at any other place than the number 1 spot. Kudos people!The band wastes no time, as straight away we get an induction of rock with Debjeet Basu's electric guitars and Preran Gulvady's drums. After that opening cameo, we get the sensational Jazz construct, with Sweethin Hartman on the saxophone, Joshua Costa on Keys and the outrageously savvy vocals of Ananya Raja. Is she singing her lines from the depths of a deep well, because that is how low she could go in the vocal range? It soon turns into an exhibition of vocal sorcery as Ananya blows red hot right through. Her control, and her vibrato, is all flawless and I am certain this could be placed right alongside Samantha Noella's performance earlier this year for the song 'Glow". I feel the intensity when she sings " Don't you push me away, would you rather have me stay?". Sense for yourself, the groovy bass guitars by Shalini Mohan and then when we get to the title line, the song is a whole other beast that will just devour you, because it just sensed your weakness for good music. The song is a concoction of amazing production, arrangements, singing etc. The song explores the story of a transgender woman and her journey towards authenticity and acceptance. Let the Pride flow!The Pianos form a beautiful interlude past the 3.2 minute mark and it is this unpredictable nature of the song's progression that I deeply love. Sweethin's Saxophone solo is breathtaking and is another worthy feather on the cap for the band's single. Akash Shivakumar is the mixing engineer and Vivek Thomas is the mastering engineer. The song feels like taking a walk on the wild side with the heavy drums and electric guitars @perfectstrangersindia @vanarosa11 @pranavdm @ananyarajaa @debjeetguitar @shalinimohanbass @vivekthomasproductions @sweethartman @akashshivakumar @joe_keys_jazz @preran.pramod2. Rain Chant  Composed and Produced by: Bryden LewisEnglish Lyrics: Manek D'silvaKannada Lyrics: Halakki VokkaligaLanguage: Kannada/EnglishGenre: Folk/Alt-RockIs there no stopping them, as we have Bryden & Parth deliver another rollicking Folk fusion here that takes them to number 2 on the list? This is following a phenomenal chart-topper last week called "Chameleon World". When the song starts off, I feel like I am listening to the opening folk portion of B Ajaneesh Loknath's 'Singara Siriye' from the hit movie "Kantara". Halakki Vokkaliga writes the Kannada lyrics and, after that, the guitar-led vocals start falling like beautiful droplets of rain. Bryden Lewis has composed the melody and he is also the guitarist and lead vocalist, for the English lines penned by Manek D'Silva. The humming gives a monumental feeling of hope and inspiration and the usual suspects join in making this transcendental chant rather than just a song. Osi Gomango plays the bass guitars and Liben Tom is the drummer. The sound of the Bnsuri played by Parth Chandiramani, like the chirping of a bird, makes all the pain and agony of a long hot summer go away. Here it is Jimmy Francis John singing the amazing Kannada lines aided by guitars, bass and Siddhart Kamat's Keys. The rain has just fallen, and then what do we get, the flowing stream in the form of Siddhart's Piano with the thunder roading percussions by Anthony Kamal. Just wait for the 3.2-minute mark when Anthony takes matters into his own hands literally and changes the tempo of the percussions. There is this segment of merriment as Parth and Siddharth go ahead with their jugalbandi on the steel flute and the Keys. The outro alaap is pure magic and may have some influences of Bhimpalasi Ragam. Vivek Thomas does a phenomenal job of mixing these varied tracks and Robin Schmidt does the mastering. The recording engineers are Vivek Thomas, Rahul Narayan and Siddhart Kamath @brydenlewis @parth_chandiramani @libentom @kamaldrummer @siddhartkamath @jimmy_francis_john @osigomango @vivekthomasproductions 

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 25th June 2023. The Spotify Playlist is hereIf you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Chameleon WorldPerformed by Bryden & ParthWritten by Bryden Lewis, Manek DSilvaProduced by Bryden LewisLanguage: EnglishGenre: Alt-RockI listened to this song and I had a surge of excitement, songs like these can are exactly why I do this job so that the world can open up their ears and listen to this kind of amazing homegrown talent. Bryden & Parth is the name of the band and the founding members are Bryden Lewis who is the composer, lyricist and Producer, and Parth Chandiramani plays the Flute and saxophone. The band also comprises Bassist Osi Gomango, Keyboardist Siddart Kamath, drummers Kamal Bob and Liben Toms and vocalist Jimmy Francis John. This song's brilliant vocals are performed by Bryden and we have the magnificent Shruti Dhasmana on backing vocals. The lyricist Manek comes up with that stylish opening speech, sounding like a game show host in the US. We instantly get a taste of what is about to come thanks to the Steel Flute by Parth and the drums by Liben.That feeling of Latin Jazz emanates the moment Kamal plays the Percussion, sounding like the Cajun. We then get all the live instruments converging, like the Keys, guitars and bass and drums. The steel flute whenever I hear it, I am reminded of Ian Anderson at "Jethro Tull", the brilliant British Rock band of the 1970s. But the overall pop tone does feel like the great times of the 1990s and the best line is "She has an outfit for every occasion, Chameleon Girl wouldn't know what's real", sung with great oomph by Bryden. I also pleasantly recall songs like "Two Hearts" by Phil Collins and "When the going gets tough, the tough get going" by Billy Ocean, thanks to the similar tone. Bryden is terrific on the lead vocal but we can hear Shruti's dashing voice in the background and these harmonies are well-arranged and executed. I love this along with the dominant Keys when we hear the lines "back from who you truly are, from who we are". As we progress Siddhart gets wild on the Keys and the combined effect of the drums and percussion works like magic. At around the 3rd minute, we get a beautiful Flute solo by Parth. Then there is this nice tete-a-tete between the Flute and bass guitars, and finally, the outro is performed at a higher vocal pitch. @brydenparth @brydenlewis @manekdsilva @parth_chandiramani @shrutidhasmana @libentom @kamaldrummer @siddhartkamath @osigomango @vivekthomasproductions @rahul.narayan.152. CloserPerformed by Sukruth MalleshWritten by Sukruth MalleshProduced by Sukruth & Siddhart KamathLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie PopA couple of months ago, I featured a fabulous single by Sukruth Mallesh called 'Without You' and before even reading this review, I suggest you please listen to that song right away. Now coming closer to 'Closer', I was playing my set of new songs that I always plan on listening to every day in the morning. This is an exercise where I don't look at my phone till a song gets over so that I avoid any biases from taking over in judging the content. Along came this outrageous beauty, and I thought to myself, maybe this is some European or UK-based producer. I loved it so much but couldn't bear to open Spotify and see who is the artist. I jumped joyously knowing it is an Indian and that to this guy Sukruth who already had raised the bar last time. Here come the Keys, laying the platform and then as Sukruth begins cooly, we get the acoustic and bass guitars to add style. The way the additional vocals pile on when he sings " But I have been hurt so much" and somehow the impact of the hurt sort of magnifies and that is smartly arranged. The highlight of the song is the line " Can I get closer, Will I, Will I ever get closer?". It is like that famous line in the movie 'Jerry Maguire' that goes "You had me at Hello". I have to say Sukruth had me at "Can I". I just feel goosebumps when he sings "Will you hurt, If I get closer to you" and the chords change

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 25th June 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Na Koyi Mera Composed by Amit TrivediLyrics by Kausar MunirSingers - Papon & Vaishali MadeProduced by Sunny Subramanian & Amit TrivediLanguage: HindiGenre: RetroThe web series 'Jubilee' created a massive wave of expectations and the series lived up to the hype. I am yet to see the series which boasts of some amazing performances as well. I will be doing a separate Instagram video review of the series, and its BGM score by Alokananda Dasgupta. Now the songs have ne composed by Amit Trivedi and he seems to have found new love and passion for retro Hindi music. After outclassing in 'Qala' on Netflix, this time it is an Amazon Prime series which demands 40's styled music and Amit delivers without fail. I loved a few songs from the album like "Nahin Ji Nahin", "Voh Tere Mere Ishq Ka" and "Sare Ke Sare Akele" other than this chart-topper. Lyrics are penned beautifully with intent and passion by Kausar Munir and the producers are Amit and Sunny Subramanian. We have amazing strings opening the account thanks to the group of violinists Jitendra Thakur, Sandeep Thakur, Pradeep Thakur, Chandan Singh, Mohan Goyal and Sanjay Verma. Lakshmikant Sharma plays the gentle Mandolin and we immediately are taken back to the 1940s thanks to The Woodwinds by ID Rao, Accordion by Satyajit Prabhu and also the delightful Harp. Chandan Singh plays the solo Violin. The song is perfect in its timeline representation and a huge role is played by Deepak Borkar on Percussion and Rhythms. Papon sings like he is holding a magic wand and it shows the man's skill to sound so apt in the retro style. I was pleasantly surprised by Vaishali Made's female lead vocals and she delivers a stunning performance. The song itself reminds us of "Yeh Raat Bheegi Bheegi" by Shankar-Jaikishan. The interludes continue from where they left off in the opening segment. The interplay of all the live instruments is like a tonic for the heart. I love how the arrangements shift when Vaishali " Aaja tujhe dil se laga loon". The sound engineers are Urmila Sutar and Avadhoot Wadkar. The tracks are mixed and mastered by Shadab Rayeen with assistance from Pukhraj & Anup@itsamittrivedi @paponmusic @kausarmunir @vaishalimadeofficial @tseries.official @shadabrayeen @sunny.subramanian @idrao_official  2. Panjimittai Song Composed, Arranged and Produced: Jay UnnithanLyrics: Manu ManjithSingers: Nithinraj, Nithya MammenLanguage: MalayalamGenre: Folk-PopThis is epic by Jay Unnithan. Very rarely do we have two songs from the same EP being featured in consecutive weeks, that too both in the top 2. Time to get up and give an ovation. Like 'Noolamala' this too is composed, arranged and produced by Jay, with lyrics by Manu Manjith. The vocalists are Nithinraj, who I am featuring for the first time and the brilliant-sounding Nithya Mammen. Embrace the stringed instruments like the Mandolin and Guitalele by Sanu PS at the start, and the local percussion gives a thump. Assan Nidheesh SD is the man behind the energy here, as Al Nishad handles all the additional rhythm programming. ID Rao makes it two in two after making an appearance in the number 1 song also. He is omnipresent with his Clarinet in the opening instrumental segment and also plays the Saxophone later.  Nithinraj has this teasing style of delivery and that suits this song folk-pop song. I love it when after the 1.15-minute mark the percussions abruptly stop and it is only the vocals, Guitalele and bass guitars. The whole scenario feels like a wedding procession thanks to the Clarinet and percussion. The tempo builds up in the interlude to arrive at the stanza where the Diva Nithya performs and the melody is like an earworm. My favourite line is "Vallathe thullathe" which feels o refreshing with Nithya's saccharine-laden vocals. Lijesh Kumar handles all the vocal tuning, with recording engineers Deepak SR and Ezekiah Naniwadekar. Abin Paul is the mix/master engineer, and he does a splendid job getting the tracks together in perfect sync. Listen to the brilliant saxophone, Clarinet and Keys coming together. 

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 18th June 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Kya Karie Korimol Written, Composed, Lead Vocals by AlifFeatured Vocals: Noor MohammedCreative Producer: Ankur TewariVocal Bridge (Aashima Mahajan) Composed by Alif and Aman MoroneyWavun couplets compiled by Rumuz Bekhudi & AlifProduced by Aman Moroney, Alif and Ashish ManchandaLanguage: KashmiriGenre: Musical Theatre-FolkThis song is a barrage of emotions that needs to be experienced, a review like this will never be able to do the project even half of the justice it deserves, and yet I try. It is the best song under 'Coke Studio Bharat' released thus far and kudos to all the musicians involved. Alif has written, composed and performed the lead vocals and the song's brilliant segment is also a bridge section and this was composed by Alif and Aman Moroney. I am thinking about where to begin, but here we go. This song is a story and this is exactly what a Coke Studio product should sound like. The father of the bride goes through hordes of pain and problems when his daughter's extravagant wedding is being arranged. The original main segment of the song sung by Alif shows us this perspective. Alif sings these lines in Kashmiri with great enthusiasm and he also plays the acoustic guitars while doing so. The strings section is on fire right from the beginning and they set the tone for this elaborate composition. Gaurang Deshpande of 'The Media Tribe' does the strings transcription and we have the eminent Jitender Thakur playing one of the Violins and the Viola. The 2nd Violin is played by Prabhat K with Johan on the Cello.  Slowly we get the impact of the live instruments as Tanmay Pawar plays the solid acoustic guitars and the electric guitars, with Amit Gadgil on the bass guitars. A highlight of the song is the fantastic chorus, which is called 'Wanwun' in Kashmiri which means chorus and raising a toast to these amazing performers Zartasha Zainab, Shivani Matyal, Samhita Shiledar, Samiyah Nabi and Rumuz-e-Bekhudi. I want to take some time and enjoy the fantastic synths and Piano by Aman. You can suddenly hear the hair-raising switch in energy with the electric guitars and the drums are smashing hard with Karan Chitra Deshmukh also playing the Darbuka now, hearing the title line being sung in unison. Welcome to the second part of the song, the enchanting bridge section sung by Aashima Mahajan, and composed by Aman and Alif. The Cello dominates along with the Violins, and Viola, as the daughter tells her side of the story, getting ready for the marriage. The closing segment is hugely impactful with the collective vocals, drums, electric guitar and strings and almost feels like a Hans Zimmer score out of 'Inception'. Things take a turn again as we get to the father's story. Kudos to Aman Moroney, Ashish Manchanda and Alif who have produced this outstanding chart-topper.@cokestudiobharat @aashima.mahajan @everythingisalif @mohammad.muneem @basswati @aman_moroney @ankurtewari @misfitsinc @kjpahji @karanchitradeshmukh @tanmay_aavishkaar @thedoccwhosings @saamiyahnabi @zartashaazainab @samhitashiledar @ashishmanchanda007 @themediatribe_bceducation 2. Noolamala Song Composed, Arranged and Produced: Jay UnnithanLyrics: Manu ManjithSingers: Vanee Rajendra, Shivakamy Shyamaprasad, Kaanjana SriramLanguage: MalayalamGenre: Electronic Folk PopIt is his debut album in the movie space and Jay Unnithan is making his mark. I am confident that not only this song but the whole EP will end up being one of India's best this year by the end of 2023. The guitars hit you hard in almost U2 style from 'Mission Impossible'. Chaitanya Bhaidkar plays the scintillating electric guitar and he also immediately brings in the Saz and Banjo. The work of genius is to get the Korava vocals in the mix, in a way that I would have never dreamt of. The Korava vocalists are Lekshmi, Rama Lekshmi, Karthik. The lyrics are excellent with a lot of fun and frolic written by Manu Manjith. Thank God the people of Kerala did not create a ruckus because of words like "Answer, Where are you going" coming in a Malayalam song. I am sure Amitabh Bhattacharya wished he lived in Kerala.  The lead vocalists are Vanee Rajendra, Shivakamy Shyamaprasad, Kaanjana Sriram and there is not a moment you wouldn't enjoy in their performance. Jay has composed, arranged and programmed, so he is the champion, producing this baby of his. My favourite part is when the leads sing " Minnaminni Ninne Ninne Ninnodonnu chothikkam".  Rony George plays the additional guitar, and Sonu Sangameswaran is the bassist. The humming by the leads in the interlude is so charming keeping the folk flavour alive. Deepak SR is the recording engineer, and Abin Paul brilliantly mixes the tracks and masters the song. @__hijk @manumanjith_s @vanee_rajendra @shivakamy_shyamaprasad @kaanjana_sreeram @chaituontheroll @basssonu @mixwithabin @deepaksr.mix @thrishankufilm @thinkmusicofficial 3. VirtualityLyrics: Bob StarkComposition: Eliezer BotzerMusic production, arrangements, Sound engineering, programming, Keyboards: Ori AvniVocals: Eli Botzer, Lucky AliGenre: Indie PopThe two musicians from different parts of the world combine again and the expectations immediately soar upon hearing about the project. Eli Botzer from Israel and Lucky Ali from India create magic here and it is the coming together of some solid vocals, live instruments, and phenomenal production.  The melody is soothing and inspiring and it is the work of Botzer but the soul of the song is also in the amazing programming and arrangements. Ori Avni does that like a sorcerer at the peak of his powers. The guitars, keyboards, rhythms, bass guitars and vocal harmonies enthral us, singing "Nothing is as it seems". Wait for the best part, it is the humming that is like a breath of fresh air. The composition of this humming is well-written, and sung by Ayana Botzer and Tasmiyah Ali (the daughters). We have Itamar Doari on the wonderfully crafted percussion, Michael Frost on bass guitars, Idan Shneor on acoustic guitars and Amit Yitzhak on the electric guitar. The video was shot in the Dead Sea, and I'm sure music like this will bring life even to that water body. I can only recommend you listen to the last 2 minutes of the song in absolute peace and solitude to enjoy the greatest gift in life i.e. Music. The symphonic orchestra is elaborate with 4 Violins, 2 Violas, 2 Cellos, 1 Contrabass, 1 Flute, 1 Clarinet, 2 Trombones and 1 French Horn. The masterminds behind the orchestration are Ori Avni and Aviv Koren. The sound engineers are Bharat Kumar and Idan Katz and the tracks are mastered by Jonathan Jacobi, and the lovely words of inspiration are penned by Bob Stark. @officialluckyali @avniori @sharonmalin @botzer_official @thebigbeatindia4. Joru Joraagi  Singers: Suneel Rao, Varijashree VenugopalLyricist: Sharath BhagwanMusic by: DossmodeLanguage: KannadaGenre: Electronic/Synth-popI am incredibly impressed with the soundscape and score by Dossmode a.k.a. Dheerendra Doss, for this Kannada album "Thurthu Nirgamana", and although the movie was released back in 2022, some songs were streamed online recently which got me interested. In fact, this song was rele

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 11th June 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. ButterflyPerformed by Prithvi PrakashWritten by Prithvi PrakashProduced by Ashwin Sriram & Prithvi PrakashLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie PopSometimes you come across a song that makes your heart grow fonder. For me such songs make all my efforts of listening to hundreds of songs every week feel like a cinch. This phenomenal single by Prithvi Prakash is one that made me feel alive and thrilled to come out and write a review. It ,without any doubt, rises to the top of this week's ranking and credit goes to Prithvi who has composed, written and performed and Ashwin Sriram who co-produces the song with Prithvi.I haven't featured Prithvi before and that is why I am super excited about the discovery of talent while Ashwin has been featured a couple of times for some fantastic singles of his own. She hits a home run ( baseball reference as the two are based in the US) with her vocals which also have this Carnatic Classical style of ghamakas on the ending note of every line.The way she sings and ends the line "Yet you lay, curled in a corner" is amazing, and do pay attention to the word " corner". I love this delivery and I adore it throughout the song. We hear the keys in the background and just the vocals and keys keep things simple. Interestingly, the production adds a layer of vocals in the background and with a lag.  I enjoyed the mild alaap just after the lines "Butterfly, we built a pupa just for us", making it so unique and heartwarming. Slowly we get the impact of the chords on the keyboards and that guitar strumming steadily in the background. The combined effect of the guitars in the lead and the mild alaap in the background works beautifully and it is here that I sense some Raag Hamsadhwani. As we progress, we get the rhythms and that solo Violin by Myra Rena Choo which strikes like an arrow, pointed and deep into my heart. Let all the song's beauty and its elements sink in so that you can just fly away like a butterfly. Anusha handles the cover artwork, with Rachel Pac as the photographer. @pritsprakash @ashwynmusic @anushadesign @at_the_beat @pixbypac 2. Cant Help ItWritten, Composed by Sanchi MannotraPerformed by SanchiProduced by Osho JainLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie PopThis is the 3rd time I am featuring a song that Sanchi is involved in after two amazing singles "L.O.M.L." and "To Be in Love". I am firmly confident that Sanchi is one of the best indie talents we have in this country. Since I came to find out that she is also a tattooist, she could tattoo this claim of mine on my arm, that's how confident I am. Osho Jain another consistently good indie singer-songwriter who I have featured many times does all the fantastic production for the song, and makes it breathe, survive and grow on the listener. Sanchi writes, composes and performs with incredible gusto and I get drawn by the sheer magnetism of her voice. The song is beautifully written, as I can sit here and feel her agony when she sings "Why am I held against my will to sleep next to him, I can change reality But it's never not a dream".These guitars are a solid companion, and the notes are captivating when she utters the words " I can't help it, if my heart spins. When you're next to me", especially the second time she repeats the words "when you're next to me". The introduction of the humming is fabulous " tham tha tha tham" as it brings in style and funkiness, especially thanks to the vocal multiple layers and the drums.Sanchi is phenomenal in delivering the vocals, keeping in mind the right emotive construct and the way she explores the higher pitch. The vocal harmonies are brilliantly arranged in the outro and probably are one of the highlights of the song. Kudos to Osho for the production, and Utkarsh Amarpuri for the solid mixing and mastering of the tracks. Aayushi Bansal handles the cover art. @sanchhhii @oshojain_ @buttonchutney @aayushi_bansal_

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 4th June 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Phir Aur Kya Chahiye Singer - Arijit Singh, Sachin- JigarMusic - Sachin- JigarLyrics - Amitabh BhattacharyaProgrammed & Arranged By - Sachin- JigarMusic Production Head - Romil VedSachin and Jigar the composer duo, are like Michael Bevan, the cricketer. He used to come in and bat for around 10 overs and without a single boundary, suddenly you will see him in his 40s. I have been quite impressed with how their original scores are very good despite not getting too much attention and fan following (in my opinion) me. Bhediya was a very good album, with 2 fine songs and a good original background score as well. Arijit Singh has been in prime form and I feel like he has rediscovered himself as a vocalist because the usual style of singing which was getting somewhat stale has been left behind. Arijit brings out the protagonist's vulnerability and emotions rather than showcasing his vocal skills, and that is why O'Bedardeya and Bairiya which were released in 2023 got featured by me. Kalyan Baruah is amazing on the guitars and Sachin-Jigar's Keyboard programming is fantastic, and you can realise this if you focus on the background rather than Arijit's vocals singing the title line. The Alt-pop influence is something that sticks to the mind and pulls the song to this week's number 1 spot. Pratiksha Kale, Maanuni Desai and Sahil Vishvakarma sing the chorus "Tu heere" in the interlude. The programming and arrangements are by Sachin-Jigar and Romil Ved is the Music Production Head. Amitabh Bhattacharya pens the lovely lyrics. Tejas Vinchurkar instils love with his flute solo and Sachin-Jigar composes a very likeable and rich stanza, with Arijit excelling with every note like only he can. I love the line "ugta nahi hain suraj mera". Tatiana Kritskaya plays the Cello and when we get to the outro Arijit improvises splendidly as usual. The song is mixed and mastered by Eric Pillai with Michael Edwin Pillai assisting with the mixing. Swar Mehta is the recording engineer. The song has that tone and resemblance to "Main Tenu Samjhawan Ki".@sachinjigar @arijitsingh @amitabhbhattacharyaofficial @saregama_official @soulfulsachin @jigarsariaya @tejas.flute @tanikacello @romilved @pratikshakale @scarlettvictim @sahilvmusic @ericpillai @swar_440 @michaeledwinpillai 2. Time For 2 Performed by Yamini Lavanian, Zohran MirandaWritten by Yamini Lavanian, Zohran Jude MirandaProduced by Zohran and Jovian SoansLanguage: EnglishGenre: Synth PopZohran Miranda is a guitarist and producer from Mumbai and he has worked with many top-notch singer-songwriters. This is my debut EP and I must say that I was mighty impressed with it, and I recommend you all listen to the EP. Though this is the song I have picked for featuring now, I did fancy a couple of more songs in the EP. I did feature Zohran back in 2021 for a single called "Heavy on Time".The sound design and production are phenomenal and you know this is world-class the moment you hear it. Zohran collaborates with another fantastic artist Yamini Lavanian and they write, compose and perform together on this song. I featured Yamini in a song with Vinay Kaushal more than a year ago and she possesses a gifted voice and she too puts it to full use here. Jovian Soans and Zohran produced the songs and kudos to both of them. Aditya Ashok is fabulous and he generates such good interest through the drums, and we have the eminent Rushad Mistry as the bassist. Yamini begins her vocals and you lose track of all your other senses. She exhibits great control in her delivery and embellishes every note with a cool attitude and style. The line "Sky's opening, fire is burning high" is so beautifully composed with such an unpredictable shift in notes towards the note and the falsetto is just spot-on. Zohrans vocal lines are more funky and fun and the two combine, and it does feel like "perfect storm brewing, just me and you". The album artwork is done by Sadek Merchant, and the photo art design is by Anahaa Chattaraj with Herbert Fernandes as the Photographer. The outro on guitars, drums and the humming is a magical fitting end. @sadekmerchant @yamini_lavanian_music @joviancity @ox7gen @anahaachattaraj @rushad1981 @originaldogofficial @zohranmiranda

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 28th May 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Guppedu Gundellona Singer : Spoorthi JithenderLyrics: Bhaskarabhatla Ravi KumarMusic Director: Vijay BulganinLanguage: TeluguGenre: Filmi Melody/PopVijay Bulganin is just unstoppable. The quality of his melodies is rich, with some breathtaking arrangements and production as well. So why won't he keep creating some of the best songs in the country time and time again? Joseph Vijay is terrific at making the aura of romance shine with his acoustic guitars and soon enough, Spoorthi Jithender starts singing. There is a shred of innocence in her vocals, and we slowly hear the Accordion and Joseph's bass guitars. The most heartwarming line of the song is the title and Spoorthi makes you tremble with love when you hear it. The guitar-led and dominated interlude ends and the song's stanza is only further proof of how a simple song can brighten our day as long as the melody is extraordinary like this.Balu does all the keyboard programming to bring in new and fresh sounds like that whistle-like sound in the stanza, and the woodwind and strings as well, and we have Sabin Josh as mixing and mastering engineering. Anand Guarana is the music supervisor and Yadav is the music-in-charge. @vijai_bulganin @spoorthi_jithenderofficial @supervijayoffl @poetbb 2. Ghoomey Music composed Arranged, and Produced by: Mark K RobinLyricist: Manoj JulooriSinger: Jubin NautiyalIntro Alaap: Prakash ChodimallaLanguage: Qawwali-pop fusionI did do a 1 Minute Music Review of this EP called "8 AM Metro" on my Instagram reels and recommended that music lovers stream this which is potentially one of the best Hindi EPs of 2023. Mark K Robin who is well-known in the Tollywood music space has composed, arranged and produced this belter of a song. The style is classic Qawwali and it invokes memories of some of AR Rahman's super hits. This is probably the best of Jubin Nautiyal that I have heard and he decorates the song with some lovable ghamakas. The harmonium riff and the Tabla combine with such grace taking us into oblivion and paradise. Anil Robin, Mohan and Nova play the Tabla and Dholak. Prakash Chodimalla sings the initial Aalap and after the first minor segment, we get a mildly western colouring on the song thanks to the Keys and Keith Peters' bass guitars. My favourite line is "Naye Naye pal bharne lage, abhi abhi dil hasne lage", and there is enough support for Jubin with additional vocals sung by Gary Misquitta, Rishikesh Kamerkar, Rahul Pandey, Sunayana Sarkar, Shazneen Arethna and Suzanne Dmello. Manonmani plays the Sarangi with some terrific timing and despite a short stanza, the interplay of all the live instruments and vocal harmonies soothe the heart. There are two more excellent numbers in this EP which will be featured subsequently on my website. Manoj Juloori pens the beautiful words. Shadab Rayeen is the mix/master engineer with assistants Pukhraj, Anup & Eshan.@iammarkkrobin @jubin_nautiyal @shadabrayeen @gboy.nwc @suzanne_dmello @shazneenarethna @manonmanisarangi @manojkumar.juloori @keithpeters_bassman 3. Mumma Singer, Composer & Lyricist: Samarth Swarup Backing Vocals: Hansika PareekMusic Production: Samarth Swarup Language: Hindi

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 21st May 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. AnywayPerformed, Written by Aarifah RebelloProduced by Aarifah Rebello, Zain CalcuttawallaLanguage: EnglishGenre: Alternative Folk/BalladAarifah Rebello has been featured a few times both for her solo projects like "Now she nows" and one with her band Long Distances for "Love Song for an Apocalypse". Here she goes solo again and very rarely do we hear a singer who stuns the listener with every note uttered. Thank you Aarifah for such a fine performance, the strength of the song also lies in the writing and composition which also are entirely done by her with Zain Calcuttawala and Aarifah doing the production.The Piano and vocals alone keep you hooked, and I can feel the heaviness of the heart when she sings "My heart was heavy, loaded drenched", at the same time, the mild acoustic guitars help bring about a little lightness in the mood also with the lyrics now saying "floating with love inside of me".The Piano by Arnob Bal, is no longer mild, as it gains traction and I can only stand up in ovation to Zain and Aarifah for the fantastic arrangements and production. Listen to the strings in the background, by Zain feeding hope now as Aarifah sings "Do I dare I begin to dream". Here are the vocal harmonies and drums by Karun Kannampilly for essential cogs of the wheel. The drums and the tempo pick up and raise the energy towards the end. Adil Kurwa is the bassist and the acoustic guitars are played by Jishnu Guha. The song is mixed by Zain, and mastered by Shawn Hatfield at AudibleOddities Studio. The recording engineers are Nitin M Krishna and Ajay Majethia @aarifahrebello @bullibainbridge @karunk @a_diilla @arnobbal @short___round @grasparkaudio @palindromamusic @guitars_n_chopsticks @audibleoddities 2. Tera HonaSinger: Faheem Abdullah & Arslan NizamiLyricist: Faheem AbdullahComposer: Faheem AbdullahMusic Produced/Arranged/Programmed: Qassam HussainLanguage: HindiGenre: Indie PopThe deep voice immediately grabbed my attention and sounded like Aditya Rao, another fantastic indie singer-songwriter. Faheem Abdullah is the vocalist and he has also written the lyrics and composed the melody. The Keys are wonderfully soft and tender and they let Faheem do all the talking (singing in this case). There are a couple of layers of vocals and what is beautiful is the mild but very assured vibrato that Faheem sprinkles at every turn. It never feels overdone, but rather melts your heart at every such juncture. I do sense some influences of Raag Bilawal especially when Rohan Prasanna makes the killer move on his Sarod. We have some very skilful arrangements here as the Sarod is accompanied by Keys and harmonies with additional vocals by Arslan Nizami.  The song witnesses a welcome and wonderful shift in tone and tempo as Faheem sings "Teri hi wo ik dua hai" and you can feel the rhythms, drums and keyboards joining in. Qassam Hussain deserves praise for the worthy arrangements, programming and overall production. Faheem's singing is a huge merit for this song all Qassam's production ensures this feature is highlighted with other elements acting as supporting cast. Arslan must be applauded for his energetic vocals, which keep following the lead in the background, especially as he does some exciting aalap. Abhishek Ghatak is the mix/master engineer. Check out how cool Rohan sounds on the Sarod as he improvises and generates some savvy notes of his own towards the end. @theimaginarypoet @arslannizaami @qassam_hussain @rohanprasanna @theghatak @tmmusic 3. Musafir Dil

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 14th May 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. What Lies Beneath Lyrics, Vocals: Tanya ShankerComposed by: Tanya Shanker & Richard AndrewProduced, Arranged & Mixed by: Richard AndrewLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie PopHaving featured Tanya Shanker a month ago for a terrific performance in a single called "Soft Boi", I must now confess that Tanya is a certified genius with incredible potential to rise to unfathomable heights if she stays the course and works hard. This is one of the best English singles by an Indian Artist I have heard in 2023 yet and vocally it is one of the clear-cut bests and it is so difficult as a feat to achieve as a 17-year-old. The Piano led opening is all designed by Richard Andrew and his production is a huge contributor to the success of the EP "What Lies Beneath". After a few seconds, the session is dominated by Tanya, well Can ya resist her brilliance? I am more interested in knowing what lies inside this girl's head, and her amazing grey cells. The guitars, bass, strings section and drums add such fantastic layers which are so necessary to embellish the track, and you will realise that during the bridge section. The solo on the electric guitar is brief but belligerent. But take away nothing from Tanya, as a writer, composer and vocalist. She is a gift to us and you better remember her name! The stalwart Pravin Mani has mastered the song with Richard mixing it.  @itstanyashanker @pravinmanimusic @richard.andrew.dudley @heenakriplani 2. Urime Kaalama Singer: Anurag Kulkarni Lyrics: Ananta Sriram Music: Suresh BobbiliLanguage: TeluguGenre: Blues/JazzIt has been a while since I heard a score by Suresh Bobbili, and I remember back in 2019 and 2020 I did feature his music quite a lot. I am extremely delighted to feature his work once again and especially for a song of this quality. Anurag Kulkarni is easily the best Tollywood singer and one of the 5 best vocalists in South India for me. Suresh takes us down the Jazz and Blues memory lane with some perfect choices of live instrumental apparatus and arrangements. Joy Solomon plays the keyboards and with Suresh's production, programming and arrangements things get wild and fun. The Keys and Guitars by Fredy add the required flavours but it is Anurag who is setting the song on fire. This is easily one of the best vocal performances of the year thus far and Anurag breaks away from any shackles. His falsetto, high-pitch delivery, improvisations, and even when shouts out every note look stylish and pitch-perfect. The electric guitar solo is nothing just of inspiring and with the heavy Pianos, Anurag just keeps getting better. The backing vocalists are Joy and Surya who give quite a lot of support, and this is an opportunity to play in full blast and observe the phenomenal skills of Anurag. The song is mixed and mastered by Joy with Kumar Kadari as the musicians' coordinator. @anuragkulkarni7 @suresh_bobbili @joysolomon.k  3. En Roja Neeye  Music Composed, Arranged & Programmed by Hesham Abdul WahabLyrics by Arun AlatSung by Hesham Abdul Wahab

Here are the best songs released in India across languages and genres for the week ending 7th May 2023. If you are a musician submit your new music here.1. Mathado GombeSinger: Siddhartha BelmannuLyrics: Pramod MaravantheArranged; Composed by Judah SandhyLanguage: KannadaGenre: Ballad/Filmi MelodyIt was pre covid days 'Shivaji Surathkal' was released and it was one of my earlier encounters with the musical abilities of Judah Sandhy, right from then, I have always been keeping my eyes and ears ready for his next foray into brilliance. I have featured him a few times in this period, but once again Judah rises above everyone else this week with a phenomenally beautiful melody aided by some astounding vocals and accompaniments by live instrumentalists. Siddhartha Belmannu sings like a man on a mission and every time he utters a syllable or a note, the heart melts. Butto's amazing flute solo, aided by the heartwarming strings by the Bangalore Strings Ensemble just glorifies the song within seconds. It all reminds me of a tone that Anirudh adopts in his melodies like from movies "3", "VIP" and "Thiruchitrambalam". Siddhartha moves from one octave to another singing the title line and his vocals and all of Judah's arrangements work perfectly in unison. Eric Gerald plays the guitars, and when he sings " aararo aararo aarirao", I feel like the Gods like Ilaiyaraja have been invoked. The interlude is a symphony of the flute solo and the strings and when the stanza arrives, there is so much bewilderment left. I wish the music and the singing never stopped. The lyrics are by Pramod Maravanthe and the song is mixed and mastered by Judah. @judahsandhy @siddhartha_belmannu @pramodmaravanthe_lyricist @meghanagaonkar @bangalorestringensemble 2. Waiting For a RainbowVocals and Production: Sanskar VaidyaLanguage: EnglishGenre: Indie PopFor a while as the song begins and treads along we think, rightly so that song's hero is Hrishi Grirdhar with his standout electric guitar strumming. Jeet Pathak joins the part as the bassist and just then Sanskar Vaidya introduces himself as the vocalist, there is a noticeable shift and from then on it feels like a duel, a battle of wits between Sanskar and Hrishi.Don't forget to count the contributions of Sanket Pahurkar on drums and Rameses Fernandez on the Piano. I realised that the collective effort of this team of vocalists and instrumentalists far exceeds anyone's solo and there are traces of resemblance to the phenomenal global hit "Unwell" by Matchbox Twenty. The song gives hope and makes become perennial optimists like the lyrics "I'm a colour-blind man waiting for a rainbow". We have a brief interlude with the conjoined forces of Piano and guitars and bass and at every given instance Sanskar dominates with his string vocals and great tone. Aman Julme and Harsh Karmakar are reg recording engineers with Cico Raju doing the mix and master for the song. The second interlude with the electric guitar solo in the 'November Rain' mode and the drums and bass guitars aid perfectly. The mild end to the song on the Piano kind of brings us back to the ground after a long ride into musical tranquillity. @musicinsilences @hrishigiridhar @ramzferns @_aman_julme_ @sanket_pajurkar @bass_ki_aawaz_kesi_hoti_hai @harshkarmakar @hiculture_studios 3. JungleComposers: Amit Kilam, Asheem Chakravorty, George Brooks, Himanshu Joshi, Nikhil Rao, Rahul RamLyrics: Arjun RainaProduced by: Big Bad Wolf Studios & Indian OceanProducers: Dhruv Jagasia, Amit Kilam, Rahul Ram & Dev BhatiaLanguage: Hindi