Friday, February 1, 2013

Ganesh Talkies and Someplace Else

Back when I was in Calcutta, I used to frequent the underground music scene. And it was worth it. There were some really amazing bands and musicians.And a goldmine of diversity - everything from freestyle jazz to death metal. And although I don’t care much about the latter, I have to admit that some of the metal bands in Calcutta are really talented. Calcutta has three major music venues, all of which you must check out, if you’re ever there – Someplace Else, Big Ben, Hotel Kennilworth, and The Basement.

Someplace Else was my favorite. It has introduced many of the best city bands including Cassini’s Division, The Supersonics, Hip Pocket, Five Little Indians and, more recently, The Ganesh Talkies. Formed in 2011, Ganesh Talkies is quite a unique experience, especially live. Dressed in typical “band baajaa” costumes, they belt out a funky mix of alternative-rock, reggae and ska music with a healthy splash of good ol’ Bollywood music. So, you enjoy going out dancing? The Ganesh Talkies are your guys. The line up consists of Suyasha Sengupta, the front-woman, Nabarun Bose on keys, Roheet Mukherjee on the bass (one of my local heroes) and Arka Das on the drums. If you keep up with the underground scene in the country the last two names shouldn’t be new to you. I remember pushing my way to the front of the crowd at a Five Little Indians show to catch a glimpse of Roheet and Arka. In fact, my own band played its first show at Someplace Else. Thinking about Someplace Else makes me wish I was back in Calcutta now. Talking about Someplace Else, Suyasha, the band’s front-woman says “Someplace Else in Kolkata is not just a venue, but truly the 'mecca of music' for music lovers. It's the only place that supports all kinds of live music and every time we play there it's a new experience altogether. Infact it was at SPE where we launched our debut EP last month, the gig also featured eminent musicians Bodhisattwa Ghosh, Tanya Sen and Sandip Roy.”

The band has recently released their debut EP, 'Three-Tier, Non AC' which includes 4 tracks. The EP has been produced, mixed and mastered by Neel Adhikari, of the Five Little Indians fame. In fact, they even have a full length album on the way. But - and I have to emphasize this point - if you ever get the chance to catch them live, try not to miss it. But if you can’t keep your curiosity in check till then, here’s a little taste of the Ganesh Talkies :


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