India: Travelling Alone

I recently spent 2 and a half months travelling around India and Nepal…solo. The responses to this are varied, ranging from ‘you’re very brave! to ‘what were you thinking?’.

Travelling alone is something I chose to do for a number of reasons. For some, the idea sends shivers down their spines, but for others the liberating feeling of running off on your own is what makes them do it.

However, I think how you experience your trip depends on a number of things, but I’ve personally narrowed it down to 1: how you react to strangers. More on that later.

Fly out of Heathrow, once you’re through security it’s all on you. Fastforward, and I’ve managed to change in Oman and hop on a plane to Mumbai. 2 and a bit hours later, I take a sneeky peek out of the window as we’re about to land. Surrounding the airport are thousands of slums, sprawling away from Mumbai. It’s at this point that it hits me.

There is no one to look after me.

Cue a boneshaking taxi ride from the airport to throw you into the culture, in a car that feels like it should have died a long time ago, and it’s all very intense. Within minutes of being off the plane he takes me down a dusty side street, gets out the car without saying a word, and walks off. So i’m thinking ‘hmm…that’s a bit odd’, and then my first begging encounter shows up.

Girl – ‘one coin. one chewing gum. one german coin. one biscuit…’
Me – ‘nope’

He eventually decides to join me, and we start on our merry way. Speeding past some of the poorest people in the world, it’s an assault on the senses. Most people live by the side of the road and on the outskirts, and the sheer volume of people is terrifying. The driver pretends he doesn’t know where Colaba is, even though it’s one of the most popular places in the city, or maybe my accent needs working on.

Highlights of Mumbai included: Seeing Robo, a Tamil film with one of the most insane story lines i’ve ever come across, starting Rajnikanth, who is basically a God in India/Tamil.

Mumbai was just a little bit too much for me to take in. Filthy hostel, huge rich/poor divide. I’ve heard the same with people who land in Delhi (which, leaving at the end, I found to be much better than people had made out). After a few days in Mumbai, I subsequently decided to move swiftly on, to the lesser visited town of Kolhapur in Maharastra. It was here that I experienced the true Indian hospitality and selflessness I’d heard about, and where saying ‘yes’ to strangers brought some amazing experiences.

Got off the plane, you get in a prepaid taxi (They still manage to rip you off) and the first thing he does is drive into this random bit of road, get out the car and walk off. a little girl comes a begs for money, before coming back. Yep, I must get used to this….

‘one chewing gum, one penny, one german coin…please..please…please’
NO.

Nothing can prepare you for the drive from the airport, and the slums you pass/drive through. HOLY MOTHER OF GOD. that was insane. Millions of people, living in the street. kids running around naked. Once in Colaba, it’s a similar situation. Just so many people, and it gets really intense. I’m staying in the Salvation army hostel, which is a good place to meet travellers, plus it’s cheap as chips (particularly for mumbai).
Off to Kalhapur next, should be a bit more chilled. (I hope). I don’t know how people can stay here for months on end, it’s like London, on prozak, with no laws, and everyone is in poverty, in constant rush hour.

If this is anything like Delhi, it’s going to be madness. Saying that, the buildings are beautiful, and the fact people are really happy in these environments does tell you something about the West. It even started raining today. huzzaaah.

Got on a local bus too, that was an experience and a half. At the princely sum of 7 rupees (10p), it’s an incredible way to see the city.

that’s it for now, no doubt be in touch in Kalhapur.

First thing you will notice, is there are many tracks from the previous EPs. All are new recordings, and it’s a great thing as these tracks were too good to leave off. Ones like I Punched A Lion In The Throat are incredibly heavy, with a really catchy opening riff before all hell breaks loose for the rest of the song. New tracks like the opener, Back To The Fuck Yeah are an instant taste of the classic PABH sound; stupidly simple guitar riffs, choruses consisting mainly of one word and more energy than you could want or need. The ‘rough around the edges’ feel is still here, with some tracks ending in coughing, leads falling out of guitars and missed notes here and there. High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive is another great one, going from fairly slow (compared with others) into huge chuggy riff break downs at the end.

The majority of the tracks are previous material, but new numbers like Yeah Buddy bring something new, such as incorporating some singing in the chorus, moving away from the usual shouted vocals that are associated with the band. Moonlit Talons is another instant hit, with huge riffs, intense vocals and big breakdowns before smashing right back into it.

This album is a good mix of new material with old re-recordings of some of the best tracks from the previous EPs, of which there were many. The tracks are often short and sweet, meaning it’s a short and sweet trip while it lasts.

I’m now working with this ace website, the new current so all my reviews etc are up on there these days. I’m also writing for Alter The Press, and should have my first album review done for them shortly. Few bits and pieces will be added here, but most of it will be going up on TNC from now on.

BOGGLE

Sleeping Robots is a trio of musicians based at the University of Surrey. They have been playing together since last year, but it was only January of this year that they started to writing and getting the band going full swing. They try not to take themselves too seriously, which is something some bands seem to forget. They have some pretty funny videos on Facebook, often ridiculing their fellow department musicians (Marcel Legane for one). This is their debut EP, and with another one on the way, hopefully you’ll be hearing these guys on a radio near you soon. Oh, and it’s a free download too.

Pigion-holing genres is something reviewers like to do, but I struggled with these guys. It’s a mix of pop-rock really, but you can make your own mind up. Powerful vocals and catchy tracks are the order of the day with these guys, and the first track ‘Short Term Fix’ even has the customary guitar solo in it.

‘Warning’ starts with a great guitar riff in it, with an epic chorus that will be sure to have you have a little sing along. They even throw in some chromatic ‘Aaahs’ which work really well to bring the last chorus in with a bang.

‘Unstable’ is a slowed down number, one which I file under ‘baby-making music’ in my iTunes, and it has resonants of bands like Nizlopi to me. Warm guitar tones with slow brush drums work really well as it builds towards the end, and it’s a nice way to finish off the EP.

Get the EP Here

The album kicks things off with ‘Night Time’, which is a chance for them all to showcase their individual talents to everyone. Complicated bass riffs all over the place, tight drums, a big guitar solo and a sing-a-long chorus all make this into a catchy number. The album ranged from pure un-adulterated hard-rock tracks like ‘Waiting’ with fat chuggy guitar riffs to numbers that sound like a heavier Maroon 5 number, to massive mid-song guitar solos in tracks like ‘Going Down’.

The last track ‘Take A bow’ is one of my favourites, with great syncopated guitar riffs and catchy lyrics. It’s a shame they popped it at the end, but the slowed down ending works quite well to finish things off and send you on your way. ‘Love For Fame’ has some great guitar riffs in it, that are perfectly complimented by the vocals The production on this album is very tight, and it sounds like a professional record. I don’t think it would have been as good had it not been as well recorded as it is.

Overall, there is a nice mix of great songwriting on this album. Each track has little parts or elements that really make a different in this kind of music to stand out from the masses of other stuff out there.

Nevermind album anyone....?

First things first, I’ll admit that I’m a Foals fan. I thought their first album, Antidotes had some incredible tracks on it, and their live shows are always a lot of fun. Their blend of afro-beat with fiddly indie riffs has surged in popularity over the past few years, with too many bands to name taking influence from them.

Sophomore albums are a tricky business, and Total Life Forever has been a couple of years in the making. With talk of them moving away from their catchy indie-pop roots to a more ambient/atmospheric sound, this has been hotly anticipated.

Personally, I’m not disappointed. I think there will be many people trying to compare this to Antidotes, but it is a different entity all together. There are some catchy numbers on this album, and although their sound has changed fairly dramatically in my opinion, it still has the Foals charm to it. Harmony seems to be a lot more focused on this one, with tracks like Total Life Forever having some nice melody lines in it. Yannis’s vocals are still on top form, but there is a lot more reverb flying around.

The first single Spanish Sahara, released a few weeks back, set everyone up nicely with some very minimal and moving guitar and vocals, slowly building into an epic finalé with an amazing bit of tape looping and solid drums. The beginning of This Orient sounds like something from a banking advert, but once it gets going it got an amazing chorus.

Foals have done a good job with this, and although they may have lost some of the original fans, it feels like a natural progression to make. They mix more ambient numbers with solid beat-driven ones, which works pretty well if you ask me.

Avi Buffalo – they look like a lovely bunch of people…

Avi Buffalo are a band from Long Beach, California who are set to release their debut album on the 27th April through Sub Pop. Their folky-indie sound came to my attention through a friend, and I had to listen to the whole thing.

Naming a track can sometimes be a tricky task, with some bands going for the crazy long, or obscure phrases (prime example being a band like Brand New). Some of the song titles on this album are a little confusing, such as ‘Five Little Sluts’, which has a lot of Surfer Rock elements and no mention of any sluts as such (shame), and ‘Summer Cum’ which i’m not even sure I want to go into. ‘Jessica’ is a slower number with some nice vocals and a classic-rock feel.

‘What’s in it For?’ is one of the best tracks, combining Shins-esque double-tracked vocals with a seriously catchy chorus, and was even released on a 7inch a while back. The album ranges from the twee-folky feel to the stronger poppy numbers. There are a number of great tracks on here, and if you get over how much like the Shins some of it sounds, then it is good listening.

Room 2 at Fabric has got to be the loudest club I have ever been in. As Noisia dropped many of the best tracks from their album including the huge Machine Gun and Split The Atom, which are both without doubt two of the most insane dance tracks I’ve heard this year, they played what can only be described as European marching Drum and Bass, which proved pretty interesting. Their style is so intense, and everyone there was loving it. Looking up at the booth, it was clear these guys really appreciated it, as the crowd were giving it there all as they jumped about and even played mime-piano to one of their songs.

Noisia’s album really is a great mix of electro with Drum and Bass, with tracks that actually stand out from each other and aren’t just tracks so generic they could be written by anyone.

It’s nice to come across a girl with a nice voice every now and again. Sadly the pop charts are plagued with too many people relying on their good friend Autotune to sort it all out. Solvor Vermeer from Norway is a breath of airey folk for everyone.

The first track ‘The Beaming Light’ has some child-like qualities, with her showcasing the softer side of her voice. ‘Final Hour’ is very Air/Zero 7 sounding, with some great and unexpected vocal melodies. It sounds to me like something I’d not find out of place on a film soundtrack.

‘Hope’ is a lovely little track, full of emotion and very subdued. All the instruments tie together to create a dense world of sounds coming at you from all angles.

This is a nice EP, with some simple and well written numbers. The tracks each have their own charms, but I personally got the feeling they did sound very similar after a while, but nevertheless this is someone who has got talent.