Through the glass.

Note Perfect!:One Time Wonders -They Came, They Saw, They… Went

2011-01-10T03:14:00.000-08:00

One Time Wonders -They Came, They Saw, They… Went

Longevity is indeed an elusive creature and this theory applies a lot more to the music industry than anywhere else. Now there are thousands of artists who are trying to make it big in the music industry; some succeed while most fail. We have compiled a few names of the artists who can best be branded as ‘One Hit Wonders’. They enjoyed their 15 seconds of fame and vanished into thin air. We’re sure you remember at least some of these songs… but do you even recognize these names anymore?

· Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby (1990) - Robert Matthew Van Winkle, aka Vanilla Ice, was a Dallas born American rapper who can top the list of ‘One Hit Wonders’ from all over the world. He is perhaps one of the ‘pioneers’ of the One Hit Wonder movement. His single ‘Ice Ice Baby’ was a major hit in the 90s. The song was the first ever Hip Hop single to have topped the Billboard Charts. He did some cameos in a few films and eventually disappeared completely from the scene.

· Los Del Rio - Macarena (1996) - Los Del Rio is a Spanish music group formed by Antonio Romero Monge and Rafael Ruíz. They originally hailed from the city section of Dos Hermanas in Seville. This musical duo did enjoy success thanks to their smash hit multi-platinum "Macarena". The song sold more than four million copies in the United States of America alone, and did spend a record breaking 14 weeks at the number ONE position. Macarena was and still is the #1 debut single in the history of American music.

· Baha Men - Who Let the Dogs Out? (2000) - Baha men are originally a pop boyband from the region of Nassau in the Bahamas. They played a modernized version of Bahamian music that’s known as Junkanoo. They tasted temporary yet huge success after their song ‘Who Let The Dogs Out?’ started smashing records, all over the world. It topped all musical chart success in several nations, and also became a well-liked song at many US sports events. The song, in fact, won the group the prestigious Grammy Award in the year 2000 in the Best Dance Recording category. The group also won the Billboard Music Awards for World Music Artist of the Year along with the World Music Album of the Year and the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for Favorite Song. Two years later in the year 2002, they also won one more Kids' Choice Award in the Favorite Band category.

· Survivor - Eye of the Tiger (1982) - Survivor was an American rock music band that released the song ‘Eye of the Tiger’ from the album with the same name. They were requested by movie star Sylvester Stallone to record the song for the movie Rocky 3. The single attained the second position on the Billboard Top Pop Singles of 1982 year-end chart. It also topped the charts on the Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles year-end chart. It was voted to be the number one single in UK, Irish and Australian charts. It was certified platinum by the RIA or the Recording Industry Association of America the same year it was released. The band also became proud recipients of the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance. The song received an Academy Award nomination in the Best Original Song category.

· Snow - Informer (1992) - Snow is a Canadian Reggae musician who also aptly fits this list. He achieved global success with a single written by Marvin Prince, called ‘Informer’. The single topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. The Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged the single's popularity twice; once as the best selling reggae song in the history of USA and second time as the highest chart topping reggae single in the musical history of mankind! The single sold around 8 million copies from around the world and remained as the number 1 on the US Billboards Charts. It stayed there for seven weeks consecutively.

· Crazy Town- Butterfly (1999) - This LA based Alternative/Nu-Metal band smashed up every chart with their groovy single ‘Butterfly’ taken from their album, ‘The Gift of Game’. The single reached the Numero Uno position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The band later vanished into obscurity.

· EMF - Unbelievable (1990) - "Unbelievable" is the smash hit song that was written by the group EMF. Released as a single in the UK in the year 1990, it topped the Singles Chart of the United Kingdom at number three position. It went down in history as the 32nd best-selling single of the year 1990 in UK. In the US, it grabbed the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100 list.

Note-Perfect! : When political statements and notes merge

2011-01-10T03:11:00.000-08:00

When political statements and notes merge

There are songs and then there are songs that carry a political statement which is extremely meaningful. The artists, who write, compose and finally release these songs manifest their angst against the wrong-doings of the society or simply make an attempt to make the masses open their eyes and see through the haze and the blur. Frankly, these songs represent a powerful statement and ask for explanations from the head of the society. These artists wage an intellectually influenced, artistic ‘war’ against what they feel is wrong in the society.

Gimme shelter- The Rolling Stones: The iconic British rock n roll band, THE ROLLING STONES sing about a turbulent time that was faced by America in the year 1969. The same year, US were warring with Vietnam, there were several race riots going on and the infamous Charles Manson was apprehended. THE ROLLING STONES frontman, Mick Jagger sings of a particular need for ‘shelter ‘from all this turbulence. Incidentally, "Gimme Shelter" is also the name of the film that documented The Stones 1969 tour, as well as the memorable Altamont concert where a fan was stabbed to death by a Hell's Angels security guard.

Bullet the blue sky – U2: This is a political song that in a way criticizes the US foreign policy for promoting turbulence in Central America. The lyrics were motivated by U2 vocalist Bono's trip to Central America in the year 1985. He was there as a part of the Amnesty International. His band mates Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen, and The Edge, were responsible for the music. The band along with Bono wanted to draw concentration to the fact that the US was doing a severe degree of damage in other countries.

Fight the Power- Public Enemy: Public Enemy have always been one of those artists, whose very songs sent shiver down the spine of the corrupted society. “Fight the Power” is one song that actually is their mission statement. From the Thomas “TNT” Todd quotation that starts the song to Public Enemy member Flavor Flav’s lyrical takedown of both Elvis Presley and John Wayne, this is a song that is challenging and expressive at the same time. Public Enemy was always mad and pissed off at the current state of affairs, the track “Fight the Power” laid out a platform for the band’s outrage which was absolutely indisputable. Perhaps, the best part of the song was that it wasn’t didactic and incorporated an infectious groove that no one could get out of their heads.

"Blowin’ In the Wind” and “The Times They Are A-Changin'-Bob Dylan: The artist known as Bob Dylan is one of the greatest musical poets known to mankind. He executed finesse and his grasp of words so as to showcase his signature political songs. He relied on subtlety and proved that you needn’t be angry to express the discontent that you feel inside. Both of the songs, luminous in their deceiving simplicity, expressively described the turbulent '60s and have earned the tag of being ‘ageless’.

This Land Is Your Land-Woody Guthrie: Woody Guthrie is a legendary American folk-protest singer. His songs primarily dealt with political causes. Most of the stuff that the present society describes as the populist American dream, has its roots in the folksy collectivism that was practiced by Guthrie. He has immortalized many songs, but perhaps no song summarizes his vision like “This Land Is Your Land,” This is a song that depicts a scenario where each and every citizen having an equivalent right to the bounty of the United States. Woody was one of those artists, who had ‘had been there done that’. His guitar had a label that read “this machine kills fascists”.

The Star-Spangled Banner-Jimi Hendrix: The US national anthem was stripped down to its bare bones, reconstructed and redesigned by the guitar god known as Jimi Hendrix. Hats off to Mr. Hendrix for showing us all the exciting and even dangerous side of the song that is sure to piss off traditionalists. The song’s extreme inventiveness and raw, unadulterated emotion purify something indispensable about the real American spirit.

Killing in the Name-Rage Against The Machine: With a name like Rage Against the Machine, you can expect that each and every subtlety would be thrown out of the window, and a seething rage would explode all over the system in which we dwell. RATM is one of the most politically charged up bands who knew what they were doing. Their songs reflected a certain virtuous resentment with negligible introspection. This song dealt with corruption and racism and is covered by bands all over the world, even after 18 years of its official release.

California Uber Alles- The Dead Kennedys: The Dead Kennedys always embraced a political message in their songs. Jello Biafra and his band mates nailed rapidly and artistically on everything from customer trends to the military-industrial compound. The song “California Uber Alles,” aimed directly at the fearful freak-out predicting Jerry Brown totalitarianism. This is one song that epitomizes a major instance of the fuming political attitude that defined the punk rock movement.

Strange Fruit-Billie Holiday: This wasn’t just any political song, but it also reflected the act of bravery by the artist. After her record label refused to even record the song, she went on to a new label. She also performed the song “Strange Fruit” in concert, though at times fearing retaliation for doing so. This song actually brought the dreaded concept of racism to the forefront of the nationwide awareness. “Strange Fruit” is evidence to the authority of the ideal pairing of a singer and a song to create an ineffaceable political declaration.

Imagine-John Lennon: Perhaps a list of ‘political statement songs’ wouldn’t be complete without this classic from ex-Beatles John Lennon. The song depicted of an Utopian state of affairs, where the line “all the people/ living life in peace” would ring truth and where there wouldn’t be any boundaries of nationality or religion forcing us to choose.

---- Kabya Ghosh

Candyfloss and Summer breeze

2010-11-17T01:58:00.000-08:00

"Sipping stars in a sky-lit RED,

Accepting your powerlessness.

Smoking bubbles and...

Munching cookies,

You and I
Are
But,
Marmalade dreams.

Sweet, Supple, Sweet...."

Love Song..

2009-09-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

Lazy felt the sky,
Just like the last drop of sun from my eyes.
I stood my ground as,
Skepticism seduced me to the level of insanity.
Love,Pain,Hate, Joy, Blood, Sweat, Tear
All were newly discovered along
with the ignorance that I liked,
Once upon a time.
Long back I felt.
Long back I died.
I couldn't live to say that flesh was warm ONCE.
I stood my ground as,
I let you go.
Stay well.
Stay far.

.....And

2009-08-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

The Enchantress raised her head and looked above .
The stars blushed and the skies parted.
Her ocean of sanity shattered discrimination
And gradually touched my mortal flesh
With a poignant sensuality.
I was scared,
I was awed,
I was awaken.
Her saliva melted all of
My preconceived notions of desire and longing.
Her caress erased off
Every strand of suffocation.
And what did I do?
I did not wait for my senses to make a
Dull comeback.
Ever.

29th August 2009

1:22 AM

.... Poesy.....

2009-07-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

The quest

Listen to me.

Listen to yourself.

Listen to everything and nothing.

Then if you wish to go away,

You may.

You would wish to go away

You wouldn’t want to go away.

Stay?

Go away?

Stay?

And thus begins the intricate duel.

Whoever wins,

We both lose.

Don’t stay.

Don’t go.

Take a walk inside me

While I try fathoming the

Obscure depths of your

Fine tuned heart.

Don’t go away.

Don’t stay.

18^th July 09

4:20 AM

Calcutta

sumthin' random yet again!....!(under POESY)

2009-07-16T23:00:00.000-07:00

The Summoning

….And then there was rain

While we kissed like hungry urchins.

Discarding all espionages of our doubts,

Bathing in a bucket full of desire,

Ripping apart the intricate barbwires of ‘what if’s.

There was no wave of solitude

Or a tear of loneliness.

The saliva dried up just like a waterless bulk of sand.

Reflections of togetherness were created.

Pages were written in bold amorous texts.

Then you looked up

While it rained as it should.

Hands clutched together…..

I saw a rain your eye!

more POESY more random stuff.....

2009-07-16T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Summoning

….And then there was rain

While we kissed like hungry urchins.

Discarding all espionages of our doubts,

Bathing in a bucket full of desire,

Ripping apart the intricate barbwires of ‘what if’s.

There was no wave of solitude

Or a tear of loneliness.

The saliva dried up just like a waterless bulk of sand.

Reflections of togetherness were created.

Pages were written in bold amorous texts.

Then you looked up

While it rained as it should.

Hands clutched together…..

I saw a rain in your eye!

16^th July 09

22:40 Hours

Randomness: Crying for a tear...

2008-11-07T12:49:00.000-08:00

"What have I become? my sweetest friend/everyone I know/goes away in the end/you could have it all/my empire of dirt/I will let you down/I will make you hurt"
Hurt
Johnny Cash.

Tonight I craved for a drop of tear. I FELT like a stupid packaged commodity that has no emotions. Cannot cry,think,laugh or smile. I fear that I would not be able to cry when all but me is left alone on the beach of desolation.But WHY??? I gave all my tears to you, Do you remember?
8th Nov 2008
2:25 AM
Calcutta.

Poesy!!!

2008-09-16T05:16:00.000-07:00

The Serpent
Slither like a snake,On your back.

Hiss your fears away,

Pour affectionate venom On your lips

And then die Die.

If you say…

And you have always

Charmed me with your tongue

Did you not know that I love you?

‘Love You’?

Don’t know the right words

So that will have to do for now

I am just a serpent,

What else can I do!?
1:20 AM 20th May 2008 Calcutta.

Conversations
Receive.
Perceive.
Realize.
Re-realize.
The words copulate uncannily
With each other.
This gives birth to you and me.
The renewed me and you.
Dreams are made.
Reality shatters.
The world sleeps.
Stars cry.
Words still copulate.
Reproduction?
Recreation?
Re\destruction/?
I don’t know.
Neither do you.
Even the words do not know.
They just copulate!
1:28 AM, 21st September 21, 2008-Calcutta.

Letter
Soul-searching through ink and paper.
Soul-revaluating through ink and paper.
Soul-absorbing through ink and paper.
Produce.
Dispose.
Produce again.
Produce thousands of non similar shadows.
Then choose perfection and let it fly.
It grows old soon.
Did it reach on time?
To the right person?
To the right ‘you’?
Soon they gather dust.
Metamorphoses into little paper boats
Or insignificant paper bags.
Memory weeps in a darkened corner
Flowers are all wilted.
And you?
You try creating another one
With your now feeble hands.

1: 53 AM 21st September 2008-Calcutta.

Dissolved 3

2008-09-12T03:54:00.000-07:00

11:00 PM Now

Another hour and I bid farewell to yet another year and become older by another year. Is this a process that never ends? Should you be stagnant with your childhood and soak in salvation or do you proceed into the room full of responsibilities that age offers you? I really don’t know. I guess no one does.

12:30 AM Later Now

Yay! Happy Birthday to me!! ‘She’ called up and wished…She’s now looking for another guy…Hah! Three plus years weren’t perfect? Great! Why? No answer? Screw it..(wish I could man. wish I could..)

2:00 AM Some where in time

Today was world music day. This is to celebrate the phenomenal power that music provides us with. I mean it sure has helped me face misery in an epoch of distrust and insanity. Whatever, had two days that can be best termed as unsatisfying and pathetic. I again had that vision about my unicorns, Purple candy, Green butterflies, Candy rainbows and as usual Shiuli standing among them. This vision is addictive and I love it. I guess this is how LSD feels man.

S-H-U-L-I……………………I wrote in my diary. I tried out several fonts to write this humble yet amazingly special moniker. Love? Obsession? Crush? All three I guess! LOC!!

Dissolved 2

2008-09-11T05:32:00.000-07:00

5:05 AM Yesterday

I am sure by now you all have realized that I am an avid insomniac. Judging by the timings that precede each paragraph, I hope you all know that I cannot sleep at night. People call it a disease too, and then what is sadism? Masochism? I don’t quite know and I don’t quite care!

3: 19 AM Now

“Like the other day
I thought you won't be coming back
I came to realize my lackluster dreams...”

Lift-Poets of the Fall.

These lines appealed a LOT to me. So much that I hummed these precious few lines at least ten times after hearing the entire song. But was I wrong to have dreamt of ‘you’? If you choose to NOT stay with me and prefer some one else’s affection, what can I do. Screw off. Let me dream again. Unicorns, Purple candy, Green butterflies, Candy rainbows…….Shiuli. No she is more than a dream for me……She defines herself.

Dissolved

2008-09-10T05:20:00.000-07:00

Chapter X- Timelines

9:34 PM. Yesterday

My name is K. Hold on a sec before you accuse me of any overt Kafkaesque indulgence. Hey can’t a guy be called K? Which age are we living in? I thought it was the name that makes the man, or was it the reverse? Whatever be the case, yes I am K. Now that you already have started reading these lines don’t stop now. Proceed please.

I am a postgraduate student currently working as a freelance writer. I did actually try working in one of those what you call the ‘Corporate Sectors’ but it didn’t work out. May be because I was too stubborn to listen to whatever crap my superiors asked me to do, may be because I always have been claustrophobic about a typical office space or may be because I find the entire corporate lifestyle utterly mechanical and rhythm less.

I was born about 23 years back in an upper middle class family from Calcutta (yes I stick to Calcutta) and I have had excellent parenting something that I am proud of. I read a lot, write and interact. I play the guitars and also front a thrash metal outfit. I used to ‘believe’ in God about 15 years back; I became an affirmed atheist when Poops died and people consoled me by saying that he went to God. Poops was my puppy; my innocent, cute little 3 month old puppy.

Love? Umm... Yes I was in love. I actually thought of something that you think too, a decent pay package, a yellow flat and most importantly a family. Thought. I still love; I still fantasize like a little runt in a candy shop. Feels nice. Hold on! This is the most directionless story you have read, right? I mean why the hell would you want to know about some obscure 23 year old? Well, stop reading then!

Coming back to love, every time I see Shiuli my neighbor I feel nice, almost like the aforementioned little runt who now finally has managed a piece of candy! I want to hear her breathing, her moaning, her cries, her smiles, her…We have never talked, I don’t know why. I am quite a chatterbox but when it comes to her I become numb and almost enter a bloody shell and embrace denial. We often share glances. Well she does the sharing part; all I can do is look at her face almost like a cryogenic misfit. ‘Expressionless freak’ I am sure she thinks me to be!

12:56 AM. Today

I suddenly woke up. Couldn’t sleep, all I could do was toss my torso all over the bed. I had this weird urge to release…Feels good now! I often think about this and this time it wasn’t an exception. I know we are all part of this ‘pig society’ and just a handful realize the confirmed vulgarity of this pitiful sick forum made of innumerable pieces of flesh and blood. But can’t we change anything? Can’t we change each other? Can’t WE change? It enrages me and I scream like a lunatic. The scream gradually sinks back in my throat and sort of warns me by making my throat waterless. Does Shiuli realize what I realize? Is she too pretty to be a pig? Would you EVER trade bullets for blood? Damnit! So many questions, is the answer blowing in the wind? Dylan where are you now?

2:40 AM The Day after Tomorrow

I tried weed for the first time. It’s pathetic, Ugh! I am still coughing my ass off. Thank goodness my parents are off to Delhi for my cousin’s marriage else my mother would frantically run into my room and enquire. “Marriage is a social ceremony that joins two families” I read that in some social studies book when I was in Std Four. “Marriage is something that is more like sleeping with a slut for the rest of your life” that was the opinion of my friend Naveen. I don’t believe in any one of those definitions. I never did believe in marriage then I wanted to and now I don’t quite know. What does Shiuli think?

4:10 AM Today

I realized I ‘suffer’ from MPD that’s Multiple Personality Disorder for the uninitiated. The word ‘suffer’ is within the confines of a bracket as I don’t quite think it to be a suffering. I feel the unicorns and my envisioned rainbows running away from me and I am reduced to nothingness, YET at the same time I feel that there’s a drop of rain specially created for me. That certain humble piece of rain equates salvation. Is that Shiuli?