Shor Bazaar

Shor Bazaar live @ Carter Road Amphitheater (Thursday, 27th January 2011) as part of the Queer Azaadi Week celebrations

2011-01-24T23:42:00.000-08:00

After a long hiatus, we are back to performing live! Shor Bazaar will be performing an acoustic set as part of the Queer Azaadi Week celebrations. The details of the event are here. Please drop by and enjoy.

Also, our bass guitarist (KK a.k.a. Krishna Kumar Venkitachalam a.k.a. Kris Bass) will be performing a solo set with our guitarist Abhishek Dasgupta and ex-drummer Sumit Pillai.

Other artists performing alongside us will be the lovely duo of Alisha Batth and Alisha Pais and the band MH04.

(Link to the FB event page)

http://queerazaadi.wordpress.com

Videos of our performance at VIE Lounge for Radio City's "Fun Ka Antenna" Launch

2010-03-20T04:04:00.001-07:00

On the 11th of March, Shor Bazaar performed with Tatvakundalini at the VIE Lounge (in Juhu) for Radio City's "Fun Ka Antenna" (Radio City's online portal with 24*7 music streaming). We stumbled on three videos at their website. Check them out and leave comments. Although the sound/mix wasn't great, these videos are fun to watch.

Rasili - http://www.planetradiocity.com/videolounge/playvideo.php?vidid=1385
Chuppi - http://www.planetradiocity.com/videolounge/playvideo.php?vidid=1384
Yeh Haseen Vaadiyaan (cover of AR Rahman's classic from the "Roja" OST) - http://www.planetradiocity.com/videolounge/playvideo.php?vidid=1383

(PS: Joy's guitars are hardly heard in the recording and you can hear Robin improvising solos in parts!)

Sunday Mid-Day article on Hindi bands being denied opportunities at live venues across Mumbai

2010-03-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

This is the Sunday Mid-Day article by Lalita Suhasini about Hindi bands being ignored by live music venues in Mumbai. I, KK, am being quoted.

I sincerely hope that the venues take my critique in a positive manner and help young Hindi bands to showcase their talent.

Swarathma, Raghu Dixit, Ankur Tewari and the Ghalat Family, Faridkot, Prayag, Anhad, Talaash, Coshish, Kamaal Ke Phool, and many more - let's all join hands to fight for our rights!

Rolling Stone India Feb 2010 article

2010-03-02T18:36:00.000-08:00

Shor Bazaar and our Savita Bhabhi was commented on by (guess who?) Palash Krishna Mehrotra in this month's edition of Rolling Stone India. We were a little late to catch up on it - that too, thanks to Anuj Gupta (OML, E-18) who showed me the article when I was getting tipsy on wine at SulaFest 2010.

Here's the article as an image.

We would like to thank Palash for being kind to us and our song. We would like to thank Rolling Stone India who have been wanting to write about Savita Bhabhi for quite some time - ever since our June release! We'd like to excuse ourselves for being so tardy in letting you know about this.

Shor Bazaar's Savita Bhabhi quoted in Hindustan Times

2010-01-24T09:19:00.000-08:00

It’s been about 6 months ago that we let loose “Savita Bhabhi” on the Internet. We are still astonished by the amount of interest it has generated, and should we say, is still generating.

Our take on the immensely popular Savita Bhabhi comic trip was commented on by Palash Krishna Mehrotra in yesterday’s (Jan 23rd, 2010) Hindustan Times. Here’s the excerpt about us from the article that describes the emergence of Indian artists who dare take on the more edgy subjects in our society.

While the mainstream remains where it was sixty-three years ago, there is, however, for the first time, a new rumbling in the Indian underground. Young bands are putting out songs on the Internet that take on everything from our squeamishness about sex to joint families and religious tradition. Shor Bazaar's 'Savita Bhabhi' goes, ‘Yehan ka tu native/ Society conservative! Aise in halaat mein/...Best to go online/Leke apne haath mein.’

We thank Palash for his generous comments!

You can read the entire article at the link that is attached.

http://dailyme.com/story/2010012300003845/hindustan-times-delhi-palash-krishna-mehrotra.html

Dr. D. Y. Patil Dental College: Fahrenheit ’10 – Jan 23rd, 2010 – our experience

2010-01-23T22:48:00.000-08:00

During our trip to the venue, through heavy traffic on a warm Saturday afternoon, our drummer Sidd Coutto (ex-Zero/HFC, ToT) was reminiscing about the fact that he had won his first competition at DY Patil College a few years back. Apparently, once he had had to play drums without drumsticks (yes, with bare hands). He went on to mention various anecdotes from the numerous times he had performed there. It was encouraging for the rest of us because it was the first time that all of us apart from Sidd were about to perform at DY Patil, and more generally in Navi Mumbai.

We were taken care of very well by our hosts (special thanks to Shruti Shanbhag and the team) after our arrival. The entire process of soundchecking was marred by some technical snags related primarily to the monitoring situation. But the sound consultant Carl Alfonso (Elektra events) and our friend Geo (sound engineer) did their best to provide use with decent stage sound.

We started out with “Jaisalmer Express” as an experiment; usually, it what we end the show with. Despite a low turn out, the crowd seemed to enjoy the first half of the show – especially, the appreciation that we got for “Chandramukhi” and “Savita Bhabhi” was remarkable! The second half was rather lukewarm as the audience seemed to looking forward to the “Battle of the DJs” event which was scheduled immediately afterward.

It’s ironic that a few uncivilized (drunk) members in the audience assaulted one of the DJs and halted the “battle” almost before it started. Police and security had to intervene to restore sanity to the proceedings, which unfortunately ended on a rather dull note.

However, we enjoyed ourselves on stage – for the first time in humane temperatures – with our new line-up that includes Sidd (drums) and Rohan (Utpat) on percussions/tabla. We would like to thank the entire team of Fahrenheit ’10 for their excellent co-operation and care. We also would like to thank Aditya Jha and Kaniskha (our manager) for the necessary communications which made this gig happen! Also, thanks to Carl and Geo for the sound!

All in all, a wonderful experience. We look forward to performing there again. Here are some band photos that we took before and after the gig!

Our set-list for the night

Jaisalmer Express
Mumbhai (Bombay Boys cover)
Nahin Accha
Yeh Hasin Vaadiyan (Roja/AR Rahman cover)
Chandramukhi
Savita Bhabhi
Pehla Nasha – Pal (QSQT cover/KK cover)
Rasili
Yaar Bina (Junoon Cover)
School
Madhushaala
Sayonee (Junoon cover)
Apsara

Shor Bazaar LIVE! @ DY Patil College of Engineering, Nerul

2010-01-19T00:20:00.001-08:00

Drum Roll!

Shor Bazaar is back to performing LIVE in Mumbai. Year 2010 began for us on the freezing slopes of the Himalayas. Now, we are going to heat up the annual festival at DY Patil College of Engineering in Nerul.

We are headlining the event on the 23rd of January, 2009. This is the first time that we are being joined by Sidd Coutto, the multi-talented musician ex-Zero, ex-HFC, ToT on stage. He’ll take the honors of drumming for us!

In addition, we have the a Rohan Utpat on percussion and tabla. So, we invite you this brand new power-packed line-up! We promise you fultoos fun! Be there and help us make a Shor success!

Happy New Decade - update

2010-01-12T18:33:00.000-08:00

The new year has arrived and has been done and dusted, and we are well aware how late we are to welcome it! We didn't want to create any hoopla because there wasn't anything substantial to write about - not until two days before the decade renewed itself, that is!

Yes, on the 29th of January, we got confirmation of our performance at the New Year's Bash organized by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir as part of their efforts to make the coming decade a booming one for snow tourism. We flew to Srinagar, rode up the snowy slopes of the Himalayas, and performed in a make-shift tent on top of a hill at Gulmarg at a temperature of -10°C! This event was attended by a crowd of over 300 locals and, needless to say, we froze our asses off!

It was truly remarkable that we survived. We honestly thought we wouldn't make it back, and would end up as frozen specimens of humanity that would be discovered many millennia into the future. Fortunately, we arrived safely back in Mumbai. The smoky haze and mugginess of our beloved city felt like heaven when we touched down.

The trip taught us a lesson and we seemed to have turned a corner- quite a big one at that. There is newfound optimism and structure to our plans for the future, not the least due to the fact that we have Sidd Coutto (TOT, ex-Zero/HFC) who has agreed to play drums with us on a regular basis, and Rohan Utpat, who will be playing percussion/tabla with us regularly. Furthermore, to manage our events, we have found an extremely efficient and talented group of people in Promo Sapiens, with whom we are currently in the final stages of negotiations.

I hope these changes will herald a bright future for us during this year, and hopefully for the entire decade. I would like to raise a toast on this occasion! Here's to YOU GUYS for supporting and appreciating our efforts as you have been wonderfully doing until now, and to US (SHOR) for hopefully providing you with more music that you will enjoy, be proud of, and easily relate to!

Cheers! Happy New Year!

(A picture from Gulmarg - From L to R - Sidd Coutto, Rohan Utpat, KK, Robin, JD, Joy, Kanishka (Promo Sapiens)

KK (Krishna)

Shor Bazaar @ Celebrate Bandra festival - Nov 19th, Carter Road promenade

2009-11-15T20:27:00.000-08:00

Hey y’all! After a period of intense procrastination due to the fear of outlash from right-wing extremist groups for the excessive usage of non-Marathi languages in a public speech/performance/swearing-in ceremony, after investing in multiple security upgrades ranging from a team of 22 Black Cat commandos, a crate of chappal-repellents from the U.S.A., and anti-anxiety drugs including newer generation benzodiazepines, Shor Bazaar is venturing to perform at the Carter Road promenade in Bandra, which is the social capital of Mumbai, which, in turn, is the economic capital of the nation, as part of the “Celebrate Bandra festival” alongside Xenabob.

It’s apparent that the guy who wrote this has forgotten the art of simplicity. We, at Shor Bazaar, apologize. What he meant was this.

Shor Bazaar Live! @ Celebrate Bandra Festival alongside Xenabob
Stage: Carter Road promenade, Bandra
Date: November 19th, 2009
Time: 7 pm onward

We would appreciate it if you would turn up and provided appropriate laughter/applause. We promise to show placards to help you decide on the appropriate amount of response for each moment.

FB event page: http://www.facebook.com/krishnakumarv?ref=name#/event.php?eid=176029404386&index=1

MyBand MyMusic event @ Hyderabad - 26th of September

2009-09-23T06:11:00.000-07:00

So,

Adam Gilchrist calls us and says he needs someone to infuse some energy into the likes of RP Singh and Rohit Sharma (vis-à-vis the Champion's League). Needless to say we agreed.

Umm, we wish!

The real story is like this. 8 of the top bands from the country. MyBand MyMusic event. 26th of September (this Saturday). 6 hours of non-stop music. Last time we checked, the Nizams are going to dance with us. Well, let's see.

As a part of this, we are going to be on TV, radio, and the papers. The gig will be telecast live on a Music television channel as well! So, are YOU gonna go our way?

You better!

Details:

Saturday, September 26, 2009
5:00pm - 11:55pm
Rock Heights
Hyderabad, India

Price: Rs. 100/-

(Tickets available at select Cafe Coffee Day outlets in the city.)

More details at

http://www.myband.co.in/MyBand_MyMusic/
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/myband-mymusic-concert-by-indian-music-bands-at-hyderabad/520116/
http://www.facebook.com/myband.fanpage?v=app_2344061033&ref=ts#/event.php?eid=134796262435&index=1

We aren't I-Rocking XXIV

2009-09-16T00:52:00.001-07:00

Shor Bazaar regrets to announce that we will not be participating in I-Rock XXIV. We were very much looking forward to performing there, but due to reasons beyond our control, this has become impossible.

Our next scheduled gig is the MyBand MyMusic event at Hyderabad on 26th of September. Don't miss it!!

Deccan Chronicle story on the upcoming 'Savita Bhabhi' video

2009-09-01T02:42:00.000-07:00

Today, Deccan Chronicle published a story about our single "Savita Bhabhi" and its upcoming music video directed by Varun Agarwal from Last Minute Films. You might want to read this. Plus, it's got that fantastic photo of us posing in marching band costume. Aren't we all excited about this now?

Read on, here, if you are lazy!

Tribute video for Savita Bhabhi

September 1st, 2009
By Our Correspondent

Remember Savita Bhabhi? Yes, she’s the same bhabhi who was India’s first online toon porn figure who was recently banned by the Indian Government. The desi cartoon porn series is now an inspiration for a tribute video made by Bengaluru boy and filmmaker Varun Agarwal and Mumbai-based music band Shor Bazaar. Says Varun, “When I was in Mumbai, I saw the whole Savita Bhabhi mania. The office boys would watch it and she was a cult figure there. Jayajit Dash (front man of Shor Bazaar) and I met up. I proposed the idea of creating a song about Savita Bhabhi and we decided to make a one-off video.” While the government has banned the porn series, Varun insists that their video does not promote the porn figure. “We have not used even a single image of Savita Bhabhi. The video is just a fun take on something popular,” he says.

After Shor Bazaar created a song dedicated to Savita Bhabhi, they found out that the website would be banned by the government. There were protests by bloggers and by people on Facebook and Twitter, says Varun, adding, “It’s amusing how the government decided to ban this one site when there are tons of other porn sites that are easily accessible.”

So would they have used Savita Bhabhi’s images in the video if she wasn’t banned? “No, we still wouldn’t have used it ‘coz we aren’t promoting porn or her,” says Varun, referring to the video which shows a guy who can’t find a job during recession and also has a tough time finding a girlfriend. “He suddenly comes across Savita Bhabhi and his life becomes rosy as he gets whatever he wants from her,” reveals Varun.

While the unique video will be out by the end of this week, Varun says that they won’t be able to get it on air ‘coz of the ban on Savita Bhabhi. “But we will release it on the Internet where we will surely get a lot of responses,” says the young filmmaker who feels that there’s more to Savita Bhabhi than just being a porn figure.

Here’s to some ‘clean’ fun!

(Courtesy Deccan Chronicle)

Mumbai Mirror online article on topical/conceptual song-writing

2009-08-26T23:29:00.000-07:00

Mumbai Mirror's Ashwini Gangal* has written an article about the conceptual song-writing among Mumbai-based rock bands. Shor Bazaar (and the Doc) have been quoted along with a couple of dozen other bands (including Coshish, Tough on Tobacco, Demonic Resurrection, Zygnema, Ankur Tewari and the Ghalat Family etc.).

Find the article here. It's an interesting read!

Musical Tales

By Ashwini Gangal

Storytelling through music is not alien to rock music but there of late seems to be a positive surge in the kind of song themes and story concepts. We nose around and explore what Mumbai's rock bands are singing about nowadays

Come in dear sir,
Let me show you around.
I serve the master,
Who lives in this house,
The guests are arriving,
Dont look so pensive,
Dinner will be served shortly,
A treat for the senses...'

Not the likes of David Bowie, Jim Morrison or Roger Waters; the lines above represent the kind of lyrics city-based rock bands are penning these days. With more and more bands mushrooming constantly, lyrical and musical narratives are hitting some bold notes.

Mangesh Gandhi, songwriter, Coshish, explains, "There are scores of new bands and hence newer ideas and issues to write about. Many progressive bands are releasing concept albums where one single story is woven through all the songs .The effort is also to create 'musical films' where the audience hears not only the words but also visualises the story being narrated. These are great new developments."

Krishna Venkitachalam, bass guitarist for Shor Bazaar, observes, "People don't think of bands as sources of stories and interesting concepts – a huge misconception, because the point of being a musician is not to perform but also to convey a message.”

Gandhi points out that although a recent trend in Mumbai, this has been happening in the West for a while now. Riju Dasgupta, songwriter for Albatross, agrees with him. “Internationally, musical storytelling is common; in fact there's an entire genre in the west that's LOTR-based, called 'Tolkien Metal',” he informs.

He further adds, “In Mumbai, concept albums are picking up though – Demonic Resurrection for example has a fantasy-based one. Also, bands are now expressing unique things; Bangalore-based band Slain sings about Christ, for instance."

Spreading the word

Singing about socially relevant issues and spreading preachy messages almost seems ironic given the bratty image most bands portray, but surprisingly enough, this is true. As songwriter Sidd Coutto (Tough on Tobacco) puts it, "We send out socially relevant messages like 'don't drink and drive' and 'don't start smoking'. I know it's a strange message coming from a pop-rock-reggae band, but it's more like 'like look at us we're all addicted, so learn from our mistakes and don't start smoking!'"

Along the same lines, Krishna calls Shor Bazaar an ‘educated band of radical thinkers’. “We write about serious issues like ragging/school bullying, the notoriety of Savita Bhabhi and use a lot of Indian mythological analogies," he says.

Similarly, apart from penning songs inspired by Lord Voldemort, Spiked Crib writes about all the issues that society loves to deny. Lyricist Gareth Mankoo reveals, "We sing about abortion, suicide and infidelity. Our song 'The Butcher's Prayer' is about the mindset of a rapist."

A lot of these songs on prevalent issues stem from personal experiences. Siddharth Basrur, songwriter for Dog Ate Disco,confides, "I used to be in a drug rehabilitation centre, so I write about my journey. I also write about current themes like item girls, the saas-bahu TV culture and the need to vote for the right politician."

Art imitates life

It comes as no surprise that the 26/11 terror attacks have become a common topic for bands to be vocal about. Mayank Sharma, drummer, Zygnema, shares, "We have a song called '59' which tells the story of those 59 gruelling hours faced by hostages at the Taj during the 26/11 attack. The song addresses the way the goverment reacted, how politicians resigned and how it became a political issue instead of a national one." Zygnema also sings about the North Indian-Maharashtrian divide, the Indian economy and encourages national unity.

Coshish has songs like 'Rehne Do' about the Godhra riots, 'Woh Kho Gaye' which addresses alcohol and rehabilitation and 'Raaste' strives to encourage secularism, religious tolerance and humanity. Meanwhile, Urdu band The Ghalat Family also sings about terrorism, 26/11, materialism, government manipulation and blind faith in country and religion.

Attributing his own creativity to today's unsteady times, songwriter Ankur Tewari, The Ghalat Family, says, "The country is full of crises today and there's a lot of meaningful stuff to write about. It's no longer about rhyming random words; lyrics are crucial."

Clearly, rock bands today are emerging as an excellent medium for one to gauge the ethos of the prevailing era.

Thanks to Mumbai Mirror and Ashwini!

(Article courtesy Mumbai Mirror.com)

(* Apologies for the typo which is now corrected)

Tonight on Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM with Jeeturaj RJ

2009-08-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

Shor Bazaar will be on air with Jeeturaj on Radio Mirchi's Klub Mirchi show from 9 pm. What can you expect? A wacky interview, a few of our songs, a couple of special songs as requested on air by Jeeturaj (including a Ganapati song) etc.

This is part of the 'band banaao jeeturaj ko sunao' contest which airs every Saturday from 9 pm onwards Radio Mirchi in the Klub Mirchi show. Tune in and let us know what you think. Did we sound good? Did we sound foolish but entertaining? Did we strike up a controversy? We'd love to hear from you!

We would like to thank Vaibhav Wavikar (Filter Coffee) for joining us on tabla and percussions for this gig!

Time: 9 pm onwards
Where: Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM
With: Jeeturaaj, India's most wanted RJ

Savita Bhabhi video preview!

2009-08-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

It's here! The "Savita Bhabhi" video directed by Varun Agarwal (from Last Minute films) has just been uploaded on FaceBook. We don't yet know how to upload it on YouTube. Until then, here's the link.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=234123750370

We love it! What do you think?

Shor-Reel from Kyra Theatre Bangalore - 8th Aug, 2009

2009-08-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

Shor Bazaar's "Savita Bhabhi" in a documentary film on internet censorship

2009-08-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

During our visit to Bangalore, we had the opportunity to catch up with Namita Malhotra, a legal researcher and media practitioner at the Alternative Law Forum in Bangalore, India. She is making a film on internet censorship and surveillance across Asia, along with Subasri Krishnan - an independent documentary filmmaker in New Delhi, as part of the Open Net Initiative project (http://opennet.net).

This film looks at the dynamics of internet censorship and surveillance across different parts of Asia - whether the struggle of people like Tibetans and Burmese, the turmoil of individuals whose privacy is violated online, the closing down of spaces of free sexual expression and the anger of those whose freedom to blog, to e-mail, to express themselves is taken away in both repressive or democratic regimes.

This is what she has to say

As activists and filmmakers we are against censorship and in the case of Savita Bhabhi it is clear that the blocking of the website is unwarranted. The irony is also that Savita Bhabhi - a playful, inventive comic - is banned, at a time when finally the Indian courts have decided to decrminalise homosexuality. It seems that in terms of personal freedom and privacy, we have gone one step forward and two steps back -- and our losing precious spaces of expressing ourselves, especially on the internet. This is the story that we would like to explore

Namita is using the song "Savita Bhabhi" in this documentary film. Along with the song, she has recorded an interview with us and has taken some footage of our gig at Kyra which will be used in the documentary. We are extremely pleased and honored to be a part of this venture. We confess that it was OUR pleasure working with them. Here's a little bit more about the film.

It is supported by Open Net Initiative (ONI). ONI does research on internet censorship and surveillance across the world. Through this film, she wants to examine internet censorship by various governments in Asia, but particularly India where there is a lot of sex, sexuality and pornography related regulation. The film will be directed by Namita A. Malhotra and Subasri Krishnan.

Namita is a researcher/media practitioner who works at the Alternative Law Forum, Bangalore (www.altlawforum.org). She is a graduate of the National Law School and has a keen interest in pushing the relationship between law and media to look at the critical and aesthetic possibilities. Subasri Krishnan is an independent documentary film-maker who has been working independently for 5 years on films that deal with questions of gender and economy. This will be the first time that the two of them will be collaborating on a project.

The Kyra Theatre experience

2009-08-09T02:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the first time ever that Shor Bazaar played down in the South. Bangalore, Kyra theatre, and the amazing crowd that had gathered made us feel really special. It was the first time in a long long time that we played our entire set. The occasion was made extra-special by the mercurial Jai Row Kavi on the drums.

As always, we had a blast performing and going berserk on stage. "The electric set was the loudest that Kyra had heard" said Shimrei (the sound engineer) at the end of our performance and we don't think he was kidding. That kinda explains why our first-ever five-piece 'unplugged' set got an overwhelming response from the crowd. That included a new version of "La Ilaj" and a mellower version of "Pagli Ladki." We also debuted a couple of new songs - "Chandramukhi" and a version of "Rehen De."

The most endearing memory of our performance was the standing ovation and applause after the rendition of "Pagli Ladki". Quite honestly, we were astounded to see so many people standing up and giving kind smiles and the applause of our lives! There have already been getting quite a few requests for the song and we are thinking of recording it!

The sound was excellent - probably the best that we have played in an indoor setup. It is incredible to realize that Kyra is just 3 months old and already has a fantastic list of artists/bands who have had a blast playing there. We applaud the managment at Kyra for providing another brilliant destination for performing and enjoying live music.

Apart from the performance, we had a great time in Bangalore, away from the grind of a busy city like Mumbai. The folks at Kyra took wonderful care of us and put us up in this wonderful guest house which made us feel like staying back for a couple of weeks more at the least. Barring a couple of cab-related coordination problems, we couldn't have asked for anything better.

We also managed to catch up with Namita Malhotra who's making a documentary film on internet censorship. We are being featured in the documentary. More details later. Lastly, we would also like to thank our friends who turned up and gave us wonderful support!

Kyra Theatre - Aug 8th, 2009 - Shor Bazaar set list

Electric Set (I): Rasli, School, Chuppi, Savita Bhabhi, Nahin Accha, Mumbhai (cover), Jaisalmer Express
Acoustic Set: Chandramukhi, La Ilaj, Pagli Ladki, Rehn De (cover), Laal
Electric Set (II): Madhushaala, Yaar Bina (cover), Wada Shikan, Savita Barbie, Apsara
Encore: Rasili, Pagli Ladki

Bangalore, here we come!

2009-08-07T10:04:00.001-07:00

In under a day's time, we'll be performing at Kyra Theatre, Bangalore. It's our first extended performance with Jai Row Kavi on drums. We're excited!

Those of you in and around Bangalore - we'll be expecting you. The gates open at 7 pm and we'll be on stage a little after 8 pm. Entry - Rs. 250/-

We have a few copies of our Savita Bhabhi single left and those will be available for you to pick up.

Come on, let's bring Kyra down!

Partners in Crime

2009-08-06T21:16:00.000-07:00

Any list of excuses would not be sufficient enough to explain why we haven't posted a 'Thank you!' note to all of those special people who helped us to make 'Savita Bhabhi' such a remarkable success. So here goes!

As much as we would like to proclaim that Savita was an indigenous Shor Bazaar produce, any mention of the concept and implementation of the song would be utterly deficient without the mention of the following fine gentlemen:

Varun Agarwal - The fine gentleman from Last Minute Films. Varun was the "visionary" who came out with the concept in the first place. He pitched the idea to us, 'cause quite frankly, we are the only band that is puerile enough to consider making a song related to a porn comic strip. The final product had him grinning from ear to ear and we are honored to work with him the for a video.
Chinmay Harshe - The fine gentleman from Empire studios. We tried our best to make the song sound crappy - tracked the guitars at home, did the vocals at the C room of a studio for about 300 bucks per hour and gave him a track with a loaded-up, tweaked dhik-chack duppoom-duppoom Reason 4 auto-rickshaw beat. And after all that hard work we delegated it to Chinmay to mix it up. It took him two months to clean up the mess. We are sooo glad he did. Anyone want the original auto-rickshaw version for kicks? ;)
Rajat Nagpal - The fine gentleman of Rahim Murge Pe Mat Ro fame. We were pretty much a Rahim Murga when we met him. On the chopping block and ready to go under. The album we had recorded was going nowhere, our finances were in a mess and we were desperately seeking a lifeboat to sail us away from the wreckage. Rajat offered us a truck- of ideas and he was the one who suggested us to release singles. He has also consistently helped us get in touch with people who can assist our growth as a band. We owe him big time.
Sameer Malhotra - The fine gentleman a.k.a Daddy. He brings up platform after platform for musicians to showcase their work (Daddy's Windsong Wednesdays and Ce'st la vie Swimsong Sundays). Back in February, he was the one of the very few hosts who would let us play in his backyard. Since then, he has helped us in every possible way and we cannot even attempt to list it all. His events are like a magician's top hat, having an endless stream of quirky musicians leaping out at every given opportunity. He offered us a space to launch the single! :) Daddy - WE LOVE YOU!!
Jai Row Kavi and Jonathan Shewts Layers - The fine gentlemen who love to beat the skins out every moment of their lives. Jai (ToT, ex-PDV and Helga's Fun Castle) and Jonathon (Reverse Polarity) lent us their precious time, patience, and energy - and helped us obliterate the 'Reason 4' drum tracks. They really saved our asses and embarrasment and made the song ... ahem ... songs sound so cool! Jai has also done us a huge favor by willing to to sit on the Shor Bazaar drum throne! Needless to mention, we are honored to have him!
Nishant Vats - The fine gentleman of DogTheDog fame. Nishant designed the fabulous artwork for the Savita single. We absolutely love love LOVE the artwork. I'm sure we'll be doing a lot of work together going forward and we're really excited to be working with him. You can blame him if our website starts to look slick and funky!

Thanks you all for making 'Savita Bhabhi' a success.

(Joy & The Doc)

Collaboration, citations etc.

2009-08-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

Shor Bazaar, as a band, has always wanted to pursue something new. We usually like off-beat, whacky stuff that tickles your senses in just the right way and we are pretty darned certain that there are others who feel likewise. Yes, we want to meet people from different niches of the art world - people with vibrant, tangential ideas so we can work with them to create something interesting and worthwhile.

Since posting about this on FaceBook and Twitter, we've already received a number of responses from across the nation. We are thrilled! Honestly. That's the reason I'm writing about this on our blog. So, if you think that you would like to work with us, or if you know someone who might fit the bill, please let us know. We'd be more than happy to hear from you.

Apart from that, we still continue to be amazed by the fantastic coverage we are getting. These are the new pieces. The rest of the stories can be viewed here.

The Telgraph (Calcutta - 1st of August, 2009)
Buzz 18 - Tribute to India's first toon porn
Hindustan Times (Chandigarh - 31st July, 2009

We have also stumbled on a YouTube video of our CNN-IBN interview. Thanks to baboonlogic.

If you stumble on any such stories, please let us know - as a comment, e-mail, or the various social networking options.

Lastly - for only those in Mumbai - you can catch us performing live (with Tough on Tobacco) tomorrow (Sunday) at the Ce'st la Vie Swimsong Sundays brunch. 12 pm onwards. Cover is 1200 Rs./- per person. We have at least one surprise for you!!

Here's the FB event listing.

:)

Gracias, albeit with a disclaimer

2009-07-30T00:54:00.000-07:00

We are astounded by the response to our single! Almost every single reaction has been positive. We are absolutely honored!

Here are a couple of extremely amorous, kind responses. We'd like to say 'Thank you!'

"... Savita Bhabhi is one hell of a song. Shor Bazaar's Savita Bhabhi does not not sound like any of that synthesized shit we started to hear post-90s. They sound like one of them - the elite league. The music from the era when dope was cheap and the sex was free. And THAT alone is enough for me." - Athiran

"The musical maestros of Shor Bazar, have given the followers of Savita Bhabhi, their very own anthem. The lyrics are cheeky and chock-full of sexual innuendos, coupled with some great guitar play and arrangements."

We've been covered in almost every form of media.

CNN-IBN - Entertainment Tonight (30th of July, 2009 - 10.30 pm)
Asian Age (Mumbai Edition - 30th July, 2009)
Hindustan Times (Mumbai; HT Cafe - 30th July, 2009)
Red 93.5 FM (Jigar's show, Mumbai - 29th of July, 2009)
Times Of India (Mumbai Edition - 29th of July, 2009)
Hindustan Times (Delhi; HT City - 29th of July, 2009)
Radio City 94.3 FM (Malini's show, Mumbai - 28th July, 2009)
Indian Express (Mumbai edition - 27th of July, 2009)
DNA Sunday (Mumbai - 26th of July, 2009)

We, and our song, have been doing the rounds on various platform of internet discussion (Twitter, FaceBook etc.). We have had people like Pritish Nandy offering support, albeit vicariously, on such forums. We thank all of them too.

However, we are acutely aware of the possibility of misinterpretation of the song and its message. Especially, vis-a-vis newspaper articles, where our words, after extensive pruning, could transform into vicious political statements.

We would like to clarify one thing - we are not here to promote pornography. Instead, we believe in letting the masses decide what's appropriate for them - freedom in art and various ways of expression.

Please support us in this honest, humble venture.

(Our disclaimer is put up on our blog (*right-sided bar) and FB pages. We do COME in peace!)

The Launch Gig...that almost never was...

2009-07-29T17:26:00.000-07:00

Well...well...well...it almost was the perfect anti-climax. The cops came in when K*N*A*P were midway through their set....and it was announced that the party was over... We were terribly disappointed, and started giving away our cd's...played the song over the PA...and were ready to scoot out...when...when....Sameer appeared out of nowhere....looked at us and said - "Fuck it - lets do this.."

7 minutes of chaos followed....3 minutes of which weere spent looking for Robin who had left to see off his friends. The rest of the 4 were the maniacal rendition of our debut number...as usual we could not hear ourselves on stage...Aggie was super on drums....and JD...well....he even screamed at the Sound Guy in the middle of the song... :)

It was a fun gig!

A million thanks to Sameer for making this happen!!

And an extra special thank you to all those who came to support us....

See ya'll next time!!

- Joy

We thank you!

2009-07-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

We sincerely thank EVERYONE who have helped us promote our own "Savita Bhabhi"! We can't be indebted for the wonderful articles/coverage our friends in the media have come up with. And freedom for all!

Times Of India (Mumbai Edition - 29th of July, 2009)
Hindustan Times (Delhi; HT City - 29th of July, 2009)
Radio City 94.3 FM (Malini's show, Mumbai - 28th July, 2009)
Indian Express (Mumbai edition - 27th of July, 2009)
DNA Sunday (Mumbai - 26th of July, 2009)

Let's just not stop here. If you like us and our luscious "Savita Bhabhi," do spread the message around?

(PS: Don't forget to check us out live. For a start, tonight at 'Daddy's WindSong Wednesdays' - gig dates are posted RIGHT here -->)
(PS2: Don't forget to send in your reviews/comments/amor/criticism. We love to be appreciated!)

Shor Bazaar - Savita Bhabhi released

2009-07-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

The wait is over! Shor Bazaar's new single "Savita Bhabhi" is released online. If you have speakers on your computer, you would probably have started 'hearing' by now.

The song is also available at the following links.

Once again, remember that if you want to watch us perform this live in our launch gig at Daddy's WindSong Wednesdays at il terrazzo, del italia tonight, this is all you need to do.

Become a member of Shor Bazaar communities (FB, MySpace, Twitter etc.) Review the song. Send/post it online and send us an e-mail at kk(at)shorbazaar(dot)in. We will let you know if you win the contest! The lyrics can be read here.

Shor Bazaar Live @ Daddy's WindSong Wednesdays - 'Savita Bhabhi' launch performance

2009-07-27T16:30:00.001-07:00

Shor Bazaar is back - this time with a brand new single! We are extremely overjoyed to announce the release of "Savita Bhabhi," our first single, on the 29th July, 2009 (Wednesday). The song will be available for free download and streaming all over the web on the 29th.

Even cooler is to drop by at il Terrazzo, del Italia during our first ever performance of the song. We will be closing to Nikhil D'Souza and the K*N*A*P.

What's the big deal? We will be distributing copies of the 'limited edition' Savita single! Now, you wouldn't want to miss out on that. Especially because it's FREE!

Well, we can't reveal everything... but we can assure you that we will be springing some surprises. Maybe you will see something that you would never ever see! So get yourself off your couches and come down to Juhu!

To make things more interesting - here's an offer. We'll be putting "Savita Bhabhi" up for you to listen on Wednesday early morning. If you like it and would like to review the song for us, we'd love hear from you.

First add us as your friend on FaceBook/MySpace/Blogger/Twitter. Then send your review along with your name etc to kk[at]shorbazaar[dot]in. You can also post the review online too at these places (the wall here OR Shor Bazaar fan page on FB OR our blog OR even Myspace). We'll select a chosen few amongs the first few (whose names will be announced) and they will get FREE ENTRY to the gig!

ARE YOU READY?

~SHOR~

Entry: Rs. 500/-

(Why Savita Bhabhi? Why not? We think it's fun to write a song about such a cool website. It's a shame such web-niceties are banned. We have our right to freedom of expression, don't we?)

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=135806976350

"Don't Ban the Bhabhi" - Indian Express, Mumbai 27th July, 2009

2009-07-27T15:06:00.000-07:00

Our friend Georgina Maddox at Indian Express did a wonderful job with this article. We heartily thank her and Indian Express for covering us!

"Savita Bhabhi finds a voice" - DNA Mumbai, 26th July, 2009

2009-07-27T07:38:00.000-07:00

DNA Mumbai ran a story on us on the 26th of July, 2009. We would like to thank DNA for the publicity and, especially, Suparna Thombare for her excellently written article... and Tanveer Khan for the exuberant photograph.

KK (Ze Doc)

(Article courtesy DNAindia.com)

"Savita Bhabhi" lyrics

2009-07-25T17:35:00.000-07:00

Straight forward si baat,
Jab bhi laundon ki jamaat
Sharam aur sperm ki baatein,
Saari saari raat
Ladka ek dum ordinary,
Simply looking for a naari
But sorry! And yeh bas
Opinion hai meri… ke yeh

Ke ye koshish bekaar!
Bekaar bina car!
Hai jo car and money,
They help get honey beta
Dhan-dhan Gopal,
Nehin galni teri daal
Yehan ka tu native –
Society conservative!

Aise in halaat mein
Majboori ke saath mein
Best to go online...
Leke apne haath mein

Jismani pyaar ki chhabi - Savita Bhabhi!
Savita Bhabhi-Bhabi! Oh-oh-oh!
Tere dimaag pe haavi - Savita Bhabhi!
Savita Bhabhi-Bhabi! Oh-oh-oh!

Isko kaun padhta?
Padhke kiska chadhta?
Chadhke jo ragadta hai -
Jab uska jhadta!
Woh pal guldasta.
Happiness sasta.
Recession ke mausam mein
Koi to hansta!!

Isko kaun padhta?
Padhke kiska chadhta?
Chadhke jo ragadta hai -
Jab uska jhadta!
Woh pal guldasta.
Happiness sasta.
Recession ke mausam mein
Koi to hansta!!

Aise maamlaat mein
Computer ke saamne
Don't be all night
Dard hoga baad mein!!!

Jismani pyaar ki chhabi - Savita Bhabhi!
Savita Bhabhi-Bhabi! Oh-oh-oh!
Tere dimaag pe haavi - Savita Bhabhi!
Savita Bhabhi-Bhabi! Oh-oh-oh!

"Savita Bhabhi" single to be released on Wednesday

2009-07-25T15:04:00.000-07:00

We hereby announce the release of "Savita Bhabhi," our first single, on the 29th (Wednesday) of this month. The song will be available for free download and streaming at most music-related websites on the 29th. For those who don't believe in downloading, we are coming up with a limited edition "Savita Bhabhi" single CD. We will be distributing copies of it during our upcoming live performances (for FREE!).

On the same night, in what we would like to call our official "launch" function, we will be performing the song (along with a few others) at Daddy's Windsong Wednesdays at il Terrazzo del Italia near Mocha at Juhu Chowpatty. If you turn up at the gig, not only would you catch us performing the song live for the first time, you can win all-expenses-paid membership passes to maternity clinics in shady government hospitals in Bhubaneshwar, Thiruvananthapuram, Pune, and Kolkata* (along with non-refundable one-way bus tickets).

Why Savita Bhabhi? Why not? We think it's fun to write a song about such a cool website. It's a shame such web-niceties are banned. We have our right to freedom of expression, don't we? There are more surprises on the road leading up to the 29th and we can't wait to announce them. But I know you guys CAN wait. Besides, it will be a wonderful exercise for you to keep track of what we are up to on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace etc.

(*These are the amazing cities where the band members were born.)

Shor tweets are here to stay

2009-07-23T21:09:00.000-07:00

Shor Bazaar has decided to shed its taciturnity. Yes, we have recently gotten real and have started tweeting -- that too, like an overweight kiwi. If you too are fond of tweeting, please follow us at Shor Bazaar Twitter page.

If you ain't much of an ornithophile, you really ain't that old and still could become one. At Twitter.com. Then go visit our Twitter page.

Or else, you could just use ole' fashioned FaceBook to keep up with us. Go visit our FB fan page and FB user group.

However, if you figure that blogs kill everything else, just stick around where you are -- at the Shor Bazaar blog.

Or you could unfurl your best Johnny Bravo imitation and call our moms and ask 'Whazzup hot momma?'

Choose wisely. Just take care not to miss out!

And we need you. Quite desperately. So...

(PS: We don't hang out too much on Orkut. But if you want us to, we're game.)

The first single

2009-07-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your kind patience. The wait is finally over!

Our first single is days away from being released online! The date is tentatively fixed for the 29th of July. What's more, we will be doing a couple of mini-launch shows in Mumbai to promote the single. Hopefully, you will be hearing us perform it on radio as well!

Now, we need your help. We want to know where you would want to download/stream the single from. Write back to us here, there, and everywhere!

We all believe in freedom of expression, don't we? Support the freedom of media by supporting us!

(PS: If you are wondering what the song's about, you will have to wait a few more days! All I can say now is that it's about something really hot which has been all over the newspapers recently.

A tour?

2009-07-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

You know, sitting on our bums doesn't feel all that great. With monsoons flooding the roads and railway tracks in Mumbai, we are contemplating going to drier places. Like a desert or something. Maybe even performing there. Yeah, it's been a while since we did that.

Coming to the point, Shor Bazaar wants to know if there are gig-places which would like to host some ballsy music. So, if you know of any venue in your city where you think we can perform, just drop us an e-mail or something. If things work out, we promise to make sure that those who help us will get some benefits.*

What say ye?

(*Conditions subject to change. Read the offer document carefully and consult your lawyer and Momma before submission. Please note that meteorological factors and avian migrational routes could affect this offer. Applicants must be of legal age for drinking and consensual sex for their respective states or union territories. All of the aforementioned stipulations are to be taken with the utmost seriosity. Applicants must not lack the slightest trace of the absence of a sense of humour.)

3 down, none to go?

2009-06-17T02:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Shor Bazaar was back in the studio for another session. This time around we recorded with Jai Row Kavi. We tracked two more songs. Needless to mention it, Chinmay Harshe (Empire Studios) and Jai together form an amazing duo - It was simply awesome!

What this means is that the tracking of the EP is almost done. We are not yet decided if we want to track one more! We are planning to get it mixed asap and get it out to you guys.

Until then, here are some photos from the session. Watch out for those songs on MySpace soon!

:)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026957&id=1378257351&ref=nf

The first single

2009-05-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

Shor Bazaar is recording our first single at Empire Studios. We are collaborating with Chinmay Harshe (engineer) and Jonathon Fernandes (Reverse Polarity, Dream Out Loud) who's on the drums. The song's a bit of a secret and you will have to wait until its ready to know more about it. I can guarantee you one thing, it sounds sinister! Here are a few snaps from the recording session.

The tracking is almost over. Just a few more days to hear it (and download it)!

Cheers,

Krishna (KK)

*******************
Support Shor Bazaar by adding us as friends!

FB Artist Page
FB Fan Page
MySpace
Orkut
Blogger

At the studio

2009-05-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

After a period of about a year, we are getting into the studio again. The venture is on a much smaller scale though - we are recording a new song which we hope to release on the internet in a few week's time. For this venture, we are collaborating with Jonathon (Reverse Polarity, Dream Out Loud) who will be on the drums and Chinmay Harshe (Empire Studios) who would be on the console as the engineer. We thank both of them for helping us out. Here's to a wonderful day at the studio.

Single and looking

2009-05-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

You heard it right! Shor Bazaar is single and looking. Not just once, but thrice!

Sumit had to leave the band because of personal issues. It was a memorable year and half with him on board and we will miss him. But things move on. Currently, we are on the hunt for a drummer. Those of you who are interested, or those who know people who might be interested, give us a shout. Those who apply should keep in mind that they need to look as bad or even worse than the rest of the band. For reference, watch out for the upcoming photo post.
As you might know, we were signed on to Phat Phish. Unfortunately, it didn't work out as planned. A week or so back, we had a meeting with the record label officials and both parties decided to part ways. Although we didn't have to fight the British to be independent again, we are almost as upbeat and optimistic about our future as Gandhiji was, and would like to exercise our freedom by coming out with some new music. Read further, for clarity.
Quite honestly, we are tired of waiting for our yet unreleased debut album. It has been a long time (about a year, actually) since we visited the studios. Ergo, we have decided to start from scratch, almost. We are writing new material and are planning to record the songs. These songs will be released through the alma mater of music, the Internet. You will get to listen to them and on top of that, will get to download these songs! We are very excited about this. The first single (yes, one more reason why the title has the word) is in the process of being recorded. Watch this space for further details!

Shor Bazaar @coustic Live! on 10th of May

2009-05-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

You've heard us loud, you might even have heard us on the radio. But you haven't seen us unplugged! Yes, for the first time ever, Shor Bazaar presents its stripped down version with acoustic guitars and piano. And this time, we're debuting brand new songs and you don't want to miss that!

In this unique promotional event on Mother's day at 'The Club' in association with Furtados, we'll be sharing the stage with Cirkles for an afternoon of acoustic rock.

Entry: ONLY CLUB MEMBERS. NO GUESTS ALLOWED

Date: Sunday, May 10, 2009
Time: 1:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: The Club
Street: 197 D.N. Nagar, Andheri (West)
City/Town: Mumbai, India

Shor Bazaar - School from Aarohi '09 @ VNIT Nagpur

2009-03-06T05:52:00.001-08:00

UPDATE! - Lyrics are overlayed on the top portion of the video window!

This song's about a really funny story from JD's school days!

Nu-Hindi-Metal?

Shor Bazaar - Mumbhai (cover) from Aarohi '09 @ VNIT Nagpur

2009-03-06T05:50:00.000-08:00

What would you say?

The 'Apsara' lyric

2009-03-05T23:12:00.000-08:00

You guys requested for it and now you have it. These are the lyrics to the song 'Apsara' which we performed at Aarohi '09 at VNIT Nagpur. Watch out for this space as more goodies are on your way.

Apsara

chakshya lada kar, lakshya dikhati;
aisa dhooan, aag ho kaisi?
aei apsara... aa ab zara!
do kadam idhar, choom loon tera;
looton aise tujhe teri har maang bhar doon,
aise tujhe teri, har maang, bhar doon....

jab ang mile, besharmi kar,
unmaad mein, mere kaan bhar;
dil gusthak, dil beimaan, dil-e-kasish, dilruba,
dil gusthak, dil beimaan, dil-e-kasish, dilrubaa...

chakshya lada kar, lakshya dikhati;
aisa dhooan, aag ho kaisi?
aei apsara... aa ab zara!
do kadam idhar, choom loon tera;
looton aise tujhe teri har maang bhar doon,
aise tujher teri, har maang, bhar doon....

daanton se tujhpe, kayee naam likhoon,
cheerun khuraeid, dastakhat karoon;
dil gusthak, dil beimaan, dil-e-kasish, dilruba,
dil gusthak, dil beimaan, dil-e-kasish, dilrubaa...

aei apsara... aa ab zara!
do kadam idhar, choom loon tera;
looton aise tujhe teri har maang bhar doon,
aise tujhe teri, har maang, bhar doon....

We demand comments!

The Aarohi '09 Experience

2009-03-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

We almost didn’t make it! It was a hastily put together, ill-planned itinerary which meant that three of us had work-related issues to take into consideration. Such journeys necessitate the acquired skills of clowning around to be utilized and the few VNITites we encountered on the train must have been left wondering how such a goofy group of people can perform cohesively as a band. The 13-hour-long journey without reservations in an Indian train’s second class compartment on an intensely hot day didn’t manage to wear four of us down - our guitar gizmo man Joy was flying in.

From the moment that we landed in the Nagpur railway station (along with the guys from Indigo Children who arrived at the same time coincidentally) we were treated with utmost care by the hard-working team at Aarohi ’09. JD’s asthmatic tendencies pre-empted an intense dusting session at the unused hostel rooms which would eventually become our abode for a couple of days - the bunker beds really were reminiscent of boys hostels from our past and the baths without showers reminded me of my own scary days from medical college hostels of the past.

As we walked across the ground through a dust storm which had formed right in front of our eyes to the ‘green room’ behind the stage, we were rather disheartened by the lackadaisical sound people who were running three hours behind schedule. Indigo Children took a couple of hours for their sound check which was marked by incessant delays due to technical snags and more. We tried to do our sound check as fast as we could as the crowd was already assembling and were getting impatient. We had used ‘Rasili’ and ‘School’ as our songs for teasing the crowd and it sure seemed to have worked.

Apparently, there was this viral SMS being sent across the campus about this hindi band playing hair-raising stuff. That surely helped us as a considerable crowd of about 500 had assembled by the time we got on stage after the band competition. Joy and Sumit who did not even have time to freshen up after being the judges of ‘Purple Haze’ (along with Jayen Verma, the fastest percussive bassist in the world) must have been recharged due to the energy rippling off the crowd before them. What followed will best be described in pictures and video.

In the half hour that we were allowed to perform we did six songs – ‘Rasili’, ‘Mumbhai’, ‘Apsara’, ‘Chuppi’, ‘School’ and ‘Jaisalmer’ - and we had a blast on stage. It was one of the only gigs where JD’s famously risqué lines got across to the crowd through the mayhem of cymbals, slap-pop and guitar drones and we saw guffawing teenagers in scores amongst the audience. A gig with Shor Bazaar can’t go on without JD injuring himself in one way or the other and this time he sprained his ankle while jumping off the stage, thereby disrupting the guitar circuitry of Robin, left lost amidst his fitful stage-act.

After the performance, as the punk-rock anthems of Indigo Children were being dished out live, we were overwhelmed with requests for photographs and some autographs too. We heard chants of ‘Shor Bazaar’ peppered with high-pitched shrieks when we headed out to watch the Children go amok. We were totally drained and yet we couldn’t help but bask in the adulation poured on us, at least partly due to my own version of couture. This is the first time that we were tagged with a few genres like hindi-metal and hindi-thrash!

It was a wonderful experience and we thank all you guys who helped us pull this off! We thank the talented bands who participated in the contest and Indigo Children for sharing the stage with us. We also would not like to overlook the sponsors ibibo.com and Xion Media Labs for sponsoring this event. It’s no secret that we would like to take centre stage, hopefully not just once more, when we could unleash our entire arsenal at you. We’re waiting for the call!

We would very much appreciate hearing from you about what you liked and what you didn’t about the band and the performance and about our mannerisms on stage and our wardrobe. I already have had many a requests to upload the lyrics of our songs. We are certainly going to be working on that. You could also send in the photos that you guys managed to take to our e-mail or post them on the many platforms for Shor Bazaar fans on the Internet – MySpace, FaceBook Group, FaceBook Arist Page, Orkut Community etc.

Thank you VNIT Nagpur!

2009-03-01T01:00:00.000-08:00

We are packing up to leave Nagpur and the memories of yesterday night at Aarohi '09 linger on. We had a wonderful time performing in front of the most responsive of audiences. We'd like to thank everybody for letting us have a wild time on stage - the organizers, the audience, the people who took care of our stay and food, fellow bands (including Indigo Children)! We' love to come back and Shor-ify Nagpur!

Adios!

Daddy's WindSong Wednesday's on 25th Feb, 2009

2009-02-26T18:20:00.000-08:00

From Shor Gig

When we started sound-checking at the wonderful il terrazzo at Juhu Chowpatty with the backdrop of the crimson sunset, we could feel the incredible vibe seeping through us – the vibe of something outlandish and unforgettable. It seemed rather selfish to not let the feeling disseminate to the elite audience which would turn up to watch us perform. It is unusual for us to be performing in front of a sensitively fashionable crowd and we did try to do something about ourselves to raise our own style quotient.

Judging by the response that we had, we presume all our efforts did not go in vain. We received bountiful impassioned cheering from most of the present audience even when the night was young. This is astonishing despite the lyrics finding themselves sinking in a boomy-sound-swamp not too dissimilar to the ones found near the infamous Bates motel. The guy at the console must have found it hard to understand what hit him, and since it didn’t kill him, it must have made him stronger. It sure did so for us. Here are some photos.

We got a lot of wonderful comments and constructive criticism about our performance from the enthusiastic crowd assembled by Daddyji and the PR team. We are proud to have been featured in front of an array of brilliant musicians and knowledgeable folk from the entertainment industry. Although it might sound redundant to those who have read our earlier post about our little gig three weeks back, we won’t hesitate to mention that such a platform is indeed rare to find in India.

Smitten by the limelight perhaps we might be, but we won’t forget to mention the terrific performances by three artists who played before and after us. Alisha Pais and Fay Barretto opened for us with a charming set of songs. Shibani Kashyap followed us up with a preview of next Wednesday’s gig. The one-man-jam Ricoloop wound up the show with the most incredible live solo performance we had ever witnessed!

We would like to thank Daddy (Sameer Malhotra) once again for providing this brilliant outlet for original music in Mumbai. We also thank our friends (all of you, I can’t name you all!) who made it to the gig despite it being in the middle of the week. We also thank the documentary team of Human Mirror Project who came in and interviewed us on tape. That’s a first for us! We’d love to hear from all of you about the gig – here, FaceBook, MySpace, Orkut or maybe even by SMS!

)))) SHOR ((((

(PS: We have had phone calls about people turning up and finding that they were not on the guest list. We are sorry to have not clarified that there was an entry charge to the event. We regret the confusion caused.)

A quick blurb at the end of a rather unusually busy week...

2009-02-26T00:19:00.000-08:00

We had one hell of an awesome time at Daddys Windsong this wednesday...a detailed blow by blow account of the gig should be up by Monday the 2nd of March...for now we would like to remind you all that we are off to Nagpur for the weekend...hope the gig there is as wild as the one at Daddys this wednesday.

A HUGE ROAR OF APPLAUSE for all the guys who turned up for the gig on Wednesday. Thank You!! :)

Radio Interview - RJ Malini Radio ONE 94.3 FM tonite!

2009-02-23T22:10:00.000-08:00

UPDATE - 4 AM, 25th February, 2009

These are the three songs from the unplugged session! Tell us what you think about them!

Shor Bazaar will be featured on RJ Malini's show on Radio One 94.3 FM at 9.30 pm on the 24th of February, 2009. Tune in to catch an interview and a few acoustic versions of our songs!

Facebook event page.

The 'Juhu ka Jugaad' Gig - Wed 25th of Feb, 2009

2009-02-23T21:46:00.000-08:00

The 'winter' is a thing of the past and the sweltering days may tiring you down. Like always, Shor Bazaar, your Friendly Neigbhorhood Rock Band (FNRB), will be the there to save the day - or in this case, the night!

You might remember that we were smitten by the experiences at the 4th of February acoustic performance at Daddy's WindSong Wedensdays. The effects for either parties have been elucidated in an earlier post. Tomorrow, that is Wednesday the 25th of February 2009, we are performing as the featured act at the same venue. This gig will henceforth be referred to as the 'Juhu Ka Jugaad' gig, a tag line created by our resourcefulness asset JOYdeep Dasgupta. He has even made a wonderful poster for this.

The details are as follows.

Venue: il Terrazzo bar atop del Italia, right next to Mocha at Juhu Chowpatty
Time: 9 pm onwards
Entry Fee: Rs 500/- per head - the proceeds go to the the poverty stricken musicians who are performing there. It's a charitable cause, really!
The Deal: Great music, great liquor and great food with a wonderful crowd to hang out with. Ooh and, we are playing there too!

Check out Facebook (page 1, page 2), Orkut and Myspace pages for event details!

Here are some quotes about our gig! Both are from the Daddy* himself.

"I have yet to come across a band with sooo much talent, chutzpah and lyrical harmony standing at the cliff of destiny, ready to fly!!! The buzzzzzzzz is only growing, boys! Get ready to glow with the flow!!!! Yeeeeeeehaaaaaaaa!!!!"

"If you had one night... one night only... to watch a band on the cusp of achieving super-stardom, then come and wintness 'SHOR BAZAAR' hit the high notes on the 25th of Feb at 'Daddy's WindSong Wednesdays', Il Terrazzo bar, atop del Italia... Galli Galli main shor hai, SHOR BAZAAR ka shor hai!"

"If there is a trigger-moment in every famous band's lifetime that catapults them to instant fame and recognition, then that moment cometh tomorrow night!!! These guys are ripe for the picking so get the wax outta your ears and let the shor begin.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

(* We didn't use any forceful measures or money to extract such nice comments about us!)

Facebook artist page & upcoming gigs

2009-02-19T06:25:00.000-08:00

We apologize for being reticent because of multifarious, questionable reasons. But change is welcome, as always. In an effort to change things around, you can showcase the unbridled affection that was thrown at us at the gigs that we have played at our FaceBook artist page. Click here and be our fan. We need our TLC too!

And by the way, for those of us who have had withdrawal symptoms because of the above mentioned reticence, we have some Colombian Shor-ijuana coming up. Catch us LIVE at

Daddy's WindSong Wednesdays (Il Terrazzo, Del Italia, Juhu Chowpatty) on the 25th of Feb, 2009
AAROHI '09 at VNIT Nagpur on the 28th of Feb, 2009

Happy toking! :)

The Daddy's WindSong Wednesdays experience

2009-02-04T23:57:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks back, during one of the musical social events in the 'burbs, we ran into to a friend, an uber-talented individual (that's the easy way to put it - to find out more, check him out with the links given below) who was playing with his rather sprightly band called Ankur Tewari and the Ghalat family. We were a tad late (vide infra) and had missed his performance.

Later on in the evening, we were catching up and talking about gigs amongst other things, he mentioned about the upcoming gig at this new destination of live music - the Il Terrazzo Bar del Italia - right at the Juhu Chowpatty. Ankur's band were playing there and he invited us over to jam with him and his band.

We took that offer up - we didn't want to miss the band another time, with a little bit of indecision I admit, and found ourselves walking up the wooden steps at the venue sans two of our members, sadly due to other commitments. A three piece Shor Bazaar (JD, Rob and yours truly)) would be like the real thing without the zing, or so we thought. It feels nice to have been proven wrong so decisively, especially so by a wonderful and zestful audience!

We opened for Ankur's band with a three song set. The crowd went yowling and yapping and we were left wondering if they were enamored by us or were simply under the influence. After the set, we were thrilled and honored to see people come up and say so many kind, wonderful things about us and our music. It felt really good playing to a discerning, intelligent audience, appreciative of original music.

They were big-hearted enough, and of course with all the ethanol acting as a supreme neural lubricant, to demand an encore peformance and we found ourselves on the stage for the second time in the eveing, after Ankur & the Ghalat Family and Sridhar/Thayil - the lyrical/jazz duo of musician from Bangalore, winded up their sets. We managed to pull off another self-perceived scrawny set of three songs which were received with even louder cries of bewilderment and unhindered fervor. Believe me, it felt good and we did have a lot of fun.

We take this opportunity to thank

The artists that we got to perform with
- Ankur Tewari and the Ghalat family – Ankur Tewari, Sidd Coutto, Pozy Dhar and Johan Pais – for inviting us to perform and performing a heart-warming set of original stuff – wonderful!
- Sridhar/Thayil - the lyrical/jazz duo from Banaglore for their delightful performance and
- Anouskha Manchand for her wonderful rendition of broken-hearts-club stories
Daddy (Sameer Malhotra) from Daddy's WindSong Wednesdays (he's really not that old!) - for bringing up one of the most promising destinations for original, live music in the city
Il Terrazzo Bar del Italia - a wonderful destination for fans of Juhu Chowpatty
Daddy and Gaurav Kapoor for the wonderful introductions and wisecracks
The wonderful crowd who were appreciative and kind to howl and roar for us and the other bands and made us feel special.

And to two of us who lost out on this remarkable experience – Sumit and Joy, we missed you!

LIVE on Radio City 91.1 FM at 6 pm this evening!

2009-01-24T00:29:00.000-08:00

After three months or so, we are back online on the blog! The exile is being broken by a Live acoustic performance and interview on Radio City 91.1 FM's Saturday evening show featuring VJ Vicky at 6pm. It will be an informal chat session sprinkled by some of our songs. We might even play a brand new song on the eve of Republic Day! Don't miss it!

:)

Breaking news - live at Delhi

2008-10-10T04:45:00.000-07:00

We have just got news that we are going to be playing live along with a couple of other bands in the Phat Phish roster at Delhi this coming week. More details coming up soon!

Live at Khalsa College: Gig Cancelled

2008-09-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

UPDATE 24/09/08 : The gig at Khalsa college has been called off. The event organizers just informed us that they cannot afford the sound needed for a live band. We apologize for such a late notification.

After another short hiatus, we are back! And we're back with a gig notification. Shor Bazaar will be playing a 45 minutes gig at the Khalsa college - Guru Nanak Institute of Managment & Technology (GNIMT) on the 27th of this Month (Saturday). There is a 2 day intercollegiate fesitval happening there and we were invited to play. We are scheduled at 7 pm onwards. We'll probably play most of our upcoming album. Hope to see a few of you around then!

Umang - an experience

2008-08-16T23:41:00.000-07:00

Today's gig at Umang 2008 was a mixed experience for us. The eventful evening started off with our esteemed former President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam giving Umang a surprise visit. We were confused. The last time we had heard, he wasn't into too much of rock. He managed to leave the premises before the bands wreaked havoc (don't mistake the usage - musical havoc) on stage.

By the time we came up, the crowd were already enthralled to dizziness (or so it seemed) by Wehem and Prayaag. We didn't need to do too much really. And we didn't do much, either. We got about 30 odd minutes and during which we were requested by the young audience to abandon the more sombre numbers. For the songs that we did play though, we got a tremendous response from the crowd (despite de-tuned guitars, pretty ordinary mix and some other factors). We are very thankful for the same!

We would like to thank all of the organizers and volunteers of Umang who did a fantastic job of co-ordinating the event to perfection. It was simply amazing the way they handled us. We are honored. We would also like to thank those who attended the show and cheered for us. And lastly, thanks to all our friends and peers who gave us a wonderful critique which we are grateful for. We do look forward to performing on the NM stage in the future.

We'd like to leave you with a few amateurish images from the gig. Enjoy!

KD from Rock On! (Sumit Pillai) the movie was on Drums

Kirk Hammet... sorry, Joydeep Dasgupta on guitars

Jayajit Dash, wearing a Frank Zappa T-shirt on the microphone

The weird guy wearing the cool hat, on the bass

The masked axe-welder Robinman, on guitars

We could beat Pink Floyd, at least in photos - JD's psychedelia

The crowd really didn't get us. They tried dancing to pass the time

Live @ NM's Umang

2008-08-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

For your convenience, we have added a widget at the side-bar on the right (at the top) called - Gig Calendar. And the first entry says that we are going to headlining at NM College's UMANG 2008. We are scheduled to play on the 16th of August from 8.30 pm. Those of you who can make it, please do. We promise, you won't regret it!

You can keep yourself updated about our gigs, visits to our barber and everything else which is important at our MySpace page and FaceBook pages as well.

-- Update (14th of August, 2008) --

This ad for Umang came on Mumbai Mirror's August 15th edition.

(PS: Our guest list included Paris Hilton and she had confirmed her attending the gig. But since then, she has decided to run for President of the U. S. A. Hence, we are not sure about her being there. But we'll rope someone in! ;))

The studio sessions update

2008-08-07T14:11:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that it has been over a month since we entered the studio. Time did fly pass. We have had a wonderful time recording our album and we are happy to inform you that the mixes are getting ready and we are thankful to our wonderful engineer Chinmay Harshe who has managed to capture the essence of the band without totally going mad.

We are happy to announce a brand new Facebook group to supplement the Orkut community where you can keep a track on our whereabouts. Our MySpace page has also has undergone some changes recently.

Since we do not have anything else to muse about this moment, we decided to entertain you with some very shocking imagery from the studio. Enjoy them and do drop in your comments.

"We have a bad dress sense and this is one of the better outfits." - Robin on his Taylor

"Clowning around alleviates the pain; the Dhirubhai Ambani pose during the lean times." - Sumit

"A little self-possessed, and flamboyant but in the wrong way." - Dr. KK

"The battered and bruised guitar adds to the already overemphasized drama." - JD

"We are lazy and we like it this way. But not at the expense of... " - Joy

"He tried to control his frustration. But even his guitar gently wept." - Chinmay

"The marvellous Emprie Studio SSL console with the engineers at the helm" - Chinmay and Harshad

"This is as close as we could get to a band photo." - from L to R - Harshad (engineer), Nigel (Cellist), JD, Robin & Joy

Rolling Stone

2008-08-01T04:41:00.000-07:00

We're happy to inform you that Rolling Stone (India) magazine has published an article about Shor Bazaar. The interview for this by their journalist Neha Sharma and can be found on the August edition of the magazine. We would like to thank them for the same.

In the same edition, we were surpised to find a review for one of the acoustic songs (Rasili Acoustic) on our MySpace page. We're flabbergasted at the 3.5 star rating (thank you!) and all the nice things, some of which even we weren't aware of, written there.

Thank you Rolling Stone India!

The snaps of the interview page is included here as well as the review page are given below.

The Shor-istory

2008-07-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

People have often asked us how we came together and formed a band. No, our Dads weren't jazz pianists who inspired us to take music up as a career. Neither were we buddies from high school who dropped out after deciding to form a band. The fact is that we all are 'immigrants' to Mumbai and we are together thanks to a heavy dose of serendipity. Here's how.

The Shor-istory by The Doc
Sometime in 2006, JD, an IIT-Kharagpur Mechanical Engineering graduate who was working for ITC, he felt the urge to start writing music. He started on his own at first scribbling down lyrics over simple chord progressions on the guitar. His job led him all across India from Orissa to Gujarat to Chennai across cultures which gave him the inspiration to write more. Soon he felt the need to have company to expand his repertoire. Enter Joy.

He saw a ad posted on RSJ Online by Joy for musicians interested in forming a hindi band. At that time Joy was working for Mastek in Mumbai and JD was working at Silvasa. They decided to meet up at Joy's place in Mumbai. The next weekend saw Joy and JD jamming. Enter Robin.

Robin, the younger brother of Joy, a commerce student at NM College and a guitar-prodigy even at the young age of 17, joined them in their sessions. A couple of months of jamming over weekends led to nothing significant and they decided to call off their ambitious plans for building a band.

They took a year long hiatus and work led them further away than they already were. Thankfully, both of them got fed up with their lives and their mundane day jobs. Both got back in touch with each other and decide to take a sabbatical from their jobs to try and restart their original venture. This was sometime in September 2007. Both met again in our Alma Mater, the apartment of the Dasguptas in early December 2007. The name was also decided somewhere during this period. With lots of new songs added to their repertoire, they decided to look for bassists and drummers to complete the band. IIT-B’s Mood-I was around the corner and it seemed the perfect stage to start. Enter KK.

I, KK, was doing rather well in life whilst being in the final months of my surgical residency in Orthopaedics at KEM hospital in Mumbai. I already knew Robin via the acoustic band that we were part of called Cirkles. On the 9th of December, Robin called me over to his apartment to jam. I was introduced to JD and after pleasantries, JD and Robin jammed a couple of songs on the guitar. I was literally blown away by the music and JD’s vocals and I, despite my commitments, agreed to join the band as the bassist.

Together we streamlined a set-list of four songs for the competition. A couple of drummers were short-listed from the contacts that Robin had. We jammed with both of them. The result was nothing to write home about and a few days before Mood-I, we were still without a drummer. We were desperate. Enter Sumit.

Sumit, a gifted game designer working for India Games, is my childhood friend from Kerala where we started jamming a decade ago. Sumit was called in and just like me, he fell in love with JD’s beautiful songwriting and decided to try out as the drummer. A couple of jam sessions in the only operational Bajaao.com jam pad in Mumbai and we became the present version of Shor Bazaar.

Sorry, but we're back!

2008-07-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

OK!
It's been 3 months since the last update on this blog, and that is a very long time! So, this is what we've been upto during the hiatus.

Shor Bazaar signed on to Phat Phish Records, (a well known Indie label), sometime in May (yippee!) with an intent to release its debut album (double yippee!!). Allow us to whisper psst that the timeline for release looks like Oct’08 :)
For most of May-June, the band took a break to wind up our jobs/courses etc. so as to get free for the impending recordings.
At about the same time, we started looking for audio engineers and studios. We chose the wonderful Chinmay Harshe as the audio engineer and the famous Empire Studios for the tracking and mixing of the album.
Late in June, ShorBazaar was invited to the studios of Radio One 94.3 for a live interview and acoustic session with the wonderful RJ Malini Agarwal. (The recordings of the show can be heard on our MySpace page. Go check them out and give your 2 cents!)
And then finally on the 7th of July 2008, ShorBazaar started recording sessions for its first album, at Empire Studios, Mumbai.
We must also mention Furtados Music who were very generous with their support our recording sessions. We are extremely thankful to Anthony, Sahil (The DemonStealer) and the entire Furtados team for this helping hand!
Finally ladies and gentlemen, today, as we head into the last days of studiotime, we are very happy to announce that we are almost done :). That too despite a recalcitrant Lower Respiratory Tract Infection to JD and a tendinitis of KK’s left hand! We would like to attribute that to the wonderful atmosphere in the studios thanks to Chinmay and Harshad! We love you guys!

The tracks will be mixed and mastered in the coming weeks. If everything goes to plan, we will be able to respect that Oct’08 release that we talked about! Well that's about it for now.

We would love to hear from you!

MySpace page

2008-04-16T01:23:00.000-07:00

Apparently, this blog is not being received well by the fans. It is seen as an unprofessional way of reaching out to fans. A few people think that we shouldn't be having a blog. For the reasons stated above, we have decided to do a MySpace page (without which no credible band could exist apparently). Here's the link to the Shor Bazaar MySpace page.It's been up for 2 days. Go check it out and give us feed back. Either here or there.

(PS: I would prefer here! Quite frankly, I don't like Myspace. It is too complicated. And too slow!)

Sorry; something bigger coming up!

2008-04-04T01:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, we had promised to upload some of our recordings online for your pleasure. But technological nightmares plagued our little endeavour. The feared 'Dark Blue Screen' adored our computer screens for about a week or so and that set us back. For honesty sake, we have taken a photo of the blue screen when it happened and have presented it.

The dulling experience of the Chennai test and a movie called 'One, Two, Three' also seem to have affected us by blunting our intelligence thereby, strangling the creative process.

Anyway, something bigger is brewing and we'll be telling ya'll about it soon. We have just managed to record one acoustic track and that might be uploaded soon as well.

Till then, sorry guys!

Coming up - the demo recordings!

2008-03-22T06:04:00.001-07:00

We believe in innovation. We are almost like Hewlett Packard in that way. That's the reason why we are doing what phirangi bands are doing on their websites. Kanphuse zaala? Khabroo naaaka, tula sangto hai!

We are preparing some songs for putting in our upcoming breakthrough first album. We want the opinion of the Aam janta regarding which ones to keep and which ones to shelf.

Your opinion would hardly count, we can assure you that. But at least, the sense of involvement in the making of such an important event in Indian music history might just make your life look more promising.

We are lazy and we can't stick to our deadlines. Ergo, expect all these prophecies to come true in a few days.

The MidDay article

2008-03-17T01:37:00.000-07:00

Sweltering in the sun, heaving up the whole of the 'instrumentation' that we have with us to pose for the photo shoot seemed like overkill. But yesterday, lazily sifting through the e-pages of the e-paper we read, we realized that it had ended well. But all things that end good needn't have such a torrid beginning.

Thanks of Fashutana Patel and Fotografer Ashish Rane from MidDay who actually managed to work with us during this seemingly innocuous (but intensely arduous)task of interviewing/fotografing Shor Bazaar.

What’s that sound?

It’s all about adjacent careers with Shor Bazaar, who sing with Hindi vocals but play western instruments.

THEY came up with their name over chicken soup. Comprising of JD (Jayajit): song writing and lead vocals, Joy: lead and rhythm guitar with backing vocals, Robin: lead guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboard with backing vocals, Sumit: drums and KK (Krishna): bass, Shor Bazaar attributes their name to “The noise inside the head that finds its way out through music.”

Even though their instrumentalisation is primarily Western, JD sings in Hindi. He wonders why he should sing in English that too in accent alien to him. “I want to sing in a language that I’m comfortable with; even if I do sing in English, I’ll sing it like I speak it” he says. Sumit, a selftaught drummer, didn’t expect to be part of a Hindi band, “Then KK told me about the band — not many have Indian roots.”

All five musicians love music from Hindi films of the 70s.

“Basically, we all realised that we had everything but music in our lives,” says Joy. All of the bands members work on the side or have taken sabbaticals from their respective jobs, except for Robin, who’s still studying. Adept with both a scalpel and strings, KK is also a surgeon. Robin and JD have both taken breaks from their jobs, while Sumit simultaneously works and plays with the band. “I played for an English band earlier — it was mostly Western music — but after I started working, I lost touch with music.” says Joy, who met JD after putting up a classified on a website. “JD was in Silvasa at the time, he used to come down to Mumbai on weekends and we used to jam, come out with new melodies, not entire structures. We wanted to start a band that played Hindi music, realising the future was in it.”

Joy’s brother Robin, began with playing keyboards, “I started out by playing Salman Khan songs,” he says with a smile and then picked up the guitar; KK and Sumit joined Shor Bazaar soon after, “We officially began as a band in December last year — ythat’s when we decided to give it an honest attempt,” says Joy. Their songs are an “Urban take on love — it’s more rowdy than mushy… I think people have had enough of mushy love songs,” says Joy about their song Rasili. “Work posted me all over India and I saw a lot of different settings — I tried to express myself in any way that I could. My father was a writer, you could say it’s in my genes,” JD says about his songwriting abilities. “There’s this illusion of work: a great career and life,” he explains when asked why the shift from regular 9-5 jobs to the assuming life of musicians.

“It was difficult, there were times when we didn’t think it would work out, people told us that it seemed like a snap decision and that music does not have fixed paths,” says Joy. “But people are becoming much more receptive to original music. We’re not yet completely satisfied with where we are — you have to keep
trying.”

Shor Bazaar has created three songs as of now: Rasili, Nahin Achha and Khamoshi. They sent their demo to a radio channel, and were chosen for the regional finals and went on to compete in Delhi. “Bands are being given the chance to get into mainstream rather than being restricted to college circuits,” says Joy.

“A band is only as good as its audience. If the audience does not understand what the band is playing — then there’s no point in playing that. We want to be big, we want critical acclaim, but we don’t want to be niché,” says a confident JD.

PS1 : The photo looks incredible. Seriously so! We look weird in that. Actually we aren't weird like that. We are even weirder.
PS2 : My bass guitar is not bent like that. It's an optical illusion.
PS3 : Sumit doesn't play the drumset with the cymbals so far away from the rest of the kit. That was a Photoshop trick!

Jingle main Mangal....

2008-03-08T07:45:00.000-08:00

Putting up a couple of promos we worked on with Arunabh....JD's pal from IIT Kharagpur, big Shor Bazaar fan and a darn good movie maker. Enjoy! :)

Promo One:

Promo Two:

Pics!

2008-03-06T04:38:00.000-08:00

National Finals (Delhi 29/02/08):

Regional Finals (Mumbai 23/02/08):

Sod's law observations in Delhi...

2008-03-03T05:50:00.000-08:00

JD almost broke open his skull during the soundcheck in Delhi. Earned 4 stitches above his right eye for all his efforts. Ended up with a swollen face that looked like a boiled potato.
KK almost didn't make it for the finals...the band soundchecked as a 4 piece with Robin handling bass duties. But like classic bollywood movies of yore KK did make it at the very last moment and we went on stage and played on a completely unset sound. Was fun.
We did not sign the contract offered to us by Radio City. We had way too many issues with the contract and decided to back out after frantic meetings within the band/with friends and with Radio City.
We did not win. Far from it.....was easily the worst of our three performances till date. Still JD managed to please the girls and the band managed to freak out on stage for about 15 mins.
Robin and Joy won a Gibson SG Special for being the best guitarists in the competition. They have been doing jumping jack flashes ever since :P

A BIG BIG BIG BIG BIG THANK YOU to everyone who voted in for us and cheered for us throughout the competition. We love you :)

Now on to more killer songs....and more killer gigs....and doing the rounds of record labels....stay tuned for more updates...we'll put the songs up for download very soon :)

...get your freak on!

2008-02-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

Venue: The Garden of Five Senses, Said-ul-Azaib, Off Mehrauli Badarpur Road, Right turn from PVR Saket Road.

Its ok if you dont know where this is....neither do we. Hope this will help. Please come.

And yes....do vote in: RCL B6 followed by your name to 54646. Yup...its B6 now...and not B2....if you have already voted in B2...Crime Master GoGo will haunt your dreams forever. To avoid this vote RCL B6 5 times every hour until your girlphrend/boyphrend finds out.

Hope we win!!

West Zone cha zaala!

2008-02-24T02:37:00.000-08:00

WE did goof up. WE did our best to give others a chance. And WE did a very good job out of it. WE are proud of ourselves. WE (Shor Bazaar, Talaash & Yeshua; winners of the RC Live West Zone finals) [yes, this was the order!] the Mumbai-wallah bands are going to rock Delhi. We, Shor Bazaar, are proud of US (West Zone winners) and are honored to be kicking asses from all over the country at the capitol city Dilli!

And we're proud of the fact that our guitarists' Dad made us proud by winning the toughest competition organized by the Radio City RJ!

On a more self indulgent note, we didn't play as well as we could. We hope to do better and be more professional on Thursday at the national finals.

For those who tried to cheer for us... come on guys! A bunch of protestants could do better!

And for those who felt that we didn't deserve to win it and somebody else should have won it, we'd like to state that we also felt that. Uh well, at least the second part of the sentence. Them as well, we mean!

RC Live! and shameless self promotion

2008-02-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

Shor Bazaar RC Live ke regional phinal main pahunch gaya hai!!

YAY!!

Finals on the 23rd of Feb at Rangsharda, Bandra. We are currently scouting around for cheerleaders....if interested...please tape yourself doing something really stupid and upload it on youtube, and send in a mail with your name and number.

Remember....the stupidity levels will be compared to Shor Bazaar's collective stupidity. So the bar is set quite high. Naivete as an added quality would really clinch it. This looks like a great starting point.

Whoops....almost forgot....do vote in for us by sending "RCL B2" (...without the quotes....but with the space between RCL and B2) followed by your name to 54646.

Every person voting in will get a Pan Pasand from Shor Bazaar once we get rich and famous.

Shor Do Aanchal......Zamana Kya Kahega?

2008-02-18T03:08:00.000-08:00

Shor Bazaar is a five-member band formed in September 2007 in Bombay. We specialize in wasting our time trying to make money through music. Till date our earnings total zero.

Influences...(a.k.a. agar hum Bollywood main hote toh hum inse "inspired" hote..)

Kishore Kumar, R. D. Burman, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Incubus, Junoon and Lucky Ali.

We are....

JD (Jayajit) (singer/songwriter/harmonica) Hothead (...not to be confused with hotbed). Radical Dreamer. Yeh hamaare lead-singer-ji hain. Loves playing his guitar without a pick (...not to be confused with prick).

Robin (rhythm/lead guitar/keyboard/backing vocals) Lazy. Lazy. Lazy. Lazy. Darn good on the acoustic though. Loves weird chords.

Joy (lead guitar/backing vocals) Wastes too much time researching music equipment and software. Got good pedals :) Loves big fat guitar tones.

KK (Krishna) (bass guitar/backing vocals) Mr. Harmonizer. Would give some of the Eventides a good run for their money. Also Mr. Suspended Chords. Hates one note bass. Loves anything acoustic.

Sumit (drums/percussion/backing vocals) Mad Professor. Also Lazy. Loves Thom Yorke and his Sony MDR7506 cans.

Thats all the boredom we have for you today.

Aaplya patience ani wela sathi dhanyawaad.

P.S. We have a lot of gear. Anyone interested in being a roadie...please do mail in. If you are lucky, you may be treated to a bowl of manchow soup at Classic Chinese for all your efforts.

P.S.2. Yes, we are ugly (....hmm...all except JD of course) and have no money....but if you are still interested in being a groupie...ugh...who am I kidding?!?!

2007-07-19T23:47:00.000-07:00

Shor-ography

Shor Bazaar is a five-member band conceptualized in September 2007. With a heavy dose of serendipity, our line up was completed in the last week of December 2007. Since then, the ride has been dizzying. From getting disqualified at the Mood-i festival in IIT-B to getting to the national finals of a band competition and then to recording our first album... we consider ourselves very fortunate.

Our music sounds like a mixture of folk, alternative and rock. It is really hard to put anyone's finger on what genre we fit into. We would like to leave the judgement to the audience and call ourselves rockers.

We recorded our demo CD titled 'Shor Bazaar: Demo Sessions' at Promethean Studios in Malad (W). That was our first ever venture into a studio and we've got audible evidence to prove that in the demo disc itself.

That helped us get into the Radio City 91.1's RC Live! - the search for India's best Hindi band competition. We won the Mumbai leg of the finals and went on to compete at the National Finals where we didn't make it through. But our super-duper guitarist brother-duo won the Best Guitarist(s) award at the final.

The demo disc also helped us in getting our music through to Phat Phish who were gracious enough to offer us a recording contract. It was a dream come true for all of us; to get recognized by a reputed label. The fairy-tales have been reinvented by us!

Presently, we are finsihing tracking of our first album at Empire Studios in Mumbai with the help of our audio engineer and advisor, Chinmaya Harshe. Once that is over, we hope to hit the college gig scene and perform at the various venues all around Mumbai. Phat Phish is planning to record a video for our first single in the month of August. The album is scheduled to be released at the end of this year.

And we quote "We specialize in wasting our time trying to make money through music. Till date our earnings total zero."

Shor Who?

Dash, Jayajit a.k.a. JD (lyrics, vocals/harmonica/guitars/keyboard):

JD is Shor’s charismatic vocalist. He is the principal songwriter and derives the inspiration from his past experiences of traveling all around India. That is also reflected in the lyrics which have an eclectic feel with a generous sprinkling of words and phrases from many languages and eras. They range from sarcastic humor to moody and brooding, seemingly occupying that narrow space between innovative and scandalous. He is an honest, passionate, emotional individual who gives an almost writhing stage performance during live shows. That, along with his unassuming sense of humor, keeps the audience on their toes. JD's hairstyle and mood shifts parallel the London weather. JD loves to play his acoustic guitar without a pick. He uses both guitar and keyboard for songwriting.

JD was: IIT-KGP graduate in Mechanical Engineering, worked with ITC until 2007
JD's gear: JD uses original (made in India) DASH (c) vocal cords, Yamaha acoustic guitars, Elixir/D’addario strings, Yamaha keyboards and Hohner harmonicas.

Dasgupta, Joydeep a.k.a. Joy (electric guitars/lead/rhythm guitar):

Joy is one the starting members of the band. He’s the classical prototype of a guitarist with long hair and all who loves big fat guitar tones. His collection of pedals has raised eyebrows whenever it is unveiled. His guitar gear and accessories are a treasure trove collected after sifting through the plethora of stuff available all over the world after painless hours of research on the internet. It obviously helps to be a nerd with an encyclopedic knowledge of music and production. His stage presence portrays and calming confidence which underlines his personality. His guitar tones are probably the reason of Shor’s distinctive sound and his catchy riffs provide scaffolding for many a song in the Shor catalogue. He also doubles up as the liaison between Shor and their professional contacts.

Joy was: An electrical engineer who worked for Mastec

Joy's Gear: Joy uses Gibson SG guitars, an array of expensive, state of the art pedals and D’addario strings.

Dasgupta, Abhishek a.k.a. Robin (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals, and keyboards):

Robin’s is endearingly referred to as ‘The Scientist’ of our band. A guitar prodigy in his own right, he provides the luscious background for JD’s melancholic vocal melodies. His jazz-oriented style is amply demonstrated in his benumbing chord progressions. That is without mentioning the scrupulous rhythm section and the dreamy solos that he comes up with in our songs. He is Shor’s consultant with his magnificent musical compass showing the band their way through many songwriting storms. His vocals dove-tail seamlessly with JD’s energizing the bridges and choruses. Eccentric genius is often bundled with other radically different facets and in his case it is moodiness, a brilliant sense of humor and a predilection for clumsiness; almost like a Gotham super-antihero, the scary combination of the Clown & the mad Scientist.

Robin is: a SY B.com student at N. M. College.
Robin's gear: Robin uses Taylor and Yamaha acoustic guitars, Elixir/D’addario strings, a custom made Strat-copy, POD XT and Fishman acoustic amplifier.

Pillai, Sumit a.k.a. Sumit (drums, percussion, backing vocals):

Sumit is a drummer who strives hard to strike a balance between contrasting styles of drumming as groove and metal. And from his efforts, something sparkling invariably emerges filling up Shor’s sonic spectrum. A penchant for folk rhythm helps him to mesh up with JD’s folk influences. His wealth of experiences playing in other bands plus his involvement with studios and music production come in handy at creative crossroads. Much like our long-gone Cretaceous reptilian ancestors, a larger frame (6’ 3”) comes packaged with tardiness resulting in an almost comical paradox. The ‘Mad Professor’ doesn’t just stick to his skins. He plays the acoustic guitar and has a beautiful singing voice which he rarely puts to use.

Sumit was: a Fire & Safety engineer from the CUSAT, worked as a game designer at Zapak.com and India Games.com before he quit his job.

Sumit gear: Sumit uses Mapex drums, Sabian/Zildjian cymbals and Vic Firth sticks.

Venkitachalam, Krishna Kumar a.k.a. KK, The Doc (bass guitar, acoustic guitar and backing vocals):

The Doctor is the crazy bundle of weirdness that neutralizes the caustic brilliance of the other four band members. His bass lines which are inspired by grunge and funk glue up the wide array of riffs and licks going on in most of the songs. He conspires with Robin to convert regular melodies to sullen, morose ones by changing and chopping chords. An ardent fan of the acoustic guitar and acoustic recordings, he provides ideas for some of the interesting guitar riffs and rhythms. He pulls out vocal harmonies for the songs from his grunge influences. There are times when his quixotic ideology and a weird sense of humor seeps through his wiry frame to make him appear obnoxious. Thankfully, that’s rare. More importantly though, the impregnable vibe between him and Sumit provides solid framework for the band’s music.

KK was/is: a Bachelor in Medicine from Medical College Thiruvananthapuram, a resident of Orthopaedics in KEM Hospital, Mumbai.

KK gear: KK uses Ibanez SDGR Bass, Warwick Rock bass, Greg Bennet Acoustic Basses, D’addario/Warwick strings and Laney amps and cabinets.

The Shor-istory by The Doc

Sometime in 2006, JD, an IIT-Kharagpur Mechanical Engineering graduate, was working for ITC when he felt the urge to start writing music. He started own his own at first scribbling down lyrics over simple chord progressions on the guitar. His job led him all across India from Orissa to Gujrat to Chennai across cultures which gave him the inspiration to write more. Soon he felt the need to have company to expand his repertoire. He posted an ad on RSJ Online for other likeminded musicians. Enter Joy.

While JD was posted in Silvasa in Gujarat, Joy responded to the ad expressing his interest. Joy was working for Mastec as an Electrical Engineer at Mumbai then. They decided to meet up at Joy's place in Mumbai. The next weekend saw Joy and JD jamming. Enter Robin.

Robin, the younger brother of Joy, a commerce student at NM College and a guitar-prodigy even at the young age of 17, joined them in their sessions. A couple of months of jamming over weekends led to nothing significant and they decided to call of their ambitious plans for building a band.

They went on a year long hiatus with work taking them further away than they already were. Thankfully, both of them got fed up with their lives and their mundane day jobs. Both got back in touch with each other and decide to take a sabbatical from their jobs to try and restart their original venture. This was sometime in September 2007. Both met again in our Alma Mata, the apartment of the Dasguptas in early December 2007. The name was also decided somewhere here. With lots of new songs added to their repertoire, they decided to look for bassists and drummers to complete the band. IIT-B’s Mood-I was around the corner and it seemed the perfect stage to start. Enter KK.

I, KK, was doing rather well in life whilst being in the final months of my surgical residency in Orthopaedics at KEM hospital in Mumbai. I already knew Robin via the acoustic band that we were part of called Cirkles. On the 9th of December, Robin called me over to his apartment to jam. I was introduced to the JD and after pleasantries JD and Robin jammed a couple of songs on the guitar. I was literally blown away by the music and JD’s vocals and I, despite my commitments, agreed to join the band as the bassist.

Together we streamlined a set-list of four songs for the competition. A couple of drummers were short-listed from the contacts that Robin had. We jammed with both of them. The result was nothing to write home about and a few days before Mood-I, we were still without a drummer. We were desperate. Enter Sumit.

Sumit, a gifted game designer working for India Games, is my childhood friend from Kerala. I and Sumit used to jam a decade. Sumit was called in and just like me, he fell in love with JD’s beautiful songwriting and decided to try out as the drummer. A couple of jam sessions in the only operational Bajaao.com jam pad in Mumbai and we became the present version of Shor Bazaar.