CD Review: Baba Alex's 'Chandra Shakti'

Baba Alex
Chandra Shakti
Self-Release

Based in Canada, but living part of the year in India, Baba Alex is a celebrated raga musician and kirtan singer. The music is steeped in the swirling sounds of the sitar, Bansuri flute, shenai, and tabla. The seven track release is very classical in its arrangement, but the vocals reflect a more modern presentation. There are various ragas presented here, including Bhoop Kalyan, Gunkali, and few other classical music interpretations. Baba Alex speaks Hindi, Bengali, English, and French. Married to the daughter of a Baul singer, Baba Alex solidifies his mark in the world of inventive instrumental ragas and classical singing. At about fifty-minutes, this album is in-depth enough for even the most passive raga fan. Let the spirit of the Bansuri and shenai envelope your soul today! ~ Matthew Forss

CD Review: The Bombay Royale's 'You Me Bullets Love'

The Bombay Royale
You Me Bullets Love
Hopestreet Recordings

If James Bond starred in an Indian film, this would be his soundtrack. The surfadelic stylings of Bollywood psych-funk with loads of brass, rhythms, and gritty guitars is reinvented for today's generation. Building upon the classic Indian sounds of the 1960s and 70s, The Bombay Royale create amusing and reverberating rhythms that mimic the US/Cambodian group, Dengue Fever, and how they modernized surf-rock for today using songs and styles from the Khmer Rouge-era. In fact, Dengue Fever's music is quite similar to The Bombay Royale. The spacey electronics, blazing horns, and funky Hindi beats are very lively and memorable. Fans of psychedelic Indian funk will love You Me Bullets Love, especially for its release on gatefold LP, but also CD and download formats will be released. All ten tracks are monumental from this Melbourne, Australia-based band. India's Golden Age is back and The Bombay Royale are to blame. Thank you for creating this musical project. ~ Matthew Forss