Stupid Stupid Stupid - Review

Stupid Stupid Stupid is one of those compilations that you don’t quite know what to expect from it. However, like Jose Marti once said, “Charm is a product of the unexpected”. You can’t help but like it. It makes you feel good, despite the occasional song on it about an unfaithful woman. It makes you feel proud about Indian music.

It’s longer this year, with 21 songs. It’s also broadened it’s horizons with some metal and electronic music on it. The artwork is also loaded with lots of cassettes and a cat. Yes. A cat.

It starts with Seven Degree’s “Shadows In The Dark”, which is a likeable song at best. It has a hasty quality about it, and the chorus is rather disappointing, but the tune and the quality of the way in which it is delivered ensures that your head does a replay of it a few times, couple that with the cliché that is the song title, and it’s an attractive tune. At the end of the day, Seven Degree’s are rather like the White Stripes, [though Rashmi Upadhyay’s drumming skills are better than anything Meg White’s ever played.] with rash and loud guitars over efficient drumming. A good song. Nothing less. Nothing more.

Second up, The Circus with their song “FOPS”. We all remember The Circus from good ole’ Launchpad. We all remember the ridiculous purply picture. We all remember THAT ‘My Humps’ cover. We all remember the suspicious devotion of Reverse Polarity after they were knocked out. And we liked the fact that they were flying the flag for Alternative, even if they have been experimental in their music. The song, FOPS though, is largely rather disappointing after what they did on Launchpad and after. This song is frankly put, weird. The first minute and 15 seconds is the most confounding thing you’ll ever hear this year, save for Rafa Benitez blaming everyone/thing for Liverpool’s failures. But Abhishek Bhatia’s vocals on this song are a blessing. They’re frickin’ amazing. On first listen, this is a terrible song, but with repeated hearings it gets better and better and better. But not one of Circus’s better efforts in the end. Also their line about being unmetal where they said they think pig slaughter ain’t cool is as deluded as VH1’s ‘rock rulez’ ad. Since when did metal, or indeed rock involve pig slaughter?

However, when Gravy Theory’s ‘Radio’ rolls around, you forget everything. It’s a spunky, downright fantastic song. Souradeep Dutta’s vocals lack the [wannabe] accent that is so common in Kolkata’s bands and that is only a good thing. His singing is one of the best on the compilation despite tough competition. Excellent drumming, not so excellent solo though. However, it’s an urgent, vital piece of music that demands you to like it. One of the best on this album. Then comes the snarling “Wronged” by Aftertaste. It’s a guttural, raw song with heavy guitars with quick and upbeat vocals. The chorus is pretty good too. It sticks to its alternative roots and the result is a safe, likeable song. However, it’s one of those songs which you like when you hear, but forget about when the next song comes on. There’s no chance of forgetting the next song though, Freedomslinger by The Mavyns. This song is the best on the album, bar none. It sounds like the Kinks, and it’s so good, that I’m sure the Kinks won’t mind this being a part of their catalogue. It’s also got lyrics that mean something while not meaning anything. The solo is also downright brilliant. It’s quite staggering how Pradeep Mathews maintains the quality of the solo for over two minutes while you regularly hear godawful solos that last for 10-15 seconds but are so bad, that you wish they ended faster. This song is not a class act. It’s all Class. No act. The next song, ‘The Choot Song’ is a disappointing mid-tempo rocker that leaves much to be desired. All that is good is a catchy bass line and the title of the song, and even that's not enough. It's a filler song. Anything more and it'd be overrated. Moving on, The Weapon by The Lightyears is the next song. It’s a good song with the rather inspired lyrics ‘I don’t care, but I still mind’ which means a lot if you think about it. The vocals are energetic and virile. It’s one of the better songs on the album. Then comes along a real gem. ‘In Love With You’ by Lavender Carnage is a classic. It’s also uncomfortably true. It reminds you of the bitch that broke your heart and you started to listen to Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder. It reminds you of your time together. It reminds you of the way she smelt. It also reminds you of the time when she left you for a guy taller than you and funnier than you. It also reminds you of your misguided attempts to write poetry about/for her. It also rather painfully, reminds you of her reaction to it. [Hell, Srijan Sen imitates your ex for you!] It’s rather a pity it’s such a short song. Despite lasting for only a minute and 45 seconds it manages to leave you gasping when it’s over. It’s one of the finest of the album. And it’s a pity the same can’t be said about the next song, ‘This is Sparta’ by Khiladi. It’s an astonishingly bad song. Apparently it’s about a guy, a girl and two more girls. Guy likes Girl. Girl doesn’t like Guy because the “other” Girls say she deserves more. Hence starts an epic battle. Unfortunately, the concept is better than the execution. Lyrically, it’s not the best as well. [So many reasons for you to see, why I am crazy about thee]. The word thee. It must be Shakespeare’s greatest contribution to this world. The number of terrible lyricists and wannabe poets, who have used this word, are uncountable. The next song, ‘War’ by Boomarang is a classic. Echoing Lennon’s Imagine its sentiments, it’s a song to die for. The lyrics are a masterpiece. [‘You won’t go to heaven, with your AK-47’ and ‘There’s no point in a suicide’ are just a taster] It’s a mellow and soothing ballad that does a lot more than just perk up your ears. Messiah’s new songs, ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ are up next. It’s a brilliant, brilliant song with a quirky bass line. It’s this raw, uncluttered mesh of punk and grunge which many bands have tried but few have yielded results as good as ‘Boys Don’t Cry’. It also has the obligatory declaration of freedom with ‘My dreams aren’t dead’. A very good song and one that you’ll listen to many times. Just like the next one ‘Village Song’ by Fire Exit.

It’s one of those songs which forces you to look at reality and frankly, it’s a depressing song. Not bad depressing. Good depressing. Very good depressing infact. Subhadra Kamath’s vocals are ruddy brilliant. She manages to be hopeless and hopeful at the same time. Also, the musicianship of the band must be commended. They don’t drown out the tabla and the riff is pretty good too. A classy song, by a classy band. Remember Workshop? Launchpad? Hardhats? Blue Overalls? Songs about Masturbation? No? Well they’re here as well. And they spice up proceedings pretty damn well. “Pudhe Sarka” is a song that’ll make you laugh and laugh and laugh. Some of the things on this song are funnier than their epic imitations of Donald Duck during Launchpad. But it’s worth wondering why a metal band are on an “un-metal” compilation. Are non-metal bands and their songs really so bad? However, a great song from one of India’s best bands is more than an adequate compensation. [To note – listen to the ‘hey pretty boy, got some change?’ proof that The Demonstealer can be bloody attractive when he wants to be.]

Artificial Red’s song ‘Human Theory’ is one of those songs that make the voice in your head go ‘go get a job. do some studying. now!’ It talks about being a dog, a fly and a human. Shawn Pereira’s voice is carelessly elegant with a wonderful rough edge to it. He sets a mellow mood to a vaguely psychedelic offering which is continued by ‘The Old Whore’ by Dischordian. Maybe it’s not psychedelic but it keeps the damp expression on your face. It’s describes a *ahem*, a woman, who’s lips are blue. She’s dead now. [RIP] However, she must have been a pretty good woman to have this song written in tribute. It’s like having sex with a guitar. Genuine and perfect. Just like the next one. Second Shift’s ‘July Mind’. It’s lyrically classy and musically unbelievable. It’s a smooth, drifting mid-tempo semi-rocker that has terrific written all over it. The lyrics are…fantastic. The chorus is both catchy and innovative and Vinod Easwaran’s vocals do the song more than justice. The guitar work is fluid and compact. The song itself is a curious mixture of hope and disillusionment. Constellation Project song, ‘Ring the Bell’is a slightly tempered song where Garima Aneja’s huskily sexy voice sets the tone. It’s unnervingly brilliant. She’s as good as Meg White singing ‘Cold Cold Night’. Less raw. More sexy. Like sexaay sexy. You know? She’ll be the end of someone someday. The next song, ‘3 Act Circus’ by Noush Like Sploosh follows in the same vein. It makes a great soundtrack and is instrumentally catchy. It creates a misty and dreamy atmosphere and the harder you try to concentrate on the song, the harder it gets for you to decipher any sort of sense from it. The only thing that is certain in this song is the uncertainty and insecurity that surrounds it. One of the better efforts on the album. ‘Drowning Song’ by Sridhar/Thayil is musical poetry. It’s an echoic song that doesn’t make a lot of sense. There are lots of sounds on this song. Eg. Seagulls, Waves, Grumpy Scary Man, you know? The usual. What you’d expect to find in a song. You know?

The penultimate song, ‘March’ by Medusa. A song which proclaims, ‘it’s all a joke!’ Nice message no? Fortunately, the song isn’t a joke at all. It’s a dance-y, catchy and killer song. When you’re stoned to within an inch of your life, have a female with a ten feet radius and really want to shake your booty, choose this song. This is perfect for staggered movements with someone you’re reproductively interested in. And finally! ‘Make Some Love’ by Digitalkids! Straight out of Bappi Lahiri’s backlog! Something that Mithun Chakravarty would shake it to. It’s a loveable and uncomplicated song. No frills at all. To the point music. Ordinary but extraordinary music.

This compilation is great. And especially in a year blighted by Asheem Chakravarty’s sad demise, and the joke of a ‘Rock in India’ concert, this compilation has been a shining light of hope that shows that all is not lost in the Indian Rock Scene. Definitely recommended! More so because it’s free!

Highlights –:

1. Mavyns – Freedomslinger

2. Lavender Carnage – In Love With You

3. Gravy Theory – Radio

4. Boomerang – War

5. Constellation Project – Ring The Bell.