Here We Still Use an Mp3

When you design your life to maximize procrastination and slowness, the soundtrack nature and the modern urban reality offer, turn out to be largely insufficient and sometimes purely annoying. Isn't it usually when a giant truck throws buckets of hot black smoke into your face while its engine sings the most ravaging tunes that the desire to plug in those earphones is strongest. Then there is also the need to imagine parts of your life as sleek montages set to the perfect score.

Some fun artists who have lent their words, voices, guitars and pianos to the soundtrack of my life the past year...

Angus and Julia Stone

This brother-sister duo from Australia make some really heart warming music. Julia's beautiful, eccentric voice lights up songs like For You and And The Boys that anyway win you over with their gentle, drifting lyrics. Angus works up numbers like the immensely popular and addictive Big Jet Plane and Yellow Brick Road with a delicious guitar solo at the end. With fragile melodies and lyrics, their songs have a wonderful soulfulness. A breezy- folksy feel runs through their songs, perfect for a lazy summer afternoon.

Personal Favorite: For You

Regina Spektor

She makes words do things they didn't even know they could. Her music is weird, eccentric, odd. She breaks words up, screams, swears, beatboxes, tells magical or irrelevant stories and sings without a care in the world. Quirky lyrics with extremely hum-able tunes, she brings something new to each song she sings.Her songs are sometimes so poignant and honest. They reflect the way she sees the world and experiences it as somewhat of an outsider. A misfit. Highly refreshing.

Personal Favorite: The entire album- Begin to Hope + One More Time With Feeling

Faiz Ahmed Faiz

The year 2011 has been about Faiz and his poetry. And through him discovering the wonderful voices of Iqbal Bano, Farida Khanum, Nayyara Noor and Ali Sethi. After Ghalib, this has been my second serious attempt at understanding urdu poetry. Listening to Na Ganwao Navike in Farida Khanum's haunting voice makes the poem even more beautiful. Nayyara Noor similarly sings Tum Mere Paas Raho with so much love and tenderness.

Personal Favorite: Raqeeb Se (Nayyara Noor) and Dasht-e-tanhai (Iqbal Bano)

Fabrizio Paterlini

This man makes the most delicious tunes on the piano. Sometimes haunting and sad, but also deeply inspiring, and hopeful, he can do wonders with his piano. I wonder why no one's picked up his tracks for a film. Gorgeous music.

Personal Favorite: Veloma and Profondo Blu