Thursday, January 3, 2013

Great Music I Discovered in 2012



I've already shared with you some of the most important movies I watched in 2012, and some of the best new films I discovered that year. The following list is again different from the previous ones, as want to highlight music I didn't know before 2012 - both new and old songs - but only music that I liked, loved, or simply became obsessive about.

Songs that made their way into my iTunes Top 25:


2 - Kun Faya Kun (A. R. Rahman, Javed Ali and Mohit Chauhan, soundtrack of Rockstar)
I actually wrote a post on this, the only music-related post I wrote in 2012. It's a truly magical song.

3 - Señorita (Farhan Akhtar, Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Maria Del Mar Fernandez, Shankar Mahadevan & Alyssa Mendonsa, soundtrack of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara)
A great song for dancing or just dreaming about summer.

7 - Strange Magic (Electric Light Orchestra, The Very Best of Electric Light Orchestra and soundtrack of The Virgin Suicides)
When I watched the homecoming ball scene in The Virgin Suicides I fell in love with this song instantly. I listened to it constantly last summer.

9 - Phir Se Ud Chala (Mohit Chauhan, soundtrack of Rockstar)
As much I was disappointed by the movie - mainly because of Nargis Fakhri - I was head over heels about the songs. 

11 - Khaabon Ke Parindey (Alyssa Mendonsa & Mohit Chauhan, soundtrack of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara)
I'm surprised to see this in my top 25, but then again it's beautiful... perfect for blogging, homework or just relaxing.



17 - The Moldau (Smetana)
My favourite piece of classical music after Blue Danube. I learned about it in music class when I was 8 or so, and then rediscovered it in The Tree of Life.

18 - Hosanna (Leon D'Souza & Suzanne D'Mello, soundtrack of Ekk Deewana Tha)
Sadly, I can't find a good version on youtube... but this song will melt your heart. I hated it to begin with, when everyone was crazy about it - but then slowly I became crazy about it too.

20 - Finally (7'' Choice Mix) (Cece Peniston, various albums and soundtrack of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert)
So 90s, so groovy, so perfect for this movie.

22 + 23 - Guaranteed + No Ceiling (Eddie Vedder, soundtrack of Into the Wild)
I only realized during my second watch, how beautiful this soundtrack really is.

... so I guess I should start searching after music that doesn't have a connection to cinema?

Well, I won't talk about the brilliancy of the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack now then (which isn't in the previous list because I discovered the movie only recently).

Some non-filmic musical delights I discovered in 2012:

Gangnam Style (Psy) - Well, it's love-it-or-hate-it and I loooove it! It's just so different from all the usual stuff.

Apples (Efterklang) - A very sad and beautiful song from some Danish band I just discovered.

Reach Out (I'll Be There) (The Four Tops) - Ah, the sixties... the mainstream music was just so much better than now.

I Don't Care (Icona Pop) - A random concert we attended at the Roskilde Festival... I was very surprised when the track started playing on the radio in fall.

Songs für Liam (Kraftklub) - Kraftklub is another band I discovered on the festival and it was one of my big obsessions in summer. Sometimes I just need that, a great German band with great lyrics and just generally great songs, so I can hype them a little.



Eat Randy (Julian Smith) - I can't believe my friend just recently introduced me to the work of this guy - he is uh-mazing. I listened to this at every hour after the day before I was all into the Sweet Transvestite from transsexual Transsylvania. They do have a lot in common too. Also check out Buffering and I'm Reading a Book.

Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit (Neil Patrick Harris) - What, television is not movies! Anyway, HIMYM is one of my favourite series and I can't believe it'll be over so soon!

Little Talks (Of Monsters and Men) - Had another little obsession about this song in summer. Don't love it that much anymore though.



Killing in the Name (Rage Against the Machine) - I guess my RATM phase was kind of obsessive too... I borrowed almost all their CDs and listened to that all the time. Just love the hybrid of hiphop and rock. Plus, it's great when you're really angry to just sing along to "F*ck you, I won't do what you told me!!!".

Discovered some great music in 2012?

13 comments:

  1. That is crazy how that PSY artist exploded this year! I'd never heard that song until seeing it on DWTS one episode. :)

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    1. I heard it in a youtube-ad for the first time and my first thought was just "What the f*ck?!". But mostly, when that's my first thought, I end up loving the thing whether it's a movie, a song or a book.

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  2. i was kind of expecting ik baghal mein chaand hoga in this list. or hoping, to be more accurate.

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    1. Oh, I loved that song - and Keh Ke Lunga too. However, I haven't actually seen Gangs of Wasseypur yet, so that may be the reason why I haven't been listening to the soundtrack that much.

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    2. the former becomes even more beautiful, when you listen to it in the context of the movie, when it is played in the film itself.

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    3. I bet so! Gangs of Wasseypur 1+2 are on top of my watchlist of 2012 films.

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    4. Have you seen Kahaani and Black Friday? A humble suggestion: see both of these, and then see Gangs of Wasseypur, just so you can compare the sheer versatility that Nawazuddin Siddiqui is capable of. He's already my fav actor, beating Abhay Deol.

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    5. I've seen Black Friday - it was well-made but I found it a bit boring. However - as far as I remember - Siddiqui was great in it. Kahaani is on my watchlist - thanks for suggesting I should watch it before Gangs of Wasseypur, I sure will now.
      The Bollywood magazine I write for recently published an interview with Siddiqui which I found really interesting. He seems to be extremely down-to-earth, and very talented too.

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    6. He belongs to that new breed of fantastic actors who come from very impoverished backgrounds but are hugely talented. You'll find quite a bit of them in GoW. Yes, Black Friday can be boring for many, though not for people like me, who have lived through it. (admittedly, as a child)

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    7. If you like to know about those you see :) http://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-meet-the-brilliant-cast-of-gangs-of-wasseypur/20120627.htm

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    8. Thanks for the link, I'll read it once I've seen the movie.
      I can imagine that a movie like Black Friday would be important to you if you've lived through it...
      Anyway, you're making me really eager to watch the movie! (Although tonight I'll have to see Chakravyuh).

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    9. straying off the topic, i just recalled a long-forgotten but beautiful movie that i had loved when i'd seen it: naseer, lilette and parvin dabas, among others. and a very young randeep hooda.(his 1st) "the monsoon wedding" hope you've seen it! (sorry, double typing below)

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    10. Yes, that's one of my favourite movies!

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Let the discussion begin!