Bulla ballads, atomic bombs

5 MUST-HEARS

Record companies the world over perhaps find the current season a bit dull. As plaudits and awards are all set to be announced, money is pumped in to attract mindshare towards last year's successes.

In the interim, there are nevertheless a few wonderful pieces of work that should make their way to most discerning audiophile shelves. Business Standard picks picks the best of the lot being peddled at your nearest convenience super-mart.

Rabbi "" Rabbi Shergill

The fabulous music video and the brooding Sardar's six-stringed take on Baba Bulle Shah is the one spot of relief from the usual rut on music channels, but "Bulla kai jaana" is not the one-off track.

Buy Rabbi Shergill's self-titled debut, for his Punjabi-Springsteen ballads which has, at last, given a stroke of reverence to mainstream Punjabi flavour.

Black Friday OST "" Indian Ocean

Watch out Sandeep Chowta, because if Indian Ocean decide to embark on a full-fledged career in giving background scores for films, like they have for Anurag Kashyap's Black Friday, the queues of film producers outside your bungalow may just start thinning.

Ashim Chakraborty and Rahul Ram's robust vocals give the perfect caustic melodramatic tinge to a sombre, true-to-death docu-feature. From the searing "Bandeh" to made-to-order compositions like "Memon House", "RDX" and the poignant "Pre-blast" will be hoarded by many audio effects seekers.

A huge improvement over the band's last disappointing album Jhini, the official soundtrack is one of the best albums money can buy this season.

Cassettes Rs 75, CDs Rs 195

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb "" U2

This mention may be pointless if you queued up at record stores weeks ago and got yourself How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. But for those who haven't had someone to prod you hard enough and if the TVC-like look of CD opener "Vertigo" has turned you off, go and buy U2's latest.

Bono proclaims, "I want to trip inside your head," and Edge embellishes this hall-of-fame record with a sizzle and spice that will leave a glorious afterburn in your ears.

Rock around the Clock "" Various

And to round off the list there is nothing like a good ol' Rock 'n Roll anthology that begins and ends with Bill Haley and the Comets.

From "Rock around the clock" to "See you later alligator", this 20 track CD is all you need to turn a perfectly staid evening on its head and go "Twist and shout". Some timeless greens just don't believe in shades.

Sangeet Sangam "" Live at Lakshminarayan Global Music Festival
Pandit Jasraj and Dr L Subramaniam

Even if you don't believe in fusions, go ahead and pick this one up, for the ethereal Jasrangi overtures in Nat Bhairav.

Dr Subramaniam's bowing hand literally creates another voice that second foils the tonality of Panditji. While a DVD accompaniment with the CD would have been ideal, forthe time being listeners can just feast on the gayaki ang renditions.