I Like It

If you have been watching 50 Cent’s reality show “The Money and The Power”, you have surely been spotting the contestant Nima “Blue Eyes” Tabrizi! Recently his song “I Like It” feat. Ava, Jordan & Basic was brought to my attention and I really liked the efforts and the result! Especially Basic’s marvellous mixing of Persian and English rap! There is a homemade video-blog for this song on youtube. However!!!! Since everything in that clip basically works against this song in every possible way, I was reluctant to post it! But its the only option if you want to hear the track, so be warned and click at your own risk!

Lohrasebi is working with Saffarian again

Ali Lohrasebi announced that his upcoming album will feature only five songs, written by Mohsen Yeganeh, Shahab Akbari, Amir and Arash Ghanadi, Mona Borzoee, Mehdi Yarahi and Roozbeh Bemani. The album will also present productions by Behrooz Saffarian, despite some controversies surrounding the collaborations in his previous album. The still-untitled album is planned to be released in time for Norooz.

Meet my girl! …my guitar, …my Gita!

I’ve wanted to learn how to play guitar for as long as I can remember! Got that romantic notion of that lonesome bard, who travelled to tell the tales of life. But somehow I never got around to actually learn, don’t ask me why! Although as someone creative who loves and works with music I’ve always written my own words as lyrics and hummed and recorded the melodies that came along with them for others to score. Now, as the result of a new-year resolution, time has come for me to actually score those hours of recorded hummings myself and turn them into full-fledged songs! So I’ve started to take my first lessons with my little black beauty. My first Guitar, my Gita! The word guitar often sounds like the Persian girl-name Gita when pronounced by Iranian artists and ever since I heard Fereidoun singing ” …ahaay sedaaye Gita (lyrically guitar)” in his “Gole Hayaagoo”, I’ve wanted to call the first guitar that I would ever get …Gita! My Gita is just the beginner’s basic instrument, but its MY instrument! So, I love her! As simple as that! I will treasure her loyal companionship, as we both embark on the journeys of joy and sorrow in the shared life ahead. As you can surely imagine I’m truly excited about this project. A new chapter begins and I will be updating with new pages as the project progresses. And I’m especially psyched to share this experience with you guys, my friends! So you better prepare yourself to one day in future suffer through my voice and melodies, in the audio-clips which I will eventually be posting in the updates. Hehe! Now if you excuse me, I have some quality time to spend with my cute curvy little lady …

New Release: Amin Rostami - “Yaade Cheshmaat”

Former undergrounder Amin Rostami’s legal debut was recently released, entitled “Yaade Cheshmaat”. His vocal style reminds of Benyamin’s, however with a mellow Balearic HOUSE flavour in music which reminds of Hamid Askari’s songs (with whom Amin has collaborated in past). I must say that I like this album, rather soothing!

Sweet salt n pepa surprise!

I’ve always dreamt about having grey or, as we say in Persian, “jogandomi” hair! It might sound strange but when I was just a teenager, I used to stare in the mirror and cherish those couple of white ones that graced my otherwise jet-black hair (Narcissus? Who, me?)!lol Dreaming about one day having that salt and pepper elegance and mature male look, a la Mr Clooney. As you might remember I recently shaved off my beard (though currently succeeded by a soul-patch) and as a second step in the revamp process I’ve let my hair grow longer, after two years of clean shaving! And look what I discovered, a shiny and charming silver lining!!!!! Hallelujah!!!

The “most promising new act” of 2008

I nominated him for the “most promising new act” of 2008 and you’ve watched his video on Bia2! You can now visit the German-based Kian’s myspace and listen to his independent album which is available for digital purchase from iTunes and amazon. Kian’s album is another production by Erwin Khachikian (Karmandan) and Alex Abedi who have managed to deliver a fine flavour of Persian POP-ROCK! The songs “Bargard”, “Baa To” and the cover on Dariush’s “Age Cheshmaat” are my personal favourites. POP-ROCK is a generic hybrid which is more or less a vacant vacuum in our industry, yet the aesthetic suitability and cultural compatibility of it just screams to be Iranianised! And Kian has the perfect voice and image for such a project! As a big fan of it, I really hope to hear more POP-ROCK coming our way in near future.

Jhanvieh in January

Anahita and Sam are the founding members of the US-based duo “Jhanvieh” who just released their debut EP “Abrisham”. The duo deliver a psychedelic and experimental fusion of WORLD MUSIC, Indie-POP and ELECTRONICA. Topped with Persian lyrics by male/female vocals! Personally I’m a fan of the style and really like the idea of converting it into Persian, would love to see how this project develops. Check them out at their website and myspace.

We intend to foster a new generation

Khaaneye Moosighi (House of Music) declared in a press conference its new commitment when it comes to attracting younger members and providing a shelter from the bad musical influences in the society! We are to foster a new generation of enlightened and educated musicians, Mohammad Sarir said to the press.

She is coming to ROCK the industry!

Finally my dream of seeing an Iranian ROCK done by an Iranian girl (which I’ve mentioned in my review on Jooliet) seems to be realised! Nooshin from Germany who won the European Jam-e-Jam TV’s “Iranian Superstar” back in 2005 is to soon deliver “Ki Badesh Miaad”, an album mixing influences from Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne and Shakira spiced with a pinch of 6/8. I’ve watched an exclusive preview of the debut video and its gonna ROCK you! Its such an exhilarating experience to see an Iranian girl in a previously unexplored element! Basically every move and motion feels fresh. The project is being produced by the young Europe-based producer Alex Abedi who’s in the past created and produced for artists such as Navid and Omid, Mohamad and Afshin.

Farshid Amin sings and foresees change

Farshid Amin who recently preformed a song called “Tagheer (change)” for the Democrats and in support of Obama said in an interview with Radio Farda that the main difference between the American and Iranian audience is that the former encourages you to deliver something different in every album and the letter the opposite! The Iranian audience seldom approves of a change in style and are more comfortable with a safe continuation of the same formula, he says. Though Farshid Amin also admits that things are slowly but surely changing and the Iranian market is slowly opening up for new directions.

Greatest Hits Covers

Greatest Hits or Best Of collections are by fans considered cash-cow milking, which is often planned and executed in time for Christmas! Just to give you an opportunity to conveniently give away a neatly packaged bag of treats as presents. Since hardcore fans already have all the tracks available on such compilations, even though there are almost always a couple of new tracks included to get even them buying the commercial package! But Greatest Hits work very well when you do know an artist and like a few of the songs, but don’t really want to get the entire career on discs. They are also a good way to present a new music to someone who has never heard of an artist. So even though Greatest Hits are intended commercially one should not reject them as solely market spam! One thing which is very important when it comes to such collections, perhaps even more than studio-albums, is the aesthetic presentation of the album! Its something which is to sum up all the albums represented on the collection along with the overall image of the artist so far. Here I give you an example of one cover which I find thought-through and another which I find a failure.

http://www.bia2.com/review/simpred.jpg

http://www.bia2.com/review/aguil.jpg

The first and functional one is the cover of Simply Red’s brand new Greatest Hits collection which portrays the singer of the band Mick Hucknall as the one-man-band that he always has been seen as. Against the white background which conveys the tranquillity of the album glows the red 25 and his ever-red hair, which has retroactively put the red in the band’s name and a sparkle in the music! The hands-in-prayer position signals a maturity of 25 years in business along with a sense of being at peace with him-/themselves. The second and of course the terrifying example is Christina Aguilera’s long awaited Greatest Hits album, which strangely enough totally neglects every bit of change and development in both Christina’s image and music through her decade-long career! Instead it rewinds things back to the 90’s, you saw a similar cover on Leila Forouhar’s “Tasvir” a decade ago. The futuristically minimalistic design, the extravagant make up and the close-up shot, everything just feel wrong and out of date. It neither sums up the career nor image, but rather gives one a single-layered picture of what this album is all about and an unpromising hint about where-to things are heading!

BEST OF 2008

Time for 2008’s BEST OF list! The following are my personal nominees along with the justification for each one:

Best female artist: Tara
(For a comeback stronger than her debut)

Best male artist: Andy
(For a conscious comeback with a versatile album)

Best newcomer: Valy
(For a strong cross-cultural debut)

Best stage-performer: Arash
(For owning the stage, no matter with whom its shared)

Best Iran-based artist: Nader Meschi
(For an album sounding current though years old)

Best album: Andy - Airport
(For a conscious comeback with a versatile album)

Best music producer: Mohammad Reza Ahari
(For an excellent experimental work on “Ye Shaakhe Niloofar”)

Most promising new act: Kian
(For an excellent attempt to Persian POP-ROCK)

Best music video: Karmandan - Ghaayegh o Naame
(For redefining the concept of Persian music video)

Best album cover: Mohsen Chavoshi - Ye Shaakhe Niloofar
(For a clever concept and poetic artwork)

Best record label: Avang Music Co.
(For a still consistent selection and release of strong albums)

BEST OF 2007
BEST OF 2006

Art imitating life imitating art

Its funny how life and art sometimes imitate each other! Two years ago I wrote a piece of lyrics, custom-written for a certain project which was due to different reasons never realised. The concept was made of extracts of experience retrieved from my own life and others, compiled into a context of case and coherence. You have probably heard of “sefaareshi” lyrics, well that was one of those! Though written by me for many to relate to, I didn’t necessarily relate to it myself back then! Not until now! A few days ago when I was away “serendipiting“, I found myself processing the current situation in life and putting it into words. When lines started to shape I suddenly realised that I recognised the lyrics I was writing, I had written it two years ago! I dug it up and the fact that it then, in its entirety, described my now gave me goosebumps! The piece has now been put into process and if things develop the way they are planned you will in a near future hear the result. Hopefully! I guess in this case art initially imitated life and then life in return imitated art!

Son covering father’s song

Ehsan Khajeamiri recently announced that on his upcoming new album “Fasle Taaze”, he will be covering his father Hossein Khajeamiri better known as Iraj’s song “Fasle Barooni”. He intends it as a homage and celebration of the father’s decades in the business.