Hindi Pop Music

Indian pop music, sometimes known as Indipop or Hindi pop is pop music of India. Basically, it is Indian folk or classical music, influenced by beats from different parts of the world. Indian pop was reletavely non-existent until the late 1970s to early 1980s. The major push to bring South Asian music into a "pop" motif was Pakistani singer Nazia Hassan.

Several Indians have gained popularity in mainstream popular western music, especially rock. In fact, one of the greatest artists in classic Rock, Freddie Mercury, was of Indian origin and started his first band in an Indian boarding school. Other popular rock musicians include Kim Thayil and Dave Baksh. Also, Tony Kanal of the group No Doubt is Indian. Grammy-winning jazz singer Norah Jones is half-Indian, her father being sitar maestro Pandit Ravi Shankar.

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Bhangra

Bhangra is a fusion of music, and, most significantly, the beat of the Dhol drum, a single stringed instrument called the iktar, the tumbi and an instrument reminiscent of an enlarged pair of tongs called the chimta. The accompanying songs are small couplets written in the Punjabi language. They relate to harvest celebration, love, patriotism or current social issues.

Today the word Bhangra is more associated with the independent style of dance pop music derived from the above mentioned musical accompaniment.The dhol's smaller cousin, the dholaki, is sometimes used instead of or in addition to the dhol. Additional percussion, including tabla, is frequently used in bhangra.

Bhangra has always been popular amongst Punjabi people all over the world, but it has enjoyed a resurgence over the last ten years or so. Its raw traditional sound is often supplemented with contemporary musical styles. In its more recent history, bhangra has been fused with disco, reggae, techno, house, rap, ragga and now jungle. In fact these new styles are so successful that modern bhangra is now being re-exported back to India. Most of this tends to come from desi scene, a subculture found amongst the South Asian diaspora.

Both collegiate and non-collegiate Bhangra competitions are held throughout the world, especially in the United States, Canada, and the UK. Some competitions in the United States include Bhangra Blowout in Washington, D.C., Bruin Bhangra in Long Beach, California, Bhangra Fusion in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and perhaps the most popular and largest--Dhol Di Awaz in the San Francisco Bay Area.

150 Stocking Stuffers

Pet Shop Boys Release Viva La Vida Cover

One of the highlights of the Pet Shop Boys’ glitzy, colorful Pandemonium tour this year was the duo’s mashup of their own 1988 classic “Domino Dancing” and Coldplay’s 2008 #1 hit “Viva La Vida.” The Boys announced via Twitter earlier this month that a studio recording of the two blended songs—produced by Stuart Price—will be included on Christmas, a five-track EP slated for December.

We will continually add new releases and more exclusives as they become available.

Listen To The Pet Shop Boys retrospective with excerpts from "Yes"
including the new remixes of "Did You See Me Coming"
and the new track "Up And Down" below.

Critics Choice

Ranked in no particular order, these are some of the most critical albums of the past five years.

New Music from Weezer, Morrissey, J Tillman and Themselves

Year In The Kingdom by J Tillman

Year in the Kingdom may not be a feast of eclecticism, but it is a lesson in the construction of compelling, stripped-down folk.

Swords by Morrissey
While a large proportion of these Swords are decidedly blunt blades, a few could have easily found a place on a greatest hits.

3 by Susanna And The Magical Orchestra

Ambitious and diverse, 3 opens new possibilities for Susanna & the Magical Orchestra, but it shares the sense of wonder and beauty in all of their music.

Raditude by Weezer

Driving yet jaunty guitars abound and backing chants fill the required spaces, yet it all comes across too much like a sub-par parody of their former selves.

Crossdown by Themselves
Doseone’s rapping is thicketed to the point of impenetrability; whatever he wishes to convey gets lost in his internal rhymes.

Top 25 Playlist

New Music from Daniel Johnston, Nick Cave, Warren Ellis and Russian Circles

White Lunar
by Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
A collection of scores recorded over the period of 5 years. [Soundtrack/Rock]
listen HERE


Earthly Delights
by Russian Circles
The third album for the rock trio was produced by Brandon Curtis. [Rock/Experimental]
listen HERE


And Always Was
by Daniel Johnston
Jason Falkner produced the latest album for the Texas-based artist. [Rock/Indie]
listen HERE

more great music HERE