Pulling heartstrings

video review

Song: 'Kahani Mohabbat Ki'
Band: Strings
Director: Umar Anwar

Since the release of their latest album Dhaani in 2003, Faisal Kapadia and Bilal Maqsood have established themselves as the leaders of our pop scene. With an appearance on the Spiderman 2 soundtrack, and after receiving multiple award nominations and bagging most of these accolades, the Strings are one of the most popular bands of the region, and Dhaani has been a major force behind this success. The set has spawned many hits for the band, and they have just released the sixth video from the album.

The new offering, 'Kahani Mohabbat Ki', is a mellow song about lost love and all the yearning that comes with it. Penned by Anwer Maqsood, 'Kahani' is both lyrically and vocally one of the more powerful songs on Dhaani and it comes as quite a surprise that the duo would wait this long to release its video. 'Kahani' showcases what the band does best -- rich mid–tempo vocals blended with that typical Strings–ish guitar–flute fusion.

And with the video, the track gets the Umar Anwar treatment, and that can only mean something good. The brains behind the clips of Jal's 'Aadat' and EP's 'Waqt', this relatively new entrant in the music-video-direction arena has become well known for his deep, offbeat ideas, and he continues to uphold this reputation with 'Kahani' by delving into the rather risky area of murky feelings, the result of which can either be very effective or very insipid. Fortunately, in this case, it falls right on target.

Very different from the previous Strings videos, 'Kahani' is rooted in emotion, and all that can be felt better than it can be explained. It portrays the feeling of loss, of loneliness, and of waiting...perhaps even waiting for something when one knows deep down inside that it ain't coming.

The video shows a lonesome maiden who sits all forlorn outside a railway station, waiting for someone's arrival. But he doesn't show up. Under the shining sun or falling rain, she just sits there, oblivious to reality, thinking of all that used to be. Then the loneliness sets in, and that's when the tears begin to fall. With the rain pouring, she reminisces with a picture and some old tickets in hand, and cries hysterically. She walks away in the end, but will be back the following day; she's just stuck in that furrow, clinging on to the past, and never getting on with life. She'll sit there and wait for him to come, through he never will.

The lead character is the main element in propelling the feel of the video, and forms the fulcrum of the clip, even so that the band takes a backseat while this character takes centre stage. Played by ace actress Iffat Rahim, whose resume also includes an appearance in Junoon's 'Yaar Bina', this role is the backbone of the whole video, with the entire concept revolving around her. Iffat shines in the portrayal of a person who is lost in her own world, distant from reality, and everything fits perfectly with the visuals.

The second important element in the video development is the ambience. From the rain and the fallen leaves to the very generous helping of orange hues, depicting an autumn-like feel, it all complements the lyrical content quite well. The ambience umbrellas the central role, and it all gels up to envelope the feel of the song. Surely nothing could've stirred up emotion better.

Everything from the rain scenes to the Strings performing in an alleyway-type-place is very nicely executed. But the video isn't just good because of what it is, but also because of what it isn't -- it isn't a rip off of a foreign clip, it isn't inspired by a musical, it isn't a paperback-novel storyline, and it certainly isn't an attempt at following the crowd. And originality always scores high, at least in my books.

Fresh off directing the new video for 'Hai Koi Hum Jaisa', this is the second Strings video that Umar has worked on, and the Strings–Umar Anwar collaboration seems to be going great guns. The short-film feel of 'Kahani', perhaps one of the most touching clips to hit the screen in the recent past, makes it all the more dynamic. With no elaborate costumes and without intricate tangled up characters, it's actually the simplicity of the video that makes it all the more effective. High on murky sentiments, perhaps even to the extent of entering the depressing category, the point behind the video was to evoke emotions, and that's exactly what it manages to do. Kudos to Umar Anwar for yet another subtle piece of work.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 15th May, 2005

Whisper to a scream

interview

Even though he's a relatively new entrant in the music industry, Atif Aslam needs no introduction. Going from Jal to 'Jal Pari' since 'Aadat' hit the airwaves, it has been quite a ride for the vocalist. So we caught up with Atif to talk about his music, fame, and his plans of venturing into the acting arena! By popular demand, here's Atif Aslam...

Us: Your debut album 'Jal Pari' has done extremely well since it was released last year. Were you expecting it to be as successful as it was?
Atif Aslam: First of all, thanks a lot for giving me this opportunity to speak to the readers of Us. I was also a very regular reader of Us in my school days. This is a wonderful platform for the young and talented people of Pakistan to express (themselves). The majority of my fans are teenagers and this interview will provide me a nice bridge to approach those fans.
Coming to my album, I wasn't expecting it to be this big a hit. Although I worked hard to record it and was considering it to be a good album according to my input, but God has been extremely kind to me by giving me this much success, which is far beyond my expectations. He has showered His enormous blessings on me, and I'm always thankful to Him for this.

Us: Any personal favourites out of the tracks on the album?
Atif: All of them are my heart's favourites, but I personally like 'Aadat' and 'Bheegi Yaadain'.

Us: In your opinion, how much of the success does the album owe to 'Aadat'?
Atif: Well, you always need to have a strong kind of song for entering into the music market, and 'Aadat' did really well. I owe a lot to it, but the biggest thing that came with it was the confidence boost I got, and I really felt that I should do more and better songs.

Us: So, how has fame been treating you since that song became a hit?
Atif: Everything is nice, but it is not an easy profession, even though it seems to be. It demands more attention and input than any other profession. Sometimes it literally burns you out because of the hectic schedules. It really feels great to give autographs and to receive special treatment, but at the same time, I feel that its a great responsibility on me not to disappoint my fans, and I also feel that when people love you more than anybody else, then they honour your words and they can be motivated to do good deeds because of this bond of likeness. I wish I could really do something for the youth of this country.

Us: How has your experience of performing live been so far?
Atif: I think the real spirit of any concert is that it should be live, from the vocals to the instruments - everything. This shows the real capability of the singer, whether he can rock the audience or not. By the grace of Allah, most of my concerts went very well. The livelier the audience, the better the performance.

Us: Any performance that stands out from all the rest?
Atif: One of my best concerts was the one that took place on the 29th of December last year at Alhamra Open-Air Theatre. Fun, screams, clapping, dance, autographs, photographs...there was everything. It was one of the highest-pitched crowds I had ever heard in my life, due to the screams of the 3000 girls in the audience. Second good one was at the National Park Islamabad with Noori where 32,000 people were present to attend the concert, and it really boosted our confidence manifold.

Us: Of the videos that you've done so far, which one is your favourite? And which one did you have the most fun making?
Atif: My personal favourite is 'Aadat'. Being my debut video, it was really full of excitement and fun. I performed 18 times on the whole song. It was shot at a warehouse in Karachi and we did continuous shooting for 15 hours. It was really tiring, but in the end I was really satisfied.

Us: Which video are you planning to release next? And when will it be out?
Atif: We are working on some other projects right now, and as soon as we get some time, we will be launching our next video. It will most probably be of one of the best hits of my album. I think there should be a balanced number of TV appearances. Otherwise, if you overdo it and release a lot of videos, then people get fed up of you.

Us: Your entire album is available for download very easily on various websites, including your own website (h3o.info). Don't you think this hurts album sales?
Atif: Well, this is a small world nowadays and the Internet is one of the best sources to send your message to a maximum number of people around the globe. So we've put the album there for our projection. Talking about the cassette sales, there are so many people who are producing pirated mp3 CDs underground and selling them in the market. So we thought that it's better that they should download our music from our website rather than downloading it from other websites and buying pirated CDs.

Us: What kind of music do you like to listen to? Any favourite artists? Influences?
Atif: We have a collection of more than 8,000 songs at home, and I have a very diversified kind of absorption for music of almost every nature. But my personal favourite is Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Sahab. He has been a great source of inspiration to me. He is a heart mender; the healing capability of his songs and voice is matchless. The conditions of isolation, betrayal and being down to earth are so very well depicted in his songs that he is one of my all time favourites. His voice and music is so powerful that it literally shifted our youth towards our basics and core values. Along with Khan Sahab, Kishore Kumar is my inspiration; a very natural singer who never learned singing from anybody. The way he sang tragedy songs in India, no one else did.

Us: You've been juggling studies and music for quite some time now. Doesn't it all get too hard to handle?
Atif: It was really tough when I was in the last semester of BCS but again God was very kind to me and I cleared my graduation with a respectable GPA. I immediately joined MBA after graduation, but right now I am unable to give proper time to studies so I thought I'd better take a semester break.

Us: According to your website, cricket has been one of your biggest passions in life and you wanted to join the Pakistan cricket team as a fast bowler. Any regrets on going for a music career and not taking up cricket professionally?
Atif: Well, I think whatever God does, holds some good in it. I don't have any regrets for not taking cricket as my career but I would love to play a one-day international for the national team.

Us: When are you planning to release your second album?
Atif: I think it will take another year to release it, and I will try my best to give quality music to my fans.

Us: What's planned for the coming months?
Atif: Nothing special - doing music, concerts, and probably some TV serials as well to test my acting skills.

Us: Any message for your fans?
Atif: I would like to say that I would always need your support and prayers. I would also like to advise them not to waste their time and spend their free time in some kind of creative work, whether it is music, sports or something which makes their senses more sharp and active, rather than chasing girls in shopping malls.
In the end I would love to thank all of my fans, friends and family, particularly my parents and my brothers Shahzad, Shahbaz and Sheraz, for their unremitting support. God has bestowed me with a very supportive and talented family. My eldest brother Shahzad is an engineer as well as a photographer. He has always been a sincere guide for me on all the aspects of my career. Shahbaz is an MBA and a great dress designer. Also, he is managing my concerts and TV appearances. Lastly, Sheraz is a computer graduate like myself, a very creative graphic designer, and above all, my very good friend. God Bless you all. Love you all!

- By Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 11th March, 2005

"I want to be a part of history" - Xulfi

interview

The last few years have seen massive change in our music industry, spanning from experimental music joining the mainstream to the development of concept videos. Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan, a.k.a. Xulfi, has greatly helped the cause. The younger brother of Khurram Jabbar Khan (manager of EP, Call, and Jal), Xulfi first gained prominence during the by now legendary Battle of the Bands as EP's lead guitarist. Since then, this software engineer–turned–musician has come a long way, establishing himself not only as a guitarist, but also as a director, producer, composer and lyricist. Along the way, he has paved the path for new bands to come forward, playing a pivotal role behind the success of EP's Irtiqa and Jal's Aadat.

Instep: EP's 'Aghosh', Call's 'Pukaar', and Jal's 'Lamhey' and 'Ik Din Aye Ga' – the four videos that you've directed are all very different from each other. What do you keep in mind while directing a video?

Xulfi: Directing a video for me is not really different from creating a song, a vocal melody, or a song arrangement, and I've already done all that in EP's Irtiqa. First of all, I have always related visuals with music. I used to compose and play live background music on theatrical and mime performances that my elder brother, Danish directed at NCA. All the songs on Irtiqa are different from each other because I always make sure that every song I make should be different from the previous one. I don't follow any specific formula in music and the same goes for music videos. I hate formula videos and formula music.

Instep: So how do you come up with the concept?
Xulfi: The core of the stuff that I do comes to me at night, just before going to sleep. That's the most creative time in my opinion, because you are in a sleepy state, plus your mind is thinking about whatever happened during the day; it is a recount of sorts. That actually gets me going somehow. And at those times, thoughts and visuals start appearing in my head and I keep thinking of more visuals, and finally I write all the thoughts and visuals down. Sometimes, the thoughts and visuals come out as music, sometimes as lyrics, and sometimes as a concept that I put out in the open in the form of a video.

Plus, I would like to mention that Omeir Zahid, one of my best buddies, who also co–directed 'Aghosh' with me, helps me a lot in linking all those random thoughts that come to my head. Similarly, Khurram and Danish (my brothers) help me with music, videos or anything else for that matter.

Instep: You've previously directed clips for bands like Jal and EP, and will be working on the videos of Roxen's 'Yaadein', Sahil's 'Tu Bol', and Call's 'Kash'. Why do you always work with newer bands?

Xulfi: Because those are the bands that will actually form the crux of the new generation that is finally going to replace the older bands and artists. I am not saying that all of them are really good enough to do that, but honestly speaking, I have given up hope from most of the existing mainstream bands and artists to actually come up with something different, as they seldom want to experiment. They are now here to just earn some fast bucks. A revolution always comes with daring acts. Our industry lacks the will to support this revolution and to be daring. I just hope there comes a time when there are more bands and artists avoiding the easy way to fame by satisfying just the entertainment aspect that the audience strives for. I want artists and bands to focus on something larger than just fame and fortune, because in sometime, people are going to forget you. So while you are here, and you have respect, then why not do something that makes you a part of history? That's what I am here for. I want to be a part of history.

Instep: None of the videos you've directed so far have been sponsored. Would you consider doing one?
Xulfi: Well, I'll only do a sponsored video if the sponsors allow me to do my own thing and not stop me from experimenting the way I do. Frankly, most sponsored videos in our country are actually quite stupid. But I believe that sponsored videos can have a better future if the requirements of the sponsors become a little flexible and the director is given room to experiment.

Instep: There is a marked difference between the quality of 'Lamhey' and the other videos that you've directed. Why so?
Xulfi: 'Lamhey', as I've explained quite a few times before, was made in a rush. Goher asked me to do the video of that song at the end of an EP and Jal concert. I said, fine, let's do it, but as the shoot for 'Ik Din Aaye Ga' was already scheduled for five days later, I was of the view that 'Lamhey' would be done after that. But I was shocked to hear that we needed to do the 'Lamhey' video that very morning and all this persuasion was going on at twelve at night. And now, we had to shoot the video at 6 a.m. the following morning. I decided to take this up as a challenge. We didn't have any sets or anything. So, with the camera crew and the band and Khurram bhai, we finally landed on an old Sikh worship place a few kilometers from Lahore. So there I was, with only that building and a jeep courtesy of Goher and Farhan's friends. I thought of a few shots right then, made a concept and shot the video in just three hours. Then got back home and started editing and within the next 24 hours I had sent the video to the music channels. And if you are wondering why the hurry, that was due to another artist (Atif Aslam) having the same song in his album, and he was about to release the video of this song. That news wasn't for sure, but we couldn't take any chance at that time. 'Lamhey' was the video that established Jal with their new lineup.

Instep: The video of 'Ik Din Aye Ga' was placed at number two at a music channel's Top 100 videos of 2004, while 'Pukaar' and 'Lamhey' were also in the top 20. How important has this success been for you?
Xulfi: It's an achievement. I'll make sure I mention this every time I get the chance to. I mean, I only made three videos in 2004, and all of them were in the top 20. That proves that a high budget and technical gimmickry are not the only ways to make a video look good. Some people believe that's the only way and they are quite successful. Our audience understands everything that has the simplest degree of simplicity. They like what is ordinary. I applaud the audience that has started to understand conceptual videos. It's only because of them that the viewership of abstract and different videos has improved, and will improve even more with time.

Instep: You produced the albums Irtiqa (EP) and Aadat (Jal) and are currently working on Call's Jilawatan and the new EP album. You also have your own music production and video postproduction studio, Xth Harmonic. Would you like to do more work as a producer?
Xulfi: Well, I will definitely continue my role as producer. I believe there has to be someone guiding young musicians. I have always wanted to make sure that new artists keep coming out because that's the only way we can begin to change the existing scene. Now, with my own studio Xth Harmonic, I have the opportunity to do that myself and guide the change.

Instep: Coming to EP, you composed Irtiqa, wrote and co–wrote some of the songs and even sang some of the parts. Does the new EP album see you as a composer, lyricist and vocalist too?
Xulfi: Yes, I have always been the main composer for EP. That doesn't just include the composition of my guitar parts, the keyboard parts and most of the drum sequences, but also most of the vocal melodies in the songs. As far as the lyrics are concerned, I am a better lyricist now than I was before Irtiqa. In fact, I have composed 'Kia Hota', the first song from our new album. My elder brother Danish and I have also penned the lyrics and I am singing it as well. So that probably answers your question.

Instep: Director, producer, composer – which role do you find the most challenging?
Xulfi: Being a composer is the most challenging because one has to concentrate on so many aspects of music. And as far as video direction is concerned, I have so much to learn. I am still a beginner in that department. But, I'm sure that when I know as much about direction as I know about music, then direction will become more challenging too.

Being a producer is really different from composition and direction. It has different technical details, and then, when you are producing someone else's music, it becomes really difficult too as you have to understand the artist's preference as it's their music that you're producing. So every role has its own set of challenges.

Instep: With the success of bands like EP and the Mekaal Hasan Band, where do you think experimental music stands in our music industry?
Xulfi: If I consider the music situation in our country four years ago, then it finally stands somewhere. One has to admit that two bands cannot change the face of the music industry in Pakistan. Experimental music needs an audience that wants to be experimental in their musical taste as well. But here, there are people, who criticize EP on their choice of words in the lyrics. That's actually quite shameful as Urdu is such a beautiful language, having so many beautiful words that lyricists seldom use. How will we know that there are more words to describe one feeling in Urdu? For example, we use 'qaed' to describe being in prison, but do we know that 'mahboos' means the same? Shamefully, we don't. We, the audience, will never try to make an effort to learn words of our mother language and when someone is trying to use these words to describe their motives and feelings, then, the audience criticises us for putting them through the ordeal of opening up the Urdu dictionary to learn new words. However, the situation is much better. A portion of the audience is finally evolving with the prevalent change in the mainstream music industry.

Instep: What about the general music scene? Where does it stand now and where is it heading?
Xulfi: I believe the current music scene is very fresh, but at the same time, it's very pop–oriented. The good thing is that the emerging musicians are more daring than their predecessors and they tend to experiment more. For this reason, I believe that there will be a lot more to look forward to. As for the future, one never knows what the future holds for them. We can't tell what the future holds for the music scene in Pakistan. For example, four years ago we couldn't tell that people will be producing experimental music like they are now. So I can't tell where it's heading, but I do hope it heads in the right direction.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 6th March, 2005

Reason

a page of my diary

We all came into this world for a reason. Or at least we would like to think we did. How do we know what that reason is? How do we know if we aren’t just traveling down the wrong path? How do we pick our battles? How do we define our victories? How do we tell apart our foes from our friends? How do we choose who to trust?

Do people come into our lives only to go away? Do they even realize that they all leave a mark on us? Why do people go away? Can we make them stay if we try? If we really really try?

Is there any such thing as normalcy? Who defines the range of normal functioning? Who decides when the line is being crossed? How can we tell between the good and the bad? And what about the ugly?

If we do something right, can it still feel wrong? Should we apologize for something we didn’t do? Should we forgive and forget? Do we really have to forget?

How do we know when to wait and when to go for it? When to speak and when to remain quiet? When to laugh and when to cry? When to hold on and when to let go? Should we go with the flow or make a statement? Sing along or march to our own beat? Be a part of the crowd or be different and risk being termed a freak?

Should we prefer silence over noise? Solitude over company? How do we know if someone is genuine or fake? How can we tell if someone cares?

Does anyone care?

- By Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 14th January, 2005

2004 - A musical retrospective

cover story

National

Bands. Splits.
We could hardly have predicted most of these splits. Some of them even left us wondering why...
- Jal: After the success of their very first song 'Aadat', the members of Jal parted ways, both sides giving their own reasons for the split. Atif released his debut album 'Jalpari', which was soon followed by the release of Goher's band's album 'Aadat'.
- Aaroh: Vocalist Farooq and bassist Khalid split with guitarist Nabeel and keyboardist Kamran, and both sides ended up claiming the rights to Aaroh. As a result, one side (Farooq, Khalid, Jason and Haider) released the video for their track 'Na Kaho', while the other (Nabeel, Kamran, Rahat, Sameer, Qaisar and Shehzad Mughal) recorded a new version of 'Sawal' and went to Mumbai to perform their track that appears on the soundtrack of 'Rakht'.
- Junoon: After playing with the band for over a decade, Junoon's bassist Brian O' Connell left the band. Guitarist Salman Ahmed cited Brian's unraveling personal life as the reason for the parting of ways. The band performed with Mekaal Hassan on their Summer of '04 tour and the Mekaal Hasan Band was the opening act for some of their shows.
- Noori: Mohammad Ali Jafri announced that he was leaving Noori to pursue 'other ventures'. Ali Noor, Ali Hamza and Gumby are continuing with the band and are currently working on their second album.

Us and them
The fame of Pakistani pop truly reached far and wide this year.
- Strings: The duo recorded the track 'Jeet Lo Dil' with the Indian group Euphoria, which was the official song for the India-Pakistan cricket series. Their song 'Najanay Kyoun' was featured on one of the versions of the 'Spiderman 2' soundtrack and the video for the track was filmed in Mumbai. The Strings also toured India and released the video for their track 'Bolo Bolo' which featured vocals by Indian singer Hari Haran. Their album 'Dhanni' was crowned number one on the India pop charts. The year also saw the Strings nominated for the 'Most Stylish Person In Music (Male)' award for the MTV Style Awards and the band won the 'Best Band' award at the first Sangeet Awards that were held at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
- Junoon: The video for Junoon's track 'Ghoom Tana' featured appearances by Nandita Das and Naseeruddin Shah and included vocals by Shubha Mudgal.
- Fuzon: Two Australian filmmakers filmed a documentary on the alternative music scene of Pakistan and shot Fuzon recording their new album. The team then went to Delhi with Fuzon where the band played at a concert called 'Sarhadon Ki Jugalbandi' aimed at promoting peace and cultural exchange between Pakistan and India. In India, Fuzon shared the stage with Indian filmmaker Gulzar, sufi singer Kailash Kher, fusion band Indian Ocean, Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and poet Ferhat Shah. And the video for Fuzon's song 'Deewane' featured Indian actress Urmila Mantondkar.
- Noori: The band released an online demo version of 'Naya Jahan', their duet with Indian singer Anaida. Noori, that just might have set a record this year by performing 110 concerts in 42 days, launched their online record label 'Lighthead Records' with the international release of their debut album 'Suno Ke Main Hun Jawan' because of the heavy demand for their music by fans living outside Pakistan, especially in the US and Europe.

Sound of the underground
Some underground bands could be heard in the mainstream this year. Album releases, videos, gig...quite a bit happened.
- Call: After more than a decade as an underground band doing English music, Call switched over to Urdu and began work on their first album 'Jilawatan'. The band also released the videos for their songs 'Nishaan' and 'Pukaar'. Entity Paradigm: A merger of two underground bands, EP enjoyed success as a mainstream band and released the videos for their tracks 'Waqt' and 'Hamesha' this year.
- Corduroy: Islamabad based band, Corduroy, released their album, 'The Morning After'. The album launch took place at The Civil Junction, where the band had been performing for about a year.

International

Knot. Tangled.
Some walked down the aisle. And some thought once just wasn't good enough...
- Britney Spears:
Wedding number 1:
Date: 3rd January.
Venue: Las Vegas.
Groom: Her childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander.
Annulment: 55 hour later.
Wedding number 2:
Date: 18th September.
Venue: A Studio City home.
Groom: Kevin Federline, father of 2 with actress Shar Jackson.
- Jennifer Lopez: Five months after breaking her engagement with Ben Affleck, JLo married Marc Anthony at a secret ceremony that was held at her Beverly Hills home, less than a week after Mark divorce his wife. JLo, 33, married Ojani Noa in 1997 and Chris Judd in 2001. Mark Anthony, 34, previously married Miss Universe Dayanara Torres in 2000 and has two sons and a daughter.
- Travis Barker: Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker and former Miss USA Shanna Moakler tied the knot on the 30th of October in Santa Barbara, California, and the family will be doing a reality show for MTV, titled 'Meet The Barkers' next year.
- Brandy: Robert Smith revealed that he was never legally married to Brandy and that the couple just played the part to maintain Brandy's image, and a few weeks later, Brandy announced that she was now engaged to NBA player Quentin Richardson.

Breaking up is hard to do ... or is it?
And then there were none. Or four in the last case.
- Sixpence None The Richer: After playing together for nearly a decade and achieved mainstream success with their hit single 'Kiss Me' that earned the band a Grammy nominated, Six Pence None The Richer broke up.
- Creed: The band split up after releasing three highly successful albums, the sales of which summed up to more than 30 million. The band was together for eight years. Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti, drummer Scott Phillips, original bassist Brian Marshall and former Mayfield Four singer Myles Kennedy formed a new band, Alter Bridge.
- Janes Addiction: Considered as one of the most influential acts of the last two decades, Janes Addiction decided to call it a day. The band had been inactive for ten years until they reformed in 2002 and released their album 'Strays' in 2003.
- Westlife: Bryan McFadden left Westlife to work on his own stuff and spend more time with his wife, ex-Atomic kitten and 'I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here' star Kerry Katona, and their two daughters Molly and Lily Sue. Later this year, Bryan and Kerry split up.

Oops!
Someday, they'll look back at these incidents and laugh. Or maybe not.
- Ashlee Simpson: During her performance at Saturday Night Live, Ashlee came onstage to sing 'Autobiography', the title track of her debut album. Instead, a pre-recording of her singing 'Pieces of Me' began playing while she was holding her mic to the side. This lip-synch debacle saw her thrashed with criticism and some of those who had bought her album ended up trading it for other records. As for 'Autobiography' which was scheduled to be released as her next single, well, it wasn't!
- Janet Jackson: Just before the released of her album 'Damita Jo', Janet Jackson's supposed 'wardrobe malfunction' exposed the singer during her performance with Justin Timberlake at the Super Bowl in February, and resulted in CBS' twenty stations being imposed with a $500,000 (£269,359) fine.

Guns, roses and velvet revolvers!
We waited for 'Chinese Democracy'. We waited...and waited...
- GNR: Guns N' Roses' 'Greatest Hits' album was released. Axl Rose and former members Slash and Duff McKagan took legal action to prevent the release of the greatest hits album, but the legal claim was rejected. The band's last studio album 'The Spaghetti Incident' came out in 1993.
- Velvet Revolver: Former GNR members Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum joined forces with Stone Temple Pilots' Scott Weiland and guitarist Dave Kushner to form the band Velvet Revolver and released their debut album 'Contraband'.
- Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains: GNR guitarist Buckethead quit the band after four years during which no new material was released and formed a new band, Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, featuring Primus bassist Les Claypool, Parliament/Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell and GN'R drummer Brian 'Brain' Mantia.

And they're still not sure why he won ...
George W Bush was reelected as the US President, but that isn't what most of the musicians wanted. Well, at least they tried!
- Eminem: Em called George W. Bush 'the real weapon of mass destruction' in his single 'Mosh', the animated video of which was released just before the US presidential elections. The track appeared on the rappers album 'Encore' that was released in November.
- A Perfect Circle: APC's album 'eMOTIVe' was released on the US Election Day and features 10 political themed cover songs. The band released an anti-Bush video for one of the two new songs on the album, 'Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums'.
- Punk Voter Coalition: US punk rockers united to form the Punk Voter Coalition that aimed to stop George W Bush from being reelected, and included bands such as NOFX and Anti-Flag.

Hail to the thief?
And just where were the security guards?
- Elvis Presley: The Elvis Presley museum, Elvis-A-Rama, was robbed and stuff including rings, a gold-plated pistol and other belongings, worth over $300,000 (£180,000), were stolen. A pair of the Kings 'blue suede shoes', however, was left untouched.
- George Harrison: The former Beatles' lyrics and photographs were stolen from his sister Lou Harrison's car while she was donating memorabilia to a library.

Idol
And India got its first taste of the Idols phenomenon this year.
- World Idol: Norway's Kurt Nilsen won the World Idols competition that featured the winners of the various Idol shows that have been carried out all over the world. Kelly Clarkson from the US came in second, Belgian Peter Evrard was third, Heinz Winkler from South Africa fourth and Britain's Will Young finished fifth.
- American Idol: Fantasia Barrino, the 19-year-old single mom from North Carolina, won the third season of American Idol. She beat 16-year-old Diana DeGarmo by a margin of just over one percent.

And the winner is...
- Usher!! The R&B star scored the biggest album of the year and four number one singles. 'Confessions' sold 1.1 million copies in the US in the first week of its release, which became the highest first-week total for any R&B artist! He was also a major winner at the award ceremonies that were held this year and picked up four awards at this years American Music Awards ceremony and 11 trophies at the Billboard Music Awards.

- By Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News, 17th December, 2004

Har jaga hai jal

interview

With the release of their song 'Aadat', Jal became a major hit and one of the most talked-about bands on our music scene, and now, almost a year later, after going through a split and subsequent lineup change, the band has release its debut album, also titled 'Aadat'. So we caught up with the guys who have given Us the hits 'Dil Harey' and 'Lamhey' to find out what they've been up to!

The band members are:
- Goher Mumtaz - Composer, songwriter, lead guitarist and vocalist
- Farhan Saeed Butt - Lead vocalist
- Aamir (Shazi) - Bass guitarist

Us: How did the original members of Jal get together? And how was the current lineup formed?
Goher: Well, the new lineup is all about new talent. Shazi, the experienced bass guitarist who was previously a member of the Jupiters and then did some projects with some underground bands, used to come to our jams for playing bass before joining Jal, and now he has joined the band. After the ex-vocalist left, I was looking for another vocalist. And that was when Sultan (of the band Call) told me one day that there is a guy Farhan in his college who had sung 'Aadat' and was appreciated by people a lot. So I thought why not try him out. Then I met him and did a gig with him, and after that things just worked out!
Shazi: And if it's a question of being original, I must say that the original Jal is what it is today. After the video of 'Aadat', Goher required a band setup, and he contacted me for the bass guitars. Initially I joined as a sessionist, but soon we both realized that the band and I suit each other and this is how we got together.

Us: How did 'Aadat' come about?
Goher: 'Aadat' was none other than a feeling of the pure heart. I never knew that I could write, but I did write because I really wanted to make a song! And that was my first attempt. When I was in college, my friends made fun of the lyrics and they were like 'oh come on Goher...it doesn't make any sense' ("ab to aadat cee hai mujh ko"). And now I'm making fun of them!

Us: And then there was the breakup... what happened?
Goher: I never thought that it would go this way. In my view, it was all preplanned to try to kick me out of my own Band and the writer of this story was none other than Atif's brother, who wanted to be the manager and had his own unprofessional way to talk to people who were interested in concerts. I gave him a warning, and then I told Atif that we should change the manager. But he preferred his brother over me, and said leave my band. He thought he will hire someone else and forgot who was the brain behind it. I think he should not have given preference to his brother and continued to work with me in a professional way.

Us: So do you regret the way things went? Or do you think it was all for the better?
Goher: Initially, yes!! I had that regret after the breakup, but when I found Shazi and Farhan. I realize that it's in the interest of the band and of course things aren't in our hands. It's Allah Almighty who makes the changes... maybe He wanted to see me more comfortable with this lineup and I'm really happy with them.
Shazi: Why cry over spilt milk, especially when you aren't even sure it is spilt!

Us: Farhan, after all the hype that 'Aadat' had generated when you weren't a part of the band, was it initially tough for you to fit in?
Farhan: I thought that it would be tough, but the way Khurram Bhai (our manager) managed things and consoled me at every point, it wasn't difficult at all. And above all the support of our fans was the key to where I am today!

Us: Your debut album 'Aadat' came out a few weeks ago. Tell Us about the album.
Goher: Yeah, the album is out and we really worked hard to make it the best. The songs like 'Teri Yaad', 'Ik Din Aaye Ga', 'Panchi', 'Bikhra Hoon Mein', are the big hits and sustain the charm of 'Woh Lamhay', 'Aadat' and 'Dil Haray', because we are getting a lot of feedback from the fans about these undisputed new songs.
Farhan: The album has 11 tracks on it, out of which two are karaoke and many people have the misconception that they are instrumentals! And all our amazing critics who pronounce themselves as experienced writers should know this difference...I saw a review about our album a few days back and that guy didn't know the difference between instrumental and karaoke!
Shazi: We can tell you 'how it was done', but 'how it is' is something only our fans can tell.

Us: The name of the Band isn't mentioned on the album cover. How come?
Farhan: We don't want to do anything against the law. We have all the rights and InshaAllah we'll be coming through the proper channel and don't want to go against the decision of the court.
Goher: It will be on the cover soon.

Us: How did you find working with Meekal Hassan and the guys from EP on the album?
Goher: That was a nice experience. Meekal Hassan is a nice producer and there are only a few people in Pakistan who really know their work. As far as the drumming on the album is concerned, it was done mainly by Salman Albert and by Waqar Khan (who played in 'Bikhra Hoon Mein' and 'Manchala'). And we had a great time working with them. Xulfi, who recorded and produced our album, is a great guy. Although he has a new studio setup, I think he is not less then any professional producer of Pakistan. It was a nice experience working with him too.
Farhan: It was great. Meekal Hassan really enhanced 'Aadat' with his extraordinary skills. And EP, they are all very helpful, but Xulfi the lead guitarist and composer of EP is a gem of a person. It was so much fun to do the album with such a talented, intelligent and passionate guy.
Shazi: Working with different artists is always a healthy experience, and yeah, it was great!

Us: Any personal favourites out of the tracks on the album?
Shazi: Yeah sure. Mine are 'Teri Yaad', 'Bikhra Hoon Mein' and 'Panchi'.
Goher: 'Teri Yaad' and 'Panchi' are my favourites.
Farhan: And 'Teri Yaad' and 'Bikhra Hoon Mein' are my favourite tracks on the album.

Us: How has your experience of performing live been so far?
Goher: Awesome. It's like food for my soul! We have performed around 50 concerts in different cities of Pakistan and we have enjoyed every single bit of it.
Farhan: It's been amazing the way the crowds have supported us throughout. The way they sing with us, they really push us to perform with our full energy and it's been such an amazing experience MashaAllah that we never want to perform on DAT.
Shazi: I have been performing live for 10 years since I started my career, and I always love it.

Us: The influence of music channels on our industry: good or bad?
Shazi: It's good of course.
Goher: Of course good! New channels are coming, which is a good sign, and people do watch TV for any new thing that can only be possible through TV channels.
Farhan: I think music channels are a platform for new talent and it's really been helping a lot in the recent past. But one thing that they should avoid is being biased. They should promote good music and good artists.

Us: Any particular reason for choosing 'Dil Haray' and 'Lamhey' for the first two videos?
Goher: No particular reason. It's just that we had to make them because people were demanding their videos.
Farhan: 'Dil Harey' is one of the powerful tracks of the album and same is the case with 'Lamhey'.
Sahzi: 'Dil Haray' is catchy and 'Lamhey' is touching.

Us: Will there be any more video releases from this album? If yes, then which one is next? And how soon can we expect to see it?
Farhan: Yes, InshaAllah we will be making videos of our powerful tracks for our fans.
Goher: The next video is 'Ik Din Aye Ga' which will be released on Eid and will be aired on various TV channels InshaAllah, and many other videos are in the pipeline too.

Us: What do you guys have planned for the next few months?
Shazi: Concerts, videos and a lot of jams!
Farhan: Rest in Ramadan...then concerts, videos, maybe new album.
Goher: Touring abroad and then will come back and do some gigs in major cities of Pakistan. Plus we are upgrading our website (www.jaltheband.com).

Us: Any message for all your fans?
Farhan: Keep listening to good music. We are here because of you and we are nothing without you. If it happens then it must be possible, so make things happen. Good luck!
Shazi: We are here till you are there, so stay cool and ready to rock... we love you!
Goher: Thanks for supporting the truth and the original Jal. Whatever you want to do, just believe in yourself and remember that everyone has some creativity. Just come out with it and express it to people. Love you all!

- By Sameen Amer

Us Magazine, The News - 26th November, 2004

Desi grunge

album review

The first Corduroy track I ever heard was 'Leeway', and two words immediately sprung to mind: Pearl Jam. Since then, everyone I've talked to about the band, and who hasn't actually heard their complete album yet, has generally had two words to say: Pearl Jam. So is Corduroy nothing but a Pearl Jam imitation? Not quite.

The comparisons with Pearl Jam, though quite inevitable because of the undeniable similarities at places, are not completely fair. True their vocalist sounds a lot like Eddie Vedder and the band is indeed called Corduroy (which happens to be a key track on the PJ opus, Vitalogy, although the band have repeatedly denied any connection), and, yes, at places you do hear the sprit of PJ echoing through the music; but if you manage to get past the oh–they–sound–like–PJ phase, you'll see that the band has a lot more to offer. Yes, there's a reflection of REM and the Stone Temple Pilots in there too!

With their first full–length album Corduroy have tried to bring the post grunge alternative sound to the Pakistani audience. Risky. And they've ventured out into the English music territory. Very risky. With the 'success' other local bands singing in English have had so far - Junoon's noodlings generally getting the fast-forward treatment in most boom boxes, and Coven morphing into Noori – one does wonder if it was a wise choice. But rooted in wisdom or not, The Morning After is what the band has come up with, and so far, the reaction from both the critics and their fans (the band has quite a following due to their live performances) has been pretty good. And if nothing else, the band at least deserves credit for doing everything from the production to the pressing and distribution of the CD themselves.

The album kicks off with 'Your Song' (which, thankfully, has no relation to the Elton John track of the same name) and ends with 'Aas', the only Urdu ditty on the set. In between is an amalgam of musings on the self and the society, ranging from the mellower tracks, like 'Wide Awake', 'You're Everywhere' and 'Prologue', to the more hard hitting 'Goddamned', 'Blue Chip' and 'Dystemper'. And it is this variety that keeps the album from becoming monotonous or even trite. But personally, I think the power ballads, though fine as such, aren't the band's biggest strength, and it's the heavier stuff that brings out the best in Corduroy.

As for the lyrics, well, at places, the lyrics have similar characteristics to those displayed by the early 90s Seattle scene. But, surprisingly, they don't always agree to what was said by the aforementioned:
Nirvana's 'Sliver': "Grandma take me home/I wanna be alone" Corduroy's '[end]': "Why don't you bring me home/I don't like being alone"

Yeah, maybe I just think too much. Sarcasm aside, the lyrics are probably the most powerful asset of the disk. The underlying themes are dark and, quite often, depressive and despondent. Some of the tracks appear to be light and radio friendly as long as you don't pay attention to the lyrical content, which is mostly angst–ridden and deep, and at times downright satirical. Sample this:
"I wish I had the numbness I crave/ Just close the door and let me find a vein," sings Moby, the vocalist and songwriter of Corduroy, in 'Dystemper'. 'Blue Chip' includes the rather murky "My/ Everything you wanted why? / Till the last red sunset dies / On your furrowed conscience/ I just wanna fade". And this is how 'Your Song' starts off: "I got a way to join this fan club/ Just slit your wrists and jump right in". Get the flow?

So whereas I have no complaints with the lyrical department and quite applaud the efforts put into the composition, I feel that the underlying music, however, is something that the band needs to work on. At places, the music (especially the drums - I really don't have any issues with the guitars) doesn't do justice to both the lyrics and the composition and sometimes the song ends up suffering because of this. Take 'Goddamned' as an example. Now mentally put the power of, say, the SOAD crew behind it. Maybe not a very good example, but I'm just trying to make a point here. The thing is not to make it sound heavier, but more dynamic and powerful. Add this element to 'Goddamned' and you'll get a song even an established rock band will be proud of.

The reason the band is well known for their live performances could quite possibly be the live music, which is something they haven't been able to capture on this disk. Other than that, the bands first offering is a fine appetizer for all that's yet to come, as it is quite apparent that Corduroy has the potential to come up with even better stuff than what they've displayed on The Morning After. For now though, let's just wait and see if this album is able to make a dent in our industry and whether Corduroy succeed where so many others have failed.

- By Sameen Amer

Instep, The News on Sunday - 21st November 2004