Articles by Sanjoy Narayan
The return of Guitar Zombie: Sanjoy Narayan writes on Sturgill Simpson
He is often pigeonholed as a country musician, but his influences extend so far beyond that genre. His body of work, meanwhile, also includes a zombie movie.
Updated on Oct 19, 2024 02:32 PM IST
Finding a deeper register: Sanjoy Narayan on rising British star Nadine Shah
The Pakistani-origin musician’s songs reflect her complex identity, and her ability to transform personal trauma into compelling art.
Updated on Oct 05, 2024 01:44 PM IST
Folk, spoken word, jazz: Give the old mix a shuffle, says Sanjoy Narayan
Don’t just let the algorithms choose for you. Check out seven intriguing voices that deserve a spot in your headphones. In this week’s Download Central.
Updated on Sep 21, 2024 01:29 PM IST
Rock’s prince of darkness: Sanjoy Narayan writes on Nick Cave
He had been using his music to find a way out of the fog after the death of his sons. His new album, Wild God, is joyful and uplifting.
Updated on Sep 07, 2024 03:06 PM IST
Sanjoy Narayan on King Gizzard, a lizard wizard and the chameleons of rock
The band’s music can't be pinned down to a genre. Experiments extend beyond music too... they once released a batch of songs for anyone to produce as vinyl LPs.
Updated on Aug 24, 2024 04:18 PM IST
Headbangers’ ball: Sanjoy Narayan on the French band Gojira
The heavy-metal band that performed at the Olympics opening ceremony are rare both for their music and their defining stand on ecological issues.
Updated on Aug 10, 2024 04:32 PM IST
What do new roots sound like?: Sanjoy Narayan on the rare sound of Ganavya
The 30-something singer melds Carnatic vocals with jazz. Her voice has been described as one that ‘could turn stoics into sobbing wrecks’.
Updated on Jul 27, 2024 06:58 PM IST
NOFX’s final act of punk-rock rebellion: Download Central by Sanjoy Narayan
The legendary band formed in the ’80s stayed true to the mission in ways that Green Day and Blink-182 did not. Now, they’re on their final tour.
Updated on Jul 12, 2024 08:58 PM IST
The larger-than-life legacy of the Pixies: Download Central with Sanjoy Narayan
The ’80s band may not have had a lot of mainstream success, but they’ve influenced generations of rock legends. And they’re still going strong.
Updated on Jun 21, 2024 07:50 PM IST
ht_print | Sanjoy Narayan
The rebel sounds of the Sahara: Sanjoy Narayan on desert blues
Tishoumaren is a genre marked by the struggles of an ethnic community’s attempts to assert its identity.
Updated on Jun 07, 2024 10:07 PM IST
Beneath Finland’s surface, a concrete maze to keep enemies out
Finland's extensive network of bomb shelters provides safety amid rising tensions with Russia, as a retired man checks on his wife's protection.
Updated on Jun 03, 2024 05:38 AM IST
Sanjoy Narayan, Helsinki
Slash and burn: The Guns N’ Roses guitarist's new album is a blues tribute
The star-studded compilation features Steven Tyler, Demi Lovato, Iggy Pop, and covers of legendary blues tracks. Plus, a bonus original by Slash.
Updated on May 24, 2024 02:14 PM IST
The opening notes of a new wave: Sanjoy Narayan writes on British jazz
Trace a story of royal courts, Caribbean immigrants, and a joyous new sound exemplified by the young Ezra Collective. In this week’s Download Central.
Updated on May 10, 2024 06:45 PM IST
Can one brand Finnish them off? Sanjoy Narayan on Valco’s cult headphones
The flagship noise-cancelling model, the VMK20, is almost half the price of anything comparable. The company has a unique approach to marketing too.
Updated on Jul 29, 2022 03:23 PM IST
The Band beyond description: How Dylan’s ensemble chorus found its voice
They dug deep into the roots of rock music and blended that with country, folk, R&B and soul, to create a sound that was exclusively theirs.
Updated on May 21, 2021 09:37 PM IST
A dip in the Arctic: Sanjoy Narayan on his love for ice-swimming
Nothing can prepare you for the shock of stripping down and descending into an ice-hole in the dead of Finland’s winter. But after the shock comes a euphoria. There’s a reason ice-swimmers are addicted, and some won’t even warm up in a sauna afterwards.
Published on Mar 19, 2021 05:15 PM IST
The Allman Brothers Band: A final closure
The Allman Brothers Band ended in 2014; but Gregg Allman’s death gives that a sad finality
Updated on Jun 11, 2017 12:05 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjoy Narayan
Indulging in micro-doses of Metal in May
In Finland, the world’s capital of extreme metal, let’s take a plunge into the genre
Updated on May 28, 2017 01:26 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjoy Narayan
The Insomniac’s Playlist
On a sleepless night, a podcast that spreads its magic and fills your head
Updated on Jun 02, 2017 05:37 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjoy Narayan
The Bard of the Barroom
Craig Finn’s music is all in the lyrics and those always tell gritty, compelling stories
Published on Apr 29, 2017 09:51 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjoy Narayan
The one-man jam band
Keller Williams is a musician who’s greater than the sum of many parts
Published on Apr 15, 2017 09:10 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjoy Narayan
Many years later... Ten years after
Why the British blues rock band Ten Years After and guitarist Alvin Lee need a rediscovery
Published on Apr 01, 2017 09:36 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjoy Narayan
Still got the blues
Two bluesmen, one young and the other old, but both with blistering guitars
Published on Mar 18, 2017 09:03 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjoy Narayan
Benign bluesmen of Delhi
They won the Mahindra Blues Band Hunt this year but BLU deserves much bigger plaudits
Published on Mar 02, 2017 03:24 PM IST
Unknown knight of indie music
Mark Eitzel could be one of today’s best musicians you have never heard of
Published on Feb 11, 2017 08:51 PM IST
Two Old Gems
Rediscovering Leon Russell; and looking back at John Mayall
Updated on Jan 28, 2017 08:22 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Sanjoy Narayan
A Phish feast for the new year
Going to a gig by this hard-touring band is like being on a magical flight
Published on Jan 14, 2017 07:34 PM IST
Did you miss these two albums in 2016?
Paul Simon and Wilco released low-key gems last year. Check them out
Published on Dec 31, 2016 06:56 PM IST
The Stones dig deep into their roots
Their latest album is their first pure cover of old blues songs. And it’s brilliant
Updated on Apr 21, 2017 08:34 PM IST
Requiem for a soul sister: Farewell, Sharon Jones
Farewell to the vivacious R&B singer that was Sharon Jones
Published on Dec 03, 2016 06:36 PM IST