Omkara: The Soundtrack
Musical Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
The recent growth of slick, big-budget Bollywood movies that push beyond their traditional frameworks has been matched with a satisfying maturity in the music that is such a big part of the Indian movie-going experience. Where once generic soundtracks ruled the show, many newer movies come with a more sophisticated, worldly beat. The best example of this musical renaissance is probably A.R. Rahman’s Taal. But Omkara, a retelling of Shakespeare’s Othello (and really, is there a better script for Bollywood?) is an artistic endeavor with a soulful soundtrack. The songs feature a variety of styles, some traditional—like the slow and stripped-down “O Saathi Re” and “Naina”—and others more modern—like the near-dance song “Beedi”. Click on the image to buy now!
 

Bande A Part
By Nouvelle Vague
French duo Nouvelle Vague is a one-trick pony. Their mission: to find songs from the ‘70s and ‘80s, and render them unrecognizable as bossa-nova-based lounge music. The thing is, sometimes this really works well. Their debut album made lilting remakes and rocking revamps of once-popular hits. Bande A Part, their follow-up, continues the trend with some hits and misses. U2’s monster anthem Pride sounds surprisingly good in this slow-it-down melody. Echo and the Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon” is almost haunting. Other songs, like the update of New Order’s “Confusion” are so out there that they end up sounding like advanced elevator music. You probably won’t prefer anything of these tunes to the original versions, but it’s certainly different, and the coquettish female voices add a sultry layer that’s perfect for this kind of music. Click on the image to buy now!
 

Welcome to Jamrock
By Damian Marley
Another Marley son with a new reggae album? I kinda wish Damian had released this album under a different name, because it stands on its own. Welcome to Jamrock is certainly grounded in reggae, but it also leaves this laid-back genre and ventures into dance, rap, and rock. For a sample, check out the groovy, foot-tapping All Night and the hip-hop heavy Beautiful. But it’s not all fun and games. Damian’s music also resembles his legendary father’s in that is a political vehicle as much as it is a joy to listen to. And in case you forget whose legacy is being continued, there are plenty of Bob Marley samples mixed in. Click on the image to buy now!