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Monday, September 29, 2014

6 Stunning All-Girl Indian Bands That Effortlessly Kick Ass!

Many don’t know but all-girl bands are on the rise in India. It’s hard to handpick from a trend that’s imploding with talent, but here’s our compilation of 6 of the best all-girl bands that are taking the nation by storm.

1. Minute of Decay

A pop-rock band by genre, Minute of Decay is a band that was formed by three sisters in the latter half 2011. Their belief that the unavoidable fate of man is what leads him to places is something that devised their band name. Hailing from Manipur, the band currently resides in Delhi and draws inspirations from classic rock like Led Zeppelin and Simon and Garfunkel, funk rock and a few lessons from their parents. Buy the debut EP Finding Betsy HERE.

2. The Vinyl Records

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Catering to the post-punk vibe of sounds, The Vinyl Records are a four-member band that hail from Arunachal Pradesh but are currently residing in New Delhi. The band, which was formed by Banu, Minam and Mithy, have performed at the Ziro Festival of Music, NH7 Weekender, Go MAD and many other festivals. You can buy their debut EP Whims HERE. Watch the music video for their single “Ready Set Go” HERE.

3. Color Chaos

A relatively new and silent band on the national gig circuit, Color Chaos’ acoustic fusion is one to watch out for. Although the local folks of Chennai would’ve definitely spotted this band’s busking sessions and live performances. Watch them do an acoustic cover of the Alanis Morissette single “Hand In My Pocket” from their initial days HERE.

4. Tetseo Sisters

Another all-sister collective, Tetseo Sisters (even the name says so) is a four-member band from Kohima, Nagaland that adapts and interprets powerful Chakhesang tribal music that they’ve inherited. Dressed in their traditional Naga attire, the band aims to maintain and uphold the folk heritage of Nagaland in the form of their breathtaking music. Listen to their single “Jingle Bells”HERE.

5. Afflatus

Formed in 2004, this four-member outfit hails from Shillong and believes in divine inspiration for their music. Drawing a lot of inspiration from Gospel music, the band outlines its traditional beliefs with sounds of smooth alt rock riffs. Listen their single “Testimony” HERE.

6. Genesis of Pink

Sikkim’s all-girl band Genesis of Pink is one that believes in versatility of music that’s born out of creativity. Accompanied by a dance crew, this band spells jaunty pop-punk rock in every note. Listen to their single “Who Are You” HERE.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

All you need to know about Jayalalithaa’s Disproportionate Assets case

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa was convicted by Bangalore Special Court on Saturday afternoon amid high-drama. The trial of 18 years will reach its climax once the quantum of the punishment in the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa Disproportionate Assets (DA) case will come out on in the afternoon at 3 pm. The final verdict of the 66.65 crores DA case is going to be a crucial part of Tamil Nadu’s political scenario and will also mark the end the saga of the 18 year old battle. The case was filed on 14th June 1996 by now senior BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy, 18 years ago.

The verdict will be delivered by Special Judge John Michael D’Cunha at a makeshift court in the Parappana Agrahara prison complex. The security has been beefed up; the area in and around the court and chief minister’s house has turned into a virtual fortress with reportedly five layers of security. The verdict, which was earlier scheduled for September 20, got deferred to September 27 as the Karnataka High Court had to issue a notification regarding shifting of the court to facilitate the Bangalore police to make security arrangements for the Chief Minister.

All you need to know about Jayalalithaa Disproportionate Assets case:

1. The case was thrusted by DMK who directed Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) during the first tenure of Jayalalitha in between 1991-96. Dr. Subramanian Swamy filed complaint against the now Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. The case was filed by the vigilance wing of Tamil Nadu police during the tenure of DMK government. The DVAC registered a FIR against Jayalalithaa.

2. The case that was registered by Tamil Nadu DVAC in 1997 had accused Jayalalitha along with V K Sasikala, V N Suhakaran, and J Illavarasi acquired 66.65 crore disproportionate assets.

3. V K Sasikala, V N Suhakaran, and J Illavarasiwho were part of this abetted offence by acting as‘Benami’ owners of 32 private firms.

4. After Jayalalithaa took up charge again as a Chief Minister, the special court named Special Public Prosecutor for 66.65 crore Disproportionate Assets case.

5. Farm houses, bungalows, agricultural lands in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh; tea estates in Nilgiri, and a lot of gold jewellery and cash were reportedly seized.

6. The quantum of sentence hasn’t been announced yet but now that she is convicted, it will not only dent her image but she will have to step down from the post of chief minister and could be sentenced for 1-7 years.

7. Once Jayalalithaa steps down, O. Panneerselvam, the Finance Minister and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu could be the next to take up the position or AIDMK MLAs will meet and elect a new leader.

Friday, September 26, 2014

Magical Storytelling Photos

Brooke Shaden is a highly talented fine art photographer who lives and works in Los Angeles. Shaden’s passion lies in creating exciting, shocking and surreal new worlds through her photographs. According to her website, "her vision extends beyond the realm of the camera, creating images that resemble paintings and speak of an era that is not our own. Each image is a story.” Her wonderful photos certainly grab your attention!

Woman Had Her Face Photoshopped in 25 Countries to Compare Beauty Standards Across the Globe

Esther Honig, a 24-year-old freelance journalist from Kansas City, put the saying "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" to the test with this fascinating project titled Before & After. Using freelancing platforms such as Fiverr, Honig sent an unaltered photo of herself to over 40 Photoshop enthusiasts in 25 different countries and made the simple request: "Make me beautiful."

The results were astounding. Each freelancer, whether an amateur or a professional, put a unique spin on the original image, drawing from both cultural influences and personal aesthetic preferences. "Seeing some jobs for the first time made me shriek… Other times images, like the one from Morocco, took my breath away because they were far more insightful than I could have expected," Honig told BuzzFeed. In all the images, the journalist's skin was smoothened and flyaway hairs were tamed, but some of the changes were far more dramatic. Jewelry and clothing was added, her eye color was altered, bone structures were altered, and skin tone was lightened or darkened subtly.

The collection of images not only reveals Photoshoppers' personal preferences as well as the standards of beauty in individual countries, but also launches an interesting conversation on the use of digital manipulation in promoting unattainable beauty standards across the globe. Honig says, "Photoshop allows us to achieve our unobtainable standards of beauty, but when we compare those standards on a global scale, achieving the ideal remains all the more illusive."

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