Fifty Stories From 2016

Hello, my name is Akhil Sood, and here is a not random but also not very cohesive collection of fifty of the pieces I wrote in 2016.

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Billions of words on Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool, an album that, I think, may be one of those rare life-changing records and will stay with me for a long long long long time: http://lostsyllables.blogspot.in/2016/09/it-was-just-laugh-just-lie-just-laugh.html

Searching for the Great Indian Dream in Jodhpur: https://www.101india.com/travel-food/bharat-mata-ki-jai-tale-many-indias

One week on, how Versova gaon was ravaged by demonetisation: http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/How-this-Mumbai-koliwada-is-tiding-over-demonetisation/article16668984.ece?css=print 

A weird introduction to the underground dance music scene of Colombo at a party inside a 100-year-old building: http://www.bordermovement.com/the-pettah-interchange-2016-a-wild-weird-encounter-with-the-colombo-underground/ 

The time I went to a shiterature festival and wrote about all the things I saw: https://www.101india.com/arts-culture/nothing-happens-nobody-comes-nobody-goes-its-awful

The death of the middle ground and how I felt dirty about stereotyping JNU kids in the aftermath of the Kanhaiya Kumar thing: http://www.arre.co.in/humour/the-death-of-the-jnu-stereotype/

Trying to understand the inner workings of SundogProject’s frontman, Rahul Das: http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/An-obstinate-vision-of-music/article16232154.ece

Getting drunk and talking about big-city life with Donn Bhat: https://www.101india.com/music/connected-disconnected-donn-bhat-never-signing-out   

Driveway cricket, a game modern times have left behind: http://www.arre.co.in/culture/cricket-delhi-pokemon-punjab-fifa-street/

A weird, experimental series of gigs called the Listening Room: https://www.101india.com/music/listening-room-songs-noise-disquiet-bakery

Can you stoners please stop eating all my food?: http://www.arre.co.in/culture/hey-potheads-leave-the-food-alone/

My attempt at trying to (and failing completely) to understand all the buzz around Game of Thrones: http://www.arre.co.in/culture/what-happens-when-you-just-dont-get-got/ 

The thick haze that finally woke Delhi up (only briefly, in hindsight): http://www.arre.co.in/earth/air-pollution-in-delhi-modi-smog-diwali/

Two very different percussionists and how they’re not actually all that different: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/watch/ben-walsh-and-nathulal-solanki-a-tale-of-two-drummers/article9382408.ece

Reviewing Rock On 2, a nothing film that couldn’t even be offensive properly: http://www.dailyo.in/arts/rock-on-2-film-review-farhan-akhtar-arjun-rampal-shraddha-kapoor-music-bollywood/story/1/14001.html

Trying to capture, in a few thousand words, the unreasonable rise of hip hop as a movement in India: http://rollingstoneindia.com/rise-of-indian-hip-hop-cover-story/

The transformation of St. Jude Bakery into this super hip workspace/test kitchen/experimental space/popup/gig venue/art gallery: http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/akhil-sood-on-the-bohemian-st-jude-bakery-in-bandra/article8654988.ece

Palika Bazaar, a remnant of my childhood lying in tatters (well, technically the opposite), functioning as just another mall: http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/No-longer-underground/article14492632.ece

The mean-spirited attacks directed the way of Taher Shah by nudge-nudge-wink-wink hipsters trying to fill the gaping hole in their hearts: http://www.dailyo.in/arts/taher-shah-angel-eye-to-eye-youtube-pop-music-pakistan-yoko-ono/story/1/9987.html

The politics of the Ska Vengers: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/entertainment/Kicking-up-a-rumpus/article14468910.ece

Barely able to conceal my excitement after ‘Burn the Witch’ was released, a few days before the ‘Daydreaming’ video and the whole album came out: https://www.101india.com/music/radiohead-equals-mass-hysteria-incredible-hype-around-their-stunning-new-single

A trip to Haji Ali, via the busiest shopping mall in the whole world: http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/a-walk-across-the-sea-takes-you-through-a-shoppers-scrum-to-a-serene-haji-ali/article8569612.ece

On books, aka nice-smelling furniture: https://www.thequint.com/life/2016/03/05/the-smell-of-old-books-vs-plain-vanity-what-makes-us-buy-books

How Thomas Pynchon ruined my life: http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/Thomas-Pynchon-changed-my-life.../article14985406.ece

How I went for a hip hop gig in Bombay and was BLOWN AWAY: https://www.101india.com/music/hip-hop-homeland-live-inherent-unquestionable-coolness-hip-hop

Disco Puppet, a weirdo musician forever trying out different things: http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/Mood-swings-sound-swings-music-swings/article15613633.ece

The now-depressing mediocrity of Coldplay, in the immediate aftermath of their ridiculous Holi music video: https://www.101india.com/funny/coldplay-whichever-way-you-look-it-mediocre-band

Leicester City, my adopted team for the 2015/16 season, and the greatest underdog story of modern sport: http://www.dailyo.in/sports/leicester-city-english-premier-league-manchester-united-chelsea-jamie-vardy-arsenal-riyad-mahrez/story/1/9205.html 

Virat Kohli may piss me off but he’s exactly what India needs: http://www.dailyo.in/sports/virat-kohli-asia-cup-team-india-vs-pakistan-t20-cricket-sachin-tendulkar-dravid-dhoni-laxman-ganguly/story/1/9289.html

My accidental seal-breaking journey on a business class seat in an airplane: http://www.arre.co.in/humour/fat-cat-2-hours-fling-business-class/

Beards, crocs, tight shirts, excess cologne, pointed shoes: The strange world of men’s fashion: http://www.dailyo.in/lifestyle/indian-mens-fashion-beard-no-shave-masculinity-sexism/story/1/9906.html

Handing out my special awards for the English Premier League 2015/16 season: https://www.101india.com/sports/101india-english-premier-league-awards

Comedians in a car not getting coffee: http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/Music-lyrics-and-jokes/article16754282.ece

Thank god we’re done with the IPL circus: https://www.101india.com/sports/ipl-circus-leaving-town-hopefully

A very cool collaborative/anthology-style album written at a house in Karachi: http://www.bordermovement.com/karachi-files-celebrating-the-spirit-of-collaboration-cultural-diversity/ 

  

Whatever in the world happened to floaters?: http://www.dailyo.in/lifestyle/fashion-footwear-shoes-floaters-velcro-crocs-hush-puppies/story/1/9461.html

Britney Spears, the bulletproof popstar: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/entertainment/Daring-you-to-stand-in-her-way/article15420925.ece

   

What the hell does ‘indie’ mean anyway?: http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/It-smells-like-indie-spirit-or-does-it/article16738454.ece

Remembering the great Johan Cruyff: https://www.101india.com/people/johan-cruyff-footballs-timeless-maverick-dictating-how-game-watched-india

  

How Gurgaon will suddenly become an amazing city now that its name has been changed to, um, Gurugram: http://www.arre.co.in/humour/gurugram-say-hello-to-the-amazing-city/

The farce of weekly tribute gigs in India, written after I saw a poster for something called a Tribute to John Mayer (!): https://www.101india.com/music/have-we-earned-right-play-tribute-gigs

How DJs and electronic musicians suck and real music is made by cocky, arrogant, out of touch instrumentalists who still believe in a musical heirarchy: https://www.101india.com/music/djs-and-electronic-musicians-are-just-frauds-and-imposters-conning-innocent-listeners-and

What if Lionel Messi had been the captain of the Indian cricket team?: http://www.arre.co.in/satire/lionel-kumar-messi-haaye-haaye/  

Previewing Euro 2016: https://www.101india.com/sports/previewing-euro-2016-tragedy-farce-and-unfettered-joy

Remember John Abraham talking about football?: http://www.arre.co.in/culture/football-shootball-hai-rabba/

Salman Khan is a modern day superhero is what he is: http://www.arre.co.in/satire/the-future-is-bhai-salman-khan-acquittal/

Osama Bin Laden’s execution being, for some reason, live-tweeted five years after his ‘encounter’: http://www.arre.co.in/pov/the-ublraid-tweets-an-exercise-in-grandstanding-glorification/

Music stores used to be all cool at one point but let’s not get too carried away please: http://www.dailyo.in/arts/music-stores-planet-m-guns-n-roses-radiohead-90s-kids-millenials-mtv-beatles-britney-spears/story/1/10387.html

Understanding how the greatness of a song works by looking at a song allegedly written by Led Zeppelin, called ‘Stairway to Heaven’: http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/theres-a-songbird-who-steals-2917845/ 

Review of Mogwai’s stunning, and also a little uncomfortable, score for the film Atomic: http://www.sundayguardianlive.com/music/4152-music-review-mogwai-s-latest-album-about-hope-and-careful-optimism-face-despair

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