For starters, this beautiful guitar joined my 7 string blackjack a couple of months back, effectively leaving me with two to-go guitars that let’s me do anything from the craziest heavies to the most soulful sounds.

It’s the Gibson 50′s tribute Les Paul.

She’s an absolute beauty. P90s! which means I am finally reunited with good old Transcend-ish sounds, but with more low end to them brought to you courtesy the all mahogany body, with a stunning maple top. Really, I can’t stop talking about this thing.

Another picture:

Onto more good stuff!

I have finally seen the end of the tunnel for Afterward, which means the launch is around the corner! Unlike Transcend, it’s going to be a 4 track album. I had about 15 odd tracks to choose from and put on, but I chose to stick with the ones that conveyed the most to me. Instrumental music is sometimes better consumed in small chunks. That, and being a proponent of listening to albums in their entirety, I chose to put it out this way. Three songs are already up for download, and the fourth and final song should be fresh out of the studio sometime this week. Check out the bandcamp page for Afterward and download away.

And finally, I’ve gotten together an alt/rock/funk band Sage. I’m singing and playing guitars, while Arun Shenoy is on guitars, Ram Vaidyanathan on Bass, and Simon Hyett is on the drums. I’ve been writing a lot of material for Sage, and it’s a ton of fun! As soon as Afterward is out, I’d be getting down to record the Sage debut EP with the boys and hopefully some new guitar toys as well. Join the Sage Facebook page to stay updated, we’re going to be doing some gigs around town so join the fun! I’d be slinging the Gibson for most of the Sage stuff, it’s such a perfect match for the music it’s not funny.

When I get anything that seems like a breather, I squeeze in some writing time in between for my experimental googlyboogly project Melakartha, there are a few tracks in there that you might wanna check out. Do drop in your comments/thoughts, and join in the discussion, and I’ll be sure to reply to each one of them.

Can’t wait, and here’s to a kickass 2011 for all of us!

- S

Dusty roads. Bicycles ringing bells. Cows lazing. Farmers and bullock carts. Children playing cricket. Wealth in reality, poverty in existence. Happiness in little things, sadness in even smaller things. Solace in the world’s biggest things. Comfort on reassurance, discomfort in oblivion. Beauty in it’s diversity, magnificence in her unity. This is my country, and Folked are my people.

Click to play and download single ‘Folked’

For the geeks like me, guitar chain was :Schecter C7 Blackjack (SH-1N, JB-4) — Danelectro Cool Cat Fuzz — MXR Zakk Wylde ZW-44 Overdrive — EHX Soul Preacher + Korg 301DL Dynamic Echo (in FX loop) – Blackstar HT-5 – HT-110 cabinet, close mic’d with a Shure SM58 (without windscreen). I later processed it through a cabinet impulse using Voxengo Boogex. Added VST reverb during mix down.